rudy grewal’s name and face have become recognizable over the last few years at lakehead orillia and in simcoe county in general.

the barrie man has played an important role in encouraging diversity and inclusion on campus. through his involvement with the office of human rights and equity (ohre), rudy promoted international day for the elimination of racial discrimination to the orillia campus for the first time in 2019.

he educated and informed 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 to become allies by taking a stand against racism and discrimination while hosting a resource table in the learning commons.

rudy also served as co-chair of the #itstarts campaign at lakehead orillia, where he led others in celebrating diversity, inclusion and acceptance. these efforts and more earned rudy a lakehead leader award for 2019-2020 and a service excellence award at the county of simcoe’s 2020 newcomer recognition awards.

for as long as rudy can remember, he has always tried to help anyone – or anything – in need.

“at the age of four or five, i remember nursing an injured little sparrow back to health,” he said.

the bird eventually became well enough to leave the makeshift nest that rudy had built outside.

years later when he was in school, rudy wanted to buy a new music book for a student who couldn't afford it. luckily, the teacher stepped in with a discounted book that the student could purchase.

“this was one of my first lessons that there are others who are willing to help, and there are different ways of helping,” he says.

born in brampton, rudy grew up in several different parts of ontario and briefly in india, ending up in barrie in 2004.

as a racialized person, he has experienced racism – and that is part of why he speaks up.  

“another reason i get involved now is for my children, as it breaks my heart to see them going through similar things that i went through,” rudy says.

“dr. martin luther king, jr. marched in 1963 and told the world about his dream, and here we are almost 60 years later, still marching. generation after generation of inequities, sub-standard living conditions, and stolen opportunities. i get involved because it has to end.”

rudy has faced other challenges throughout his life. he still remembers how difficult it was to return to school as an adult in 2017 – when most of his classmates were considerably younger. to anyone considering attending university, rudy says if he can do it, you can too.

“where there's a will, there's a way,” he says.

“though there are different stressors as an adult going back to school, you also bring with you a wealth of life experience. you may be surprised at how much experience you can apply to your studies and scholarly pursuits.” 

since starting at lakehead orillia in september 2017, rudy and his wife megan have had to transition their brick and mortar family business to a completely different online venture; take care of sick relatives, including some who were critically ill and cancer patients; deal with the loss of five family members, including two parents; take care of their six children at home; “and, let's not forget riding the wave of a global pandemic and all that brings,” he says.

they were also working to continue paying bills. during that time, rudy completed all requirements to receive his hbasc, and he is scheduled to complete his hbsw this spring.

and, megan, who has been studying online through lakehead thunder bay, will receive her ba in gender and women studies this spring, too.

“it's amazing what can be accomplished when a good team works together,” rudy says, adding that he has truly enjoyed studying at lakehead orillia.

“lakehead orillia was the perfect fit for me,” he says.

“i considered a couple of other universities, but the small-class sizes at lakehead orillia afforded me the one-on-one attention i needed to build a solid foundation for my post-secondary career.”

he will be pursuing his master’s in social work and then perhaps a phd, with the goal of working in addictions as well as possibly getting involved in municipal politics to help bring about change that way as well.

rudy will be speaking at a cultural competency training event with the barrie chamber of commerce on thursday, may 6, to help local business owners be proactive about anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion.

he has also been doing research for the simcoe county diversity hub, which brings attention to racism and discrimination while promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in the community.

for more information about the simcoe county diversity hub, contact the simcoe county local immigration partnership at sclip@simcoe.ca.

sarah valiquette-thompson (ba’15) has been a restaurant owner, a city councillor, and a private investigator – but advocating for people with disabilities is the role closest to her heart.

pictured above:  sarah and harvey visit a classroom. before becoming a down syndrome advocate, sarah was private investigator for several years. “i had so much fun – every file i got was a new adventure, but it could also be kind of dangerous. i got into some intense situations,” she says.

when she and her husband ian were expecting harvey, their second child, a prenatal screening test indicated that harvey had down syndrome. what happened next sent the couple into a tailspin.

“i was referred to different specialists for echocardiograms, ultrasounds, and other tests,” sarah says.

many of the health care professionals they dealt with rattled off a long list of things their son wouldn’t be able to do, including feed himself.

“they questioned why we would want to continue with the pregnancy,” sarah says. “they basically said our son would be a burden to us and his sister. we were scared because we didn’t know if he would have much of a life.”

it was only through internet searches about down syndrome, and by connecting with other families who’d had a prenatal down syndrome diagnosis, that they were able to begin sorting fact from fiction.

“we realized that it wasn’t just us who were being told these horrible things about our unborn child, it was happening across canada,” sarah says.

talking to other parents also reassured them that their child could thrive.

“i can tell you that after three years of being harvey’s mom, that three-quarters of the things on that list are very antiquated, and for us, we didn't experience most of them. he has been able to reach all his milestones and transition into daycare. early intervention programs – speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy – have been amazing.”  

pictured right:  in 2018, alumna sarah valiquette-thompson formed a small passionate grassroots group that is pushing forward a private member’s bill in the ontario legislature to give parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis of down syndrome more accurate information.  photo credit: joanna crichton

sarah channeled the emotional devastation she went through into a mission to demolish harmful stereotypes and help families who receive a down syndrome diagnosis. “the information desperately needs to be updated so that it is the same and consistent – no matter where one lives in the province.”

sometimes people with down syndrome are devalued as human beings,” she says. “my son hadn’t even drawn his first breath and he was being dismissed.”

she reached out to ontario mpp sara singh whose sister, gurvir, has down syndrome.

for the last year and a half, the two women and the down syndrome association of ontario (dsao), as well as many in the down syndrome community, collaborated to draft the first piece of legislation in canada addressing how a prenatal diagnosis of down syndrome is delivered.

“mpp singh introduced harvey & gurvir’s law in november 2020, during canadian down syndrome awareness week,” sarah says. “it was a historic and very emotional day – i still get teary eyed when i watch the video announcement.”

the bill hasn’t received royal assent yet, but sarah hopes it will be ratified by the summer of 2021.

pictured left: dsao chair domenic gentilini, mpp sara singh, and sarah at queen’s park:
sarah watched harvey and gurvir’s law, formally known as bill 225, signed live. “because of covid, i couldn’t be there in person at the ontario legislature, but mpp singh and i held a press conference afterwards with the chair of the down syndrome association of ontario.”

if it passes, when parents are told that their child has down syndrome, they will also walk away with up-to-date ministry-approved information about the condition so that they can make the best decision about the pregnancy.

the bill will also enshrine a 48-hour waiting period (which parents can waive) after getting a diagnosis to give people time to process the news.

sarah is now carrying on her advocacy work in nova scotia.

“i was supposed to go back to lakehead orillia in september 2020 but then covid-19 hit, and everything fell apart – my son’s daycare closed and our restaurant in washago really took a hit.

they decided to move to nova scotia because of its excellent supports for people with disabilities and because they have family connections there.

sarah is now turning her attention to making her new province an even more inclusive one.

“it breaks you when someone you love is treated as if they’re not important,” she says.

please click here to sign mpp singh’s petition to support harvey & gurvir’s law and support their mission for inclusivity. 

“right after i graduated from lakehead with my honours of fine arts and bachelor of education, i moved to god’s lake first nation to teach,” says heather mason (née martin) (hfa/bed'08). “i didn’t want to be stuck substitute teaching in southern ontario for years and years.”

god’s lake is fly-in reserve 550 km north of winnipeg – the community is only accessible by plane or by winter roads when the ice freezes. “i’ve always been drawn to the outdoors,” heather says, “and it seemed like a really exciting adventure.” 

she describes the people in this community of just over 3,000 as “friendly, funny, warm, and welcoming.”

it was a life-changing decision – she stepped into a challenging career, teaching children from grade 3 to grade 9 and when she wasn’t teaching, she was coaching basketball, volleyball, cross country running, and badminton.

heather met her husband in god’s lake and became a parent to two stepchildren – a girl and a boy. the couple also has a seven-year-old-son and a 17-year-old foster son. “they’re great kids,” heather says, “they are very calm and respectful and we’re extremely proud of them.”

becoming part of the god’s lake community has given heather the chance to engage her 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 ’ creative abilities.

“our school doesn’t have an arts program,” she explains, “so i’m always looking for grants that enable artists to come to the community. we’ve had drummers and mural artists come to our school, as well as a music video production crew – n’we jinan – that made a professional video with the 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 called “back to us.”

one of her more recent projects in collaboration with fellow artist kevin burton, “nisitotah,” received a grant from the manitoba arts council.

“it means “to listen” in cree,” heather says. “we invited artists in the god’s lake community to listen to stories from elders and then create paintings inspired by these stories. it was a different way to pass on oral history and traditions.”

these kinds of endeavours, and heather’s commitment to her 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 , led to her receiving a cbc manitoba future 40 award in the category of arts, culture & entertainment in 2020. every year, these awards are given to an outstanding group of 40 individuals under 40 years of age.

several months ago, heather embarked on a new chapter in her teaching journey. in august 2020, she became the vice-principal of the god’s lake narrows first nation school because, she says, “i wanted to be a champion for the staff and help change the system.” this had been a long-term goal that prompted heather to earn a master of educational leadership and administration from brandon university in 2019.

although heather is happy with the new course she’s chosen, she does miss the day-to-day interactions with the 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 . one of her favourite activities as a teacher was organizing the grade 9 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 ’ yearly graduation trip to churchill, manitoba.

“it requires huge amount of planning,” heather says, “but the payoff was watching the 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 ’ excitement when they boarded a train for the first time or kayaked and paddle boarded with beluga whales. it connects them to their peers, the land, and wildlife all at once.”

these kinds of experiences reaffirm that coming to god’s lake all those years ago was one of the best decisions heather has ever made. 

fatima ahmed (bed'20) knows firsthand how difficult life can be.

despite her unique challenges, she has a jaw-dropping number of extraordinary accomplishments under her belt; impressive for someone not even in her mid-30s yet.

fatima has travelled the world since 2006, helping non-profit organizations thrive while she gleaned new insights along the way.

she has assisted in the fight against hiv/aids in botswana, worked with the women’s development officer in vanuatu (a nation of roughly 80 islands in the south pacific ocean), and served as the executive director helping at-risk youth in inuvik, northwest territories. now she is teaching various subjects to a grade 5/6 class in nunavik, quebec.

travelling has taught fatima important lessons.

“i have learned that kindness and compassion, not language or culture, are what make someone truly human,” she says.

fatima, who moved with her family from pakistan to stratford, ontario, in 2000, has also realized that the dynamics of power, privilege, injustice, and oppression exist everywhere, in one form or another.

“yet, i have witnessed awe-inspiring moments of human generosity,” she says.

fatima understands how tough it can be adjusting to life at university. it took her 13 years to complete her first degree – at another ontario university – partly due to an undiagnosed medical disorder and to realizing she had some growing up to do.

pictured right: fatima posing with her 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛  

a few years before enrolling at 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 , her doctor diagnosed her with bipolar disorder, which causes shifts in a person’s mood and energy levels. she came to lakehead after learning about accommodations that the university offers, which have helped her face the challenges of assignment deadlines and tests.

“i did not need these accommodations often,” she says.

“having gone to a large university and a large campus for my first undergraduate degree, i think there is something special about attending smaller universities or campuses. at smaller universities, one is less likely to get lost as a number, which was unfortunately my experience with a larger university.”

to anyone struggling, fatima says just remember that your persistence will pay off.

“the steam i have been able to gather since starting the bachelor of education program at 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 has surprised even me.”

“in sufi literature, they use the metaphor of a door and tell you to keep knocking; that the door will eventually open,” she says. “so, if you are hitting one roadblock after another, my advice is just have faith that all you have to do is keep knocking and the door will eventually open.”

it's clear that her persistence has definitely paid off. in 2019, she received an ontario college of teachers scholarship for her excellence in teacher education.

fatima has also realized how lucky she is to be safe during the global pandemic, which has provided her with important reminders about the needs of the mind, body, and soul.

“physical exercise, connection to nature, and human connection are key to leading a healthy, stable life,” she says. “there's a premium on space, especially during a pandemic, and i feel immense gratitude for having a safe space that i could find refuge in when it was unsafe to be around people.”

fatima describes lakehead orillia as a quaint, beautiful place to learn and study.

“there is immense potential at the orillia campus to leave behind a legacy by starting or participating in something that is meaningful to you,” she says.

speaking of building a legacy, fatima has big plans for her future. she is currently working on her master of education at lakehead. she jokes with her mom that she wants to earn 10 university degrees by the time she turns 45.

“my dream is to continue to live a meaningful life every day, one filled with service and knowledge”

by brandon walker

fatima ahmed graduated with her bachelor of education degree in the spring of 2020 and is a current master of education student teaching elementary 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 at a school in nunavik, located in the far north of quebec.

with the arrival of fall comes the arrival of new and returning 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 . their books are bought, their supplies are packed, and the campus buzzes with activity once again.

returning to school also means sharing fun highlights of the past summer with friends. for  – a second-year outdoor recreation/concurrent education student – this meant being surrounded by the best-of-the-best in international sport at the toronto 2015 pan-am and parapan am games.

“i had an amazing experience working at the games,” hayden says. “i was a presenter and athlete escort for medal ceremonies.” competing on the 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 nordic ski team and offering campus tours to prospective 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 gave hayden valuable experience for his pan-am dream job.

running for a total of 16 days, the pan-am and parapan-am games were two of the most anticipated events of the year, featuring 48 sports in 33 toronto-area sporting venues.

“i was in many locations which allowed me to see venues of all different sizes, as well as different sports. i witnessed the highs and lows of athletes winning or just missing the top spot.”

like most canadians, hayden enjoys playing hockey, skiing, and enjoying the outdoors –whether it’s in his native southern ontario or his newly-adopted northern home. “阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 in thunder bay is one with the environment. you have nature right in your backyard. all you have to do is walk five minutes to feel like you are in a forest.”

now that hayden is back in classes, he’s focusing on his future. hayden will graduate in 2020 and says that he’d “like to be a school teacher or work for an organization setting up olympic or world cup events around the globe.”

there’s no doubt that lakehead will play a major role getting him ready to achieve his goals. “阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 is a small school but it has a big heart,” hayden says. “for 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 and alumni, there are so many different opportunities for success.”

cody avery is on the hunt.

cody (hbasc’18) grew up in tottenham, a small town approximately one hour southwest of orillia.

he was part of lakehead orillia’s graduating class on saturday, june 9, 2018. he majored in criminology with a minor in environmental sustainability. before that, he studied police foundations at georgian college.

“i had no intentions of going to college, let alone university. i wouldn’t have gone to university if it wasn’t for the transfer program that they have arranged there,” he said.

since he graduated from georgian with an average of 70 per cent or higher, cody started in his second year of the four-year criminology program at 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 orillia, thanks to the pathway program.

“what was especially helpful was the location. i was already living in orillia, so all i had to do was change schools. the transfer program was a huge part of why i went to university,” he said.

when cody started at lakehead orillia he wanted to become a police officer after graduation, but within a few months he became friends with 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 in lakehead’s environmental sustainability program and that’s when he declared his minor.

now that he has graduated, cody’s hunt for a career has begun.

“my focus has shifted to environmental law enforcement. i would like to work in the ministry of natural resources and forestry – it could be hunting and fishing compliance. there’s a variety of options in the field,” he said.

for anyone considering attending lakehead, he recommended getting involved on campus.

“i worked for the student union and met people around campus. that made my experience at lakehead a lot more enjoyable. the more involved you are the more you get out of it,” he said.

“one goes to university for your studies, but hands down the second most important thing is getting involved. i also worked with the research centre.”

and he played intramural sports at lakehead, such as volleyball, soccer, and tag football.

he said his biggest challenge was balancing work and school.

“making connections on campus, that kind of support helped me to keep pushing and stay motivated. the people you meet, the friends you have, help you push through the hard times.”

cody is confident his 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 education will help him land a job that will kick-start his career.

“for me coming from a small town in simcoe county, being able to go to a smaller university was important. not to say a big university is bad, but i really enjoyed the atmosphere of lakehead orillia.”

that atmosphere includes professors who know your name.

“even as simple as seeing professors out in the community and at school and they know you by your first name. you hear stories about people who go to schools with 30,000 or 40,000 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 and you are just a number in the audience. lakehead is not like other schools,” he said.

update:

cody is now working for water first as the manager of development. water first is the only organization in canada that is working on skills development and in-depth training for indigenous youth to become water treatment operators.  

“in canada, the crisis of first nation water challenges and boil water advisories are often a matter of capacity issues in communities,” he said. “i’m working to support indigenous youth through the program and support our partners and donors.”

justis danto-clancy and justin blanco participated in the national trial advocacy competition held in ottawa and were victorious against seven other law schools from across canada.

a bora laskin faculty of law team took on the country’s best and brightest to take home the sopinka cup in march 2020.

law 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 justis danto-clancy and justin blanco participated in the national trial advocacy competition held in ottawa and were victorious against seven other law schools from across canada.

in order to compete in the sopinka cup, the team first had to win the arnup cup provincial meet held in toronto in february.

both young men attribute their success to around 150 hours spent preparing – and to the experiences that helped shape them.

justis says professor frances chapman’s first-year criminal law course at the bora laskin faculty of law made him comfortable trying cases.

“dr. chapman taught me the nuts and bolts of manoeuvring through complex criminal litigation, and the basic principles that underlie much of the criminal code and our charter of rights and freedoms,” says justis, who also holds an early modern studies and history interdisciplinary degree from king’s college university.

working at lakehead’s community legal services clinic as a student caseworker helped justis become comfortable with the legal profession. now he is on a placement at a criminal law firm, pm law offices, in thunder bay.

“not only did i represent real people in court in thunder bay, but i also prepared their cases and managed their files. i reviewed crown disclosure documents and prepared legal arguments,” he says.

“the clinic further provided me with invaluable experience appearing before judges and justices of the peace at the thunder bay court.”

many bora laskin faculty of law courses involve delivering oral arguments, which gave justis confidence.

he and justin are thankful for the help they received from their classmates, from coaches amanda gallo and marco frangione, and from their teammate, kim young.

before heading to law school, justis worked behind the scenes in film – first as a carpenter and then as a camera assistant, spending long hours on set.

“this instilled a confidence in me that almost anything can happen if hardworking people make a coordinated effort. as the sopinka cup unfolded, i leaned heavily on that trust in my own ability to think quickly and act decisively,” he says.

like justis, justin is also at pm law offices in thunder bay, as a senior law student who will soon be called to the bar.

he earned a degree in psychology at lakehead and became interested in the law while working as a court reporter for the ministry of the attorney general. justin says his knowledge of psychology benefitted him at the sopinka cup.

“psychology is an underrated discipline for those contemplating law,” he says.

“human nature and the precepts that underlie our legal system are inextricably intertwined. engaging with the fundamentals of human behaviour – whether on an intuitive level or through a formal education – can go a long way in the study of law.”

justin was nervous before the sopinka cup, but their hours and hours of preparation helped calm his nerves, along with being comfortable working with justis.

“i never thought i’d compete in a national trial advocacy competition,” he says. “but i believe that voluntarily exposing oneself to uncomfortable situations is a surefire way to positively develop as a person.”

justin and justis worked well together, they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses and trusted each other.

“our personalities played off one another in a way that inspired confidence in our trial strategy.”

people started referring to the pair as a “good cop, bad cop” duo.

“i wouldn’t necessarily agree with that characterization, but it's amusing nonetheless,” justin says. “i also won’t tell you who the bad cop was.”

“homelessness doesn’t discriminate,” sandra best says. “it can happen to anyone of any age and any background.” sandra is the operations manager of the david busby centre, which aims to reduce the impact of homelessness in the barrie, ontario, area.

“there’s a common misconception that homelessness stems from an individual’s choices,” she adds. “but nobody lines up on career day and says, ‘one day, i really want to be homeless.’”

sandra attended the lakehead orillia campus and graduated in 2013 in the inaugural class of the honours bachelor of social work program. as part of her studies, she did a placement at the david busby centre and was impressed by their commitment. in 2015, she began working at the centre and in april 2020, sandra was promoted to operations manager.

in this role, sandra is responsible for hiring and training staff, helping them meet their goals, procuring supplies, and reporting back to funders.

the centre provides crucial services to the community. their outreach van is on the road seven days a week delivering survival supplies to people living rough. this encompasses meals, hygiene supplies, survival gear, and transportation. the van also has a needle exchange program and offers social services and health care referrals.  

pictured right: the david busby centre's outreach van provides critical support to people experiencing homelessness.

“simcoe county has a really serious housing problem,” sandra says. “rent is astronomical compared to what people earn – we’re the fourth most expensive city in canada.”

this situation is compounded by the opiate crisis. “vulnerable people are more prone to addiction because they don’t have sufficient access to treatment for medical and mental health issues, so they turn to addiction instead,” she says.

covid-19 has worsened these challenges. “health and legal services aren’t functioning at the same level and people are losing jobs and losing the ability to afford their homes.” the arrival of winter, with its life-threatening cold weather, will make surviving on the streets even more precarious.

“normally, one of our main functions is as a drop-in centre,” sandra says, “but we haven’t been able to do this during covid-19 because of social distancing requirements.”

before the pandemic, the centre also provided emergency overflow shelter. “people signed up each night to sleep in cots we had set up in a large room,” she explains. “that went out the window too with covid.”

the entire team at the centre rallied together to cope with these unprecedented circumstances and completely changed the way it operated. in march 2020, they partnered with the elizabeth fry society and the county of simcoe to lease a hotel.

“we looked at options for making it possible for people experiencing homelessness to isolate and a hotel/motel model was the best solution. now, there are only two people to a room and they have access bathrooms that aren’t high traffic.”

another major change was the extension of the period that the centre provides shelter. typically, group lodging is available from november to april, but the centre is now providing lodging throughout the year in response to covid-19.

shown above: people living on the street in the barrie area rely on the david busby centre’s overnight emergency group lodgings offered from november to april, but when this became impossible because of covid-19, the centre came up with an ingenious alternative.

the pandemic and her time at the david busby centre has taught sandra many things.

“the homeless are the most generous people i’ve ever met, because they know what it’s like to have nothing. i’ve also learned that homelessness doesn’t have to exist – it’s the by-product of a broken system that we need to work together to fix, because it’s not the people who are broken.”

over the past few years, mathew sloan has been to korea, england, tennessee, and a remote island in lake superior.

that’s because the lakehead alumnus has wide-ranging passions. as well as being a virtuoso guitarist, a former lighthouse keeper, and a novice bonsai gardener, mathew is proficient in several languages – french, spanish, korean, hawaiian creole, and arabic (his mother is from lebanon).

even more impressively, mathew managed to combine these interests with studying environmental management at lakehead’s thunder bay campus.

“i was drawn to the program’s focus on providing the knowledge and tools to preserve forests and create a healthy and manageable future,” he says.

mathew received his honours bachelor of environmental management degree in may 2020 and, as part of the ceremony, he was chosen to give the valedictorian speech and play a song on his guitar, which had to be pre-recorded and shared online because of the pandemic.

his time at lakehead coincided with his evolution as a musician. mathew studied classical music as a child before gravitating towards the acoustic guitar after hearing flamenco and fingerstyle guitarist matt sellick (a fellow lakehead grad) perform.

“every week, my brother and i would go to starbucks and listen to matt play. i was fascinated by the emotion that goes into his sound,” he says.

mathew’s attraction to fingerstyle guitar – playing the guitar without a pick – became even stronger when he heard the legendary country musician chet atkins on youtube.

“i fell in love with his music and joined the chet atkins appreciation society, and in 2019, i was able to go to the society’s annual convention in nashville, tennessee, and meet other musicians and friends of chet atkins. it was a real thrill.”

mathew also began forging musical connections in south korea.

“there’s a famous guitar player called sungha jung who i really admire, so during the summer between my first and second years at lakehead i went to seoul to play music and listen to sungha and other guitarists.”

while mathew was there, he caught the attention of a company called gopher wood guitars.

“they told me that if i was committed to coming back and playing concerts, they’d sponsor me to make an album with one of their guitars.”

listen to mathew perform rocky roads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuvvt6cv2n8&feature=emb_logo

his alternative folk ep, peregrine, was successfully launched in 2017. this was the same year that mathew got a summer job as an assistant lighthouse keeper on porphyry island off the shore of lake superior.

“the island is a 45-minute boat ride from silver islet – it’s really remote,” mathew says.

besides archiving files and cleaning up the lighthouse, mathew tracked birds and wildlife on the island. the nights, however, were his favourite time of day.

“when the sun went down you could see the stars and the lighthouse beam. it was magical.”

more recently, in february 2020, mathew went to england to work at the nursery of master bonsai gardener peter chan to explore another aspect of the natural world. this overseas journey was a turning point for mathew. he is now hoping to do a master’s in landscape architecture at the university of british columbia.

“but,” mathew says, “no matter where i go in life, i will always remember the adventures i’ve had at lakehead.”

listen to more of mathew’s music:

spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5cvgjmhsf9yex2po93tonb 

apple music: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/mathew-sloan/id1294477900

as the coronavirus emptied out the streets in the finnish city of espoo, sidewalk life became less vibrant.

but that changed in one neighbourhood in the city of nearly 300,000 when a red, six-foot-tall t-rex dinosaur arrived on the scene.

the t-rex in question is none other than carmen pekkarinen (hbor ’95) – the president of lakehead’s finland alumni chapter and a documentation specialist with the computer software firm, trimble.  

“i had a brainwave one day back in march that it would be fun to stand on the street in a t-rex suit to cheer up people driving by.”

her next step was to investigate how much a t-rex suit would cost – it’s quite expensive – and put up a poll on facebook asking her friends if they thought it was a good idea.

“they said, ‘you only live once, just do it.’”

that’s why, every day, you’ll find carmen at her local bus stop waving at passing cars. “most people wave back,” she says. “i also have a few signs i hold up – wash your hands, have a nice day, #besafe, and stay at home.”

the dinosaur suit isn’t the most comfortable get-up to wander around in. it’s made of nylon and can get very hot. there’s a battery power pack inside that runs constantly to keep the suit inflated, and in order to see, carmen has to peer through a plastic window in the dinosaur.

as news of the red dinosaur spread through espoo, people began sharing photos on facebook. one of the first facebook posts said, “thank you to the person in the t-rex suit for waving at us, my kids were still talking about it at bedtime,” carmen reports.

as her fame grew, readers of helsingin sanomat – the biggest daily newspaper in finland – wanted to know who the person was. carmen’s husband outed her, prompting the newspaper to feature a story about her in their supplement, helsingin sanomat espoo in finnish and english. the story also appeared on helsingin sanomat’s website.

so how has a lakehead outdoor recreation grad from elliot lake, ontario, ended up in living in finland for over 20 years?

“just after i finished my second university degree, i travelled around the country for three months and then returned to canada. just over a year later, in 1998, i got a contract job teaching english at a nursing college and came back,” carmen says.

“the first time i came to finland, i was so homesick my first two weeks here. i kept asking myself why on earth i’d come. then i realized that that i was there to learn something i would never learn from a book or sitting in a classroom. that summer i travelled all over the country and met lots of people. when i had to leave, boy, did i every cry.”

she had such a great experience that when she returned to canada after her six-month contract at the nursing college ended, she began searching for other employment opportunities in finland. in early 1999, carmen secured a freelance job teaching english to employees at telecommunications company nokia. and she hasn’t looked back since starting with trimble solutions (formerly tekla corporation) over 19 years ago.

carmen also appreciates the landscape that surrounds her. even though she lives in a busy city, she only has to walk 10 minutes to be in the wilderness.

“you could put someone from thunder bay on a plane with a blindfold and drop them in the middle of finland and they’d swear they were still in northwestern ontario.”