Have you ever fought through what sometimes felt like insurmountable obstacles, steadfastly trudging the path because you were fuelled by the courage of your convictions? An internal monologue that asserts the need to pursue the thing that illuminates one’s very being — in truth, one’s life purpose — is the very essence of this courage, and the conviction comes from the confidence that we are doing what we believe is right, even when the majority of our peers do not agree.

That is the state of being that 37-year-old Joseph Tito, the extremely successful producer and director of the kind of high-profile shows that run on Netflix and the Food Network, was struggling to achieve as he stared out the 58th floor window of his Dubai hotel one lonely and scorchingly hot night.

“I had a great life; I was a jet-setter and I travelled anywhere I wanted to go. I had everything and my earnings, which were tax-free, allowed me to buy whatever I wanted. But I wasn’t happy — something was missing.”

Tito was, he says, in a dance between tradition and authenticity.

Born in Italy and immigrating to Canada with his parents when he was 5 years old, Tito grew up in a traditional household where family was everything, a nuclear unit gathered around the dining-room table, where each person bonded under the auspices of Nonna’s beguilingly delicious from-scratch meals.

It is no secret that one of the fundamental expectations in Italian families, certainly something that was instilled from a young age, is the mandate to find a suitable partner, get married and have kids.

And although having children as a gay man would add a certain layer of complexity to this scenario, Tito’s mom was always there for him, completely supportive, and she told him that together they would find a way.

“I HAD A GREAT LIFE: I WAS A JET–SETTER AND TRAVELLED ANYWHERE I WANTED TO GO.”

Tito reflects on a defining moment in his journey towards parenthood. In his 20s, he was with a partner who had two children, ages 4 and 6. They were together for a decade and Tito cherished the experience of being a step-parent. However, marriage was always something he desired and during that time same-sex marriages were not legally recognized.

Fast-forward to that night in Dubai when Tito looked around his hotel room, of high-end brand-name possessions surrounded by a luxurious collection — and felt, rather than a deep sense of accomplishment and purpose, an emptiness and loneliness that soon led to a life-changing epiphany.

“I was 37 years old and I thought it has got to be now or never,” Tito says.“I didn’t want to be 60 years old with a toddler in tow.”

Tito’s partner at the time expressed an interest in embarking on the surrogacy journey with him, but as time went on, Tito realized that his partner was nowhere near as committed to fatherhood as he was.

“I looked at the advantages and processes of adoption versus surrogacy but ultimately I realized, by watching a cousin go through the adoption process, that it was a very difficult procedure. Especially for a gay man.”

The fact that Tito was a single gay man who was travelling all over the world and not staying at one particular address for any length of time was another factor that he had to consider.

After researching the possibility of surrogacy in several countries, “I eventually found an agency in India that just opened up in Kenya, and they were advertising that same-sex couples and single males could go through the process,” Tito says.

A surrogate was found to carry the pregnancy in Kenya, and the process of implanting the embryos — eggs from the Indian clinic fertilized with Tito’s sperm — began.

Tito shares, “The embryo must develop for 21 days before it can be confirmed as successful. As someone who loves being in control, this process was especially difficult for me since I had no control over the outcome. With every failed attempt, I felt like a part of me died. It got to a point where even my mother told me not to update her until the surrogate pregnancy proved successful. There were four unsuccessful embryo transfers in total, and it weighed heavily on me. I started to question if maybe God did want me to be a dad — that maybe this wasn’t meant to be.”

“IT’S IMPORTANT TO INSTIL IN MY DAUGHTERS AND OTHER CHILDREN, THAT EVERY FAMILY IS UNIQUE AND SPECIAL IN THEIR OWN WAY.”

And then, in what can only be described as an earth-shaking surprise, Tito was informed that his surrogate mother was having twin girls.

As the time approached for the girls to be born in late November of 2018, Tito and his mom, whom he calls both a blessing and a light, travelled to Kenya to meet the girls and bring them home.

In a video posted to YouTube at that time, Tito and his mom can be seen entering the hospital in Mombasa, Kenya, their over-the-moon excitement and joy illuminating their faces. As he wipes his leaking-with-emotion eyes, it is evident that Tito is a father who wants nothing more in that moment than to see and to envelop his twin baby girls, Stella and Mia, with a jubilant, grateful heart. There is absolutely no question that these girls are wanted, that they are cherished new members of his family.

However, when it was time to bring the girls home to Canada in January of 2019, the unforeseen bureaucratic complications of doing so created so much emotional upheaval and financial stress that the process could only be described as devastating.

Even though Tito had done his due diligence ahead of time, he was blindsided by the news from the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi, which informed him that he could not get Canadian passports for his girls. Because he was a second- generation Canadian, his daughters had not automatically become Canadian citizens at birth. Instead, they’d need to be sponsored. And even though Tito had lived in Canada since he was 5 years old and his mom had been born in Canada, his situation was made even more complex because the surrogate mother was Kenyan and the egg donor was from India.

It was a devastating and emotional-roller-coaster nightmare that might need 6 to 12 months to sort out — which meant that Tito and the girls would have to stay in Kenya for that length of time — and Tito’s mom’s pills were running out. So were his finances, with his costs soaring well above $70,000.

“In true Italian fashion, my mother refused to go home. Even though there wasn’t much she could do, she put her needs aside for the greater good of the family,” Tito says.“At the end of the day, family and love transcend everything.”

Using his social platform to champion his cause, Tito reached out to his followers as a way to powerfully spread awareness of his situation.

“After I got stuck in Kenya, my community of followers went above and beyond to help me. Not only did they email and call people, they reached out to their Members of Parliament to bring awareness to my plight. As a result, my situation went viral. I even got an email from the office of the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. If it wasn’t for my community I would have been stuck in Kenya for a year,” Tito says.

Tito’s social profile and overall influencer status prompted TLN Media Productions to follow him over his journey’s three-year time frame, ultimately creating a documentary about him called A Happy Life — Una Vita Felice.

Although Tito says his purpose is not to tell people what to do, he does have a few salient pieces of advice concerning both surrogacy and parenthood.

“If you are financially stable, try to arrange for a surrogate who is as close to home as possible. And while you are going through the process, be willing to accept the fact that you have to give up control, trust in God, have faith and be patient,” he says.

Tito’s memoir, From Jet-Setter to Fatherhood, which he hopes to have published by May of 2024, details his surrogacy journey and the tough challenges and obstacles he faced and overcame. It is a period that at times Tito found extremely emotional to recount, and when he did he relived what were some of the most difficult times of his life. The book’s title is a fitting description of Tito’s life- changing decisions as he evolved from being a jet-setter to an “at-home Joe.”

“Basically, I am educating people on the fact that we all go through the same things in life — the same joys and the same challenges. We are all human,” he says.

His first book, The Twin Diaries: Stella and Mia Meet Papa (2023), is a children’s book that provides an overview of the realities of diverse family structures, offering valuable lessons about the meaning of family and what it means to be part of an unconventional one.

These days, Tito’s advocacy for surrogacy has positioned him front and centre on the issue with his 100,000- plus like-minded supporters on various social platforms as well as through his blog, The Dad Diaries, a space that allows him to shed light on the fact that not all families are alike. It is also a forum that allows Tito to help, lend an ear, and support others who are going through the surrogacy process.

“BASICALLY, I AM EDUCATING PEOPLE ON THE FACT THAT WE ALL GO THROUGH THE SAME THINGS IN LIFE — THE SAME JOYS AND THE SAME CHALLENGES. WE ARE ALL HUMAN.”

“The other day Mia asked me why she didn’t have a mom. It killed me. I felt so guilty — whether or not that was Italian Catholic guilt, I don’t know,” Tito says, laughing. “It’s important to instil in my daughters and other children that every family is unique and special in their own way. The most crucial lesson I want them to understand is that they are loved, and nothing else matters.”

The values instilled in Tito from a young age, the values that are the foundation of most Italian families, are the same ones that propel and inspire him as a father to his girls and husband to his partner, Frank, who Tito met when Stella and Mia were two years old.

At no point does Tito want Stella or Mia to feel guilty that they don’t have a mom. Instead, he makes sure that they understand just how blessed they are to have two nonnas, two grandfathers and two parents. The most impactful takeaways from Tito’s surrogacy experience and the best piece of advice he can give, he says, is not to care about what people think, because most of the time they’re really not thinking.

“I encourage people, no matter how they identify, to explore the joy of parenthood, the divine sense of love that demands nothing in return,” Tito says, with a lilt in his voice that is infused with gratitude and delight. Indeed, it is not hard to see that Stella and Mia are the centre of Tito’s universe, and the inspiration behind everything that he does.

“Stella and Mia have opened my eyes to the beauty in the world, prompting me to re-evaluate and cherish things I used to take for granted,”Tito shares.

INTERVIEW BY MARC CASTALDO
PHOTOS BY EMAD MOHAMMADI
WARDROBE BY PER LUI
PHOTO SHOOT LOCATION AT CHÂTEAU LE JARDIN

The post Joseph Tito: The Dance Between Tradition And Authenticity appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

Is wolfing down a favourite chocolate bar or running to the local barista for a hit of caffeine part of your late-afternoon itinerary?

If so, you are not alone.

So many of us either skip lunch or eat at our desks from containers of takeout food that has more bulk than nutrition and gives us a blood-sugar spike and then energy crash that deplete us well before our day is done.

“It is well known that “you are what you eat,” and good food can improve mental health and stabilize moods as well as support physical health.”

So the question we need to ask ourselves is, can the types of food we eat affect and improve our moods?

“Our gut is our second brain,” says Sarah Grossman, who, along with co-author Tamara Green, has penned a new book, Good Food Good Mood: 100 Nourishing Recipes to Support Mind & Body Wellness (published by Appetite by Random House), which is being released in March of 2024. It is a book that the two initiated shortly before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; as it wore on, they became even more aware of food-mood correlations, and especially attuned to the benefits of eating “supportive foods” and the effect they could have on our moods and mental health.

“Blood sugar levels are highly important to be aware of, something that we talk a lot about in the book,” Grossman says. “The stability of our moods is related to either our balanced or elevated blood sugar levels, which can affect the mood equation, making us feel tired, anxious, stressed or irritated.”

Both graduating from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in Toronto in 2010, Green and Grossman founded their company, The Living Kitchen, that same year. One of the partners’ first jobs was conducting classes for outpatients at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), to provide them with an overview of how healthy food can make a significant difference to one’s mental health.

From there, the entrepreneurs branched out to meal-delivery services in the Toronto area and a private-chef service. Their international clients range from celebrities to couples looking to make easy dinners, from families with picky eaters to women experiencing anxiety as a result of infertility or giving birth, and from those struggling with depression, dementia or debilitating gut issues to cancer patients and their caregivers. In fact, the authors’ first book, The Living Kitchen: Nourishing Whole-Food Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery (Appetite by Random House, 2019), provides achievable eating solutions to be used in conjunction with cancer treatments and protocols.

The authors’ mission in writing Good Food, Good Mood was to provide nutritious food solutions for readers that are accessible, affordable and delicious, as well as provide practical, adaptable tools for living according to their “Good Food, Good Mood” mantra.

“We wanted to ensure that readers understand the link between food, moods and mental health. Our hope is that readers, by following the suggestions in this book, which include adding protein to every meal as well as including an array of colourful vegetables and plants, can make a difference in their lives both physically as well as mood-wise,” says Grossman. “It is important to eat in a way that supports our brain and gut health.”

But don’t worry, bons vivants, foodies, epicureans, hedonists, foodaholics, connoisseurs, gastronomists, gourmands and gourmets, your palates will still be happily intrigued and bellies satiated by the diverse and colourful menu choices offered within the pages of Grossman and Green’s book.

“The more variety of plants we eat feeds the microbes in our guts and helps form our neurotransmitters,” Grossman says. “In fact, microbes help support our brain function. Neurotransmitters also have an impact on our mood — they can make us feel happy, motivated, focused and alert. And while eating good food isn’t the only component to positive mental health, protein-rich foods can be building blocks to create neurotransmitters.”

“THE MORE COLOUR VARIETY WE INCLUDE IN OUR VEGETABLES, THE BETTER OUR GUT MICROBES ARE SUPPORTED AND FED, WHICH, IN TURN, POSITIVELY AFFECTS OUR MOOD”

The bountiful microbiota in our guts are believed to be engaged in an ongoing two-way communication with our brains in a conversation that flows upwards. As such, the state of our gut health can be a positive or negative influence on our mood and memory.

“Challenges inside the gut affect communication within the brain,” Grossman says. “If there is an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut this may cause inflammation, depression, anxiety and stress, and in turn impacts our appetite and our moods.”

Importantly, good gut health helps free nutrients from the food we eat, facilitates digestion, produces vitamin K, promotes healthy immune systems and acts as a detoxifier. And just as important, the nerves that connect our guts and our brains send signals to our brains that can affect our moods — the practice of eating good food will manifest itself in a good mood — and conversely, when we experience those late afternoon energy crashes, more often than not it is the result of low blood sugar because we haven’t eaten the kinds of foods that fuel our systems in a replenishing way.

There are three main food components that Grossman emphasizes need to be included in our daily meals. The first is protein, which ideally should be eaten at every meal. Secondly is a colourful array of vegetables and other plants, including lentils, nuts and seeds, which contain important nutrients for our body. The third component important to add to our daily food choices is fermented foods, which support the microbes in our gut.

“Protein acts as a building block to help develop our neurotransmitters and foster feelings of happiness and focus; it also helps to stabilize our blood sugar,” Grossman says. “And, as far as plants and vegetables, the more colour variety we include in our vegetables, the better our gut microbes are supported and fed, which, in turn, positively affects our mood.”

Grossman says vegetables make a positive impact on our health, and recommends that people eat 30 or more servings of plant-based foods in a week. “It is easier than you think, when you add in chickpeas, a variety of nuts and grains,” she says. “And vegetables also help build micro-diversity in the gut and neurotransmitters in the brain.”

Cognizant of the sometimes prohibitive cost of produce, Grossman suggests buying produce that is in season and plan meals to include what is available at any particular time of the year. If recipe items such as kale or spinach are too expensive, she recommends swapping in other leafy vegetables. Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and beets are good fill-in ingredients, as is cabbage, which is usually more affordable and available.

Fermented food such as yogurt can be added as a dip or sauce to so many recipes, and for those who are dairy-intolerant there are non-dairy yogurt options available. Fermented pickles and other vegetables are also good options.

“We encourage our clients to do a plate check, to look at their plate and assess whether there is enough protein, healthy fat – one to two tablespoons per meal is all that is needed — and that a large part of the plate has vegetables,” Grossman says. “It is important to make sure that, ideally, all of these food components are a part of every meal.”

As we all know, resolutions are easy to make and even easier to break, so the authors have included several tips and advice on how to start on the path to eating “good food” and how to maintain that resolve on an ongoing basis.

“Tamara and I definitely understand the challenge of planning meals, so we included recipes that are easy to make and don’t require a long list of ingredients — most of which readers have in their home,” Grossman says. “We also wanted to make sure that none of the recipes would take a long time to prepare. For instance, some of the quicker recipes take as little as 5 to 10 minutes, but most take about 30 minutes, with some being a bit longer.”

“START WITH THE SMALLEST POSSIBLE THINGS THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR EATING HABITS.”

Grossman advises that, in order to develop good habits that are sustainable, choose recipes that don’t feel overwhelming, and start with what feels like the easiest and friendliest to make.

“It is OK to start with one, two or three recipes — it doesn’t have to be a lot. And for leftovers the next day, you can double the recipes that you like.

“Tamara and I always tell our clients that if they need to buy some prepared food throughout the week, it is quite all right. You don’t have to make everything from scratch. It is more important to have nutritious food than to skip a meal.

“Basically, we recommend following the 80-20 rule, which is to eat well at least 80 per cent of the time and it’s OK if 20 per cent of the time you allow yourself some flexibility.”

The recipes listed in the index are cross-referenced with various tags, making it easy for readers to find any of the diverse benefits they might be looking for.

“For instance, a reader might be looking for some help around feeling more energized or focused, and so Tamara and I flagged higher protein and fibre-based recipes so readers can access and prepare the foods that fulfil those needs,” Grossman says. “We also suggest adding a variety of nuts and seeds, such as walnuts and hemp seeds, which contain healthy plant-based omega-3.”

If you are a grazer and love little treats between meals, you will find some delightful recipes to satisfy your cravings, such as roasted-red-pepper- and-walnut relish, zucchini-mint turkey burgers with cucumber-sumac yogurt sauce, and chicken satay with quickie rainbow slaw. Dessert lovers don’t have to worry either about their favourite part of a meal with recipes that include almond-butter blondies, dark-cherry- walnut muffins, berry-apple gummies, chocolate-chunk-miso-oat cookies and coconut-fired green bananas, to name just a few.

The authors’ favourite taste profiles are guided by Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian influences, and they have developed their recipes for a variety of tastes including for those with a sensitive palate.

Some of Grossman’s favourite recipe choices (two of which are shared in this City Life article) include, for breakfast, the miso-savoury oats with soft-boiled eggs option and the shredded veggie fritters with probiotic yogurt. For her mains, Grossman loves the one-pan miso braised cod and leeks and the crispy chickpeas and cauliflower over lemony tahini yogurt. Some of the snacks she recommends sound downright yummy, including the miso-maple sticky nuts and the easy seedy flax crackers, which contain healthy fat and protein and are high in fibre.

Important questions to ask ourselves as we begin this new journey of integrating good food into our daily regime include: “Am I eating every meal every day?” and “Am I set up to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner?”

Once we have answered those questions, we can start assessing our food choices by asking ourselves questions like “Am I including protein at every meal?”

“Start with the smallest possible things that will make a difference in your eating habits,” Grossman recommends.

“Tamara and I hope that when people read our book and make our recipes they feel empowered to make choices that support their moods in a way that feels doable, and that makes a difference in their lives.”

Excerpted from Good Food, Good Mood by Tamara Green and Sarah Grossman. Copyright © 2023 Tamara Green and Sarah Grossman. Photographs by Daniel Alexander Skwarna. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

The post Tamara Green & Sarah Grossman: The Good Food, Good Mood Mantra appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

Toronto FC star Federico Bernardeschi and wife Veronica Ciardi share their love of animals at Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary.

When you observe with whom people choose to associate themselves, you often get a glimpse of their own characters. When City Life approached Toronto FC star Federico Bernardeschi and his wife Veronica Ciardi to ask them about their first year in Toronto after they arrived with great fanfare from Juventus in Italy, they requested that the interview and photo shoot take place at Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary in King City.

“Sanctuary” is the perfect description of Dog Tales, which is set among the idyllic and perfectly manicured rolling hills of its 50 acres north of Toronto. Dog Tales was co-founded in 2014 by an animal-loving husband-and-wife team, Rob Scheinberg and Danielle Eden Scheinberg. Both owners had been involved in animal rescue for years before deciding that the best way to help animals in need was to open a rescue facility of their own. In its almost ten years of operation, Dog Tales has rescued approximately 3,000 dogs.

Here, in its splendidly serene setting among horses and farm animals, is the luxurious kennel space for dogs and cats that sets Dog Tales apart from any other rescue in the world, and is the reason that Federico and Veronica wished to showcase the excellent work it does for animals of all kinds.

“I just enjoy this place so much,” says Bernardeschi. “I love how this place works because the concept behind it is amazing and it is very nice to be here.”

What sets Dog Tales Rescue apart for its clients from around the world is the simple yet distinctive philosophy behind its conception: Rob and Danielle believed that their dogs deserved all the comforts of home while they waited for their forever homes and they wanted to create a space quite different than the cold, stark concrete cages and shelters they had grown accustomed to seeing. In contrast to the conditions many animals have to endure, which can be quite depressing, Dog Tales has elevated the shelter experience and created a fun, decorated environment filled with happy dogs, which also makes it easier for potential owners to visit as often as they wish until they find their perfect companion, without feeling emotionally drained by every visit.

The Dog Tales approach of enriching the experience for the rescued animals has turned a negative into a positive, which is why Bernardeschi and Ciardi, themselves the owners of two English bulldogs, feel so comfortable there. “I love everything about dogs — I really can’t describe how much I love dogs!” says Bernardeschi. “Maybe it is because I grew up with dogs in my life.”

“LIVING IN TORONTO IS AN ADVENTURE FOR ME BECAUSE THE CITY IS AMAZING AND THE PEOPLE ARE AMAZING.”

That youth was spent in the rolling hills of Carrara in the Tuscany region of Italy as a footballing prodigy — he first touched a soccer ball at age 4. Bernardeschi’s earliest games were not so much about playing against other children but about the other players simply relegated to chasing him as he dribbled the ball towards the goal. He was that good.

He made his professional debut at the age of just 19; by the time he was 23, he had grown into a superstar with a global audience. He transferred to powerhouse Juventus in 2017 where he earned the nickname “Brunelleschi,” after the Renaissance master sculptor and architect responsible for designing the glorious dome of the Florence Cathedral. The nickname was in recognition of his superb natural abilities but also of the hard work, passion and commitment that had carried him to the top, and of the fact that he was more of an artist than an ordinary footballer.

Bernardeschi joined Toronto FC in July 2022, and he, Ciardi and their young daughters, Deva and Lena, took no time in taking to Toronto. “Living in Toronto is an adventure for me because the city is amazing and the people are amazing,” he says. “When I go outside with my kids and my family, nobody bothers me. This is great for me because they respect my privacy, they respect my family and I appreciate that a lot.”

As for his day job on the pitch, to say that Toronto FC is going through a period of transition is a bit of an understatement. In 2023 the club had an underwhelming season, which left fans reminiscing about the heady days of 2017 when it won the domestic treble with the MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield and Canadian Championship, the first and only MLS club to ever do so. However, Bernardeschi remains confident and hopeful for the future of the club, stating, “There is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Head coach Bob Bradley departed the team during the season, with his son, team captain Michael Bradley, retiring at the season’s end. New head coach John Herdman, who had such tremendous success leading the Canadian National Women’s team to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, will be rebuilding the club around young stars like Bernardeschi as it turns a new page to the future.

Bernardeschi is always appreciative of the continued support of the Toronto FC faithful, who continue to flock to BMO Field, and has a positive message for them. “We must be better than this season because things didn’t work out as planned,” he says. “We needed, for sure, more resources for the fans, for the city, and I think we will be better next season. I want to thank my fans for always supporting me because that is very important to me and to my family. When my fans support me, I just feel better and better and better!”

Supporting good causes and good works by such places as Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary is just one of the ways that Bernardeschi and Ciardi have immersed themselves in their new city during this past first year. Given what Dog Tales does every day, it’s very easy to support them.

“Every single time a dog goes home, that’s a fond memory,” says Marina Williams, one of the caring and committed staff members who make up the Dog Tales family. “We spend a lot of time on social media, so we see the good and the bad stories — of dogs who were abused, for example. Seeing the past of some of these dogs and then seeing how they are transformed once they come to Dog Tales is extremely rewarding, and it’s not just one dog, it’s every single dog that comes here. The best part for me is just seeing them find a home.”

The world-renowned dog rescue and horse sanctuary is a country oasis with wooded areas, walking trails, therapy pools and a grooming spa — the perfect setting for abused and neglected animals to heal and be rehabilitated while they wait for their forever homes. Dog Tales regularly takes in owner surrenders based on available space; at any given time about half of the dogs are local, with the other half coming to Dog Tales through rescue initiatives both within Canada and internationally. The team proactively searches for dogs that they feel need them the most, regardless of geographic location. They are committed to doing as much as they possibly can to help as many dogs as possible, but the sad reality is they cannot save them all.

Dog Tales also has adoptable cats and a “Sponsor a Farm Animal” program where, for $25 per month, it provides life-saving medical attention, vaccines, food and care for the many horses, pigs, cows and sheep who also call Dog Tales their home. Its programs and its care and commitment to animals are on display for visitors, who are welcomed to its Open Houses from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm every Sunday.

“We have approximately 100 dogs here at any given time, in addition to 57 horses, seven cows, and many pigs. Our staff of approximately 70 includes dog handlers, horse handlers and animal care therapists,” says Williams. “All of our dogs are walked three times a day and enjoy the finest medical care possible, with veterinary technicians on-site who check regularly on every single dog in the kennels. Oh, and we also have a friendly rooster — his name is Larry.”

When people are considering pet adoption, Dog Tales wants them to remember, through its new Foster Program, that adoption is much more than just that. “When you adopt a dog, you’re actually rescuing two, because when you take a dog out of a shelter you’re making space for another dog to come join us who we can help,” says Williams. “Our new Dog Foster Program has just launched and we’re trying to get 20 new dogs in as soon as possible,” she says. “Our website contains an application form.”

It is clear Dog Tales is making a difference by providing all the love, attention and training that its rescues need to recover from their difficult pasts, so that they can move on to permanent, loving homes, which most do.

Perhaps Bernardeschi put it best during his visit with City Life when he said, “These dogs, they are special. Honestly, you can see in their eyes, 100 per cent — all they want is love. If it was possible for me, I would adopt them all.”

Compassion, care and character are three attributes shared by Federico Bernardeschi, Veronica Ciardi and Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary.

A most gracious thank you to the Dog Tales family, who warmly welcomed City Life Magazine to conduct their photoshoot and interview at their location!

Meet the beautiful animals!

Meet Ernie, the most handsome boy. He is a Weimaraner who is only 13 years old. Ernie was a local surrender who was rescued from euthanasia. He is looking for a forever home in his golden years. Although Ernie is a senior, he is still quite spunky and active. He enjoys his adventurous walks and napping on comfy beds. Ernie is selective with dogs and prefers females. He is good with cats. Ernie would benefit from being in a home with teens or older as he is looking for a quiet and gentle family that will respect his space.

Meet Kobi, a gentle giant. He is as cuddly and cute as they come! Kobi is a 6-year-old Mastiff. He was surrendered to us from a neglectful and abusive situation. Kobi is slowly learning that people will no longer hurt him. He is very weary of men and some strangers. Kobi is quickly getting into a positive routine to meet new people. Once you have his trust, he becomes very attached and affectionate. He is so loyal and loving to his people.

Brown and White Horse, Eve:
Eve is a 22-year-old Clydesdale mare. She came to Dog Tales in 2014. Like almost all the Dog Tales horses, she was purchased at auction to save her from going to slaughter. She is one of our tallest horses and is distinctive with her beautiful long mane and tail.

White Horse, Moon:
Moon is a 23-year-old grey Percheron mare. She came to Dog Tales in 2015 when she was purchased at an auction to save her from going to slaughter. She is sweet, kind and a favourite of many staff and volunteers.

INTERVIEWED BY MARC CASTALDO
PHOTOS BY JESSE MILNS
CREATIVE DIRECTED BY FERNANDO ZERILLO
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MICHELLE ZERILLO-SOSA
STYLING BY ASHLEY GALANG
MAKE-UP & HAIR BY TAYLOR CHOUSKY
VIDEOGRAPHY BY LISMERY LOYOLA
MOODBOARD STYLING BY MASSIMO SOSA
SHOT ON LOCATION AT DOG TALES RESCUE AND SANCTUARY

The post Federico Bernardeschi: CHAMPIONS A CAUSE appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

Many factors can influence the lives of children, beginning, of course, with their parents. There are also their siblings if they have them, their home environment and where they live, their teachers, classmates, coaches, teammates and perhaps even religious figures they may have in their lives.

But research has shown that among the biggest and most important influences in a child’s life can be his or her grandparents. The sense of security, mentorship and emotional support provided by grandparents can be vitally important during all the various stages of a child’s life.

“If parents regularly involve grandparents in their child’s life early on, that child can develop real emotional closeness to the grandparent and begin to see the grandparent as a source of strong social support,” says Kimberly Agresta of the Agresta Psychotherapy Group in Englewood, New Jersey. “A child will feel that they have adults aside from their parents who love and care about them in the same way, and this adds to their sense of stability and security.”

Some phases of life can be difficult when a child is dealing with circumstances far beyond their control, “like if a child’s parents are divorcing or they’re being bullied at school,” says Agresta. When children have other people in their lives “who have these attachments to and support from, [such] potentially traumatic situations are less impactful,” she explains, and it is times like these when grandparents can provide invaluable support for their grandchildren.

The relative detachment of grandparents who aren’t taking on parenting roles also provides a child with a certain amount of freedom, Agresta says, “and since grandparents are generally not responsible for disciplining or raising a child, they’re able to love the child a little more freely and unconditionally than a parent.” She describes some of the roles grandparents can play. “Grandparents are a wealth of knowledge and information. Not only can they pass on valuable skills from real-life experience, but they can also share the past with their grandchildren. They can serve as historians, sharing all kinds of traditions and stories about when their own children were growing up, which creates a sense of continuity for a child.”

Some may raise an eyebrow at Agresta’s suggestion that grandparents can love a child a little more freely and unconditionally than a parent can, but she says there is a reason this is so.

“THROUGH GRANDPARENTS, CHILDREN HAVE AN EXTRA SOURCE OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BEYOND THEIR PARENTS.”
— Margo Hilbrecht

“As parents, we often have expectations of our own children — some conscious, some unconscious — so we can be tougher on our children,” Agresta tells City Life. “Grandparents don’t come from that place. They love without those expectations. Grandparents often say ‘I love being a grandparent more than I loved being a parent,’ as they love their grandkids and can love in a different way. Grandparents also have more quality time they can give their grandchildren.”

Agresta also observes that grandchildren can talk more freely with their grandparents and share their feelings and emotions more openly than they can with their parents.

“Grandparents provide an additional place of safety and support because sometimes kids don’t share their true feelings with their parents,” she says. “It’s just a different relationship, and if grandkids have good relationships with their grandparents, then they are more open with them. And it does depend on the role of the grandparent. Some grandparents are primary care-givers while others are more in the ‘daycare’ role, seeing their grandchildren socially or attending their sporting events. But in every scenario, grandparents can play a significant role. Just lending an ear can be helpful.”

We all have memories of our own grandparents and usually those memories evoke emotions of warmth, safety, stability, peace and comfort. These are perhaps the reasons we all wanted to cook as well as grandma, master her stay-a-bed stew, 10-hour pasta sauce or her baking. One taste causes those memories to come flooding back, and “just like grandma used to make” is the highest praise possible. We didn’t know it at the time or were able to put it into words when we were kids, but the feelings of safety, security and stability were palpable when we were with our grandparents. As adults we’ve all smelled a certain smell that immediately transported us back into our grandmother’s kitchen.

A recent study from the Gerontological Society of America found that a grandparent’s involvement in their grandchild’s life can have a positive impact on the child’s emotional well-being and behaviour.

“Through grandparents, children have an extra source of emotional support beyond their parents,” says Margo Hilbrecht, executive director of the Vanier Institute of the Family, a national independent charitable organization headquartered in Ottawa, who spoke recently with City Life. “The grandparent may have more time to spend with the child and take a special interest. They can also be there to listen to the grandchild and even counsel them. They can play a key role in mentoring and nurturing and provide that extra support a child may need.”

The Vanier Institute conducts, facilitates and publishes research on the diversity and complexity of family life in Canada. Founded in 1965 by then-Governor General Georges P. Vanier and his wife Pauline Vanier, the institute, through its publications, research initiatives, presentations and social media content, works to deepen the national understanding of how families affect and are affected by social, economic, environmental and cultural forces. In today’s world with so many pressures impacting families, its mission has never been more important.

Growing up, especially during adolescence, can be fraught with emotional turmoil. “What if he doesn’t call me?” “I wonder if she likes me?” “What if I don’t make the team?” Such worries may seem trivial looking back, but they were all-important concerns through those formative developmental years. This is a time when grandparents can really have a deep impact on their grandchildren.

“A lot of research shows that a close emotional bond between a grandparent and grandchild can lead to very good outcomes,” says Hilbrecht. “Emotional closeness can be helped by geography, so having a shorter distance so they can see each other does help. But today’s technology has also helped tremendously. You can keep in touch through phone calls, and apps and social media have made a huge difference in keeping grandparents connected to their grandkids.”

Beyond the emotional impact, studies have also shown that a close grandparent-grandchild relationship can also benefit the grandchild in practical ways in his or her day-to- day life.

“Grandparents can teach grandchildren how to work through different situations they may encounter in life,” says Hilbrecht. “The research also shows that having a close relationship with grandparents can help a child with better social and coping skills and reduces hyperactivity. Grandparents can provide the emotional, physical and sometimes financial support for their grandchildren that sometimes the parents cannot provide.”

The question of how involved grandparents should be in the upbringing of a grandchild can often cause problems between the children’s grandparents and parents. It can often be tough for the grandparents to just bite their lip and stay out of the way when they disagree with the parents’ way of raising their children. It’s a grey area where everyone needs to tread lightly, or not venture into at all.

“That can be very challenging,” says Hilbrecht.“If grandparents make certain observations about the raising of the kids, the parents may often push back and say that’s the way things are done now. Regarding advice on parenting, people today seem less inclined to rely on traditional methods. They look very much to scientific studies and what may be promoted online by reliable websites. Generally speaking, things change, so offering advice probably varies from family to family. The bottom line is that grandparents have to remember that, at the end of the day, it’s their child’s children.”

While for any grandparent their grandchildren’s safety is of paramount importance, they should adopt a somewhat historical perspective and remember that they themselves most likely grew up in an era when cars didn’t have seatbelts and bicycle helmets were an oddity.

“STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT GRANDPARENTS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THEIR GRANDKIDS’ LIVES ARE HEALTHIER, HAPPIER AND LIVE LONGER.”
— Kimberly Agresta

Another important aspect of grandparenting is cultural, such as handing down traditions and passing along family stories from years gone by. Perhaps nothing strengthens the bond between a grandchild and their grandparent more than hearing stories about what a dweeb their dad was as a kid or how outspoken their mom was as a little girl.

“I think that the grandparent’s role in sharing family stories and other narratives is a really important part of a child developing a sense of their family and of themselves,” says Hilbrecht. “This also extends to family recreational activities the grandparent can do with the grandchild. Parents may not always have the time to go skating or do other cultural activities such as attend a play or go to the library. Those are special times and activities a grandparent and grandchild can do together. They contribute to an intergenerational translation of family and an extension of our cultural values as well, and also contribute to a sense of self for the grandchild and a feeling of belonging in the grandchild.”

Agresta points out that the benefits of a closer grandparent-grandchild relationship are mutual. Research has shown that strong bonds between a grandparent and grandchild can vastly improve the emotional well- being of the grandparent, even as the grandchild grows older. When young adult grandchildren still reach out to their grandparents, it demonstrates the strength and importance of that relationship for both parties. As the lockdown phase early in the pandemic wore on, grandparents experienced feelings of stress, anxiety and deep isolation that resulted from being cut off so abruptly from their families and their grandkids, whatever their ages may have been.

“Studies have shown that grandparents who are involved in their grandkids’ lives are healthier, happier and live longer,” says Agresta, who has seen this positive influence in her own life. “My mom didn’t have grandparents. Today she has ten grandchildren and is the best grandparent I’ve ever seen. She once told me her interactions with her grandchildren were based solely upon her fantasies of what a grandparent should be and she made that fantasy come to life. She’s over 80 and is absolutely thriving!”

“There are definitely benefits for both the grandparents and the grandchildren,” says Hilbrecht. “Grandkids can provide a sense of meaning and purpose to the lives of grandparents — I really think that’s what it comes down to. When you hold a little baby or a toddler in your arms, I don’t know how to describe it — there is just this sense of acceptance and love, along with a sense of wonder and imagination.”

Hilbrecht also says research shows that grandparents can continue to have a long-term influence on their grandkids long after they themselves are gone.

“The quality of the grandparent-grandchild relationship during childhood is bound to shape the importance of the relationship across the grandchild’s lifespan,” she observes. “So, if you have a good relationship with your grandparents, you’re likely to have a positive view of the grandparent-grandchild relationship and are more likely to look forward to becoming a grandparent.”

The bottom line of these revelations is that grandparents have more power than they realize in the emotional and developmental growth of their grandchildren. It just takes an investment of time to have that emotional and physical presence in their lives. Putting down the newspaper or turning off the television to call your grandchild, perhaps to arrange a library visit so that you can experiment with reading a book together, or taking them for an ice cream, or introducing them to pickleball, may produce returns beyond measure for their development. (And as an added bonus, grandkids provide excellent tech support!)

As the research shows, a closer relationship with grandchildren is good for grandparents as well. The chances are excellent that you will get back much more than you give.

GRANDPARENT’S STORY FROM READERS

Canadian singer and songwriter Francesco Muoio (known professionally as Frank Moyo) says the summer days he spent with his Nonna Rita after the school year ended are the accumulation of the best memories he has of growing up. As he sat at her kitchen table eating a plate of pasta, he would listen to all the stories she would tell of her time back home in Cosenza, Calabria.

Nonna Rita, a forward-thinker, Italian music fanatic and, most of all, a role model, spends her days caring for her family and her beautiful garden in Toronto. Because of her honesty, beautiful soul and devotion to her family, Frank learned from her early on what the true meaning of family is — one that is united, cared for and growing with love.

“Two peas in a pod” is how Frank describes their relationship. The incredible bond Frank shares with his Nonna has positively impacted every facet of his life. She taught him to be kind to and accepting of everyone. Most importantly, she taught him to do what is best for him and not worry about what other people think. Frank learned early on that happiness triumphs all at the end of the day. That means doing what he loves — music. Being the best version of himself and pursuing his passion for music went hand in hand.

Today, he graciously gives credit to their bond as the source of his inspiration but also as a main catalyst for writing Italian music. “Listening to the radio all the time, all the songs we listened to together, is one of the most important things I’ve gotten from her. I found my passion by just being with her all the time,” says Frank.

Today, you can see Frank and his Nonna Rita’s close bond on Frank’s Instagram account () along with his music. Here you will discover the true spirit of his Italian upbringing and all the values that come with it.

Arianna Skoloudik is fortunate enough to have grown up with all four of her grandparents and to look back on all the beautiful memories she shared with them. But her favourite memories took place on her grandparents’ farm in Schomberg, Ont., where she spent many summers and weekends. For her, the farm was her escape. The property was quaint and peaceful. As a child who struggled to make friends at school, the sheep, cattle, chickens, rabbits and cats that roamed the farmland became her friends.

More than anything, her Nonno Francesco adored seeing the family get together and enjoy everything the farm had to offer — tranquillity, fresh air and scenic views. Once he brought back twin goats and taught her how to care for them. Her Nonno, knowing how much Arianna enjoyed it, would release the entire herd of goats to roam the property to trim the grass. While the goats munched on the grass, her job would be to ensure none escaped.

They spent many hours together caring for the animals and their sleeping quarters and the garden. As they worked her Nonno would tell stories of his life back in Italy and the funny moments he recalled. Arianna remembers many evenings the family splitting the beans from the garden and laughing together as they watched the sun paint the sky pink as it sank below the horizon. By the end of the day, delicious dinners had been prepared and cooked by her Nonna Anna. The aromas would soar with the farm breeze as the family gathered around the table. At the end of the summer, the family would make tomato sauce from dusk till dawn.

Arianna’s Nonno was a true family man who put everyone above himself. He emigrated to Canada from Italy to provide a better life for his family. In Arianna’s heart she knows he would be very proud of her devotion to getting a post-secondary education, an opportunity that was far from possible for him because he’d had to leave school at a very young age. Nevertheless, her memories of his humility, work ethic and sense of humour have survived beyond his passing and continue to add grace and warmth to Arianna’s life.

Nonno Francesco passed away a year ago. She will forever cherish the opportunity she had to learn as much as she could from him and the beautiful memories of her time on the farm. He taught her that friends and boyfriends come and go, but the family always comes first. Family is forever.

“HE TAUGHT ME TO NEVER FORGET WHERE I COME FROM, WHOSE BLOOD IS RUNNING THROUGH MY VEINS, AND TO ALWAYS MAKE TIME FOR THE FAMILY.”

One man in Vaida Urmuleviciute’s life that she has always looked up to, never been disappointed by, learned continuously from and felt protected by has always been her grandfather Medardas. Even he was undoubtedly the most serious one in the family, he ensured that his (at that time) only granddaughter would have a magical childhood.

“AS A KID, I ALWAYS LOOKED UP TO HIM BECAUSE HE KNEW SO MUCH ABOUT HISTORY AND I ALWAYS HAD A DEEP RESPECT FOR MY TEACHERS IN SCHOOL BECAUSE OF HIM.”

Winter was her favourite season. Every year, her grandfather would build snowmen, take her around on sleds and even take her ice fishing. But “Looking for Elves” was her all-time favourite activity. For years, she had been convinced that the little steps in the snow (which were probably from one of their cats) were Santa’s elves snooping around the town for the naughty and nice. On Christmas Day, she excitedly checked the Christmas tree repeatedly until all the presents would magically appear. Deep down, she believed that the elves had just left. She hoped she would be lucky enough to see them next year.

Vaida and her grandfather closely bonded through their mutual love for nature. Besides being dedicated cat enthusiasts, they were an inseparable duo anywhere in nature. Whether it was fishing, berry-picking, gathering mushrooms or their endless forest walks, she never had enough of her grandfather’s company and wisdom. She loved to follow him everywhere so much that it led her as a 5-year-old to get stuck on a branch of an apple tree. Eventually, her grandfather had to climb up the ladder to rescue his little granddaughter.

Vaida will always be inspired, motivated and fascinated by her grandfather’s life. The most incredible honour in her life is being his granddaughter.

INTERVIEW BY MARC CASTALDO

The post Generational Love appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

This feature is sponsored by Ciao Bella Pizza Ovens. Bring home your love for authentic wood-burning Italian Pizza!

The world’s most beloved food has ancient roots, but it was in 1889 that a Neapolitan pizzaiolo laid the foundation for the global obsession that it has become today.

The history of pizza begins with the humble flatbread, which people made as far back as in prehistoric times by combining crushed grains and water to make a dough and then baking it on a hot stone. The end result would likely have been crispy but not very tasty. It is the ancient Egyptians who are credited with making flatbread more palatable. They discovered that a mixture of flour and water left out on a warm day allowed the wild yeasts in the grain to ferment the dough and produce a bread that was lighter, tastier and easier to digest.

Various flatbreads were consumed by other ancient peoples as well, including the Greeks and the Romans. Focaccia, often referred to as the “godfather of pizza,” is one of pizza’s most direct precursors. Many historians believe that focaccia originated with the Etruscans of central Italy, its name deriving from the Latin panis focacius, which means “hearth bread” and refers to the ancient method of baking bread over a hearth or fireplace in the centre of the home. Romans made a simple dough by combining flour, salt, olive oil, water and a small amount of yeast, and they likely seasoned it with herbs.

“When the moon hits your eye / like a big pizza pie, that’s amore.”

Focaccia’s popularity spread throughout Italy. In the 7th century, the Lombards in northern Italy produced a variant that they called “bizzo”, or “pizzo,” related to the English word “bite.” At the end of the 10th century, official Italian documents with the terms “pizis” and “pissas” appeared, referring to certain types of baked products in Abruzzo and Molise that were described as variants of bizzo and pizzo. The name became official when Neapolitan writer Benedetto Di Falco described in his 1535 book, The Description of Ancient Places in Naples, that “focaccia in Neapolitan is called ‘pizza’.” At the time, the most pressing problem in Naples was the provision of food for the thousands of impoverished people who had flocked to the city from the countryside looking for work. Cheap and nutritious, pizza became known as the food of the poor. It was made with olive oil or lard, cheese and herbs, and sold by street vendors. Tomatoes, which by the mid-1500s had arrived in Europe from the Americas, began to appear on pizza as well.

Legend has it that the reputation of pizza as a peasant dish finally changed in 1889 because of a visit to Naples by King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. The story goes that during their walk through the city, the royal couple were welcomed by Napoli’s most popular pizzaiolo, Raffaele Esposito, who prepared three pizzas for them: a pizza mastunicola made with pork, lard, sheep’s cheese and basil, a pizza marinara made with tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic and oregano, and a pizza with mozzarella, basil and tomatoes, ingredients intentionally chosen to recall the colours of the Italian flag. Claiming that the last was Queen Margherita’s favourite, Esposito christened it “Pizza Margherita” in her honour. Pizza was no longer only fit for the poor and Raffaele Esposito became known as the father of modern pizza.

While this origin story continues to be debated, aspects of it have been verified, including the fact that Esposito was indeed the owner of a pizzeria in Napoli that he had named “The Queen of Italy” six years earlier. And even if it’s true that he propagated the story for his own benefit, we can still thank him for the ensuing popularity of pizza: it spread throughout Italy and eventually the rest of the world as migrants carried their customs and traditions with them.

At the end of the 19th century, the millions of Italians that emigrated to America, mostly to New York, brought with them a little slice of home, and it wasn’t long before American pizza developed its own distinct flavours and styles. Italian-American celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Joe DiMaggio were famous pizza fans, and they helped explode its popularity in America. The rest of the world followed suit, wanting pizza like they wanted everything American, from blue jeans to rock ’n’ roll.

But there’s more to why people are crazy for the dish. Pizza has all the ingredients, from the dough to the melted cheese to the umami-rich tomatoes and the endless options of toppings, that make it the ultimate comfort food. Pizza is easily made-to-order and personal tastes. Pizza is fun and easy to make; it’s also an easy takeout option. And whether it’s for lunch, dinner, a snack or as a leftover from the night before, it tastes great any time of the day.

Who doesn’t know and love Dean Martin’s famous 1953 lyric, “When the moon hits your eye / like a big pizza pie, that’s amore”? It keeps people singing — and eating pizza to this day!
 
PIZZAIOLO PAUL COVINO, GIRO D’ITALIA RISTORANTE

Born and raised in Australia, head pizza chef of Giro D’Italia Ristorante, Paul Covino, fell in love with cooking at 16 years old. But it was a family trip to Italy that sparked his desire to become a pizza chef. From that point on, he has proudly dedicated his life to the pizza-making process, using only the highest-quality ingredients and meticulous preparation.

“A big difference between a good pizza chef and a great pizza chef is the consistency.”

Q: What is your favourite pizza?
A: My favourite pizza is the margherita. It’s the most traditional, and I think if you want to judge the skills of a pizza chef, you must try their margherita because the ingredients are so simple.

Q: Why do you think everyone loves pizza?
A: Some people like their pizzas round, some people like them square, and some people like them well done. Some people like them soft, some people like them loaded with ingredients, and some people like them with not a lot of ingredients. So it’s hard to please everyone. It is definitely one of the most universal and opinionated foods that you can buy or make at home.

Q: What defines a great pizza chef?
A: A big difference between a good pizza chef and a great pizza chef is consistency. Can you make great pizzas not only for one day, but can you do it consistently every day, every week, every month, for years? So, my goal is to maintain a consistent high-quality pizza.

 
PIZZAIOLO ROBERT DI IORIO, AVENUE CIBI E VINI

Head pizza chef of Avenue Cibi e Vini, Robert Di Iorio’s passion for food flourished as a child at the kitchen table alongside his loving grandparents. His journey into the pizza-making world began at 23 years old when he was working in a restaurant that had a pizza oven and he said to the owner, “Put me behind the oven and I’ll figure it out.”

“When you know what flavours work together, you can do some pretty magical stuff.”

Q: What makes your pizza special?
A: I’m making it. That’s the secret ingredient. I do it with love and passion, and I always do my best to put out the best product possible.

Q: What personal rules do you follow?
A: Never cut any corners. There’s no quick way, or cheating in the kitchen. I always strive to be the best by experimenting and keeping up with the different trends. It starts with love, but when you know what flavours work together, you can do some pretty magical stuff.

Q: If you were to make a pizza for anyone alive or passed on, who would it be?
A: I would say for my grandparents. I grew up on their pizza, and I never got the chance to make them one. As far back as I can remember, maybe at four or five years old, I couldn’t wait to go to my grandparents’ house to eat. They had their own cooking style, and that’s a taste that I’ll never be able to taste again.

 
PIZZAIOLO MARCO SCOGNAMIGLIO, PIZZERIA MORETTI

Head pizza chef of Pizzeria Moretti, Marco Scognamiglio, stumbled into the culinary world in the most unexpected way. He was 18 years old travelling back from Sardinia, Italy, when a friend of his asked him if he wanted to work at his restaurant for a summer job. One thing led to another, and now his culinary path has led him to one of the most beautiful restaurants in downtown Toronto.

“I get in my comfort zone when i am behind the kitchen counter. I am exactly where I need to be.”

Q: How did your family play a part in your cooking?
A: Growing up, my family always supported me and believed in what I can do no matter what I was doing, whether it was a new recipe or a new idea. I must give credit to them. My father never had the chance to see everything that I have accomplished. If he knew City Life was interviewing me, he would be very proud.

Q: How would you describe your culinary style?
A: I would describe my style as modern and contemporary. I like to keep updated with what is going on in the kitchen and new chefs that are coming onto the scene. I try to experiment with different ingredients to try and get the best out of them.

Q: Is there any topping you would not add to a pizza?
A: For me, there isn’t one. I would put on everything possible to make a good pizza because if you know how to use a topping properly with other ingredients then you can get a great pizza.

Q: What sparks your inspiration and creativity in the kitchen?
A: It really depends on my mood. My inspiration can come from anywhere. There is always something new coming up in my head, and I try to make something special with it. It is almost spiritual, in a way, because I get in my comfort zone when I am behind the kitchen counter. I am exactly where I need to be.

CHEFS Q&A WRITTEN BY MARC CASTALDO

The post The History of Pizza, The World’s Most Beloved Food appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

He is a college dropout, a Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards winner, a New York Festivals Radio Awards winner and a Canadian Screen Awards winner. In 2013, Hello! magazine named him one of the 50 Most Beautiful Canadians. Known for his signature witty humour, charisma and honesty, Roz Weston is so much more than the entertainer we know him to be.

Growing up in the small town of Acton, Ont., where everybody knows everybody, he was only motivated to get out. From childhood to his teenage years, he saw big cities by watching television, and he spent most of his time forming plans for how to get out of Acton.

Although, after finally moving out and going to college for a year and then moving to New York City and later Toronto, he graciously gives credit to Acton. After he met different people who didn’t come from small towns, he realized that Acton had provided the foundations for his uncommonly courteous and ethical behaviour towards others. “One thing about growing up in a town like Acton, where everybody knows each other, is that you learn very, very early that how you treat people matters,” he says.

In 2011, Acton expressed its own pride in Weston by naming a street after him. As Weston describes it, Roz Weston Lane is “the most small-town Canadian thing ever — it’s an alley that runs behind and connects the Tim Hortons to the Beer Store.”

Although he grew up with above-average confidence and was a popular kid who could make friends easily, Weston grappled with incredibly low self-esteem. Wait one second — how is this possible?

“I realized years later that confidence comes from people telling you you’re great, [but] self-esteem is built by doing things that are great,” he recalls. “It took me a long time to realize that, that I was living a life where I was so terrified to put myself out for anything, not because I didn’t think I was talented enough or because I didn’t think I had the skills but because I was just so terrified to fail. And my goal when I was growing up, I thought that I would be a success if nobody ever saw me fail. So I didn’t take any chances, and I didn’t start to take chances until way later in life, way later than most people would. I sort of had to play catch-up.”

Weston’s No. 1 national bestseller tell-all memoir, A Little Bit Broken, is a deeply personal and inspiring account of, as he describes it, “the whole story I never shared before.” He reveals an array of bad decisions he has made and reconciled with and, without question … he has made
them all.

I Wanted To Give To Her The Thing That I Wish My Dad Gave To Me, Which Is An Unfiltered Truth Of Who I Am

For Weston, the importance of passing on family stories to the generations that will follow him stems from the fact that his father’s passing left him with unanswered questions. “Part of the reason I wrote the book was my dad died when I was in my 20s. And there’s no real permanent record of him. I don’t have any videos of him. There’s no audio, I don’t remember what his voice sounds like. And I think that you are your family’s storyteller. And these are the stories that we tell. And I realized that when I’m gone, so are his stories. So, part of writing this book was a way to leave a permanent record of him because he was so wonderful. He was also a great storyteller.”

Feeling the need to fill a certain lack that was lingering in his soul, Weston was motivated to sit down and write the book for his teenage daughter, Roxy. That way, she would not have to endure the same level of grief and doubt. “I wanted to give to her the thing that I wish my dad gave to me, which is an unfiltered truth of who I am. She doesn’t have to read it. But if at some point she does have questions, all the answers are in that book,” says Weston

Grief is one of those things that you can never prepare for. It affects everyone differently, and the ways we manage grief differ from person to person. Weston reminds us that life is too short and precious to be taken for granted. We should cherish the moments we have with our loved ones to the fullest.

“When my dad died, I felt guilt. I felt that I was too young, and I was too slow, and that he was going to die having never seen his hard work pay off with me. Because, when he was alive, I was always on my way to becoming something, I was never that thing,” says Weston. “I just didn’t have it in me and, when my dad was dying, I killed him off before he was dead. I had a moment with him when he was going through chemo and radiation, and I said goodbye to him while he was still alive. But for the last few months, while he was still alive, I didn’t talk to him. I wouldn’t return his phone calls … I robbed myself and I robbed him of the opportunity for the two of us to say goodbye to each other.”

Although he had been raised in a home that celebrated emotions and was encouraged to express them, Weston found himself internalizing a multitude of raw emotions that began to boil. Not a big reader in general and unfamiliar with the extent to which other memoirs typically reveal the truth, Weston decided not to hold back when writing his. He told the world about a sexual assault that happened to him when he was younger and how that 10-minute incident would eventually shape him into the man he is today.

I Robbed Myself And I Robbed Him Of The Opportunity For The Two Of Us To Say Goodbye To Each Other”

“I didn’t realize how much it had changed my life at the time. It was only years later that I realized I always remembered that event happening. I was in my 30s before I realized that it shouldn’t have happened. It took a long time to process. So many of the decisions that I made throughout my life were based on that one day,” says Weston.

Moving forward, Weston shines a light on the fact that young men are resistant to freely expressing their feelings of guilt and trauma. Since it is mostly young women who are sexualized, demonized and body-shamed, young men who are similarly targeted are often left out of the conversation — everybody just presumes that such things never happen to them, to the extent that many of the young male victims themselves pretend that those issues don’t exist when they very much do. “I almost destroyed my liver, taking diet pills when I started working in television, because one boss I had said one sh—y thing about my body, and I almost killed myself trying to prove him wrong,” says Weston.

Self-harm was something that Weston was familiar with from the age of 14 to when he was 30. Although he admits he was never suicidal, he never understood why he would burn himself with matches as a teenager. All he knew was, “It became the thing that I loved and hated the most in my life. I would do everything I could to hide the scars from it,” says Weston. Although mental health was not an openly discussed mainstream topic in society then as it is today, he explains that it did not mean people were not compassionate.

They were simply not as equipped then to take on people with that type of problem and to determine exactly what help they needed.

Fortunately, the mental-health narrative has changed since he was a teenager, and Weston loves it. A TV series on Netflix, Ginny and Georgia, even presents Ginny Miller as an angsty 15-year-old who we learn self-harms by burning herself and is eventually discovered and confronted by her mother, Georgia. Weston says, “I love that sort of content … people are just so in tune with that type of conversation. It takes people who are not afraid to have this conversation to move it forward, where I never would have done this when I was that age.”

Throughout Weston’s memoir, he candidly shares the entirety of the many low moments in his life. However, he brings smiles, shock and happiness to readers and fans around the world when he includes his marriage proposal to his then long-term girlfriend, Katherine, at the end of the book.

Weston admits that after 17 years of being together, he knew he was going to propose but did not know if anybody had ever written an entire book just to propose to the person they love. “I wanted to be one of the first, and I thought it would be cool because marriage was something that we’d never really discussed with any sort of seriousness before,” says Weston. Weston adds that they never talked about marriage because they were so comfortable, and there was so much love. But he knew she was not opposed to it.

He reveals that the very first chapter he wrote was the proposal chapter. He says, “I wrote the book on the couch, right? Katherine was sitting beside me and Roxy, and I would finish a chapter, and I would take my computer off my lap, and I would say, ‘Hey, Katherine, do you have five minutes?’ And she would say, ‘Yeah,’ and so I would put the computer on her lap, and she would proofread a chapter. So she read this book multiple times before it was finished, but never saw that chapter.”

I Needed People To Know That There Was A Happy Ending, And I Wanted People To Go Into This Book With Optimism”

Weston strategically sold the book without the written proposal because what was most important to him was for the book to hold up based on the rest of the story rather than selling the book as a stunt. When he began submitting chapters to his editor, the proposal chapter was never seen until the moment the final manuscript went to the publisher, when he included it. Although doing so understandably dismayed his editor and publisher, it was essential for Weston to give away the ending. He explains: “I released the proposal chapter and the video before the book came out because I knew that this story, this book, is a tough read. I needed people to know that there was a happy ending, and I wanted people to go into this book with optimism”.

Before stepping down from Entertainment Tonight, Weston would reportedly wake up at 3:50 a.m. to get to work by 5 a.m. to start recording for The Roz and Mocha Show from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Then he would go on to tape ET Canada from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., finally arriving home by 6:30 p.m. Weston adds that during his younger days, what made him bankable — despite not being the smartest person in the room, he says — was his stamina and motivation, both of which enabled him to work longer hours and take on harder tasks and more pressing deadlines. “I could outwork everybody,” Weston says.

Being the first person in Canada employed by two major and competing companies and after being on ET Canada for 17 years and on the radio for 14 years and counting took its toll on Weston physically and mentally. More importantly, it took time away from his family.

“I was working so hard to make sure that my kid had everything that I started to fear that, in my quest to make sure that we were taken care of, that would lead to her waking up one day, realizing that she got ripped off. That started to haunt me. My desire to protect us and make sure we were good was actually doing harm. I remember with my dad, the only thing that mattered was just kicking it with him. Just him being present. I realized that the one thing that I wasn’t was present,” says Weston. Money and status are not the defining elements of professional success. For Roz, success means putting himself in a position where he can say “no” and have it respected.

After stepping down from ET Canada with 17 incredible seasons under his belt, Weston has embraced knowing when to say “no” and being more present with his family. He spends his days making millions laugh on The Roz and Mocha Show and coming home as the househusband for the rest of the day. He says, “I have dinner ready for the girls when they get home. They walk into the house and I’m in an apron.” For those who want to know what’s cooking in the Weston home, pasta, tacos and burgers are their favourite go-to dishes. Afterward, the family happily kicks back on the couch with their four cats.

Interview by Estelle Zentil

The post Roz Weston: Broken And Beautifully Candid appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

April 19, 1977, was a Tuesday, and then-21-year-old Howie Mandel went out with some friends for Chinese food in his hometown of Toronto. His fortune cookie that evening read “Tonight the path of your life will change.” After dinner, Mandel and his pals went to Yuk Yuk’s comedy club, where, during the open-mic segment of the evening, his friends dared him to go up on stage. He did, and he killed it. It was one of the three most important career moments in Mandel’s memory.

“April 19, 1977, I was successful,” says Mandel in a recent interview with City Life from Niagara Falls, where he was shooting season two in his role as a judge on Canada’s Got Talent. “I finally found something that was causing me a lot of failure and a lot of angst, but I found that that same energy and behaviour was something I could do and have fun with. As others have said, if you find something you enjoy, you’ll never have to work a single day, so what I do doesn’t feel like a job.” In standup comedy, Mandel had found his calling after a youth spent looking for direction. Two themes emerge from Mandel’s early days growing up in Toronto’s Willowdale neighbourhood, near Bathurst Street and Finch Avenue: he worked a lot of jobs, an awful lot. And he got fired a lot, an awful lot. He ran a ride at the Canadian National Exhibition — he got fired.

“As soon as I found standup comedy, it was the first time I was accepted and I just needed to do that.”

He found another job at the Ex – he got fired from that one, too. He worked in the basement of a Shoppers Drug Mart breaking down boxes from deliveries and he got fired for refusing to wear a tie. He was kicked out of three high schools, including one where he impersonated a school official and hired a construction company to build an addition to the school. He was a comedian in the normal humdrum of everyday life looking for a stage, but he never got discouraged because of the encouragement given to him by his parents.

“My mother always said that if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” he recalls. “I got my confidence from my parents, who have always been incredibly supportive regardless of what was happening in my life — they were always my biggest fans. Because, ultimately, there was a story to tell that came along with each failure. Everything I was ever in trouble for, got expelled for, got fired for seems to be what I can get paid for today.”

Life can be funny that way, and with his natural humour and observations about everyday people and everyday situations, Mandel flourished. He found his stage with that impromptu appearance at Yuk Yuk’s, and by September 1978 he had a week-long booking there as a featured act, billed as “a wild and crazy borderline psychotic.” His career took off like a rocket. In the world of Canadian standup, he was the guy.

The sets he did as a young, bushy-haired comic in the smoke-filled comedy clubs of the late 1970s were legendary, maniacal, magical, and majestic. A high-energy ride unlike anything ever seen before. Observational comedy before observational comedy was in vogue. Using his personal angst as a weapon. Unsheathing his vocabulary on his mesmerized subjects. Taking everyday things and occurrences and twisting them with his unique, yet simple, but always hilarious takes on life. Mandel in those days held the crowd in the outstretched and upward-facing palms of his hands — his physical trademark. He was that comic who made his audiences think, “Why hasn’t somebody said that before?”

“As soon as I found standup comedy, it was the first time I was accepted and I just needed to do that,” says Mandel. “Regardless of everything else I may do, I just need that because standup comedy is my home base. That’s what is closest to me, the thing that keeps me in the here and now. That’s the primal scream at the end of the day for everything else I do.”

Everything else he does makes Mandel arguably the busiest man in show business, where he has been a dynamic force for more than 30 years. In addition to his work on Canada’s Got Talent alongside Lilly Singh, Kardinal Offishall and Trish Stratus, Mandel serves as a judge on NBC’s America’s Got Talent: All-Stars, where he has served for 13 years. He can also be seen as the host of the hit Netflix series Bullsh*t The Game Show.

Other recent projects include his documentary Howie Mandel: But, Enough About Me, currently streaming on Peacock, his annual CW special, Howie Mandel & Friends: Don’t Sneeze on Me, now streaming on fuboTV, NBC’s America’s Got Talent: The Champions, and co-hosting National Geographic Wild’s Animals Doing Things with his son Alex. He also executive produced the Quibi series Kirby Jenner. In 2019 he released his first solo special in 20 years, Howie Mandel Presents: Howie Mandel at the Howie Mandel Comedy Club.

Mandel’s additional projects as a host, actor and/or executive producer include Take It All and Howie Do It for NBC, Deal With It for TBS and Mobbed for Fox, as his versatile career has encompassed virtually all aspects of the entertainment spectrum, including television, film and stage, including the international animated children’s series Bobby’s World.

His other digital offering is his podcast Howie Mandel Does Stuff, which he co-hosts alongside his daughter Jackelyn Shultz, available on all platforms with new episodes available every Tuesday. His third child, daughter Riley, is a personal trainer and keeps him in constantly good shape for his many appearances. “My children are my fuel for everything I do in life,” he says.

Those appearances include his first love, standup. He still performs more than 200 shows a year in clubs across Canada and the United States, never losing that bug let loose on that fateful Tuesday night in April 1977. Buoyed by his success in Toronto that night, on a trip to Los Angeles Mandel performed a set at The Comedy Store, which resulted in his being hired as a regular performer.

“When you look at those two masks in the theatre of comedy and tragedy, they’re very close – tragedy is just an upside-down smile.”

The exposure at this legendary club led to his booking to open for David Letterman at a show during the summer of 1979 and a TV special on CBC-TV later that same year.

Then, the second most important moment in his career happened when he was booked as one of just four comedians in the television special Young Comedians Special, presented by the legendary Smothers Brothers.

“Young Comedians Special changed the trajectory of my career,” says Mandel. “It was a TV special hosted by the Smothers Brothers featuring me, Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Lewis and Harry Anderson. Right after that aired, I started selling out 10,000-seat venues.”

In 1982, that exposure led him to begin a six-year run as Dr. Wayne Fiscus on the critically acclaimed and Emmy- Award-winning St. Elsewhere, which provided him with national attention in the United States.

The third seminal moment in his career, according to Mandel, was his decision to host the game show Deal or No Deal for NBC in 2005, which ran for seven seasons. Never thinking of himself as a game-show host, Mandel turned down the offer three times before his wife of 43 years, Terry, told him to take the gig.

Preparing for the first taping, he reverted to his natural instincts as a standup and prepared comedy material he would interject as he hosted. He needn’t have bothered. From the very first contestant on that very first taping, Mandel became absolutely enthralled with the drama of the decisions the contestants had to make — financial decisions that could change their lives.

He remembered how Groucho Marx had hosted the quiz show You Bet Your Life in the late 1940s and 1950s. The Great Groucho, perhaps the fastest wit in history, understood the contestants were the true stars of the show and his comedic interplay with them, unprompted, was the true essence of the show. Mandel’s engagement with his contestants on Deal and his natural empathy with their decisions is what made the show an immediate hit. It was Mandel at his finest, an impromptu tour de force. It also put his career into the upper stratosphere.

As he told Alex Trebek several years ago in Trebek’s excellent documentary Game Changers about the unique talents it takes to host a game show, “The day after the first airing, I was walking through the airport and people were literally running up to me and screaming ‘DEAL OR NO DEAL!’ and I thought to myself, my God, I’ve got a catchphrase!”

However, the full story of Howie Mandel cannot be told without addressing his darker side, his mental health issues. A well-known germophobe, throughout his life he has faced depression, anxiety and has been dealing with OCD and ADHD, all of which he openly discussed in his frank, funny, no-holds-barred 2009 memoir, Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me, which made the New York Times bestseller list on the first week of its release.

With endearing openness, he even included these personal struggles and obstacles in his standup routines — again separating himself from the rest of the comedic pack in tearing off the mask and baring himself to his audiences.

“I have found that laughter, for me, is the best medicine, as it’s sort of a distraction,” says Mandel. “When you look at those two masks in the theatre of comedy and tragedy, they’re very close – tragedy is just an upside-down smile. Comedy comes out of darkness, it always does. If you’re laughing at a clown falling down or getting a pie in the face, you’re laughing at the misfortune of somebody you don’t know.”

Mandel serves as an ambassador for Bell Media’s Let’s Talk, an initiative to raise funds for mental health research and to eliminate the stigma around those issues. As someone who knows first-hand, Mandel has some advice, especially to the younger generation who may be struggling with the complexities of life.

“My biggest platform is to remove the stigma, as mental health is just as important as physical health,” says Mandel. “I always say I wish people took care of their mental health the way we take care of our dental health. You don’t have to have specific issues like I do. How do you cope with somebody near and dear to you being diagnosed with something traumatic, or losing somebody, or breaking up a relationship or being under the pressure of work?”

“You must reach out, talk about it, talk to a friend, talk to a caregiver and look for help,” he continues. “And don’t give up until you find the answer to whatever your coping skill is — whether that’s the need to be medicated, or have therapy, or the need to meditate, do breathing exercises, or sit down and talk to a close friend. Whatever that is, just keep reaching out. If you don’t reach out, it’s kind of like drowning — if you don’t surface for a moment and yell help, nobody is going to throw you a life preserver. You need to keep yelling help.”

Known for the distinctive glasses always adorning his chrome dome, in the summer of 2021 Mandel launched his own eyewear collection with SEE, with a portion of sales from the collection going to Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen’s national non-profit organization whose mission is to care for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. In 2020, Mandel teamed up with ePlay Digital Inc. and launched the charity Breakout the Masks in a mobile-game campaign to give back to those involved in the fight against COVID-19.

Via Howie’s Games, the first challenge was Outbreak, where players’ points translated to donations of N95 face masks, portable ventilators, gloves and other personal protective equipment to doctors, nurses and other front-line workers during those critical early days of the pandemic.

Mandel’s genuine caring and compassion for people comes across even via a screen in his work as a judge on Canada’s Got Talent: Season 2. More cheerleader than judge or jury, he genuinely cares about the contestants and his enthusiasm in willing their success is infectious. He promises even more amazement in this second edition.

“If you enjoyed last season, I can say with great pride — you ain’t seen nothing yet,” says Mandel. “This season far outshines anything, ANYTHING, you saw last season. I think the contestants who end up showing up are inspired by what they have seen before and they try to do better — and they are doing better. Some of the acts I didn’t understand what I was seeing, I didn’t know what category they belonged in. I promise you many viral moments this season.”

Where does Howie Mandel rank amongst the greatest comics in history? That’s a silly argument with a bar impossible to determine, such as the greatest hockey player, actor, rock band, pianist, painter, opera singer or footballer — too many variables, generations and trends are in play to settle that with any consensus.

One thing is for certain though. For a young kid fired from virtually every job he ever had to rise to the heights he has, overcoming his personal struggles and demons and in the process turning those into the foundation of his material for the amusement of us all, Howie Mandel can be funny that way.

Interview by Estelle Zentil

LOCATION: FALLSVIEW CASINO RESORT HOTEL, NIAGARA FALLS
PHOTOGRAPHER: JESSE MILNS | VIDEOGRAPHER: PRASHANNA JAYASEELAN
MOODBOARD STYLIST: ALEXANDRA AULICINO | WARDROBE: PER LUI

The post Howie Mandel: Life Is Funny That Way appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

In October, the international advocacy organization Global Citizen announced that it would be joining forces with a handpicked selection of influential Canadians. Coming from different backgrounds and regions of the country, with a range of specialisms and lived experiences, these Champions of Change will bring their voices together to support Global Citizen’s 2022 End Extreme Poverty NOW campaign.

These influencers include professional figure skater Elladj Baldé, comedian and TV personality Jessi Cruickshank, Anishinaabe artist, model, speaker and fashion designer Lesley Hampton, writer, speaker, podcaster and community builder Mike Morrison, and director and photographer Justin Wu.

Together, they’ll align to support four key areas Global Citizen has identified. First, breaking systemic barriers that keep people trapped in poverty. Second, taking climate action to ensure governments meet their environmental promises. Third, empowering young women and adolescent girls. Fourth, supporting and defending advocacy to amplify marginalized voices and protect free speech without violence.

“We have an amazing team in Canada who handpicked each of our Champions of Change,” Global Citizen’s chief growth officer, Caralene Robinson, told us. “They’re in the zeitgeist of culture. They’re unapologetic. They’re making a huge difference in the world and broadening the storytelling aperture because they’re normalizing difference and that it’s OK to be whoever you are.”

To date, Global Citizen has distributed over $41 billion in funds and impacted the lives of over 1 billion people across the world. It works by using its social media presence to inspire governments, businesses, artists and the public to take action. To celebrate the news, we spoke with four of the five champions about their respective specialisms, success and what it means to be recognized for their work in pushing Canada forward.

DAVID BEAME 
VICE-PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL EVENTS AND EXPERIENCE AT GLOBAL CITIZEN

Photo By Emad Mohammadi 

Producer David Beame’s work with Global Citizen is raising millions And impacting Even more.

For some reason, producers in the field of entertainment, be it movies, TV or live music, have never been seen in the most flattering light. They are often portrayed as money-hungry, playing fast and loose with the rules and a shade of light on the ethical side of the business. David Beame is a live-event broadcast executive producer and entertainment attorney who is as money-hungry as they come — hungry to raise funds to assist those suffering from extreme poverty, that is. Beame is vice-president of Global Events and Experiences at Global Citizen, an international organization that, through its millions of Global Citizen participants worldwide taking more than 30.4 million actions, has raised more than $41.4 billion, distributing this money to NGO partners over the last decade, impacting 1.15 billion lives.

At the end of the Day, we’ve not only put on an incredible show, but we’ve also positively impacted the lives of millions of people. I can’t Imagine anything better than that.

David Beame

He first became involved with Global Citizen by volunteering his considerable services for its first festival, in 2012. He soon became an employee and he now services all Global Citizen events worldwide.

“In many ways, I view Global Citizen as an artist whose message is a world free from extreme poverty, and I think that message really shows up in our events and broadcasts around the world,” says Beame in a recent interview with City Life. “I’m proud to have accomplished all that we have over the past 10 years. We’ve been able to do so much for those living in poverty, but not since Live Aid took place almost 30 years ago have we seen the kind of dire need we see today. More than ever, urgent action is needed to mitigate the issues that war, climate inaction and the pandemic have brought on the world’s poor.”

Global Citizen is aptly named, as it is very much a bottom-up grassroots organization, reflective of the times. Citizens in any country can download the Global Citizen app or visit globalcitizen.org and register to become a part. They can then take actions such as signing petitions, sharing messages on social media, writing letters to politicians and more. With every action, participants earn points for rewards such as digital content and experiences, beauty products, merchandise, tickets and more.

Beame’s role is producing some of the largest and most notable purpose-driven festivals and live broadcasts throughout the world, including the annual Global Citizen Festival on the Great Lawn of Central Park in New York City, as well as festivals in India, South Africa and Europe. Past performers for Global Citizen events have included Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Coldplay, Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, Queen, Ed Sheeran, Neil Young and Pearl Jam. President Biden along with Michelle Obama and celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Leonard DiCaprio, Hugh Jackman and Stephen Colbert have also taken part in the fundraising activities, which Beame says are more important than ever before.

“Hundreds of millions of people are not having their basic needs met, with no access to a reliable supply of food, clean water, adequate shelter, education or medical care,” he says. “The international system is broken and not meeting today’s challenges — from epidemics to the climate crisis to collapsing food systems. If we don’t take action now, as many as 200 million more people may be plunged into extreme poverty by November, bringing the total number to one billion people.”

This year, Global Citizen is calling on world leaders, major corporations and philanthropic foundations to make commitments to meet the following objectives: invest $600 million in the future of women and girls, close the annual $10-billion climate-financing shortfall, deliver $500 million to help farmers on the African continent respond to the global food crisis, as well as provide urgent relief from crushing debts to end extreme poverty now.

A person is a linchpin, not the person’s involvement. Reorder slightly: Beame is a linchpin in Global Citizen’s fundraising success, contributing his talents to the entertainment side of the equation. He was studying music at the New World School of the Arts in Miami when the music director recognized he had a knack for the business side of music, and Beame went into the entertainment law business as an attorney, but never strayed far from his entertainment roots.

“Having a deep understanding of entertainment deal structures and intellectual property rights, along with an eye for live experiences and broadcasts, has definitely provided me with a lot of valuable tools to produce memorable and impactful shows,” he says. These shows raise funds for Global Citizen in the fight to end extreme poverty, which brings Beame a great deal of personal satisfaction.

“We get to produce festivals and broadcasts featuring world leaders, private-sector champions, activists and some of the world’s biggest artists on one stage,” says Beame. “We do this for an audience of active Global Citizens, who are all working together to help end extreme poverty. At the end of the day, we’ve not only put on an incredible show, but we’ve also positively impacted the lives of millions of people. I can’t imagine anything better than that.”

We are all citizens of the world hoping to make it a better place, but it is quite clear that through his talents, his passion and dedication to the cause and his determination to succeed for the better good, the world needs a little bit more David Beame.

LESLEY HAMPTON:
ANISHINAABE ARTIST / MODEL / SPEAKER / FASHION DESIGNER

Photo Courtesy Of Champions Of Change Canada

Lesley Hampton is no stranger to accolades or positive press. As well as being named the No. 1 Brand to Watch by Vogue, the Globe and Mail described her as “an important Indigenous face in the Canadian fashion landscape.”

Her eponymous brand is size-inclusive, based in Toronto and, as well as being known for creating pieces that span evening wear and athletic wear, embraces slow fashion to promote sustainability. It’s also launched initiatives like the Lesley Hampton Award, which works with the Ontario Mining Association to support Indigenous talent.

A lot of parts came into play to form the Hampton brand today. As someone who identifies as a “third-culture kid,” her early life was spent moving about, and she shares how she spent time in Australia, New Caledonia, Indonesia and England as well as Canada. Her great-aunt teaching her to sew on Vancouver Island is another key inspiration. But, more than that, it was watching Jeanne Beker on Fashion Television where she first discovered the world of fashion.

“I knew the concept of my brand and what I wanted to put out into the world”

Lesley Hampton

“It’s so exciting that we can use media as a way to connect ourselves with a world we’re not part of,” Hampton says. “At the time, I was living in Newfoundland, where there was no fashion industry, so I used that as an initial way of connecting with and discovering fashion.”

Hampton quickly recognized that as much as she’d fallen in love with the fashion industry, it wasn’t representative of people like her. Her brand, founded in 2016, set out to change that. “I knew the concept of my brand and what I wanted to put out into the world,” she shares. “I knew conceptually that I wanted to stand for mental health awareness, body positivity, inclusivity, and representation, and I made every decision with those enforcing how I wanted to project my brand.”

With hopes to continue paving the way for other Indigenous talents and opening opportunities so they have easier access to the industry, Hampton says her collaboration with Global Citizen is one she’s excited about. “It’s so incredible to align with an organization that has similar values to mine, and use our platforms to push that message,” she says.

Q: If you weren’t doing fashion, what would you be doing?
A: Probably something to do with psychology. Some way of still interacting with people and having that response of relating to society, and how we can better it.

Q: How do you define success?
A: Empowering yourself and empowering your community.

MIKE MORRISON
WRITER / SPEAKER / PODCASTER / COMMUNITY-BUILDER

Photo Courtesy Of Champions Of Change Canada

Mike Morrison is someone passionate about advocacy, but, more than that, he’s passionate about changing the narrative that surrounds advocacy.

“A lot of us have grown up believing activism is aggressive, scary and only for certain types of people,” Morrison says. “For me and Global Citizen, it’s really about people coming together for common goals and using their platform to say these issues are impacting us all, we’re unified and we’re going to make sure change happens.” Morrison’s journey into activism started when he was living in Alberta and the province attempted to pass a bill that would allow school boards to ban Gay-Straight Alliance clubs in schools. “I started using my platform to advocate for change and connect with Canadian celebrities who were out or big supporters,” he says. “It worked, and the government changed the law.”

“More than looking up [to us], I like to think it’s more, this person Is doing it so I’m Going to do it this way as well”

Mike Morrison

Since then, he’s continued devoting his time to creating positive movements. As well as being a prominent voice on social media, he’s spearheaded initiatives like renting out a movie theatre in Calgary so more people could see the LGBTQ+ movie Love, Simon. “Everything I’ve done, be it buying out movie theatres or organizing rallies in 12 hours, is done on social media, which gets traditional media involved,” he says. “We need traditional media to cover these stories so they get to new readers.”

For Morrison, being named a Champion of Change marks the next evolution of his activism, and he shares how pleased he is to be in the company of others. “What I like about this program is that the five people they choose are different and the issues we care about are different, but it’s under the same umbrella. We all use our social media channels differently to promote things we care about. More than looking up [to us], I like to think it’s more, this person is doing it so I’m going to do it this way, as well.”

For those looking to get into activism, Morrison shares that “it’s not as scary as you think it is. It really is just telling your friends and family about issues you care about. Unfortunately, we put out the message that it’s going to result in fighting, but, if you start talking with informed facts and information, that really helps.”

Q: You have a podcast. Tell us about that.
A: It’s called I Quit! The idea is to interview entrepreneurs about the day they quit their jobs. I’m fascinated by how people make big life decisions. I’m obsessed with knowing what that conversation was like.

Q: How do you define success?
A: Happiness. When I was in Calgary, I was really driven by being invited to things, making the most money, and caring about what I looked like. I was caught up in it. The pandemic wiped all of that out and made me think about what I considered successful. It’s just being happy.

JESSI CRUIKSHANK 
COMEDIAN / TV PERSONALITY

Photo Courtesy Of Champions Of Change Canada

When we talk to Jessi Cruikshank, she’s between stops on her live comedy tour, Up Close and Too Personal. As the former co-host of MTV Canada’s The After Show and having interviewed some of Hollywood’s most famous personalities, she’s someone used to being in front of a crowd, but this marks a new high.

“This tour has been an absolute career highlight for me,” she says. “It’s terrifying to announce a tour and go across the country on my own as a two-plus-hour comedy show. It was one of the scariest but most rewarding things.”

Alongside her work as a comic, Cruikshank is a mother and launched a Facebook Watch series called New Mom, Who Dis? as an outlet to share the honest experiences, humour and struggles of motherhood. It’s become an important, authentic voice that has resonated with thousands of people.

“Motherhood is so hard, and it’s not the perfect, flawless image so many of us are fed on social media.”

Jessi Cruikshank

“Motherhood is so hard, and it’s not the perfect, flawless image so many of us are fed on social media,” she says. “There’s no mother in the world who can wear head-to-toe white linen with a baby and keep it clean … I want to be an honest voice that exists among the white linen, that says, ‘Hey, I’m doing this, too, and I’m just as messy as you are.’”

Cruikshank’s interest in activism is something she traces back to third grade, when she became interested in the environment and recycling. She started a campaign in her elementary school called Clean Up Your Act, putting up signs and convincing the principal to do a neighbourhood litter cleanup.

“It’s all very basic but, looking back with kids who aren’t much younger than that, I can’t believe I had the drive and confidence to do that on my own,” she says. “I hope I inspired more students to take an interest in the environment and, perhaps, that impact lasted beyond the third grade.”

Today, she’s pleased to be putting that love for activism into practice with Global Citizen. “So much of my work as an activist has been trying to use my platform to inspire others to create change and work not just on a global scale, but in a community. Inspiring young people to say, ‘What can I do in my school, community, neighbourhood, or city, to make it a little bit of a better place? and use their passion to drive their advocacy.”

Q: If you had to teach your children one lesson, what would it be?
A: I think the key to happiness is volunteerism. I really think you have to do something for others in order to feel strength, joy and contentment in your life. I volunteer weekly at Born To Act Players, a theatre group for people of all abilities located in Los Angeles, and have started bringing my kids. I want them to be around that and to know that, even with an insane life, kids and career, I still value giving my time back where I can.

Q: How do you define success?
A: It changes — and I think it’s allowed to change. When I was younger, it was solely defined by how much money you make, what purse you carry, and what car you drive. Now, it’s measured by fulfilment. Am I waking up every day feeling fulfilled by my career and my family? Do I feel happy and grateful on the inside? If I do, that’s success.

JUSTIN WU:
DIRECTOR / PHOTOGRAPHER

Photo Courtesy Of Champions Of Change Canada

With parents who were immigrants from Hong Kong who fled China during the civil war, Justin Wu was raised with Asian values at home and Canadian values at school and with friends. He shares how he had a hard time defining his identity and understanding his place in society.

When he discovered and fell in love with the world of photography it helped, but he didn’t get the support from home to follow it as a career path and couldn’t find anyone like himself to look to as a role model.

“My parents simply wanted the best for me and what they couldn’t have themselves growing up,” Wu shares. “They wanted a life of financial stability, which is a typical motivation to move here for new immigrants. You fear what you don’t know, and my parents simply didn’t understand the artistic world because it was something they were never educated about or saw the possibilities.”

However, it was while completing an exchange program in Paris, as part of his Business Administration studies at the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University, that he took the opportunity to present his portfolio to different agencies.

“I hope to be a shining beacon for other artists and Young individuals around the world, so they can say to their mom and dad that they’d love to be a film director”

Justin Wu

That bold move worked, and since then, he’s worked with Vogue, Elle and GQ and made his directorial debut on Kim’s Convenience, for which he was nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement on a Comedy Show by the Director’s Guild of Canada.

Alongside all of this, though, Wu has ensured his work is driven by purpose, drawing on his own personal experience of breaking into the industry and using his work as a tool to inspire change.

As well as co-founding and supporting United Nations campaigns on human rights and climate change, one particular series he mentions is #InMySkin, a set of images published in V Magazine during the pandemic that expressed the anxieties, frustrations and insecurities of Black people as a result of systemic racism.

“I hope to be a shining beacon for other artists and young individuals around the world so they can say to their mom and dad that they’d love to be a film director. It’s still not a fully represented industry. It’s made a lot of progress in front of the camera, but behind the camera there’s still a long way to go.”

After being named a Global Citizen Champion of Change, Wu shares how he was honoured to be recognized by the organization, but that it’s also allowed him to double down on ensuring his work has purpose. “I have the support of such a recognized organization, with so many other talented people I admire who have an audience and are using art in their own way. I feel there are new opportunities to collaborate, exchange ideas and find even better ways to reach the public and hopefully solve some major world issues.” For those who want to take the leap to a creative career but are hesitant, Wu says to “have self-belief. That, to me, is the foundation of it all. If you can believe in yourself, you’ll be able to find the courage.”

He also prompts people to network. “I encourage people to seek out people like themselves. With the power of the Internet, you’ll find someone like you who is pursuing the same thing.”

Q: What is your favourite movie?
A: Gattaca by Andrew Niccol, because it’s a story about a character born with a disability who wants to be an astronaut, and believes in himself, but society holds him back because he doesn’t have the right genetics. I see myself in that because I remember everyone telling me I couldn’t do it.

Q: How do you define success?
A: I think success is defined by one’s ability to simply achieve what you sought to do. To be happy to do what you do.

ELLADJ BALDÉ:
PROFESSIONAL FIGURE SKATER

Photo Courtesy Of Champions Of Change Canada

Though we didn’t get the opportunity to speak with Elladj Baldé, he’s the fifth Champion of Change, making waves to break systemic barriers and promote climate action through figure skating.

Born to a Russian mother and a Guinean father, he moved a lot throughout his childhood. Growing up in Montreal, his mother introduced him to skating at age 6 and he ended up skating competitively for 21 years.

“I’m Honoured To Be A Global Citizen Champion Of Change, Helping To Advocate For And Drive Awareness Around Many Of The Causes And Issues Close To My Heart”

Justin Wu

After George Floyd was murdered in 2020 and the Black Lives Matter movement took hold in the United States, Baldé decided to take action. He met with other athletes of colour and founded Figure Skating Diversity and Inclusion Alliance to fight for representation and diversity in figure skating.

Then, soon after, he and his wife, Michelle Dawley, founded the Skate Global Foundation, which works to create change through pillars of equity, diversity and inclusion, mental health and climate change.

“I’m honoured to be a Global Citizen Champion of Change, helping to advocate and drive awareness around many of the causes and issues close to my heart,” Baldé says in a statement from the organization. “Global Citizen is inspirational in highlighting so many imperative issues, including systemic barriers and the eradication of poverty both in Canada and globally, and my involvement echoes their mission.”

CO-AUTHOR RICK MULLER
INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

The post Canada’s Champions Of Change appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

Choosing a life of public service is a deeply personal and emotional decision. One that comes from observing the world around you, wanting to make it better and then looking into the mirror to ask yourself if you have what it takes to take on the many challenges and effect positive change.

Maurizio Bevilacqua looked into that mirror 34 years ago and found the answer within himself and went on to serve his community with distinction as a leader, change-maker and driving force, including as the three-time mayor of Vaughan. His last two elections he won with greater than 70 per cent of the vote. Th at’s unheard of in today’s polarized world. Th at’s the 1927 New York Yankees of politics.

Belivacqua recently announced he was not seeking re-election for a fourth term and will instead seek out new challenges to conquer. The native of Sulmona, Italy, recently sat down with City Life to reflect upon his career in public service and how he looks forward to new adventures, secure in his legacy, happy, optimistic, joyful and ready to take on whatever his next life chapter may present to him.

Q: Why did you decide to not seek reelection?
A: Well, I think these are very important life decisions. And after much thought and contemplation and meditation I felt that after 34 years of public life I had given a lot to the community and had really answered my call to public service.

But public service manifests itself in different ways. I served when I was president of the student council at York University, when I was assistant to members of Parliament at both the provincial and federal levels, when I was a member of Parliament, a Parliamentary secretary, and when I was Minister of State for Finance. When I engaged in the various campaigns to raise $250 million to build the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital. There comes a time when you want to give other people an opportunity to serve and to lead the city.

I’m very much at peace with my decision, simply because I think I’m leaving the city in a better state than I inherited it. And the city is now in an excellent position. And I hope the next leader will continue on the same path, and maintain the type of calmness and civility that I was able to bring.

When I was first elected in 2010, the city of Vaughan did not have a subway, a university, a downtown core, a hospital, or a 900-acre park — one of the largest in an urban setting in North America. One of the things I take a great deal of pride and satisfaction in is that after 34 years of public life here in the community, eight out of 10 people approve of the work that I’ve done. That is a testament to the fact that I’ve worked very well with the community, that our values, principles and beliefs were perfectly aligned. And by working together we were able to achieve transformational change in the city of Vaughan, which is the reason why I originally came back from Ottawa. I felt that the city required leadership that could transform its image and I wanted to bring back respect to the city. And I think I’ve achieved all that. And so now it’s time for the next chapter.

You know, I was born in the 1960s, and I think that life is really ebbs and flows of events. And when it’s time to go, I tap into an energy that tells me when to move on. And I think it’s a perfect time.

Q: You made that announcement on your 62nd birthday. Was that intentional?
A: What I wanted people to leave with that night first of all — the theme of the evening — was that one should always live in a spirit of generosity and gratitude, and I got to express my gratitude for many, many things. First of all, a $250-million campaign that I started for the hospital was successfully completed, which is a great cause for celebration. I also showed a video of all the progress we made as a city since 2010. Th e other was that we need to give young people a platform to grow and expand their horizons and be supported by the community. And then the birthday cake was my way of telling people that there is a reason for every season in life, and that’s when I announced that I wasn’t going to be running again in 2022.

And I must say I was kind of surprised by people’s emotional reaction that night — the tears, the hugs, the beauty of all that — because, by nature, I’m not self-absorbed. But, after a few days and upon reflection, the reaction made a lot of sense, because after all, I have been working for this community for 34 years and we’ve shared a lot of love in building this community. It was just an amazing evening, but I do think that it was the right time at the right place for the right reasons.

Q: When you made the announcement, the people in the room were obviously stunned to see you leave this leadership role. They didn’t want to clap. Like you said, you believe in energies — that energy must have hit you hard.
A: I do think that you can only build a city if you love the city. And if it’s for you, the act of creation of the city is a labour of love, right? You can’t fake that. In my years of public life I’ve always made people my priority, and they will always continue to be my priority. There are people born with the propensity to be givers, and I am one of them. We tend to be people who want to take care of people and nurture the human spirit every which way we can.

I will continue to do that in other roles in the future, wherever they may be. Right up to mid-November I’ll be the mayor of the City of Vaughan. And after that, I will be doing what I will be doing. Some people think that you have to always be planning something ahead, but my first decision was “Do I run again?,” not “What am I going to do after?” I tend to trust the universe, and the universe has served me exceptionally well throughout my life. Where you are is where you need to be. So wherever I end up, I’m going to be feeling very comfortable, at ease and at peace.

One of the reasons I painted What’s the Point? was to inspire people to go beyond the immediate and go a little bit deeper, crystallize the essence, the point of life. I’m trying to inspire people to ask the most fundamental question of our existence on earth, invite them to go on a contemplative journey of greater self-awareness. And people may say, “Why is the mayor writing poetry? Why is he designing the Order of Vaughan, the actual pin? Why is he writing a song about the city?” Because this is part and parcel of my love for the city.

I’ve always focused on the fact that the purpose of life is to improve the human condition, not just your own. What you and I share is that we want something to do, someone or some cause to love and something to hope for, right? Life is really about value added and self-respect, so when you get up in the morning, you add that value to yourself, to your family, to your name, to your community and into the world. When people are adding value, they always feel good — it doesn’t matter whether you’re the mayor, whether you’re a journalist, whatever the case may be.

Q: Not everyone in politics puts a deeper sense of what life means at the forefront of how they lead their lives. You obviously have a very self-aware and intuitive approach to everything you do, and mentioned that you were meant to serve people. Where do you think this sense of service comes from?
A: I think you need to tap the energy of divinity. Where do thoughts and emotions come from? Aren’t you picking them up from somewhere? I think that they come from something bigger than us, and that if you align your energy to that energy, you live a life in concert with the universe.

We are a function of how we coexist and exchange our energies, insecurities, weaknesses, fears and doubts, as well as all the strengths we have as individuals. You do have to trust — if you don’t, then you’re always second-guessing yourself, which can immobilize you. For example, I ran for student council president at York University when I was 20, very young relatively speaking. I was ranked fourth out of four, but something told me I could win, so I pursued it. You have to remember that 18 years prior to that I had emigrated to Canada. And so somebody writing my story would say, “No, no, you can’t go from the basement of a house on St. Clair and, boom, to the House of Commons in 18 years,” but it happened. And even when people thought I was going to lose when I ran for the nomination, I did it. Then when I became chair of the finance committee, people thought, “Oh, jeez, that’s going to be hard to get,” but I did that, too. I’ve always been driven by optimism, a sense of purpose and a belief in myself. And so when people said that having the Subway in Vaughan was a pipe dream and were naysayers about the hospital, well, not only did we get a hospital, we got the first smart technology hospital. And when people said, “You will never get a university,” I went to the States and brought Niagara University in Ontario here. So, it’s just a willingness to not give up and to always believe in your mission. As my painting will tell you, What is the point right now?

Q: It has a lot to do with energy and what you put out there.
A: Discernment is the process you go through to arrive at a solution, right? You have to know where you’re getting these feelings from. They can come from a good source or from a bad source, so if you’re uncertain about a decision you’re making, you have to really sit down and think about it. Why am I feeling like this? Why this feeling of insecurity? Or why am I feeling really joyful? You have to figure out both, because joyful states can come from the wrong source and sorrowful states can come from a good source, too.

You’ve got to make sure that you’re tapping into the right energy fields. I believe that we all have it within ourselves to do it if we want to. Sometimes people don’t want to dive in because they’re afraid of the answers or feel really anxious about whatever situation they’re in. Because it’s kind of scary, right? Whereas finding the truth should be viewed as something to be excited about, right? The old cliché is true — the truth sets you free.

Q: Going back to your artwork, is it something you are constantly working on? Are you like President Bush, who basically took up art full time after his presidency?
A: I’ve always had a creative side, whether it’s the song that I wrote for the city, “The Place to Be,” or the Order of Vaughan, which I designed, or a poem I wrote about life, which I think is profoundly important to understand. Art is just another way for me to transmit my love towards my city. And quite frankly, it’s because I am who I am. The opposite of that, being disconnected from my city, my constituents and friends and neighbours, is just not how I function. I’m very much in tune with them. That’s why I love our community so much. It’s very, very much into building something special, and I have witnessed that over 34 years.

Q: So you’re saying that whatever you’re going to be doing post-November will be right for that moment in time. But can you tell us any more details in terms of the vision or map that you’re looking to follow afterwards?
A: I think that after 34 years people in the community know me fairly well by now and have a good sense of me. And that’s why I’m so happy about the approval rating. I feel like my community is my family, and when your family and neighbours and friends are happy with you and the work that you’ve done, it’s a wonderful feeling.

“What You And I Share Is That We Want Something To Do, Someone Or Some Cause To Love And Something To Hope For, Right?”

But what makes it even more wonderful is the fact that I did it with them. So I have a sense of complete well-being and it just reinforces my trust in the universe. It’s an excellent way to live.

You know, in today’s society you could find thousands of reasons to be negative if you looked for them. But we also have to realize that there are thousands of reasons to be happy and joyful, too. So how do you promote positivity? I think you do it by having clarity of purpose, by knowing what your values, principles and beliefs are, and by aligning your actions to those values, principles and beliefs. Whatever I do in the future will be very much in alignment with that. It’s not an issue of re-election or just giving it up for a while — I do think that that was a season of my life and now there’s going to be another season, just as meaningful, purposeful, and productive as the previous 62 years. I’m very happy about that and I’m happy that I was able to share all this with my community.

Q: What inspires you?
A: Th e contributions, the ability to add value to the human experience, to improve the human condition. This interview that you and I are having, for example — we could look at this and say, “OK, this is just a simple interview.” But maybe it isn’t — maybe some of the thoughts expressed will bring awareness or change a few lives for the better. We might inspire people to think, to express themselves in different ways and to find answers to some of the challenges they’re facing. That’s what inspires me.

Q: What does your morning routine look like?
A: As soon as I get up, I have thoughts in my head. I’m a voracious reader, and I keep myself up to date with what’s going on in the world, because, ultimately, we are citizens of the world. My late mother was a seamstress, and from her I learned the state of fl ow, which is a psychological state where you’re deeply immersed in whatever you’re doing in the present. When a seamstress is making a dress, she’s required to be totally focused because everything has to be done to perfection. And that’s how I am in public life, in a state of fl ow, adding value to my community. And my day is very much like that. Whether you’re exercising, reading, having a conversation over lunch or a coffee or whatever you’re doing, you can’t be doing other things. You have to be fully present because otherwise you’ve failed. At the end of the day I do something called “a spiritual examine,” where I review my day and ask myself, “Did my actions bring me closer to light?” When I started, it used to take me a long time. Now I can do it fairly quickly, in 15 or 20 minutes, and just go through my day. What feelings was I having while I was walking in the park or having a conversation or pumping gas? I mean, this sounds kind of silly, but it isn’t really, because what it does is get you into a habit to appreciate your day, and if you do things that you’re not supposed to do you’re reminded of them. And by doing this rapid repetition every day you soon begin to realize that this is the way to a virtuous life, as opposed to, say, a life of vices, or whatever the case may be.

Q: What is your definition of happiness versus success? What is the difference between the two for you?
A: Th e interesting thing is that if your success is not consistent with the higher values of life you can be successful but not necessarily happy. We talk about federal, provincial, municipal infrastructure programs, but the biggest infrastructure programs were not built by us — the sun, the Earth, the wind, nature, that was all given to us. Th e roads and buildings we build are just part of the act of creation. So, happiness for me is the recognition of how incredibly blessed we are to live as human beings in this incredible universe that was created for us. And success for me is the recognition that we were put on Earth to really manifest love, to give of ourselves in a selfless way to improve the human condition. Th at, to me, is what it is.

INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

The post Maurizio Bevilacqua: Leaving A Legacy Of Leadership appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

Youth — those fledging years of self-awareness that are beginning earlier and earlier in this interactive society and now represent an age group that begins anywhere from 11 or 12 — is often referred to as the state of being one of the best times of our lives a carefree time with no responsibilities or worries about money or what we want to be when we grow up or how we’re going to get from here to there as we navigate through all of life’s encumbrances. At the risk of being labelled an old-school fuddy-duddy, I remember what it was like when I and many of our current City Life readers were young: Our lives were robustly full of family activities and face-to-face after-school gatherings with our friends and the kids on our block.

Sure, we saw those larger-than-life model-type images plastered on billboards, the sizzling promises of a “better you” on our television screens, the full-colour ads in our newspapers and the 5-foot-tall point-of-purchase promotion boards in our local shops, but none of those things were ever on the scale of today’s ubiquitous messaging platforms. In fact, a 2021 survey conducted by PPC Protect () estimated that the average person today sees 6,000 to 10,000 ads per day, compared to the 1970s, when the average number of ads seen per day was anywhere from 500 to 1,600.

Online platforms provide significant opportunities for advertisers and marketers to get their messages out to young people. In fact, a November 2021 Forrester Research survey reported that 63 percent of Americans between the ages of 12 and 17 used TikTok on a weekly basis, while 57 per cent of this cohort was on Instagram.

In Canada, according to an August 2021 Media Technology Monitor MTM Junior research study that polled 1,622 households, 74 per cent of Canadian kids aged seven to 17 had used social media in the last month, with girls more likely to use it than boys (80 per cent versus 68 per cent). That number dipped to 58 per cent for kids from seven to only 11, who are more likely to have content and time controls on their social media platforms.

With the widespread adoption of social media platforms, especially the highly popular TikTok, Instagram and YouTube channels, the critical issue for young girls becomes the lack of age-appropriate products and same-age role models, which in turn influences these vulnerable young people to adopt and emulate behaviours that are inappropriate for their age groups.

This is not to say that, before this explosion of social media usage within today’s youth cohort whose online and phone interactions have become ubiquitous and often obsessive, there weren’t examples of high-profile early celebrity influencers, some of whom imploded. We don’t have to look far to find role models that young girls used to look up to — in fact, couldn’t get enough of — before their public personas went drastically wrong. Remember when Justin “the Biebs” Bieber egged his neighbour’s house in Los Angeles in 2014? Or the very public flameout of the Disney teeny-bopper idol, Miley Cyrus, of Hannah Montana fame? News about both of these outsized personalities as they spiralled, crashed and burned were splayed across every newspaper and blasted from every radio station, television channel and social media platform in existence at that time.

Now, however, the problem is that, while many of the issues that young girls are facing today are similar to those faced by this age group in previous generations, the overwhelming omnipresence of social media has ratcheted up their levels of influence and reach to never-before-seen heights.

Of deep concern to parents, teachers and guardians is the impact and influence that social media have on young people, young girls in particular. In both subliminal and overt ways, they are being taught harmful attitudes and behaviours, ones that illustrate that the body shapes that they must aspire to and need to achieve to look good, fit in and be part of the crowd must reflect the unrealistic posts they are seeing. These “adopter” images portray thin, shapely bodies, age-inappropriate and sexualized outfits and behaviour that should be well beyond the knowledge or comprehension of children and young teens.

The celebrity images and seemingly real lifestyles posted on sites, such as Instagram and Pinterest, are façades, undeniably Photoshopped to remove blemishes, extra curves and any number of other minor flaws unacceptable to “influencers.” How can a young girl not be impressed by these seemingly flawless images and wonder what’s wrong with herself? Why is her body so different from the images that she sees? After all, with all the thousands of “likes” she sees these posts getting, this is the “look” that must be the ticket to being accepted and loved.

Interestingly, in an October 6, 2021, CBC news article by Mark Gollom (), he relates the findings reported in the Wall Street Journal of a study conducted by Facebook, the owner of Instagram, conducted to ascertain how Instagram affects its millions of young users. “Instagram can be harmful for a significant number of users, in particular teenage girls,” it openly admitted. About a third of teen girls in the survey said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel even worse. The research also showed that the peer pressure the image-focused Instagram generated led in some cases to eating disorders and to thoughts of suicide.

In fact, a story related to me by a Toronto Grade 6 teacher resonates deeply. Many of the girls in her class, who are 11 years old, can be easily mistaken for 14 to 16. “The physical mirroring around what these girls see on social media, such as heavy makeup and revealing clothing, makes them appear much older than they are, which is highly concerning,” she said. “They are young, vulnerable and naïve, and easily susceptible to older male attention.”

Dr. Niva Piran, a clinical psychologist, award-winning author, researcher and professor emerita at the University of Toronto, whose 2017 book Journeys of Embodiment at the Intersection of Body and Culture (London: Academic Press) examines the social experiences that shape girls through their development and into adulthood, states that it is important to understand the current struggles of girls.

“Girls now live in a contradictory world,” says Dr. Piran. “On the one hand, they are told that all options are open to them — that they can attain any and all positions if they work hard and get their education. That is one type of message, that equal participation in society is available to them. At the same time, at the physical level, they are exposed to very different messages.”

She goes on to explain that the rates of violence against women, gender gaps in pay and access to reproductive health services, for example, have remained problematic areas for women. Girls at puberty are aware of and can describe such challenges faced by women in their lives. She goes on to state that living in a world of contradictory messages is very difficult for young girls.

“It is common and acceptable for young girls to try and change their bodies in order to become more accepted,” Dr. Piran says. “Social media transmits images that have a negative impact on our youth — messages that convey that the bodies of girls at puberty are inherently deficient and require repair — in weight, breast enhancement, hair straightening, lip expansion or skin whitening. As such, the focus of these young girls changes from one of acting on the world to one of acting on their bodies, which in turn makes them lose power. And from that point onward, no body repair is good enough — the body remains deficient, and it is challenging to get out of that mindset. Secondly, it is really hard to act in the world with power and agency when you experience your body as a deficient site, because, at the end of the day, we interact with the environment through our bodies.”

Catherine Steiner-Adair, clinical psychologist, consultant and co-author with Teresa Barker of The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age (a Wall Street Journal Best Nonfiction Book in 2013), also identifies some of the critical issues facing young girls today.

“There is a backlash of misogyny against both young girls and women who come from predominant cultures,” Steiner-Adair says. “The message out there is that what you look like matters more than anything else. Also, there is the endless appearance of unrealistic beauty images that promote dieting and shopping as reasonable ways to cope with life’s ups and downs.”

Many social media platforms, particularly Instagram, where celebrities of every ilk are known to post the minutiae of their lives, strongly influence the mindsets and behaviours of vulnerable young girls who just want to fit in.

“These types of messages direct girls to body dysmorphia, disordered eating and eating disorders,” Steiner-Adair states. (Not all disordered eaters develop into full-blown eating disorders.) “And while it is hard to identify causation, the correlation to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders, such as anorexia, is strong.”

In fact, in a March 18, 2021, CBC news report by Desmond Brown, a spokesperson for McMaster Children’s Hospital stated that referrals to the hospital’s Eating Disorders Program had increased by 90 per cent in the last four-month period. As well, youth admitted for medical support after a suicide attempt had tripled over the same period, compared to the previous year. ().

Red flags for young girls and their parents, who should both be aware of and recognize toxic social-media messaging, include the suggestions that a particular appearance is desirable, beautiful and necessary, and in fact, is what girls should strive to emulate. The posts and popular music-based videos that appear as beauty advice on social media include content that portrays unrealistic ideals of beauty that girls say make them feel bad about themselves, and in fact, sets standards that no girl can reasonably live up to.

A key concern identified both by Dr. Piran and Dr. Steiner-Adair was the ongoing and seemingly growing number of acts of sexual violence targeting girls under the age of 18.

“Sex education is not doing enough to inform young people about sexual negotiations. Girls are vulnerable to violations — and are not knowledgeable about sexual encounters. The highest rape incidence in the United States — reported at 7.7 per cent — happens to girls who are under 18,” says Dr. Piran.

Dr. Steiner-Adair concurs. “Increased sexual violence toward girls is impacting the younger age groups, and I think that some cultures’ acceptance of violence against women has increased. It is very dangerous. If women don’t have the right to control their own bodies, a highly controversial issue that is embedded in the abortion issue in the United States, it is no longer a women’s issue, it is a human rights one. It is important for the media to feature women on their covers who don’t look like they are hired models — but rather, real women, who are healthy and happy in their own bodies.”

The Dove Self-Esteem Project, which aims to confront the harmful beauty advice often normalized for teens in their social media feeds, is committed to helping parents navigate important conversations with their kids. In an email Q & A with the team at City Life Magazine, Dove summarized the findings of their 2022 Self-Esteem Project survey, which was conducted on girls age 10 to 17 in Canada as a way to understand this group’s social media habits and attitudes they are influenced to adopt as a result of their social media involvements.

The research reveals that, in general, young girls are spending more time on social media than ever before — connecting with friends, finding new communities and engaging with an endless stream of content and advice in their feeds, with one in two girls saying idealized beauty advice on social media caused their low self-esteem. Facing this toxicity head-on, the new Dove #DetoxYourFeed campaign aims to counter the harmful beauty advice being normalized for teens in their social media feeds by providing tools to help parents navigate important conversations with their teens, resources to empower teens to define their own beauty standards and encourage them to unfollow content that makes them feel bad about themselves. In fact, research found that seven in ten girls have felt better after unfollowing toxic beauty advice and idealized beauty content on social media.

Parents should take note that the Dove research showed that half the surveyed girls spend more than an hour each weekday on social media, more time than they spend with friends outside of school. The majority of girls surveyed (67 per cent) say it would be better for their self-esteem if young girls in general spent less time on social media and that it would be better for their own self-esteem if they themselves spent less time on social media. But the girls also stated that they use social media as a way to express themselves, to share their thoughts (26 per cent) and to express their identity (20 per cent).

So, what can parents do to protect their daughters from falling prey to completely unrealistic “influencers,” whose looks and “desirable” lifestyles drive their daughters’ all-encompassing interest?

For starters, parents need to be present, available and nurturing to their kids, as well as highly aware of the sites their young people are visiting and the amount of time they are spending on them. Parents need to advocate for policies that empower their children and closely watch not only their child’s online activity but the appropriateness of the people they are interacting with.

“It Is Important To Nurture Social Participation In Equal-partner Groups, Ones That Are Made Up Of Peers Who Validate And Nurture Each Other’s Strengths While Empowering Relationships”

It is important that adults in young girls’ lives are supportive, offering guidance, mentoring and an always-present “listening” ear. It is also critical to discuss and help this age group, who are from around 11 years old, become attuned to their needs and be knowledgeable about what healthy development looks like.

“For instance, weight gain during puberty is a healthy and natural process,” Dr. Piran says, but “girls do not learn that. Girls learn to look at weight gain during puberty as a dangerous thing rather than a healthy thing. [But] weight gain is also important for the secretion of growth hormones and other hormones and for the strengthening of bones during this critical age. This is important information that they should learn.”

In fact, in her clinical psychology practice, Dr. Piran has observed girls who have experienced stunted growth because their parents, and sometimes their physicians, put them on a diet at this critical age and stage of development.

Interestingly, she notes that when girls are going through puberty and begin menstruating, they have to learn what is acceptable within the setting of their own peer groups. “They learn that they need to be small and demure rather than powerful. If girls show their competitive side, they are considered to be a bitch,” she says. “Young girls learn that people don’t want women to be in control, even in the political arena, so the strong voice that they had before puberty becomes silenced in their quest to be deemed acceptable. We need to nurture girls to be powerful and to respect their strong voices. This will also help protect them from negative media, because social media doesn’t like young girls to be comfortable within themselves — they want them to be self-critical so they can shut them down. Girls often experience a demotion in their social power when they reach puberty because their body becomes more important than their voice. It is very important that young girls have social power unrelated to their appearances. Lastly, it is important to nurture social participation in equal-partner groups, ones that are made up of peers who validate and nurture each other’s strength while empowering relationships.”

“There Are A Lot Of Phenomenal Girls In The World,” Says Dr. Steiner-adair. “we Are Just Not Hearing Enough About Them”

There are myriad resources available for parents who want to engage with and actively help their daughters invest in their own personal empowerment. While rife with negative influences, the Internet can also be an asset, with many positive and affirming websites that reach out to girls around the world to inspire and empower them.

Sites such as , an informative and positive online resource recommended by Dr. Piran, is, according to its website, a “girl-fueled, intergenerational activist organization working to ignite and foster an antiracist gender justice movement” to end violence against women and girls and promote girls’ healthy sexuality, self-empowerment and well-being. For younger girls, the sheheroes.com website profiles apps that embrace key themes, such as championing a passion for learning, being curious and observing the world, appreciating the uniqueness of each person, identifying and celebrating personal strengths; speaking out and being assertive when peers are being picked on, criticized or bullied; being adventurous and bold, trying new things and not giving up when things are hard are also highlighted.

Even the toy-maker Mattel has realized that it has to be cognizant of how its idealistic version of toys impacts their young customers and have introduced, along with the original prototype, a new and more physically realistic line of Barbie dolls that features petite, tall and curvy models.

If parents want to increase their social-media knowledge and ensure that their teen daughters’ online interactions are safe, they can check out Dove’s Detox Your Feed: The Parents Guide, a three-minute educational film that has advice for parents, caregivers and mentors on initiating conversations with young people about the harms of social media. Dove also offers The Confidence Kit, a free Self-Esteem Project workbook that includes tools to facilitate conversations with your kids about toxic social media advice.

Parents can also help their children decide if the content they follow is right for them by suggesting that they engage in Dove’s #DetoxYourFeed themselves. Easy steps to follow for a more positive and reaffirming online experience include simply encouraging girls to follow content or people that are positive and uplifting and to unfollow toxic content that does not improve their mood or sense of well-being. Teens themselves should be aware of the content that they post and to think about and make sure they understand the impact their own content will have on others.

It is important for adults to be supportive and offer guidance, mentoring and a listening, “present” ear, on an ongoing basis, to their young children, especially their girls. It is also important to discuss with them how to be attuned to their own needs and provide them with information about healthy eating for their optimal development.

“We need to focus on fostering resilience and protecting our youth,” Dr. Piran says. “Considering the targeting of girls’ appearance by social media, it can be valuable, instead, to nurture other physical experiences among girls, in particular, those of functionality and joy in the body. Joyful engagement in physical activities that do not objectify the body can be an important protective factor. It is valuable to continue such engagement during and following puberty.”

It is also their parents’ responsibility — moms in particular — to not pass down messages of body-loathing and negative body criticisms. “Mom has to stop saying, ‘Oh, my thighs and my butt are too big’ or ‘My hair is too thin’ — these kinds of self-criticisms can lead to negative self-esteem,” Dr. Steiner-Adair says. “Also, men have to feel comfortable encouraging their daughters to feel good in their natural bodies — in fact, they should take a feminist position against anorexic-shaped models. Fathers and male role models should help girls feel that they matter for exactly who they are.”

Helping young girls navigate through the mire of ubiquitous influencer messages — ones that “inform” but actually direct in order to manipulate and sell the latest products — is a responsibility that lies with each one of us. It is imperative that the next generation be equipped with a sense of self-worth, self-esteem, confidence and purpose — attributes that will mature and empower them to become the women that they deserve and are entitled to be.

If they are to emerge from their teen years as strong, happy and confident young women, girls must learn to identify the pitfalls of peer pressure and the negative criticisms around body image. Positive life decisions start early in life and are the ultimate gateway to empowerment for women. Early influences have the potential to either lift up or negatively impact our children’s ability to appreciate who they are and how they look. Our goal as parents and mentors should be to empower our girls so that, ultimately, they can achieve the goal of becoming powerful, self-directed agents within society at large.

It is a fact that young girls who are absorbing the predominant social-media messages, are susceptible to philosophies such as, “I have an eating disorder” and are liable to adopt them to be accepted.

“Girls describe the power they derive from being accepted without pressures of conformity in terms of their appearance or behaviour. Such a validating environment is important within families, among peers and other social systems, such as schools,” says Dr. Piran. “Becoming accepted starts with the social groups young girls hang around with. They are vulnerable to peer pressure and opinions, and, so, with the right reinforcement and acceptance, they can accept themselves on life’s terms.”

Boards of education can also get more proactive in supporting young girls in the school system. Implementing policies that address sexual harassment, body-based harassment and bullying (such as teasing or comments about weight, for example), with clear consequences for infractions, certainly represents a positive step forward. Ensuring that boys and girls have equal access to physical and sports activities and resources is also important and achievable within the school environment.

“There are a lot of phenomenal girls in the world,” says Dr. Steiner- Adair. “We are just not hearing enough about them.”

BARBIE’S EFFECT

The effect of playing with this unrealistically thin and busty doll on girls’ self esteem.

In a world where the majority of people — specifically, its women — are constantly criticizing our own bodies, our weight, and, indeed, anything else at all about our physical being in the world — at some point the poignant question “Why?” needs to be asked.

Why do women demand so much of ourselves and attach such importance to the arbitrary standards set by fashion houses and leading beauty brands?

Have you seen some of the tag lines attached to those high-gloss full-colour magazine ads? If they weren’t so meaningless they would be bizarre. What exactly does “Beauty is a gesture” even mean? Or “The scent of all paradoxes”? One telling example of how we as a society came to adopt one of the most unrealistic ideals of what we, as women, are expected to aspire to is outlined at by mental health counselor Gaines Arnold.

In 1959, while on a trip to Germany, American Ruth Handler noticed that the popular “Lilli Doll” possessed adult female features specifically designed to appeal to men. Handler had observed that her daughter, Barbie liked to play with paper dolls that looked like adult women, rather than enjoying traditional baby dolls, and had an idea about how these more adult-like dolls — modelled for male sexual interests — could be adapted for children. First forming the Mattel Corporation with her husband and then partnering with Disney, Handler began marketing her Barbie dolls to young girls.

While there is no denying that these dolls were wildly popular with girls, they always conveyed a subliminal message — to be popular a girl needed to have perfect blonde hair, a killer body, good looks and, effectively, no career. All Barbie had to do in her perfect Barbie world was to dress up and wait for Ken to bring home the proverbial bacon.

Over the decades since Barbie’s creation, this idealized — and, some would say, harmful — fashion icon has inspired psychologists to study what is known as the “Barbie Effect.”

It boils down to this: media messaging over the last seventy years has dramatically changed the definition of an attractive, desirable woman.

In the 1600s, double chins and fuller figures whetted men’s lust. Inn the mid-1800s, men also liked their women plump. Beginning in the 1960s, though, with the introduction of supermodels like Twiggy, men’s fascination turned to women who were toned, willowy and fit — pretty much a mirror likeness of the Barbies that impressionable little girls aspire to be in their imaginary, idealized worlds.

Writer Samantha Olson reports in an article in the online Medical Daily, “According to doctors, Barbie’s measurements would force her to walk on all fours. She would be physically incapable of lifting her over-sized Mattel head. She could be nicknamed the ‘impossible woman’ with unrealistic physical proportions that would make her look like she’s straight off a spaceship.”

In fact, Barbie’s idealized “perfect” head-to-toe proportions have caused eating and body disorders in young girls who aspire to look like her. There isn’t any clear messaging around Barbie engaging in or preparing for a career, either, which — although hopefully not in this increasingly women- empowering world — might lead a young girl to believe that all she has to do to succeed in life is to look pretty.

Mattel has addressed some of these issues in recent years, producing dolls that feature more diverse and truer-to-life looks and body shapes. For mirroring that effects acceptance for all ages is key to actualizing girls’ “self-acceptance persona.”

The post Inspiring Young Girls Becoming On Their Journey To Empowered Women appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.