The best advice I’ve ever gotten was from one of my university professors. She told me, and I am paraphrasing here, that she doesn’t like to put favourites according to rank.
“It places them in a hierarchy,” she said.
I’ve always loved that because who’s to say that one story, for example, should be ranked higher than another?
Out of the 511 stories I have written this year, they all have their merit and stand side by side as the voice of Northwestern Ontario.
From the Ukrainian dance group, Zorya put a gleaming smile across the faces of refugees settling into a new life in Atikokian to Pikangikum First Nation’s graduating class of remarkable students taking their first into adulthood. I’ve had the privilege to speak with many important people about topics that impact their lives this past year.
And since the task was to choose five, I did just that.
Here are five stories from the north, in no particular order.
Student councillors connect municipality with youth voice
Like most stories in my career, I come across them by happenstance. Olli Zelek was attending the 2023 Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Conference as a representative of Marathon. They stood in front of a delegation of municipal leaders to present the benefits of having youth representation on the Council. Their tenacity shows that youths have a strong voice in their communities.
What’s on tap at Hallett Brewing?
This was a fun experience. I was off the clock and looking for a place to gather my thoughts. Andrew Halikus, Mayor of Fort Frances (Yes, I know that sounds pretentious, but this is my story after all), told me to check out the Hallett Brewery. Being a lover of craft beer, I sat at the bar to indulge in a flight. After idle chit-chat with the owners, Andrew and Tanya Mueller, I told them who I was and set up an interview with them for the next day. It was their passion to take a chance on a wild dream that inspired me to tell their story. That and Andrew brews one heck of a Raspberry Kolsch!
Canoe trip marks 150th anniversary of Treaty Three signing
The rich history of Northwestern Ontario is always interesting. The day I went to Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung (Manitou Mounds) Culture Centre in Rainy River First Nation, I spoke with some of the most amazingly enthusiastic people the day before they went on their 190 kilometres journey to the spot where the North-West Angle Treaty was signed on Oct. 3, 1873. I wish I could have joined them on that trip. Learn more about the importance of the Treaty Three signing up close and personal. See its impacts on elders to youths. And gain the wisdom to do better in sharing their voices with our readers.
Jeannie's Way to raise awareness about healthcare challenges
Like many of the stories I’ve told about Ontario’s healthcare system, this one hits me the hardest. Howard Meshake and partner Jeannie are a shining example of how Ontario’s healthcare system has failed. When I first heard Jeannie's story was from the Meno-Ya-Win Healthcare Centre’s Facebook page. Howard Meshake and Jeannie, who, after a stroke, is bound to a wheelchair, walked from Sioux Lookout to Dryden to ask the Dryden Community Health Clinic to raise awareness about a healthcare system that ignores Indigenous people. I tried getting in touch with Meshake after seeing the post. But sometimes connecting with people can be a fickle thing. Luckily, I caught up with Meshake when he was in Thunder Bay on his walk for Jeannie’s way.
AIDS Day event educates Indigenous youth about health and well-being
During this event, I got to speak with Dr. James Makokis and Anthony Johnson. I didn’t highlight this in my article at the time, but they are the winners of Amazing Race Canada Season Seven. However, I wasn’t at the event to speak with them about their reality TV celebrity status. Rather, Makokis and Johnson highlighted their activism and engagement with the health and well-being of indigenous youths.
