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• COVID-19 has melted half the ice at the Campus Ice Centre

  almost 4 years ago
  

  By Kayla Jackson

  Along with the college and university, the Campus Ice Centre has also gone through restrictions due to COVID-19. The twin ice pad facility has gone through multiple closings and openings based on current health protocols and has had one pad converted to a vaccine clinic.

  The Campus Ice Centre is located on the Ontario Tech and Durham College campus. It’s a place where students can go and play stick and puck or go public skating.

  It is also home to the men’s and women’s Ontario Tech Ridgeback hockey teams along with intramural and extramural sports for students... Continue reading

  By Kayla Jackson

  Along with the college and university, the Campus Ice Centre has also gone through restrictions due to COVID-19. The twin ice pad facility has gone through multiple closings and openings based on current health protocols and has had one pad converted to a vaccine clinic.

  The Campus Ice Centre is located on the Ontario Tech and Durham College campus. It’s a place where students can go and play stick and puck or go public skating.

  It is also home to the men’s and women’s Ontario Tech Ridgeback hockey teams along with intramural and extramural sports for students at both schools.

  COVID-19 has taken its toll on employees of the Campus Ice Centre.

  The full-time workers were able to keep their jobs when the centre closed but this wasn’t the case for part-time employees, some of whom are students.

  The Campus Ice Centre has had to close and re-open multiple times due to COVID-19 restrictions. Photo credit: Shaun McLeod

  “I still worked the whole time because I was a full-time employee. So, like, we still had to have people in here running the arena and plus, with us being the (COVID-19 Vaccine) clinic,” says Matt Manley, Campus Ice Centre employee.

  “But like, the hard part was all the part-timers and like we’re such a close group that work here. The part-timers that worked for us, we had to let them all go.”

  Due to the reopening of the centre, Manley says there are more daily duties he must do now that he didn’t have to do pre-COVID-19 such as cleaning and disinfecting each room before another team or players can use it and the change in entrances and exits.

  “We used to have a lobby, and everyone could come in the lobby. So now they’re dealing with people that are coming into the rink that are used to something and now there’s a big change here and they can’t come in two hours before a game and stretch and do all that kind of stuff. Now it’s like 45 minutes before your game and you’re allowed in.”

  Tim Watson, manager at the Campus Ice Centre, says they took this as an opportunity to complete a lot of maintenance such as painting and fixing things around the arena.

  The vaccine clinic moved into one of the ice pads of the Campus Ice Centre at the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19. This made things difficult, says Watson.

  “We haven’t been able to fit it all (bookings) onto the one ice pad. So, when you go from two pads to one, obviously, you’re going to lose different groups and must prioritize and we’re in partnership with the City. So, working with the City, we had to prioritize to the minor (sports) groups. And for the most part, you know, we’ve gotten through it,” says Watson.

  “We’ve lost our lobby, all those types of things we’ve had to adjust and make do with what we have. It hasn’t been the best of conditions, but we’ve adapted and had to do what we’ve had to do.”

  Watson says the Campus Ice Centre has taken a financial hit during the pandemic, but have managed to adapt and continue with activities for students as well as some organized league games. Visit campusrecreationcentre.com for more information on what activities are running for students.

• DC dental students worked ‘seven days a week’ through parts of pandemic

  almost 4 years ago
  

  By Vandita Kumar

  While some Durham College (DC) students have been able to attend their programs entirely online during the pandemic, that has not been the case for those in the Dental Hygiene program.

  In addition to a few online classes, Dental Hygiene students have had to provide in-person services to the community for free since the beginning of the pandemic.

  “We had the clinic running seven days a week and 12-hour days,” said Jennifer Kellett, professor and program coordinator.

  “We needed to ensure that the students all graduated with the experiences that previous graduates had, so we needed to... Continue reading

  By Vandita Kumar

  While some Durham College (DC) students have been able to attend their programs entirely online during the pandemic, that has not been the case for those in the Dental Hygiene program.

  In addition to a few online classes, Dental Hygiene students have had to provide in-person services to the community for free since the beginning of the pandemic.

  “We had the clinic running seven days a week and 12-hour days,” said Jennifer Kellett, professor and program coordinator.

  “We needed to ensure that the students all graduated with the experiences that previous graduates had, so we needed to ensure they had the correct number of hours, and that they saw all the required clients.”

  Since the program is registered through the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario, it is necessary for professors to demonstrate graduating students are just as competent as the previous graduating years prior to the pandemic, Kellett said.

  Kellett, 48, credits her students with responding to the increased operational hours of the Dental Hygiene clinic, which were put into place to ensure the students met the requirements of working on patients.

  Fiona Weeden, 23, a student in the Dental Hygiene program in her third semester, had to do the bulk of her early learning online. Although she is currently on campus doing clinical work, she said there are some pros and cons when it comes to learning virtually.

  “It’s nice that everything was recorded. So if you were studying and wanted to look back on something, you know, the lectures are all there,” Weeden said. “But definitely not being able to connect as much with classmates or with professors it makes it a little bit harder.”

  Mental health has also played a major role in the pandemic affecting students and teachers. For Weeden, sitting in front of her computer at her desk all day took a toll.

  “It’s definitely starting to get better now that we can have a little bit more normalcy and get back to in-person learning or more at least than we were before, but it was really hard learning online,” she said.

  Fiona Weeden, a student in the Dental Hygiene program at Durham College.

  Students in the program start working at the clinics in their third semester. They do assessments, examinations, come up with a treatment plan for their clients, perform cleanings, polish and give oral hygiene instructions. Since it is a requirement, students have been back on campus since July of 2020.

  “As faculty, we’re teaching the theory and clinical courses in the dental hygiene program. Working as a coordinator, there’s a lot of oversight that needs to happen, because we have client care clinic, where we’re offering services to the public,” Kellett said.

  Because of the pandemic shutting everything down in March 2020, the dental students were delayed a semester, Kellett said. Because of that, students were back on campus in July of 2020, working with clients in clinics by August and working seven days a week to complete their required pre-clinical skills.

  “We needed to recover a lot of missed time that happened between March and August, in terms of all of the client care hours,” Kellett said. “We were running our clinics seven days a week until we finally got caught up and so it was very busy for us.”

  Kellett said the dental hygiene program was prepared in some ways for the pandemic and adjusted precautions to provide care safely.

  “We had such clear processes that really followed strict infection control guidelines, it was really just enhancing those as we needed to, to ensure that everybody’s protected,” Kellett said.

  For Kellett, it was challenging at the beginning of the pandemic because of all the unknowns. Having to plan when provincial policies were constantly changing made it difficult, Kellett said.

  “Seven days a week was tough. There’s no break, there’s never a break. And so that was, I think that was definitely a tough time. But, you know, I’m really happy that we’re able to get through,” Kellett said.

  In 2004, Kellett graduated from the Dental Hygiene program at DC. She then went to Brock University to get her Bachelor of Education, graduating in 2015, deciding she had an interest in teaching. Kellett started working part-time at DC in 2008 until becoming a full-time faculty in 2016.

• A MAD, but positive pandemic response at DC’s Oshawa campus

  almost 4 years ago
  

  By Caitlin Bolt

  Greg Murphy, dean of Durham College’s School of Media, Art and Design (MAD), said the pandemic has produced changes both at the Oshawa campus and within his role.

  For the past two years Murphy has worked at home about two days a week and was fully remote during the campus shutdown.

  “When I’m coming in the morning I walk down the halls and there’s no students in,” said Murphy.

  The faculty are only able to see a portion of the students in person, as some classes have been fully online or hybrid.

  This has made technical support... Continue reading

  By Caitlin Bolt

  Greg Murphy, dean of Durham College’s School of Media, Art and Design (MAD), said the pandemic has produced changes both at the Oshawa campus and within his role.

  For the past two years Murphy has worked at home about two days a week and was fully remote during the campus shutdown.

  “When I’m coming in the morning I walk down the halls and there’s no students in,” said Murphy.

  The faculty are only able to see a portion of the students in person, as some classes have been fully online or hybrid.

  This has made technical support more important than ever, so faculty can deliver students their education, he said.

  “I work all day and I stayed late into the night trying to support students I don’t see. It’s a strange thing,” said Murphy.

  
  

  Greg Murphy, dean at the Durham College School of Media, Art & Design. He is photographed in his office at his work desk, located on the Oshawa campus. Photo credit: Caitlin Bolt

  The halls are typically filled with students and constant ongoing engaging events, especially in the Oshawa campus hub called The Pit.

  Designing extracurricular events is one of Murphy’s favourite parts of his job as it “enriches the curriculum for students”.

  One such notable event is the 48 Hour Film Challenge. Students across a variety of media programs paired up to complete a two minute video.

  These videos were then submitted and screened at the Cineplex Odeon in Oshawa where prizes were awarded to teams.

  It ran for four years with more than 500 students who participated.

  This event was held online last year, but Murphy said he did not know whether or not students were actually engaging due to not being on camera via Zoom.

  This is one of the biggest challenges he has found with students learning during the pandemic.

  “You get people who start off in a meeting with maybe a little bit of a negative attitude because they’re angry or frustrated, and they don’t know why. I can tell you why they are angry and frustrated, because they’re not around humans,” said Murphy.

  He said for those not used to being on camera, this is an “interruptive practice.

  “Students have to remember that the way they are learning is exactly the way they’ll be working,” said Murphy.

  Working and learning remotely both require online engagement and presence.

  Murphy cannot maintain a positive atmosphere for all, but he said he can maintain his own positivity.

  Moreen Fearon-Tapper is MAD’s associate dean and has occupied the role for almost three years.

  She finds one of the biggest challenges is maintaining a safe learning environment while making sure students reach their learning outcomes.

  “I think if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is how nimble we are,” said Fearon-Tapper.

  Moreen Fearon-Tapper, the associate dean at the Durham College School of Media, Art & Design. Photo credit: Meagan Secord

  As much as there are many challenges, there have been achievements over these past two years.

  “I’d say our biggest success was supporting our students right from the very beginning of the pandemic all the way through and our faculty are coming up with some really creative ways that we could foster learning,” said Fearon-Tapper.

  Fearon-Tapper also found success in making sure students attending classes in person did so in a school wide schedule that reduced traffic on campus.

  “What we’re seeing is an increase of students on campus. I think it’s a natural progression,” said Fearon-Tapper.

• Clarke leads Lords to perfect season in pandemic

  almost 4 years ago
  

  By Corrado Distefano

  Durham Lords women’s volleyball head coach, Tony Clarke, continues to lead the Lords to success…even through a pandemic…and even when the team is rebuilding.

  In his sixth season as head coach of the program, Clarke holds a record of 118 wins and 40 losses. The Lords have just completed a perfect 8-0 Ontario College Athletic Association (OCAA) regular season and are 18-6 overall throughout pre-season and tournament play. (The Lords start the OCAA playoffs later this week, with dates to be announced). The Lords have done this with a roster featuring eight rookies out of the 12... Continue reading

  By Corrado Distefano

  Durham Lords women’s volleyball head coach, Tony Clarke, continues to lead the Lords to success…even through a pandemic…and even when the team is rebuilding.

  In his sixth season as head coach of the program, Clarke holds a record of 118 wins and 40 losses. The Lords have just completed a perfect 8-0 Ontario College Athletic Association (OCAA) regular season and are 18-6 overall throughout pre-season and tournament play. (The Lords start the OCAA playoffs later this week, with dates to be announced). The Lords have done this with a roster featuring eight rookies out of the 12 player team.

  As a result, Clarke views this season as a “transition year”.

  “We just want to get them used to playing with each other… results are a bonus kind of thing,” he said.

  This season had a delayed start, but the team played in a few exhibition tournaments before the season and won the Adidas Cup at Durham College without losing a set.

  Clarke hasn’t had to change much about his coaching due to the pandemic, but adjusts his coaching playbook to get the most out his players.

  “Every year my style somewhat has to adapt to the athletes that I am coaching… some athletes I can push a little harder, other times some athletes would need a little more attention to detail,” said Clarke.

  Durham Lords women's volleyball head coach, Tony Clarke. Photo credit: Durham Athletics.

  Mia Hildebrandt, of Winnipeg, Man., is one of four players who have played college volleyball before this season. She was a recruitment signing out of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

  The pandemic has brought more guidelines to OCAA games. Players and coaches need to be tested either the day of or the day before games and they must be negative to participate.

  “He’s done a lot for the COVID process to be easier for our teams moving forward and he’s always working hard to make sure all of us are safe and ready to play,” said Hildebrandt.

  “COVID or not we are always looking for a seamless transition for our out-of-province athletes…it (DC) is almost like a second home for all of us,” said Clarke.

  Clarke checks with all the players on a personal standpoint and ensures the three other out-of-province players feel at home, said Hildebrandt.

  Sports Management student, Mia Hildebrandt, is one of the more experienced players on the Lords. Photo credit: Durham Athletics.

  “He truly cares for every person on this team and wants the best for us on and off the court. He pushes us to be both better players and people,” said Hildebrandt.

  “It’s an incredibly supportive team and that starts with Tony [Clarke] as he sets the tone and culture for us.”

• How do DC healthcare students learn about the human body remotely?

  about 4 years ago
  

  By Joey Cole

  Students in healthcare programs at Durham College (DC) have had to learn about human bodies while being away from other human bodies.

  Shannon Lazo, a second year Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant (OTA/PTA) student is a case in point.

  “I’m a very hands-on learner so it’s a little bit more difficult to study online for my kind of learning style,” said Lazo.

  “In my program, because it’s very hands on, we’re learning about muscles and the way the body works and all that, it’s a big learning curve. Looking at models and diagrams online as opposed... Continue reading

  By Joey Cole

  Students in healthcare programs at Durham College (DC) have had to learn about human bodies while being away from other human bodies.

  Shannon Lazo, a second year Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant (OTA/PTA) student is a case in point.

  “I’m a very hands-on learner so it’s a little bit more difficult to study online for my kind of learning style,” said Lazo.

  “In my program, because it’s very hands on, we’re learning about muscles and the way the body works and all that, it’s a big learning curve. Looking at models and diagrams online as opposed to seeing how it works in person is a big difference.”

  The OTA/PTA program is part of DC’s School of Health and Community Services. Like many healthcare programs it traditionally involves a lot of in-person, hands-on lab studies to familiarize students with human anatomy and operations.

  
  

  Shannon Lazo is a second year OTA/PTA student.

  This program was one of few that still went to campus through mandated lockdowns. Lazo said it has been inconvenient at times having other programs back on campus, specifically with finding parking and long Tim Hortons’ lineups.

  Lazo said she thinks DC was successful in shifting to virtual delivery considering the speed and circumstances in which new health regulations were brought on by the Ontario government, but added many courses she takes would be more successful in-person.

  Lazo said the ability for students to provide feedback to professors and program coordinators may help improve the virtual program delivery.

  Some programs at DC offered students the choice to take part in the ‘Start/Stop/Continue’ feedback questionnaire, where they can send anonymous feedback about what they wanted their professors and program coordinators to change about the program delivery. OTA/PTA students were not given the chance to take part in the survey this year, according to Lazo.

  While students had to adjust to online learning, professors had to adjust to online teaching.

  Karen Ricciuto teaches Professional Practice in the OTA/PTA program and said the shift in course delivery has been a learning curve.

  “When you’re in a lecture room, you can read your crowd,” said Ricciuto. “I found the hardest part was trying to keep students engaged, you’re looking at a lot of black screens so it’s hard to tell if they’re understanding and participating.”

  Lazo and Ricciuto agree interactive virtual learning activities like Kahoot! or Menti.com help keep energy and engagement up during classes and suggested these methods be further utilized as DC continues to navigate online delivery.

• President Lovisa thanks DC community for its adjustments through pandemic

  about 4 years ago
  

  By Neshya Carva

  Durham College (DC) president Don Lovisa thanks the school community for its continuous efforts studying, teaching and providing services through the pandemic.

  “There’s people who have worked so hard to study, to teach, to provide services,” Lovisa said. “People are frustrated, but you know, we just got to hang in together.”

  DC is welcoming more programs on campus, according to the Lovisa. Despite online platforms still being used, Lovisa said he finds a balance between being home and coming to campus, adding he is at DC at least a couple times a week.

  “It was important to... Continue reading

  By Neshya Carva

  Durham College (DC) president Don Lovisa thanks the school community for its continuous efforts studying, teaching and providing services through the pandemic.

  “There’s people who have worked so hard to study, to teach, to provide services,” Lovisa said. “People are frustrated, but you know, we just got to hang in together.”

  DC is welcoming more programs on campus, according to the Lovisa. Despite online platforms still being used, Lovisa said he finds a balance between being home and coming to campus, adding he is at DC at least a couple times a week.

  “It was important to be seen on campus to ensure that I was safe on campus and I was following the same practices as everybody else and having the same challenge as everybody else,” Lovisa said.

  Durham College president Don Lovisa thanks the community for its efforts and cooperation throughout the pandemic. Photo credit: Neshya Carvalho.

  Lovisa acknowledges some people in the campus community have been studying or working from home, while also in some cases having to look after children and pets.

  Although Lovisa has no pets or children at home, he said he was challenged with “the uncertainty” of the pandemic. As president, Lovisa had to announce decisions made by the college concerning in-person programs and safety protocols.

  He said it was difficult because the college “never knew what was around the corner".

  “In my role, you make a decision on the information you have and of course any regulations that could that are dictated to us…and with the best information you have, all of a sudden it changes again,” Lovisa said.

  “Every time you have to make a decision, you also fully understand that it’s impacting, [about] 12,000 students and 2,000 staff.”

  Lovisa said the most difficult job of the pandemic was laying off some employees.

  “That’s always very difficult, it’s people’s lives and that’s people’s livelihood.”

  He said although these decisions had to be made, he was not alone in making them.

  There are 24 colleges in Ontario, which means 23 other college presidents often come together to make decisions, according to Lovisa.

  “We talk about the latest things that are happening and we talked about all the issues as a group and then tried to make decisions as a group so we were consistent.

  “I had lots of advice and I also had access to Dr. (Kieran) Moore, who is a provincial medical officer and our provincial organization,” Lovisa said.

  Throughout the college’s protocol measures, there has been a silver lining to it all, according to Lovisa.

  “Durham College is a community, a community of students and a community of employees, towns and cities. There’s been so many stories of how people help each other out and that’s really what it comes down to – the human elements of any sort of pandemic or risk.”

  Lovisa said he knows he’ll continue to see community around DC and cooperation on everyone’s end.

  “The word is ‘thank you’ just for everybody’s efforts,” Lovisa said.

• Campus chiropractic health good to go during pandemic

  about 4 years ago
  

  By Cheyenne Jarrett

  Bernadette Murphy has been working as a chiropractor at Durham College for 12 years, but that work suddenly stopped in 2020 due to COVID-19.

  Murphy transitioned to seeing patients virtually for a few months before re-entering the campus.

  Murphy said she was nervous at the beginning with students who weren’t following lockdown protocol. She recalls treating one student who had a problem with her foot.

  “I asked her, ‘Oh, how did that happen?,’ And she said she was dancing in heels. So I asked her ‘where were you dancing in heels?’ And she’s like ‘at a party.’... Continue reading

  By Cheyenne Jarrett

  Bernadette Murphy has been working as a chiropractor at Durham College for 12 years, but that work suddenly stopped in 2020 due to COVID-19.

  Murphy transitioned to seeing patients virtually for a few months before re-entering the campus.

  Murphy said she was nervous at the beginning with students who weren’t following lockdown protocol. She recalls treating one student who had a problem with her foot.

  “I asked her, ‘Oh, how did that happen?,’ And she said she was dancing in heels. So I asked her ‘where were you dancing in heels?’ And she’s like ‘at a party.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness,’ ” Murphy said.

  Murphy said at one point during the pandemic she had to isolate for 14 days due to a patient testing positive for COVID-19.

  “I had to self-isolate for 14 days. So luckily for me, it wasn’t my main source of income. But all the patients that I was supposed to see had to be cancelled,” Murphy said. “And I know some people, some practitioners, something like that would really mess them up if that was their only source of income.”

  Bernadette Murphy, chiropractor at Durham College Campus Wellness Centre and neuroscience professor at Ontario Tech University.

  Murphy is also a part-time chiropractor and part-time faculty member at Ontario Tech University, teaching neuroscience.

  Although at the beginning of the pandemic there was little known about how COVID-19 was being passed around, Murphy said she did as much research as possible.

  “I guess being a scientist, I read a lot of the literature and I knew that as long as I had on a medical-grade mask, which filters out 95 per cent of particles, and my client has on a mask, and I’m hand sanitizing in between, there isn’t too much risk,” Murphy said.

  Once restrictions started to lift Murphy had to adapt to a new protocol when it came to sanitizing between patients.

  This included allotting more time in between patients to clean.

  “During COVID we couldn’t risk any air molecules. So we’d spray disinfectant a lot,” Murphy said. “We also had to get pillows that were plastic instead of cotton. Because they weren’t sure at the beginning how transmissible COVID was. So we had to get surfaces that were wipeable.”

  She expects to continue doing the same sanitation practices into the future, even when the pandemic passes.

  Murphy also expects to keep the masks on as well. She said it’s been nice not getting the usual yearly cold/flu from working so closely with people.

  But she has also found it’s been difficult to read people’s expressions during treatments due to the masks.

  “Usually, if I find a tight spot on a patient, I kind of gauge how much pain they’re in by their facial expressions. But it is harder to read their expressions behind the mask.”

  Ivan Makkar is a student of Murphy’s who also participated in a treatment group with her.

  Makkar was treated over eight weeks for severe neck and back pain that would stop him from being able to study.

  “I would feel burning sensations or the feeling you would get after a fatiguing workout, but I would have that for prolonged periods after studying. And it would be very intense,” Makkar said.

  Makkar said the pain started to go away once Murphy conducted treatment.

  “After the treatment, I’ve been a lot better. The neck pain has completely gone away,” Makkar said.

  Makkar said Murphy has made a big impact on his physical health and his life as well.

  “She’s been a big mentor for me. She’s kind of like my go-to person,” Makkar said. “What I like about Bernadette is she’s a prof that really cares about you. And you can see it. All the students know it.”

• DC soccer players getting their kicks during pandemic

  about 4 years ago
  

  By Desi Huddy

  Nate Paine has played for the Durham Lords men’s soccer team for four years, which means his career includes playing before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  “Once COVID started they brought in a lot of protocols like getting tested if you weren’t fully vaccinated, the COVID questionnaire that you answer before going on campus you have to have that filled out,” said Paine, who plays left/right wing for the Lords.

  Only slight changes were made to practices and games when COVID-19 restrictions happened, according to Paine.

  These changes included, female and male teams travelled separately to games... Continue reading

  By Desi Huddy

  Nate Paine has played for the Durham Lords men’s soccer team for four years, which means his career includes playing before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  “Once COVID started they brought in a lot of protocols like getting tested if you weren’t fully vaccinated, the COVID questionnaire that you answer before going on campus you have to have that filled out,” said Paine, who plays left/right wing for the Lords.

  Only slight changes were made to practices and games when COVID-19 restrictions happened, according to Paine.

  These changes included, female and male teams travelled separately to games instead of sharing a bus, social distancing and wearing masks whenever players were anywhere besides the playing field. Players who previously had COVID-19 also had to be checked by the college’s doctors to make sure there were no underlying health issues, according to Paine.

  “Other than that, to be honest it wasn’t completely different,” he said.

  During the off-season Paine tried to keep training and improving by going on runs and working out at home. He also took advantage of his family moving to Peterborough and getting more land to practice soccer drills on his own.

  Nate Paine has played for the Durham Lords men's soccer team for four years. Picture courtesy of Nate Paine.

  The pandemic also took a toll on Paine’s mental health.

  He felt a “loss in motivation and unsureness” not knowing when COVID-19 was going to end and when he’d be back on the field. Returning to action helped him find his motivation, he said.

  “The ability to be able to play again, no matter how unmotivated I am personally, if I’m playing it doesn’t faze me,” said Paine.

  Paine moved to England to play high school soccer then returned to Canada and decided to attend Durham College. The reason? The coach for his Whitby soccer team was also a coach with the Lords. Paine finished his photography program and is currently in his first year of business.

  Paine’s teammate, goalie Garrett Werner, missed seeing his soccer friends during the pandemic and describes the team as his “brothers”.

  He believes playing with people with more experience helps him become a better player – and person.

  “They’re super welcoming the guys bring you in, it’s like having an older brother, they try to keep you on the right track and make the right decisions in life,” said Werner.

  
  

  Garrett Werner is a goalie for the Durham Lords. Picture courtesy of Garrett Werner.

  Although they play different positions, Werner enjoys the way Paine plays and believes he can learn a few things from him, including soccer tricks.

  Paine wants to take the marketing program at Durham next year to continue playing soccer and wants to open up a company to help North American players get opportunities to go overseas.

  “At the moment players from Canada or the U.S. don’t really know what steps to take or what connections to make,” he said.

• Staying Connected to the Art World

  about 4 years ago
  

  Story collected by Will McGuirk, website: slowcity.ca

  Ajax resident Georgia Fullerton is an expressive arts therapist and counsellor. She is currently artist-in-residence at the Station Gallery in Whitby.

  “I lost my father in April of 2021 and could not travel to see him to say goodbye, as he and my mother live in Jamaica. It adds a new level to grief and loss when you can’t even be physically there with your loved ones.”

  “Just before COVID I was continuing to work in the community offering therapeutic arts workshops in schools and other community organizations. I have just signed a... Continue reading

  Story collected by Will McGuirk, website: slowcity.ca

  Ajax resident Georgia Fullerton is an expressive arts therapist and counsellor. She is currently artist-in-residence at the Station Gallery in Whitby.

  “I lost my father in April of 2021 and could not travel to see him to say goodbye, as he and my mother live in Jamaica. It adds a new level to grief and loss when you can’t even be physically there with your loved ones.”

  “Just before COVID I was continuing to work in the community offering therapeutic arts workshops in schools and other community organizations. I have just signed a contract to start working with a neurofeedback clinic, offering expressive arts therapy and counselling services. I’ve been at the clinic for almost 2 years, so the entire duration of the pandemic. I am still there and the change has been a huge increase in preteens, teens and young adults seeking therapy. I’ve noticed also that there is a softening of the stigma of using therapy by the black community. This is not only designated to Durham Region though. I have clients who identify as ACB from Toronto, the US and other provinces in Canada. It’s not easy practicing using the arts virtually, however I am using the help of my colleagues and creating my own way of using this prioritized platform.”

  “During COVID, I decided to work on my professional development by enrolling at the University of Guelph to earn an advanced certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy. I am two thirds of the way through. I also spent time trying to motivate my daughter to complete grade 12 remotely, as I learned she had been bullied in her first 3 years of high school. Together we found solace in watching retro movies, eating too much junk food, and lots of laughing. I live 15 minutes walking distance from Lake Ontario, so that was my oasis during covid as well. Of course to be able to connect with family abroad was part of my coping strategy as well. Depression was and still is hard to escape, so I countered that sometimes with my own self-meds with a few trips to the cannabis store”

  “This pandemic has opened some opportunities for me in regards to staying connected to the art world. I don’t believe it will be ‘over’, but I plan on finding more courage to pursue a dream of building my own creative arts therapy practice and continue to inform my fine art practice from what emerges in those one on one or group sessions. Of course I’d love to travel on my own and with my daughter to see our family in the States and Jamaica. I want to not take life so seriously and work smarter… not harder.”

  “It’s opened my mind and heart to the possibilities and necessity of arts in health. I’ve changed in ways that bring me closer to my life purpose; which is to use my creativity to help improve, impact and infuse people’s lives in a positive, empathic and compassionate way. Personally, it’s made me see my worth in all types of relationships. What I value has been reset. I can with courage, embrace what serves me and discard what no longer serves me; people, places or things. Change has come in the form of ‘resetting’ my life goals and being more cognizant of how I spend my energy. I want to take better care of myself, for myself.”

• Portraying the Artist Staying at Home

  about 4 years ago

  Story collected by Will McGuirk, website: slowcity.ca

  With no live shows on, performance photographer Mirjana Simeunovich, (aka Mikki) wondered what musicians were doing with this off time. The Oshawa resident asked around and the results became a web series and ultimately an art exhibition at the Station Gallery.

  “I was out shooting in Roatan, Honduras, when Covid-19 hit. I was stuck in the house for 3 weeks when I came back to Canada. I then got Covid and my husband and I had to do another 4 weeks after that. We then flew to BC and were Isolated for another... Continue reading

  Story collected by Will McGuirk, website: slowcity.ca

  With no live shows on, performance photographer Mirjana Simeunovich, (aka Mikki) wondered what musicians were doing with this off time. The Oshawa resident asked around and the results became a web series and ultimately an art exhibition at the Station Gallery.

  “I was out shooting in Roatan, Honduras, when Covid-19 hit. I was stuck in the house for 3 weeks when I came back to Canada. I then got Covid and my husband and I had to do another 4 weeks after that. We then flew to BC and were Isolated for another 6 weeks with a friend who was ill.

  “We also drove back across Canada. I would say that in total I spent almost 7 months isolated to some degree over 2020. I used that time to work on my archive and to submit to websites.”

  “All live shows were cancelled and any photo shoots I had set up were cancelled. I was a bit lost for a couple of weeks. I started the Play Grounded project. I was wondering if I could not shoot live music, what are musicians doing during this time? So when it was possible, I would photograph musicians on what they are doing when not playing. It was very cool and gave me something to look forward to each month. And Play Grounded turned into an art exhibit at the Station Gallery over the summer of 2021.

  “It renewed my love for shooting portraits again. I have always shot live music but I started my career as a portrait photographer. I am enjoying doing that again. I work as a photographer full time now and have done quite a few portraits, promo shots, and a wedding recently and I am enjoying the diversity in my work now. I have gone back to shooting live music because that is my drug LOL, but now I am doing more of what I love.”

  “I discovered I am truly a people person. I miss seeing friends and hanging out at coffee shops, and I am working on rebuilding relationships with people. Before covid I was always working or shooting, now I like spending time getting to know my friends again”