Our family came to Jane and Finch in 1993. There were four of us, my husband and I, and our daughter and son. My husband and daughter arrived as refugees in 1989. My husband worked at Panasonic and he sponsored me and our son in 1991. After two months of searching for a job, I started work at W. M. Shoe Manufacturing Ltd. in Etobicoke. In Vietnam, my background was in accounting so I had never before worked in a factory. After the shoe factory closed down in 1993, I was out of work. My husband was laid off too, so we applied to live in government housing. We moved from Etobicoke to an apartment on Dune Grassway in Downsview in 1993,. I remember that our son borrowed books from a bookmobile that parked on Firgrove every Wednesday.Both my husband and I found work here and there, but there was a language barrier. I wanted to take a Computerized Accounting Program offered by MicroSkills, but I had to improve my English. I took LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) classes, where I learned about Toronto and the pioneers who lived over one hundred years ago. Our teachers took us to Black Creek Pioneer Village, I think that any newcomer should visit it! During that time I was also pregnant with my third child (a son). I took the TTC from Downsview to Davenport every day up until my baby was due. My teachers were worried when the weather was bad.When I was ready to apply to the Accounting Program, I was also about to give birth. My case worker told me I had a hard choice to make. I could stay at home and take care of three kids, or start the program one month after giving birth. Because this was my best chance to go back to school, after my son was born, I started the Accounting Program in May 1994. The next years were tough. My husband and daughter took turns babysitting when I was at school. After finishing in 1995, I volunteered at North York Community House, helping newcomers and translating flyers about local events.Finally, in 1995 I got a job in data entry at Watts Distribution Ltd., and I stayed there for more than 11 years. I learned new things on the job, and was promoted to Database Administrator. Working at Watts improved my English. I learned from the customer service reps, and later from talking with customers. My husband learned CNC technology and worked at Eagletronic. In 1998, seven years after our family arrived in Canada, we bought a house near Driftwood and have lived there ever since.Our neighbourhood has changed a lot over time. My husband and I used to travel downtown to buy rice and Asian food. Today, there are supermarkets in the area like Kien Hung Supermarket, and great Vietnamese restaurants. You can go to church in Vietnamese at St. Jane Frances Church. My neighbours come from Africa, Europe, and Asia, and we always greet each other with a smile. My son still enjoys playing Ping-Pong at the Driftwood Community Centre. When I look back on our first years in Canada, I feel grateful that there were programs to support my family. My children have had many opportunities: our daughter is an MBA and our son became an Engineer. Thank you Canada! Actually, we are selling our house this year. I am moving with my children to Vaughan after more than 20 years in this house. If it were only up to me, I would stay in Downsview*This interview was conducted in Vietnamese and translated in to English by Michael Vu. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Miracle of lettuce and MS
About a dozen varieties of lettuce grow in our garden. Lettuce has been known to be extremely healthy but rarely does one think that the leafy vegetable plays a part in a “medical miracle.” However, lettuce did play a role in Terry’s miracle.Dr. Terry Wahl M.D., a professor of medicine at the Iowa University Medical School, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2000. MS is an incurable disease that is far too common. Patients have a wide range of symptoms - most notably the gradual loss of mobility, weakness of vision, and muscular weakness. The prognosis and symptoms are difficult to live with and accept.As the disease progressed, Terry lost the mobility of her legs. Because of her disability, the Dean of her Faculty that the school ended Terry’s teaching duties citing inaccessibility. As it is with most patients, the symptoms that alter the normalcy in ones life are the most difficult. Then the seemingly impossible happened: with the power of lettuce, some of her symptoms began to reverse. Terry regained her mobility and was able to ride a bike! She returned to her teaching position and continued to lead MS research.So what exactly does she think caused this miracle? Terry changed her eating habits and began eating a minimum of 9 cups of fresh chopped organic salad, green leafy vegetables, and some colored vegetables every single day.You could say the secret is in the salad! Terry’s book, The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine, explains how she looked for treatments to resolve symptoms rather than a cure. Her focus on functional medicine allowed her to use leafy greens to help reverse some of her symptoms and improve her quality of life.Terry’s continuing research indicates that her functional medicinal approach is helping and relieving many of the patients from some of the more intense symptoms. These results may seem unbelievable, however they do fit into the logics of functional medicine. Functional medicine proposes that certain foods and unhealthy environments give rise to chronic inflammation and symptoms for patients of autoimmune diseases, like MS. Functional medicine aims to adjust diets and environments in order to experience the least amount of symptoms. This sounds different than prescription drugs, but sometimes one must have the courage to let go of “conventional wisdom” in favour of 9 cups of leafy greens.Comments or questions? Write to Nicole@IndividualCare.com. Nicole Constant is a registered Doctor of Naturopathy. Her website is: www.IndividualCare.CA.
Childcare is still crucial for women’s participation in the workforce
On the evening of June 7th, Ontario voted in a majority Progressive Conservative government with Doug Ford as Premier. For many supporters of affordable childcare, the $15 minimum wage, and accessible pharma and dental care, the election of Premier-elect Ford left them questioning the possibility on their causes. For many it seemed like a missed opportunity - Ontario could finally have and reap the benefits of an affordable childcare plan similar to Quebec.A couple of months ago I was invited to speak to a large group of fifth graders. I spoke about the provincial election and asked the group why it was important for their parents to have access to childcare - many responded so both their parents to go to work. When I asked if they thought it was a women’s issue - one astute student raised her hand and said that “most moms stay at home so it isn’t fair to women.” There you have it - ten year olds who believe that the responsibility of taking care of children often falls on mothers and recognize the importance of childcare for their moms to go to work.This fifth grader’s answer happens to be backed up by data. Research shows affordable childcare leads to a dramatic increase in women in the workforce. For instance, once Quebec adopted subsidized universal childcare for all ages in 1997, women’s participation raised from 3% lower than the national average to 3% higher than the national average by 2014. Not only did the program pay for itself due to the increase in income, payroll, and other taxes, but studies revealed both provincial and federal governments are receiving more than a 100% of the program’s cost. As of now, the median cost for an infant and a toddler childcare in Toronto is $36,000 per year - a price unaffordable for families of most economic backgrounds. The PC plan offers a rebate covering up to $6,750 per child and does nothing to address the lack of spaces available. Often parents have to spend months on a waitlist to find appropriate daycare or travel far outside their neighbourhoods to access a space. The incoming Ford government is going to be a setback for childcare advocates. However, the NDP as the official opposition can attempt to pass progressive childcare bills if they work alongside organizations like the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.Moving forward, we must not take this setback as a reason to give up for the next four years. We must organize alongside our neighbours, families, and friends to lobby for programs that will make our province more equal. We must write and call our MPPs, regardless of party affiliation, to make it known that we demand gender equity. Childcare is not a luxury – women cannot wait another four years to afford and access childcare.