Joy Drop: Reasons to smile this Canada Day

THE LONG WEEKEND IS HERE! Friends, here are some nice things to put a smile on your face as you head into a beautiful long weekend.

For starters, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that one of the happiest moments for me this week was watching Nazem Kadri lift the Stanley Cup after the Colorado Avalanche beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4 -2 in the series finale. I was so moved by this moment I wrote about it.

There are ways in which sport advances needed conversations in society at large and there are also ways in which sport drives progress. Hockey continues to have its dark sides exposed for the count and its dirty laundry ventilated so that it can be cleaned. It was therefore important to take the time to rejoice in this victory and to see so many people cheering on Kadri.

Plus, her fashion choices are amazing and timely.

This online notebook is about joy. The Atlantic Ocean is one of the things that gives me great joy. I covered the MWBA Championship weekend in Halifax last weekend (more to come!) and I had a few moments to sit on the rocks at Point Pleasant Park (where I spent many hours in my youth) and enjoy the fog while breathing in the salty ocean air. I hadn’t been back there for many years and it was a pleasure to work there in my home town. On my way to work, I stopped at the oldest independent children’s bookstore Woozlesa place that continues to be magical for generations of families.

As my best friend Catherine and I strolled the Halifax pier, I started to sing Barrett’s privateers. Totally on point. The morning before the final, me and Catherine and her daughter went to check Beyond Van Gogh: an immersive experience.

I was blown away by the perfect combination of art history, digital imagery and storytelling. It was wonderful. There are exhibits all over Canada. It’s a fantastic way to introduce or reconnect with art in a spectacular way. My dad took me to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam when I was 13 and it was such a different experience. It leaves an appreciation for new media and for embracing creativity in a way that suits you. That’s the point of art: embrace it, hold it, and interpret it as you wish. And if you want to engage in a slow dance with your nearly five-year-old niece standing on your feet while Don MacLean’s song vincent games and lights reflect paintings on the floor, you can do that too.

So canada dayi would like to leave you with a poignant piece from an indigenous artist and legend Buffy Sainte Marie. Take a few moments to listen to his words, hear his voice and reflect on history and the present. My friend, Andrea Warner, wrote Sainte-Marie authorized biography. This captivated me because not only is Sainte-Marie a force for good, but she combines unapologetic storytelling with her gift for music while drawing inspiration from the egregious acts of violence against the original peoples of this land. .

Listening to Indigenous artists and reading Indigenous journalists and respectfully immersing yourself in Indigenous voices is always beneficial. And act in a conscious and necessary way and recognize the principles of truth and reconciliation. It only strengthens the community and this place we call home.