Interview by VAN HANSEN

Diana Panton’s artistic journey has taken her from classrooms to concert halls and back again. She is an internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist, as well as a French Immersion Arts teacher at Hamilton’s Westdale Secondary School.

Panton has charted in the Billboard Top Ten, and has earned many accolades ranging from (3) Silver Disc Awards in Japan, to her (2) JUNO wins closer to home.

In 2018 she was inducted to the Westdale Wall of Distinction—an honour she has in common with other notable alumni including Eugene Levy, Martin Short, and renowned blues musician Harrison Kennedy.

Van Hansen: How is standing up in front of your class different for you from being on stage in front of a live audience, and where do those experiences mirror each other?

Diana Panton: They are quite different actually. In the classroom, learning is the focus and this by extension means the students are the key. 

When I am on stage the music is the focus, thus the interaction between the musicians is the key. Of course the audience plays a part, but not to the same extent.

Van Hansen: What sparked your jazz journey?

Diana Panton: I first discovered Ella (Fitzgerald) on an album in my dad's record collection. After I had exhausted his LP stash, I would go to the local libraries and take out the maximum number of CD and cassettes each week.

I was doing a lot of listening—not with the intention of singing, but I loved the freedom, authenticity and quality of the music. And even though I outgrew my dad's jazz collection, I will always associate this music with him.

Van Hansen: When did music become personal to you, not just something that you enjoyed but something that felt like it is part of who you are?

Diana Panton: The act of singing has always been ultra personal to me. From a very young age, I would sing to myself, making up songs as I went along. I found music soothing and a catharsis. It was not really for entertainment and I rarely sang for others.

The challenge for me was to share my music with an audience. I was very fortunate to have a local community youth ensemble practicing at my school (Westdale) where I could go and listen to them every week. Through this exposure, I eventually worked up the nerve to try out and after a few kicks at the can, I was accepted. Working with the Hamilton All-Star Jazz Band provided experience playing with others and for others.

Van Hansen:  Is there someone that was instrumental in mentoring you as you developed your exceptional vocal talent, and what did that guidance mean to you?

Diana Panton: Initially, it was my classical singing teacher Joan Heels who encouraged me to try out for the Hamilton All-Star Jazz Band. Although we worked on Royal Conservatory material together, she appreciated my love for jazz.

So the Jazz Band, under the leadership of Russ Weil, was a critical part of my development as a performer. It was during one of my performances with the band that multi-instrumentalist Don Thompson heard me sing and suggested I go to the Banff Centre for the Arts.

It was there that I had the chance to work with him and he invited me to record with him. Don has always been my greatest supporter—whatever zany ideas I have he always can hear what I have in my mind.

In subsequent years, I returned to the Banff Centre under the tutelage of singer Sheila Jordan. She was very excited about my singing and encouraged me never to stop.

Sadly, Sheila passed away last year, but she continued to perform into her nineties and provided a template of what a career in this genre can look like.

Most recently, singer Meredith d'Ambrosio has been my champion. Musically, she has an introspective style like mine and she is also a visual artist.

Since I live outside the major city centres where jazz normally thrives, I have been so appreciative of the encouraging (and sometimes emphatic) words from my mentors who let me know I am on the right path (including singers Ranee Lee and Norma Winstone with whom I was also fortunate to study).

Van Hansen: What lessons did forming and performing with your jazz trio teach you not just musically but about collaboration, trust, and leadership?

Diana Panton: Especially with jazz, you take a big leap of faith in real time when you are performing live in front of an audience. Your fellow musicians encourage bigger and bigger leaps, but always with a trusting environment where they have your back.

Its not a competition so much as a good conversation, where everyone is listening, responding and feeling at ease, adding their ideas, and building on the ideas of others. No one person should dominate.  

Touring on the road not only teaches you how to set clear expectations as a leader, but also how to respect everyone's boundaries, understanding that unexpected challenges are bound to arise. You have to stay flexible and compassionate in the moment. 

Ultimately, you want everyone to look back on the experience and say, yes, that is something I look forward to doing again. Each person is respected and encouraged to flourish.

Having said that, I am very fortunate to be working with some of the best musicians in the country. With Don Thompson and Reg Schwager, it is all about collaboration and trust.

We have been working for 20 years together now as a trio. We can speak without talking. These two know how I breathe when I sing.

Van Hansen: As an artist, how has your music evolved from your first recording sessions?

Diana Panton: To date, my discography covers a 20-year span. Fortunately I can look back on each record and feel it was an authentic representation of my vision. Since I was my own producer and I was working with the full support of the musicians, I never felt pressured to compromise on my artistic values. I am so grateful for that. 

Of course, my voice has mellowed over the years and each album has its own thematic story to tell, but as time went on, I started to hear the songs more as part of an overall narrative in which the song order became critical to the overall feel of the record.

I would like to think there is almost a cinematic aspect to some of my later albums that wasn't there at the very beginning.

Van Hansen: What influence did studying for your Master of Arts in French Literature and writing your thesis Jazz Aesthetics in the French Caribbean Novel have on your practice as an educator, and as a musician?

Diana Panton: My thesis was a melding of my love of literature and jazz music. It was interesting to note how French Caribbean writers used jazz music to stylistically influence their writing in terms of multiple perspectives, signifying, call and response and improvisation.

My research made me a more informed, responsible and grateful learner, educator and musician. 

One of the tenets of jazz is to acknowledge those who have come before and to know the roots of the music. As well as the importance of developing your own voice (alongside discovering who you are as person), you should equally appreciate that you stand on the shoulders of giants.

Van Hansen: My readers will want to know; do you prefer dogs or cats?  

Diana Panton: I have always had cats and I love cats!

Van Hansen: Your return to Westdale feels like a synergistic full circle story. What does it mean to you?

Diana Panton: I was very proud to be a student at Westdale and I am very proud to be a teacher here.

It is a fantastic school with great scholastic and extra-curricular programming. As a student, I took part in the music, drama, art, French and phys ed programs at the school and I am so happy to see these are all still flourishing years later.

When I first came back to teach at the school, I believe I was the first student to return as a teacher. Now there are many Westdale alumni on staff—many of whom I taught in one capacity or another.

I think this speaks volumes that we enjoyed our time at Westdale as students so much that we wanted to come back and pay it forward as teachers here.

-Interview edited for length and clarity-

Credits: 
Top of page photo by Melanie Gillis
A Cheerful Little Earful illustration by Jacqui Lee
Westdale photos by Van Hansen
All other photos by Jose Crespo 
Video by Leading Pictures

 DianaPanton.com

Never Miss a Story… Sign up Now for Your Free Newsletter Subscription:

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD

Interview by VAN HANSEN

Burlington’s Becky Kellar is a four-time Olympian, having won 3 gold and a silver medal with Team Canada from 1998 - 2010. These days she is a keynote motivational speaker, and runs a hockey school for girls called Strictly Hockey with teammate Cheryl Pounder. 

Kellar was inducted into Burlington’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, the same year she kindly sat with Van Hansen for an interview republished here in advance of the current Olympic Winter Games.

Van Hansen: When was your first memory of wanting to play hockey; what was that spark of inspiration?

Becky Kellar: I grew up watching my older brother (Nathan) who is 2 years older, who always played hockey. My Dad was a big hockey fan and we watched Hockey Night in Canada, so it was sort of part of my life before I ever wanted to play. I think that watching hockey, watching other people play kind of made me want to try it myself.

Van Hansen: What is your point of view on challenges for girls wanting to play hockey?

Becky Kellar: I think it was difficult when I was growing up. There were not a lot of girls playing hockey and I had this passion for something I felt like I really wasn’t supposed to like. That’s changed a lot.

The first world championships were in 1990 and then with women’s hockey included in the Olympics in ‘98 it changed things drastically. The sport has grown so much that I don’t think it’s unusual at all now for girls to want to play and to dream of playing in the Olympics, or playing at a high level which is great.

My advice to any girls that want to pursue a higher level is that it starts with a passion. If you don’t love it then it’s awfully hard to compete at that level.

Van Hansen: Tell me about Strictly Hockey.

Becky Kellar: Cheryl Pounder and I were teammates and defence partners for a number of years with Team Canada, and we decided after the 2002 Olympics that we wanted to start a hockey school. We work with some of the associations, we coach our own kids and then run a couple of weeks of hockey school in the summer which has been a really great experience for us on the ice with some of the local girls that are playing.

Van Hansen: Do you still play on a team at all?

Becky Kellar: No, I have retired from any sort of elite or competitive hockey. I do play a little bit of pickup hockey with my husband, and both my boys play for the Burlington Eagles so I coach my younger one and I help coach my older one. So I’m on the ice a lot, just not playing anymore.

Van Hansen: What is your greatest challenge right now?

Becky Kellar: (laughs) Time management. With two boys playing rep hockey and some of the commitments I have, it can be a bit of a juggle but we usually make it work.

Van Hansen: What was the best and worst experience from your career, and what have you learned from those?

Becky Kellar: I had a lot of really great experiences playing with Team Canada. Winning the Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002 was one of the greatest experiences I had.

We had lost every game to the US that year and we were 0 and 8 going into that Olympic final and I think a lot of people had written us off. So to be able to actually go into that game and do what we had set out to do and kind of prove a lot of people wrong was an amazing moment.

I don’t know if there’s any that I would consider a worst experience, they are all learning experiences for sure. I know standing out on the ice in Nagano having the silver medal put around our necks definitely fueled the fire for the years after that but it was certainly a moment I’ll remember as being a bit of a disappointment.

Van Hansen: What motivated you to get your MBA?

Becky Kellar: So it’s really difficult to pursue a full-time job or career when you’re training full-time for the Olympics, so I made the decision that I would go back to school.

It sort of fit with my schedule as something I could do that would be productive for me that I could use down the road so I applied to Laurier and got into their MBA program.

Van Hansen: Tell me about your motivational speaking.

Becky Kellar: I do a lot of speaking both on my own, and Cheryl Pounder and I give a joint presentation which has been a lot of fun relaying our stories and what we’ve learned in terms of team building, overcoming obstacles, and the pursuit of excellence.

I have also spoken at a lot of schools throughout the years as well as to every team from Minor Peewee and up for the Burlington Eagles last year.

Van Hansen: With a young family and a demanding career, how did you find your equilibrium?

Becky Kellar: When I had my kids I was still playing on the national team so from the day they were born I was learning how to balance family and work commitments.

Owen was born in October 2004 and I was back on the ice within 6 weeks and went to my first training camp about 6 weeks after that so I learned right away that you have to be able to balance the two things.

And it has been a positive, especially when I was training for the Olympics to be able to take a step back and not always be focused on hockey, but to have family to focus on as well.

Van Hansen: What did it feel like winning gold for Team Canada?

Becky Kellar: You know it was always an unbelievable experience to stand on the ice and have that gold medal placed around our neck. There is so much work that goes into it and it’s really a four-year cycle for us coming out of the Nagano Olympics where we had lost. It really started right away, pursuing Salt Lake City.

When you get to the top of the mountain it’s a pretty awesome feeling and then you basically go a month later and start all over again leading up to the next Olympics.

So you don’t spend too much time enjoying the moment, a little bit of time enjoying the moment and then your focus is on the next goal.

Van Hansen: How long have you called Burlington home?

Becky Kellar: I grew up in Hagersville, just outside of Hamilton. I’ve been in Burlington since 1999 so it’s definitely home now. This is where my kids are being raised and going to school and playing sports, and it’s been a great community for me to be a part of.

__

Fast forward to 2026 and the upcoming Olympic Games in Milano where the Women’s Olympic Team Canada will play their first round of ice hockey on February 5 versus Finland.

And we will see our local communities well represented on the roster this year with 10 of the players hailing from Halton, Hamilton and GTA, including Burlington’s Renata Fast (on Defence), and Emma Maltais (Forward), along with Hamilton’s Sarah Nurse (Forward). It all starts here.

Women’s Ice Hockey Schedule

February Focus on Your Housing Horizon is First Time Home Buyers. Sign up Here:
 Housing Horizon

by: VAN HANSEN

At the centre of the Royal Botanical Garden transformation to Winter Wonders is Adrienne Lister, RBG’s Event Producer.

I interviewed Adrienne in December, and she shared details on the new interactive art and light installations, the Artisan Village featuring local vendors, plus the planning that goes into creating this magical winter experience.

We also talked Adrienne’s journey from the theatre to event production, and she reveals what’s coming next to the RBG…

Royal Botanical Gardens

 Love Your Neighbourhood

Never miss at story! Sign-up now for the latest Market | News | Events

by VAN HANSEN

At Burlington’s Royal Botanical Gardens on a crisp Winter evening the forest paths glow with colour, with lanterns drifting overhead, electric reeds flickering to life, and a towering tree singing back to anyone willing to step up to the microphone.

At the centre of the transformation is Adrienne Lister, RBG’s Event Producer. For more than a decade, she has played a key role in shaping the garden’s most beloved events. 

“Winter Wonders started in 2020 as a reaction to COVID,” Adrienne says. “It began as this outdoor winter light experience with festive food, music and art installations and it’s become what it is today.”

Today, Winter Wonders welcomes 30,000 visitors over its five-week run, with many returning year after year to see what’s new.

A Trio of Interactive Art Installations

Adrienne and her team have added three new interactive installations this year—each one enhancing the natural beauty of the gardens.

The Singing Tree

Visitors sing into a microphone and the tree lights respond in bursts of different colours and patterns.

“It’s a fun one, especially for the kids,” Adrienne says. “Half the time, it becomes the shouting tree”.

Tree Love by ZEM (Kitchener-Waterloo)

A heartfelt and playful display, when you hug the trunk of the tree, the lights respond to the warmth of your embrace.

Switchgrass by the Treehouse Collective (Montreal)

A field of luminous reeds invites guests to touch, tap, and explore, with every interaction triggering a ripple of light.

“The installations are something totally unique that you’ll see just here at RBG.”

The Art of Building a World of Light

Pulling together an immersive experience of this scale is a complex endeavour and planning begins in the Summer, long before the snow arrives.

“We work together as a team doing the creative thinking early on,” Adrienne says.

In addition to the artists and designers, they start bringing contractors onboard in the early Fall. “And we have a wonderful team of staff and volunteers that help put Winter Wonders together,” says Adrienne.

Once the plan is in place the detailed work begins; mapping pathways, testing lights, coordinating power, building temporary structures, and ensuring accessibility.

The actual set-up takes about two weeks.

From Theatre to Lantern Lane

When asked about her favourite display, Adrienne smiles. “It’s the lantern display,” she says.

“We call it Lantern Lane. There are all these beautiful lanterns hanging from a tree-lined path. It’s really magical.”

Adrienne’s background is in theatre, where she specialized in stage management. But after years working in Toronto’s theatre scene, she discovered she loved events even more than the world of live performance.

“Starting at RBG thirteen years ago,” she says, “I worked my way up from event coordinator to event producer. Now I oversee all of RBG’s signature events.”

Some of the events include the Summer Music Series, the Enchanted Garden, and the Great Pumpkin Trail.

What’s Next?

Once Winter Wonders wraps up, the team will quickly shift to the next major installation: Bloomland in Oz.

“This is our second Bloomland exhibit,” Adrienne says. “It’s going to be great.”

The first was inspired by Alice in Wonderland, with this year’s focus being The Wizard of Oz.

Celebrating Community Through the Artisan Village

Another new feature this year is the Artisan Village, showcasing nine local makers. The lineup rotates throughout the run, offering visitors a curated selection of sustainable and handmade goods—from textiles and body care to jewelry, pottery, and unique gift items.

“We’re really excited that we can showcase different artisanal talent from within the community,” says Adrienne.

The Spark That Keeps Winter Glowing

With the months of planning behind her, for Adrienne the reward comes in seeing visitors enjoying the event.

After touring the Winter Wonders it was obvious to me that events like this connect people. They bring families together, and create memories.

And as Winter Wonders continues to evolve, one thing is certain… Adrienne and her team will keep finding ways to let imagination shine—one glowing installation at a time.

ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD

JEN & VAN HANSEN

by VAN HANSEN

Just down the road from the Rockton World’s Fairground, Pavlo Pottery beckons with the soft scent of clay and the quiet rhythm of creation.

Shelves lined with mugs, vessels, and luminous glazes tell the story of two artists; Pavlo Tsarynny & Oksana Pogorila—whose shared journey in clay has spanned continents, decades, and countless kiln firings.

“Every kid likes to play with dirt,” Pavlo says with a laugh. “I was not an exception.”

A Creative Journey from the Ukraine to Ontario

Long before they established their gallery on Old Highway 8, Pavlo and Oksana studied pottery and fine arts in Ukraine together in the early 1990s, completing a rigorous five-year program at an Art Institute in Kyiv.

“I learned that dirt can be made into different colours,” Pavlo recalls. “And out of dirt, you can create a lot of beauty.”

After immigrating to Canada, Pavlo honed his skills under a master potter before the couple opened their own studio. Nearly twenty years ago, they purchased a property in Rockton, transforming it into both their home base and the Rockton Potters Gallery—a space that celebrates handmade craftsmanship and community connection.

The Art of Collaboration

Pavlo and Oksana’s creative partnership is a balance of precision and artistry.

“There’s form, there’s colour, there’s glaze chemistry, physics, even engineering,” Pavlo explains. “I focus on the form and glaze design, and Oksana adds her magic touch with artwork and carving. Every piece becomes something unique.”

That magic is most evident in their latest creation of fossil-inspired mugs—a collection featuring carved impressions of T-Rex bones and mammoth fossils that look as though they’ve been unearthed from prehistoric stone. Each carving, Pavlo says, is an original, taking Oksana weeks or months to complete.

“They look like real fossils,” he says proudly. “And no two ever come out the same.”

More Than Just a Mug

Their mugs are among their most beloved creations—functional, collectable, and deeply personal.

“By far, the mug is the most popular piece,” Pavlo says. “It’s something more than just a drinking vessel.”

He believes the appeal lies in the individuality of each one.

“The mug you’re holding—you know there’s only one. Not another person in the world will hold an identical piece.”

Even the firing process adds an element of surprise. Variations in glaze and heat create subtle differences that make every mug a small work of art. “It’s just magic that never repeats itself,” Pavlo says.

Building a Community of Makers

Over time, the Rockton Potters Gallery has become a gathering place for Canadian artisans. Inside, visitors can find work from roughly 30 artists—from jewelers and painters to other potters and craftspeople.

“We’re primarily about pottery,” Pavlo says, “but we also showcase the beauty and skill of many different Canadian artists. We want people to find something special—something made by hand.”

Beyond Rockton, Pavlo and Oksana’s work can be found at St. Jacob’s Market and select Ontario boutiques. Yet their focus remains local—on the slow, deliberate process of creating and sharing.

A Legacy in Clay

After more than 30 years of working side by side, Pavlo and Oksana have built not just a business, but a life centered on art, family, and connection.

Visitors can stop by their gallery any day between 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., perhaps watch as new pieces take shape, and take home something truly one-of-a-kind. As Pavlo puts it:

“We make pottery you can enjoy every day—something that brings a touch of beauty to your life.”

Pavlo Pottery

Market | News | Events | Never miss a story—subscribe now to our free monthly newsletter:Love Your Neighbourhood

Interview by VAN HANSEN

Hugh W. Drummond is the sixth-generation owner and operator of Drummond Farms / Belvedere Orchards in Waterdown, ON. 

And with his modern controlled atmosphere storage facility, he can now supply fresh off the tree tasting fruit all year round.

Hugh’s background is in the mining industry, and he continues to work short-term contracts in Canada and around the world during the farms off-season. He studied Mining Engineering Technology, graduating from the Haileybury School of Mines, and Laurentian University.

Van interviewed Hugh at Drummond Farms.

Next Gen Farming

Van: Was it always in the works for you to return home and take the reins of the family apple business?

Hugh: As an only child I was told to go work for somebody else and get your education so that the farm would be here if you need it or if you want to come back to do it. The opportunity was right in 2016 and it was just a dream come true to take over the family farm again. The farm has been in the family since the 1800s, and that’s the way I’d like to keep it.

Van: With your production at 2 million pounds, how big is your distribution zone?

Hugh: There are some large wholesalers that will come in and purchase the apples and take them by transport truck to the (Ontario) Food Terminal or other locations. So the majority of the apples have been just for Ontario. One year when Nova Scotia didn't have a very good crop, some of the apples went there, but they're all for Canada. And a lot of the apples go for school nutrition programs. 

Van: How did you get into the nutrition programs?

Hugh: It all started at the Walker Street Market when someone said, hey, do you mind supplying our school for a nutrition program? And so I started out with one school, and then I contacted the Hamilton Tastebuds (Student Nutrition Collaborative); they run the nutrition program.

So it’s mostly in the local area. We have dropped quite a bit for Halton and focused more on the Hamilton area. It’s due to the logistics and trying to get everything delivered on the same day to each school.

Van: What is your biggest challenge right now?

Hugh: This year, it's probably the weather.

But in general the biggest challenge is not worrying about things you can't control. As a farmer, if you worry about things that you can't control, you're going to drive yourself crazy.

So you just roll with the punches and that's one thing I've really had to learn since I started is everything changes and you can't control it. So you don't worry about it. And now you just move on from things that are out of your control. Plan for them, but don't worry about them.

Van: What do you enjoy the most about your work here?

Hugh: The freedom. I enjoy the work and I enjoy the benefit that comes from feeding the local community. So I do a lot of labor, but I don't really call it work because it's not work if you love it.  

Van: With more than 20 varieties of apples here, do you have a favourite? 

Hugh: Well, my favourite is the Ambrosia. It's a quite sweet, firm apple. 

It was discovered in British Columbia; it was just a chance find in a field so it’s a Canadian apple. And it stores well and that's why I like it.

Van: What are your hours for the Apple Shack?

Hugh: Store hours are Monday to Friday from 8 to 4:30, Saturday 10 to 4:00 and we are closed on Sundays.

Drummond Farms Apple Shack is located at 69 Concession 5 East in Waterdown and sells non-waxed apples straight from the farm, sweet apple cider, honey, and pure maple syrup.

__

Note: this interview was been edited for length and clarity and no AI’s were harmed in the process

Drummond Farms

Housing Horizon is your live Market, Economics, and Rate Review with Q & A, hosted by Van—don’t miss it!

Housing Horizon

Market | News | Events | Never miss a story—subscribe now to our free monthly newsletter:

Love Your Neighbourhood

by VAN HANSEN

Scot Cameron bought his first skateboard 40 years ago at a garage sale. Being in California during one of his formative years he was inspired by surf culture, in the place where skateboarding first began.

Looking back to the early 1950's, surfers were installing roller skate wheels on makeshift boards, determined to find a way to surf the streets at times when the ocean swell was too gentle.

• Futuristic Hover Board with DeLorean ‘Time Machine’. Elliot Alder photo

The sport of skateboarding has been evolving ever since amidst a sometime rebellious counter culture while at the same time embedding itself into the collective psyche.

"The spark really ignited for me in the mid-eighties," Scot says. "It was in grade 7 or 8 when my friends and I kind of looked up to this group called the Bones Brigade with Tony Hawk being the most mainstream name. We all started skateboarding, and emulating what they were doing."

With no dedicated infrastructure available at the time, the boys were street skating, teaching themselves tricks on parking curbs or bombing a hill. "We were lucky we had a spot in Kitchener which was a vacant lot where they allowed us to set up some ramps," says Scot.

• Scot’s first skateboard atop the rack holding his personal rider collection

World of Wheels

In high school Scot found himself spending a lot of time in the shop classes, and he vividly remembers his teacher Thomas Schmidt, who passed away 5 years ago.

“Mr. Schmidt was always there at the right moment. He set me up with a job which led to my career, and later helped with the body work on my 1967 Ford Fairlane when I was getting it on the road”.

Scot went on to complete his apprenticeship, becoming a full-time automotive technician at Gord Kaster Automotive. He worked there for the next 3 decades after which he ultimately co-founded a start-up metal fabrication and repair shop specializing in hot-rods, street trucks, and classic cars.

CoMaCan Skateboards

As a creative outlet while he was in the industry, Scot also plied his craft as a freelance automotive journalist and photographer writing feature stories and columns, rounding them out with assignments shooting races, car shows, and automotive celebrities.

With print media in decline, Scot found the time to start a new project with the intent of increasing his engagement with the skateboarding community and in 2017 he partnered with fellow skater Will Mackie to found CoMaCan Skateboards.

"It's a skateboard brand which started out as the Colorado Massachusetts skateboard collective, or CoMa for short," Scot says. "Will had the opportunity to bring the company to Canada so we bought up the existing stock and accounts, and launched as CoMaCan Skateboards."

Skateboarding has experienced significant growth in recent years driven by the sport becoming more mainstream through its inclusion in the Olympic Games, social media coverage, and the increasing availability of skateparks.

• Olympic Games 2024 Skateboarding Mens Park Prelims. Stefan Scheepmaker photo

And with the proliferation of public skate parks the space is free, so cost of entry is essentially the equipment. As skaters progress, the boards become a consumable, eventually wearing out or breaking so CoMaCan’s philosophy is to supply top quality skateboard decks (and accessories) at low prices, to keep the sport fun and accessible.

“Local skate shops have always been the heart of skateboarding,” says Scot. So as well as offering their skateboards, apparel, and accessories for online ordering, CoMaCan has also become a trusted supplier to a growing roster of 15 skate shops across Ontario, 5 in Nova Scotia and one in BC.

Community Outreach

As well as sponsoring the Skate Jam at Waterdown’s Oh Canada Ribfest, you will find Scot & Will at the CoMaCan booth at various events in Hamilton, and Jackalope Festival Mississauga.

Scot has made CoMaCan Skateboards his full-time vocation, and it’s a labour of love.

“Skateboarding is a gift,” says Scot. “It doesn't mean everybody has to be a part of it. But I think everybody can see it as a physical benefit, a mental health benefit, a social benefit. It's a bit of everything”.

• Rainy Day at Waterdown Skatepark

CoMaCan Skateboards

Market | News | Events | Never miss a story—subscribe to our free monthly newsletter:

Love Your Neighbourhood

by VAN HANSEN

When Alex Moshtagh was a child, he couldn’t walk past an antique shop without wandering inside, captivated by the silent stories evoked by old wood, porcelain, and brass. His father was a collector, and when they moved to Canada, Alex’s parents would go and search for things that reminded them of back home.

“There’s so much history,” Alex says, his voice carrying both nostalgia and quiet authority.  “Where did these things come from? What’s the story behind them? It was always interesting to me.”

That childhood curiosity turned into a passion during his teenage years, when Alex took an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker.

Working with his hands, he embraced the artistry of finely crafted furniture, developing an instinct for recognizing quality and authenticity.

As he matured, Alex realized his interests stretched far beyond the craft of woodworking. Objects weren’t just things to build—they were artifacts with stories, each one a puzzle piece in a broader historical narrative. Alex and his family decided to transform their shared passion into a business.

“We chose to become antique dealers,” he says. “So we started the store, and almost 33 years later, I’m still doing it.”

The Moshtagh’s opened their first brick and mortar store in Toronto at Yonge & Steeles. More recently Alex relocated the business to Oakville, and then later to Burlington.  

Over the years, Alex has witnessed the antique market evolve dramatically. Trends come and go, tastes shift, and the internet has transformed how collectors and dealers connect.

Yet one thing remains unchanged for him: the allure of discovering an item’s past and helping others understand its worth—both sentimental and monetary.

“People often don’t realize what they have,” he says. “Sometimes it’s not about the dollar value—it’s about the history and connection.”

On the Road Again

Alex’s knowledge and approachable demeanor have made him a trusted resource in the community, and Jen & Van Hansen have engaged him regularly over the past couple of years to conduct Antique Road Shows in Burlington.

Whether offering advice to curious collectors from his shop or conducting estate appraisals, he approaches each encounter with the same wonder he felt as a boy exploring antique shops.

“Every piece has a story,” he says. “And that’s what makes it all worthwhile.”

Alex Moshtagh holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mathematics from York University, and he is the Owner of Treasure Antique & Appraisers.

Last Event was July 19, 2025—Antiques Road Show in Burlington

Market | News | Events | Never miss a story—subscribe to our free monthly newsletter:

Love Your Neighbourhood

by VAN HANSEN

Launching his coast-to-coast book tour in Burlington, Marc Garneau presented his autobiography to a full house. 

Garneau sat down with fellow engineer and author Terry Fallis for a captivating conversation in the sanctuary of Port Nelson United Church. 

It was last Fall, and no coincidence that the event was held on October 5th—the 40th anniversary of Garneau’s historic Space Shuttle mission when he become the first Canadian to fly to space.   

From the Sea

As a boy, Garneau harboured a long-standing fascination with the ocean and he joined the Navy at the age of 16. Four years later, in his final year at Royal Military College (RMC) he was given the opportunity to cross the Atlantic.

Garneau was part of a crew of 13 in a race from Newport, Rhode Island to Cork, Ireland on the Pickle, a 59-foot wooden yawl (2-masted sailboat).

“A few centuries before, stepping out on the ocean, you were taking your life into your hands,” said Garneau. “It was a voyage into the unknown. So that was a beautiful experience for me personally”.

The 20-day transit brought its share of rough seas and bad weather as they crossed nearly 5,000 kilometres of ocean. Sailing on to London, they were on the English Channel on the night of the first Moon landing.

Garneau was gazing at the moon and listening to the live broadcast on the radio as Neil Armstrong announced “The Eagle has landed”.

“I remember thinking to myself,” said Garneau. “Here I am in a sailboat, one of the oldest forms of transportation, and he and Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins had crossed 400,000 km of the vacuum of space and landed safely on the (Moon’s) Sea of Tranquility.”

The parallels were not lost on Garneau, and he believed that a seed was planted that night. 

After graduating from RMC with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics in 1970, Garneau furthered his education studying electrical engineering in the UK at Imperial College London, successfully defending his PhD thesis in 1973.

Returning to Canada, Garneau trained as a combat systems engineer which led to a posting on HMCS Algonquin, and as an instructor at the Canadian Forces Fleet School.

Other assignments included work at the Naval Engineering Unit in Halifax, qualifying as a diver, and postings to National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. After attending Canadian Forces College, Garneau was promoted to the rank of Commander in 1983.

To the Stars

On returning home from HQ one evening in June that year, Garneau was reading the Ottawa Citizen (newspaper), when he stumbled on an advertisement from the National Research Council. Canada was looking for astronauts!

This was in response to NASA’s request for 2 Canadian astronauts to fly on the Space Shuttle as thanks for designing and building Canadarm, the Shuttle’s robotic arm.

Garneau was one of 4,300 applicants. Proving throughout the gruelling selection process that had the right stuff, he was selected as one of six who would become Canada’s first Astronaut Corps.

Sixteen months after that he was on launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, the Payload Specialist on Space Shuttle Challenger, seated on the starboard mid-deck.

“I remember just being focused on my training,” said Garneau. “And then suddenly I was strapped in, the shuttle side hatch door was closed, and I thought this is not a simulation. We’re going today”. What followed was the longest two and a half hours of his life.

When the countdown finally reached zero as the solid rocket boosters roared to life, there was lots of vibration for the first couple of minutes until the boosters separated and the main engines fired, accelerating the Shuttle with Garneau feeling heavier in his seat, for the last part of the ascent sustaining a force of 3 g (gravitational force equivalent). 

It was eight and a half minutes from 0 to 28,000 km/h which is orbital velocity, when the main engine cutoff happens. Suddenly there was silence.

“And you realize you’re floating. It is a moment of euphoria. You can hardly wait to take off your seat belt and float over to look out the window”.

On that mission they were on an unusual high-inclination orbit flying over the Canadian provinces every 90 minutes.

They launched a satellite and conducted several experiments including a package of Canadian experiments (CANEX).

Garneau was promoted to Captain (Navy) in 1986, leaving the Canadian Forces in 1989.

Garneau flew on 2 more Space Shuttle missions in 1996 as Mission Specialist on the Endeavour, and in 2000 as Flight Engineer. On his 3rd mission, Garneau used the Canadarm on Endeavour to install one of the four solar arrays on the International Space Station.

Following his career as an astronaut, Garneau was appointed President of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in 2001.

For the Common Good

Garneau was elected to Parliament and served as an MP for over 14 years in the House of Commons, including as Foreign Affairs Minister, and Transport Minister.

“Everything had to be, what makes the most sense? As opposed to doing things for, shall I say, political reasons,” said Garneau.

“I've never been drawn to making decisions for political reasons. I wanted it to be the best policy possible for Canadians”.

After a lifetime of public service, the Honourable Marc Garneau, PC, CC, CD retired in 2023, and set to work writing his memoirs. He dedicated A Most Extraordinary Ride, Space, Politics, and the Pursuit of a Canadian Dream “To my children, as I promised”.

Penguin Random House 

Market | News | Events | Never miss a story—subscribe to our free monthly newsletter:

Love Your Neighbourhood

Say hello… move forward with more™

Jen & Van Hansen

On June 4th, Marc Garneau passed away peacefully after a short illness, surrounded by his family, his wife, Pam Garneau said in a statement.

“Marc faced his final days with the same strength, clarity and grace that defined his life”.

Photo Gallery

by VAN HANSEN

Jean Clinton, MD is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University, and a Specialist in Child Psychiatry.

Dr. Clinton is also a renowned keynote speaker and knowledge translator, aptly moving research findings from the lab or journal into practical use. This Spring she gave a talk for an attentive group of parents and educators in the auditorium of Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton...  

Opening warmly, Dr. Clinton reflects on her personal connection to Westdale. “It’s great to be in these hallowed halls. Four of my children went here.”

Drawing from both personal and academic insight, she emphasizes that adolescence is a critical time of brain development, shaped by neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to be molded by experience.

A key point is that the adolescent brain is “under construction.” Dr. Clinton explains that during this stage the brain prioritizes emotional and social development over executive functioning such as planning and impulse control.

The limbic system, which governs emotions and rewards matures earlier than the prefrontal cortex, responsible for reasoning and decision-making. This neurological imbalance partly explains risk-taking behaviours, impulsivity, and the strong pull toward peer relationships.

Dr. Clinton used an anecdote about her own child leaping into unknown waters, showing that even knowing the risks, adolescents prioritize thrill and peer approval.

Bell Times

Adolescents stay up later because their melatonin is changing, effectively delaying their signal to feel sleepy by several hours. At the same time they need 9 hours, making sleep deprivation a big issue.

“There is very good evidence that later start times for adolescents in school makes a big difference,” Dr. Clinton says. “Even starting at 8:30 compared to 8:00”.

From Anxious to Z

Throughout the talk, Dr. Clinton weaved in research, citing sources like Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation” and studies on stress, social media, and brain development. They emphasize that adolescents’ heightened sensitivity to rewards (dopamine response) makes them more prone to seek novelty and excitement, which has evolutionary roots driving them away from the family nest to explore their world.

But how does modern technology disrupt the trajectory of this natural development? In particular, the rise of smartphones and social media, Dr. Clinton argues, is creating an anxious generation.

Children now grow up with a portal in their pocket that pulls them away from face-to-face interactions—an unnatural and potentially harmful shift for a species wired for social connection.

Data shows a decline in time spent with friends and an increase in loneliness, anxiety, depression, and self-harm since the early 2010s, particularly among adolescent girls.

Dr. Clinton shares that today’s overprotection in the physical world, along with underprotection in the virtual world, leaves children less prepared for real life. She highlights a cultural shift toward “safetyism” with shrinking zones of independent exploration across generations.

While free, unsupervised play has diminished, kids are being denied opportunities to develop resilience and problem-solving skills.

Dr. Clinton calls for a balance between protecting children and fostering independence. She advocates for delayed access to smartphones and social media, recommending no smartphones before high school and no social media before age 16.

She encourages “phone-free schools” and collective action among parents to set shared boundaries, reducing the social pressure kids feel when “everyone else has one.”

It Takes a Village

Beyond technology, Dr. Clinton stresses the importance of focusing on the whole child. Drawing from Indigenous teachings and the medicine wheel, she posits that education must nurture physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being—not just cognitive skills.

“Mohawk Elder Tom Porter told me that in their Mohawk tradition, children are the sacred ones. They are the heart of the nation and it is the sacred responsibility of the community to raise them up”, says Dr. Clinton.

Belonging, engagement, and meaningful relationships are vital for academic success and healthy brain development. Dr. Clinton warns against a narrow focus on curriculum content, comparing it to “stuffing the duck” rather than fostering genuine learning and inquiry.

Dr. Clinton underscored that “relationships are nutrients for the (developing) brain”. She promoted the mantra of “connect before you correct,” encouraging parents and educators to prioritize empathy and emotional connection before addressing behaviour. This approach activates brain pathways that support reflection and learning, rather than triggering defensive or reactive responses.

Stress and its neurological impact form another crucial theme. Dr. Clinton explained how chronic stress floods the brain with cortisol and adrenaline, which impairs memory, focus, and learning. And many behavioural issues attributed to disorders like ADHD may actually stem from toxic stress or environmental factors. Positive early experiences and supportive relationships can buffer against adversity, highlighting the protective power of connection.

Dr. Clinton closed with actionable strategies for parents, namely practicing gratitude daily, fostering joy and laughter, asking reflective questions that center a child’s needs and strengths, and modeling calmness. She cited neuroscience research showing that gratitude can biologically shift the brain toward a healthier mindset.

Ultimately, Dr. Clinton encourages a cultural shift in how we raise and educate adolescents. By respecting their developmental needs, fostering strong relationships, limiting harmful technological influences, and nurturing their whole being, we can support adolescents in building healthy brains—and fulfilling lives.

Dr. Clinton left the audience inspired to reflect, connect, and act with intention for the benefit of their children’s growth.

Dr. Jean Clinton’s talk was presented by the Westdale, Dundas Valley, and Ancaster School Councils

Dr. Jean Clinton’s latest book is “Love Builds Brains”.

Love Builds Brains

Market | News | Events | Never miss a story—subscribe to our free monthly newsletter:

Love Your Neighbourhood

Say hello… move forward with more™

Jen & Van Hansen