The Eric Nagler Story- Part One

     Brooklyn, New York, 1942. The United States of America were becoming more and more involved in the Second World War, the strain felt on families around the nation. Yet, in this time of destruction and propaganda, there were also some things good happening, such as the birth of young Eric Nagler, on the first of June. With his father as a high school biology teacher, he was spared from the draft and having to be directly involved with the conflict in Europe, but that wasn't the same for the rest of his family. Coming from Jewish heritage, and being Jewish himself, Eric recalled how those from his family who came to America before the war were saved, while the rest just disappeared, never to be heard from again. This was only the start of growing up in what Eric called “the shadow of the war”. He would hear the stories his uncles told from their time overseas and would come home from public school with the Army-McCarthy hearings on air, a very different childhood from the ones of youth who would later come home from daycare to watch Eric on their own televisions. It wasn't even until about when he was 7 years old that the first television came to his neighbourhood. A nice 7” model (with accompanying magnifying class to make it 9”) upon which they would watch Pinhead and Houdini, or sometimes Howdy Doody.

     But television was never a big memory for Eric, back then, it was all outdoors. When fall came around neighbour Billy Smith (biggest kid, best skates) would come out with the chalk and roll down the street marking a path for their Cops and Robbers roller skate track. From there, spring and summer held the times of ball games, of which Eric could easily list off twenty or more to this day that they would regularly play. Those memories of activity were seen in school  as well, where Eric recalls being second baseman, yet outside of school, around this time was also when Eric would start to find music. 

     It all started with the piano. There was one in the house that he would bang on as a child. His father would tell him to “stop that racket”, but his grandma would issue requests for such songs as “The Tennessee Waltz”. For these requests, he would simply bang a little softer, yet his grandma would tell him how beautiful this sounded. Encouraging Eric's first musical dream, learn piano. His parents paid for him to have lessons, which didn't go so well. After three months of lesson, he was done with piano for good. Shortly after this, he heard the sound of the saxophone at a friends house, and had the new dream to learn that. When he excitedly told his mom, she said he couldn't. After all, “it wasn't a valid instrument in the orchestra”. She told him to instead learn clarinet, a real instrument. So they bought him one, he had some lessons, and hated that too. Then, well then came the bass. Eric remembers hearing Charles Mingus playing the “Haitian Pipe Song”, it was at that moment that he knew he wanted to be a bassist. He was excited to tell his parents. But then his mom told him that “the bassist sat in the back of the orchestra and only played one note”, she said Eric should really be learning the cello. One night Eric's father brought one back from the high school where he taught, Eric was so tired of the same routine that he didn't even bother coming home that night. The cello was returned to the school untouched.

     One night, while reading comics instead of doing homework, he heard a noise coming from downstairs. It was something he had never heard, an instrument his older brothers friend was playing. Scruggs Style bluegrass banjo music. Finally, Eric had found the instrument and the noise he had been looking for his whole childhood. Ever since, the banjo has been his instrument of choice.

     It was music that he wanted to pursue, but his parents “conned him into university” saying he could do anything he wanted as long as he got a degree. So, off to university Eric went. Here, he received a degree in psychology. From there, he received another degree in educational psychology. It was partway through his doctorate in psychology that Eric realized, as he put it, “this was bullshit”. A psychology degree wasn't going to make him a musician, his parents just wanted him to go into something different than banjo music. It was at that point that Eric left formal education for good. Instead, partially before and partially after then, he became a hippie. After all, it was the sixties by then.

     Eric had no idea where to find people playing music like he was playing, the music he had come to love. One day though, his brother told him about a New York City neighbourhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan called “Greenwich Village” where he heard that people gathered on Sundays and played the same type of music as Eric had. From then on, he joined this group of people like him, and they would all play at Washington Square fountain in Greenwich village. They were referred to as “beats” back then, “beatniks” after the Russian Sputnik satellite was in the news. In those days, no one really “wrote songs”, so they could all just play music and communicate at levels deeper than words. They would all just know what to do. Unfortunately, one of the group did start writing songs. After those days it was more “sit and listen” to someone perform, then another person would perform. To this day, he still hasn't really forgiven Bob Dylan for doing that to them.

     I had then asked Eric what it meant where on his website it said he “managed to avoid getting my head bashed in by truncheons when the cops attacked us in Washington Square for singing without a license.” Really, I was interested in knowing the story and what “singing without a license” even meant. Upon bringing it up, Eric started laughing saying how it “really was a funny story”. Every year, one of their large group (a friend of Eric's named Lionel Killburg) would travel to New York City Hall and request a licence, allowing them all to play in the square. Until one year, Town Hall simply said no. After all, “they were a bunch of hippies, they were riffraff”. This didn't stop the “riffraff” from playing. The next Sunday, they gathered in Washington Square to sing and play their music. That week, they were greeted by police, who gave a stern warning. So what did the group do? They went the next day as well. So did the police. Instead of playing music, the group all sat in the fountain and didn't make a sound, glaring at the police in complete silence. One of them started singing “we shall overcome”, and by the time anyone else could join him, the police charged at them with their clubs. With no regard to their victims, the police started bashing in heads and smashing skulls. They then surrounded the fountain, supposedly to “protect it from the hippies.” I had yet to see what was funny about this. It was then that newscasters came, and a Senator, and local (very wealthy), Fifth Avenue residents. They were all angry. Yet, not at the group of young musicians. At the police. After being yelled at for not allowing people to sing, the police were pretty embarrassed, as was the politician who first said they couldn't, next weekend, the group was back singing and playing music. Now I can see some humour!

     It was a while after this that Eric was visiting at a friends house when his friends' sister walked in. She had heard that a man who had been doing a voter registration march in Mississippi had been shot, and that Martin Luther King Jr. would be continuing the march with some members of his church and those in the local community, around Canton, Mississippi. Eric was asked if he had wanted to join, and he said sure. Although Eric was never what he would call an “advocate for equality rights”, he knew the difference between right and wrong, and he knew that how America was treating his fellow citizens was for sure wrong. After about twenty-four hours of driving (they had to stop in Memphis, someone they knew wanted to try their luck as a country singer), they made it to Mississippi and the voter registration march.

Eric emotionally recall Martin Luther King Jr

     They had marched for a few days, the crowds size averaging around fifty people, but growing near towns and cities. Eric being there had garnered mixed reactions. He recalls how one man walked up to him and stated how “we don't want you white northerner bastards here, we want our own nation, not integration”. Yet this was followed by two elderly ladies from Martin Luther King's church who walked up to him and expressed how they were “so glad to have him here, trying to help us integrate”. Comments similar to those ladies kept Eric walking, standing for what was right.

     As they got near Jackson, Mississippi, the crowd numbers slowly started to swell. They were walking down the streets, singing, clapping and singing when from beside the road Eric heard an elderly, female voice yelling “praise the lord” excitedly from her front yard. With the feeling of power the crowd was giving him, he yelled at her to join him to the Senate buildings where they were heading. After about twenty yards of walking with him, another girl came onto the yard and starting yelling “how dare he take her to the buildings, he had no idea what could happen there.” With that, the elderly lady reluctantly went back, and Eric moved on. By the time they reached the Senate, Eric guessed the crowd to be around 15000. Seemingly, they all passed through a wall of silence. No one was talking.

     Surrounding the building were armed, white, policemen. Not far behind the police were officers in full riot gear, and closer to the buildings were soldiers with snipers. Beside the police, glaring at them, one for each officer, were African American men in white tee-shirts and overalls. Eric realized he recognized the man in overalls nearest him, it was the man who a few days earlier told him he wasn't wanted. Eric also noticed the reason why the officer seemed especially afraid, the African American man had his teeth filed to points, and was glaring up at the officer. The moment was tense, and Eric started to hear people cry in fear. He heard one person start to cry behind him, and turned to see the old lady from the front yard. He didn't blame her, he felt the same way.

     It was at this point in my interview that it seemed Eric's music store went quiet. It seemed the customers were all listening, Eric started to tear up, and I had to focus to keep myself from doing the same. The speeches started, a few minor people speaking in regards to the idea of black power, people really talking about black power for the first time. Then Martin Luther King stepped up and started the speech that had already became history a year or two before.. “I have a dream..”, the speech made in Washington in 1963. Between the tears that were coming to Eric, he told me how Martin “talked about men and women, black and white, being together, working together, boys and girls, black and white, of every colour, being in school together. That was his dream.” when he was done.. someone about five thousand people away started singing. More people joined that man. Then behind him, another voice started singing in counterpoint to the man, making a round with the crowd. It was the old woman from the front lawn who came to join Eric. That moment gave Eric a strength that he still has with him. Her voice still heard in all its power to this day. As hard as you listened, the singing had drowned out everyone there to jeer. Eric's life had been changed.

     Night times during the walks were usually held at all-black universities, during these nights, if Martin Luther King was with them that day, he would situate himself right at the entrance to the university. Shaking hands and meeting everyone, thanking them all. When it came to Eric's turn on one of these days, he was too nervous to shake Martins' hand. But he walked within two feet of the man that helped change the face of America, and that man thanked him.

     After doing some research, I now know that the man who Eric first heard about who was shot must of been James Meredith, who was actually only wounded I've now learned. The march that Eric must of been a part of is titled “The March Against Fear”, started by one but finished by 15000.

     Martin Luther King jr, would eventually be assassinated in a hotel located in Memphis, Tennessee. But the young boy who went from watching Houdini on television, to playing cops and robbers in the street with Billy Smith, to having his heart stolen by the magic of the banjo, to being charged at by police in New York and singing with Martin himself in Mississippi, he would continue on in his incredible life.

     Next Wednesday, the adventure continues with moving to Canada, the recently deserted battlegrounds of Sarajevo, a JUNO nomination, Sharon, Lois and Bram Elephant Show, Eric's World, and a small music store in northern Ontario.

Eric and I

Howard Dyck- Evening with Cody about the Opera

      Some things about people, I'll probably never find online, no matter how hard I look.. Maybe a thing's too personal to just plop down to an unknown audience, or it's just not something that one thinks would be immediately interesting to readers. But I've got to say, asking Howard Dyck my first question, “when and where were you born” led to an answer that I found, quite frankly, really awesome. He told me the story of a man, who at age 105, became the oldest person ever to become an Order of Canada Member, Mr Cornelius Wiebe, who passed away July 12^th, 1999. Mr. Wiebe was known throughout his province as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba but more so as a doctor who over the course of 53 years delivered over 6000 babies, including Howard Dyck, and even the son of Howard. I find that humorous, and amazing. Imagine, being indicted into the Order of Canada only one year after the man who delivered you as a newborn baby was. I guess you could say Howard has had an interesting life from the start. These two men, at this point, are to this day the only “Winklerites” to become Order of Canada Members.

      His investment to the Order of Canada was a complete surprise. It came around the time he was working as a radio host on CBC Radio for the shows Choral Concert and Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. Howard was told that Rideau Hall, the House of the Governor General of Canada, had called earlier that day for him. Adrienne Clarkson had just recently become the 26^th Governor General of Canada and as always, Howard had applied to the office to give her the distinction of Honorary Patron of the Kitchener-Waterloo Philharmonic Choir, so he assumed that this was them calling him back to say that they had approved. A cut and dry procedure by now for Howard. As he was leaving the office for the night, he decided to call them. They were happy he did, as they thought “he didn't want the Order of Canada by that point”. He was thoroughly confused, and asked what they meant. Apparently, there was a little bit of a communication error. A letter was mailed to him by the office a few weeks earlier, informing him of his investment. But, it was sent to his former address. Howard almost missed his distinction from a simply mail slip-up. Needless to say, he was ecstatic when told, and right away told the people he could (immediate family only). His wife was informed, his children informed, and of course his mother. When the news became public to the rest of Canada, Howard was on a concert tour in Salzburg, Austria. Those with him and himself had quite the party to celebrate, but he told me (to my laughter) that it was the Order of Canada after party that apparently is the fun one, telling me “if you become an Order of Canada Member Cody, don't miss the party”. But how did he get to the distinction? It all started on his family farm, November 1942, when he was born.

      Howard was born in a Mennonite community by the small town of Winkler, Manitoba. The distinction of being from a Mennonite community would be that music was brought into the world of Howard from a very young age. As far back as he can remember, singing and music were important in the community and to his family. He can recall singing in the church choir, being in a barbershop quartet in high school, and learning the piano and violin there as well. These developed into playing violin in the high school orchestra and being the orchestral piano player. From his few times conducting though, he knew it was what he wanted to do, so after his undergraduate degrees in Canada for Liberal Arts and Music he went to some of the best places to learn how to conduct like the best of them, therefore, Germany. Here he learned choral, orchestral and opera conducting and all the separate skill sets for each.

      The thing with keeping these condensed is, there are times when I have to skip ahead a fair bit in years. Previously, I had mentioned how work on CBC and with the Kitchener-Waterloo Philharmonic led to the Order of Canada. Some of the things he enjoyed the most with this group was the Good Friday performance that Howard annually conducted until just recently with them. The mood of the performance gives Howard feelings that he can't explain, but it sticks out to him regardless. It was some work he did a few years after the Order of Canada Membership though that I found personally to show his character the most. This was he work with what he named Consort Caritatis. An example, in my opinion, of how context can make a performance so different. Consort Caritatis means, when translated in the most simple way by Howard for myself, is “charity concert”, which is really what it is. The idea was formed in 1994, the idea of using all the amazing voices and musicians in Canada for charity. Together with colleagues, a group was formed and recordings made. In the first year they ended up selling over 20000 recordings of their work (Handel's Messiah), which is considered a huge number in the fields of classical music. The first year the money went to the Mennonite Central Committee Charity and Habitat for Humanity. From there they made money for such organizations as the International Campaign to End the Use of Land Mines and the AIDS Project in Africa. All the money went to charity, it was proven to be a very successful idea, and has continued ever since. Over a quarter of a million dollars has been raised in the 19 years since it was formed.

      One moment struck me as the highlight of the organization. It was a day of euphoria for many in North America, Boxing Day sales and discounts abound, December 26^th, 2004. Across the world, a tsunami from the Indian Ocean would strike the nations of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, killing an estimated 280000 people. Right away, Howard knew Consort Caritatis had to help. He approached the members of the board for Consort, the Board of Directors for the Centre and The Square and anyone else he could. They all agreed to a show where everything from performers time to newspaper advertisements would be donated, the show would be free, in the hopes of raising as much money as possible for tsunami aid. An arrangement was made, and a few weeks later a performance conducted. The idea of helping these countries reached a level of success that Howard never expected. The show raised $75000, but that wouldn't be the grand total from the event. The government enacted a policy saying that when certain respectable organizations donated for relief, the Canadian government would match it, so in total, the show raised a total of $150000. In one night, from one idea. One that still makes Howard proud to have been a part of to this day.

      I've never used the term before, but Howard Dyck is nothing but a gentleman and a scholar in my eyes. He gave chances to some musicians when they were starting out when others didn't. These students would soon become household names to certain crowds, including Ben Heppner who powerfully sang the Olympic Hymn at the 2010 games and Measha Brueggergosman who I first saw as a judge for Canada's Got Talent, but now have heard beautifully sing online.

      Finishing this article up, I asked Howard how China was treating him and his wife. He told me how he's loving it, and how he's “up to his eyeballs in Chinese music he's never encountered before! It's all very exciting and keeping (him) busy!”. From part of this conversation, I had the pleasure to learn that the ties between Howard and I were not over, and we would be meeting again relatively soon, this time, to do with my hometown as opposed to his. With that, anyone reading this from small town Ingersoll, Ontario, consider this story a bit of a teaser into the insights of an extraordinary man.

The Honourable Dave Levac- "Mans Inhumanity to Man"

     Without a doubt, in the span of a modern day Canadian education, a student will learn about “The Holocaust”. The atrocities ran through the ideals of Adolf Hitler, the Austrian born German dictator of the Nazi Party. It will be taught that his forces used gas chambers and concentration camps to systematically kill over six million Jewish citizens, as well as several Romanians, people with disabilities, homosexuals and even fellow Germans who didn't believe in his ideals, among many others who were deemed “undesirables”. It will be taught that this was one of the main reasons World War Two existed. Students will be taught that the strongest enemies during this, the Axis Forces, would be commanded by Adolf Hitler of Germany, Hirohito of Japan (posthumously known as Emperor Shōwa), and Benito Mussolini of Italy. We will be taught that fighting the good fight, our side, would be Winston Churchill of The United Kingdom, Franklin D. Roosevelt of The United States, Charles de Gaulle of France and Joseph Stalin of The Soviet Union.

     Later, Joseph Stalin would go on to become a controversial figure to many in what became Russia and globally, many would think him evil. He was the enemy of the West during the Cold War, and the man who put the USSR behind an ideological “Iron Curtain”. It could be said that after his aid in the Second World War, Stalin became a rival to The United States, and even Canada seeing as we had fought with him under the leadership of William Lyon Mackenzie King.

     All in all, we could be nothing but friends with Stalin until after World War Two, right? This was my mindset until I had the chance to meet with Brant County Member of Parliament Dave Levac, who is also the Speaker of Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Stalin; moderate thinker until the war ended, then enemy due to his actions following. Of course, I had heard bad things he had done before we joined forces that I didn't condone, but really, I didn't know anything major. I never knew about Holodomor. Which is what the Honourable Mr. Dave Levac spoke to me about. A holocaust predating World War Two, involving Stalin, which is comparable if not statistically worse than “The Holocaust” started by Hitler. A holocaust I had never heard about until I met Dave Levac, and a holocaust he had never heard of until he met a man named Orest Steciw, a national representative of The Ukrainian Canadians. Mr Steciw not only travelled to Dave Levac, but to every Member of Provincial Parliament, educating them on Holodomor. This idea of Mr Steciw was to have a celebration and awareness day of the 75^th anniversary of Holodomor, which by the definition Levac gave to me is “the planned genocide by starvation of Stalin, of the people of Ukraine and others”. When I learned more about this through my conversation with Levac and following research, I was more than shocked. Not just by the events, but by the fact we had never learned of it.

     Some say this famine wasn't a genocide, yet others say it was planned by Stalin and 100% intentional. Total death count has been argued several times over, yet the numbers vary from 1.5 million to 7.5 million deaths as a result. The commonly agreed on number I could find was about 3.5 million. Now, Stalin's 3.5 million may not compare to Hitler's 6 million, but all in all Hitler's took place over five years. Stalin's took place over two, with the majority being children dying. And really, should it have to compare? Should it have to be more than six million for us to learn about it in school? Or should we learn about it because three and a half million people died from the actions of a man who only six years later would become our ally in World War Two, seeing as this happened before Hitler's actions, right about when Hitler was granted the title of Führer. The man did this, then became our ally, and I never knew. Dave never knew. From what I've learned in asking around, no one really ever knew. But Orest Steciw made sure that people learned about it, and then the Honourable Dave Levac aided in taking the knowledge a step further. One of the pushes being the people of his own riding. Brantford had a population comprised of Ukrainian settlers, as well as one resident who's own family was personally involved in Holodomor. As he told me, he may not of had Ukrainian blood running through him, but he was human. And that was enough to know that what happened was wrong and had to be known.

     He decided to try and enact a Private Members Bill simply to acknowledge a memorial day (the fourth Saturday in every November, therefore in 2013 it would be November 23^rd) and have Ontario recognize this as happening, acknowledge that this was a genocide. But, as Dave informed me, his first attempts were feeble. It was apparently too political (dealing with international issues) to approve in the Ontario house, but he didn't give up to approve. Something ended up happening which helped his efforts. A decision in the house allowed members from other parties to sponsor a Bill. He found members of a few parties who had links to Ukraine or Holodomor as approached them to join. He found that the assistant of Frank Klees, a Progressive Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament for Newmarket-Aurora had relatives involved in Holodomor, Klees agreed to help Levac pass the Bill. Then there was Cheri DiNovo, an NDP Member of Provincial Parliament for Parkdale-High Park, a riding with a high population of Ukrainian citizens that had settled in her riding, she agreed to help. With this in mind, Dave brought the Bill back up again under the three names. This was the first Tri-Partisan (three partied) sponsored Bill (as Dave is an Ontario Liberal). Bill 147, “The Holodomor Memorial Act” passed unanimously on April 9^th, 2009. This was followed by Quebec passing a similar Bill (Bill 390), Alberta, Saskatchewan, a National Bill and the creation of memorials around the nation located in Mississauga. As Dave said, this isn't really to honour the victims. This isn't to compare to The Holocaust, this is to educate Canada on the history of our humanity. As he said, he wants them to know that Holodomor was genocide, “not some weird fried chicken from some foreign country like some uneducated person may guess”.

     Then, there was a message for Dave shortly after. From Viktor Yushchenko, who at that point was none other than the President of Ukraine. He was awarded the Chevalier of the Order of Merit for Ukraine, which is the equivalency of being knighted in Britain, all for his work. He was humbled, but felt that he shouldn't get the credit. Instead, he took it on behalf of the children who were killed seeing as they didn't have a voice then.

     He says that we should never be afraid to stand up and say “that's not right” to an event. He says in Canada we can do this, and with the help of names such as Orest Steciw, Frank Klees, and Cheri DiNovo he's able to help citizens who have been here and who are coming to Canada to be saved from danger. I want to finish with a line from Dave Levac, a politician who realized that “this wasn't about politics, but mans inhumanity to man”.

     To Dave, he's “totally against thinking inside this hemisphere, dealing with issues in this nation only. Particularly with Canada being the salad bowl, not the melting pot. We're telling people keep your culture, keep your religion, keep your language, keep your customs, keep your food, keep all those things but don't forget you're Canadian now. Don't bring us your evil, but tell us about your evil so we can tell them over there it's evil, and it needs to stop now.”

Dr Joe MacInnis- Diving, A Way to Get to Work

     I'm a massive fan of the Titanic. From the moment when I first heard of the legendary shipwreck, I knew I wanted to go. Wanted to explore the depths of the ocean to see the regal ballroom doors. If I couldn't do that, at least be on the water in a boat, right on top of where the ship is now buried by gallons of water. That would be a fair compromise. Having the chance to interview the first Canadian to work on the Titanic wreck was a step in the right direction in my eyes. Not only that, this man was the one to discover parts of the northernmost shipwreck in the world, The Breadalbane of 1853, later discovering the rest with help of coast guard vessels. He has led and organized publicly funded dives to the well-known SS Edmund Fitzgerald which sank in Lake Superior, finally, he is well known for being the first scientist in the world to scuba dive under the North Pole. In my eyes, Dr. Joe MacInnis is the one of the most interesting Canadians I've ever spoken to. With a career as rich as his though, I can only provide a short walk through of some parts today.

     After Dr. MacInnis walked me through some interview pointers that he had picked up over his own years of experience and work, I believed I was ready to ask him some questions. I started with asking about a story I had read in regards to what seemed to be his first professional work after earning his Doctor of Medicine. Once Dr. MacInnis had finished his junior internship, he had his mind set on working with one man, the famed entrepreneur and inventor Edwin Link. With no idea how to reach him, he was finally able to make a person-to-person call. Link agreed to meet for only 15 minutes the next day. The meeting concluded with Dr. Joe MacInnis being offered the role of full-time doctor for Link's new Man-In-Sea project. It seemed like his goal was accomplished. As I said though, that was the story I read (quite frankly, on Wikipedia). So I wanted to know more about it. I had assumed that he received the role based on academic superiority compared to others, and I was surprised when he told me that he “didn't think he was going to get it, because [he] had bad grades and wasn't a good student.” I must say, the answer confused me. So Dr. MacInnis explained that he's what he now knows is “emotionally intelligent”, his enthusiasm and belief in the work allowed him the chance to enter this role, which changed his life.

The famed Edwin Link, who gave Dr. Joe his first chance at a job.

Photo retrieved from http://www.starksravings.com/linktrainer/elink.jpg

     Later I would have it explained to me that diving isn't his job, and that's not how he sees it. Diving is but a way for him to get to his work is all, whether with Edwin Link, or a man he had the chance to become close to starting in 1969. The man was the newly elected Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau. As Dr. MacInnis told me, “he was in a high stress job, and diving was a way to take some stress away. This gave him the chance to be the explorer he always was.” They had the chance to form a mutual mentorship. Knowledge shared with each other from complex political topics to the skills of diving. Together they did over fifty personal dives, but as Dr. MacInnis reiterated, it was a relationship based on exchange: on respect, information, trust and insight. The sharing of important things such as these, show real friendship. He had the chance to form relationships through exchange among many other well known names such as Farley Mowat, who I myself have had the chance to speak with a few times, and Edward Schreyer who was then the Governor General of Canada.

The wreck of the great Titanic, Dr. Joe was the first Canadian to see this sight.

Photo retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Titanic_wreck_bow.jpg

     After hearing this, our conversation shifted to his current fascination. One that quite personally sounded incredible in my eyes as well. This was in regards to some work he's been doing which is the basis of his newest book titled Deep Leadership: Essential Insights from High Risk Environments. Studying the characteristics and speaking to the workers building the International Space Station, working two miles under the Ocean or more recently, travelling to Afghanistan to speak with solders, he had the chance to learn about their special form of courage, showing him how they can preform in work while their life is on the line.

But, alas, eagerness brought me back in the past of the life Dr. Joe MacInnis, I wanted to know more of his Titanic experience. I had asked if, like myself, this was possibly a childhood passion of his- to find the wreck. I was pretty shocked when he explained how his involvement was quite frankly, rather coincidental. He had a friend who was working on finding the wreak, and asked if Dr Joe would be interested in coming with them. Well, he had read about the Titanic in a book or two while younger and had heard a song about it, so he figured why not. That's how the first Canadian to work on the Titanic wreak made it there, a coincidence, and I'm actually glad it worked out that way. In my eyes, it's a more interesting tale, not to mention just an all around more Canadian one... "oh ya, once by a fluke I ran into the Titanic", that was a me quote not him by the way.

     All in all, from what I learned when speaking to Dr Joe MacInnis, an adventure could be a simple as a way of getting to work, an interest fuelled with an option, or a question asked to you. This could lead to discovering and experiencing some of the world's most interesting sites, landmarks and historical areas. It can lead you to become, in my eyes, one of Ontario.. or Canada's, most interesting people, just like I feel Dr. Joe MacInnis is. I'm glad I heard of him, and glad we had the chance to chat.

Dr Joe MacInnis

Photo retrieved from http://www.a-speakers.com/speakers/joe-macinnis/

Josh Dueck- Back-flip on a Sit-Ski

Interview with Joshua Dueck

     A friend of mine asked me to try interviewing one of his skiing icons. It should be known, I'm not a skier, and I don't follow skiing. So when I first heard the name “Josh Dueck” I had to do the ever trustful google search and see what I could learn. It was a sad story that I started reading, but when I finally had the chance to Skype Josh over my reading week, he became an inspiration. From what I have learned, his story has inspired many more besides myself. Pretty impressive for being only 32 now and learning to ski at the age of 13 on a field trip in his hometown of Kimberly B.C.

     His story may have gone one way, but took a drastic turn when he was 23 years old, ten years after learning how to ski. It was his first run of the day and there wasn't a cloud to see in the sky, he went to preform a trick he had mastered instead of a simple jump to check the hill. On the run, he gained to much speed, the front flip started late. A full rotation was complete, but he was still higher than expected. The second rotation started, and that's when Josh fell, face first from a height of ten stories. Waking up in the hospital, all Josh could muster was asking his father to pull the plug. He was paralysed and didn't see any reason to continue living. He was then, and always will be, a T11 full paraplegic from just above the waist down.

     Now, Joshua Dueck is widely known in the ski community, for he's still a skier. Being paralysed from the waist down did nothing to stop him from his passion. Using a Sit-Ski, Josh worked on getting back to the snow. As of the 2010 Winter Paralympics, Josh is one of our nations silver medallists in the men's slalom sit-ski event and as of February 3^rd, 2012 Josh became the first person in history to preform a backflip in a sit-ski over snow, an act that was seen by thousands online and granted him an invite from The Ellen Show only a few days after the act was achieved.

     All of this can be found online, but it was after he woke up in the hospital that I wanted to ask some questions to Josh. My first was simple, when did he learn that sit-skiing was an option for him and what went through his mind when he heard it. I was pretty shocked when he told me it was the doctor who told him, only two hours after he had broken his back in the accident. Once the doctor saw the x-rays and noticed Josh wouldn't be able to ski again, he informed him of the option. There was no hesitation for Josh to get back to skiing, he knew that this is what he would do once he was medically cleared.

     The year after his accident Josh took a break from, well, his regular life. As he states on his website, “2005 was a year full of wonder and curiosity as I explored the world from my new perspective”. When I asked him what he meant by that, he told me how he bought himself a nice Toyota Celica and travelled “all the remotest corridors of Western Canada”. Seeing family and friends who weren't able to make it to the hospital. As straight forward as it was, I had to ask because I was so curious.

“Josh, how successful were you on your first sit-ski run?”

The reply was what I expected, “Not successful in any traditional sense of the word.” Followed by a laugh.

     He explained to me how a run he could previously do “with his eyes closed, backwards”, now took him two hours to do. It was a hard learning process. Once he found his balance, day three, everything came back to him. The love of the mountains, of trying something new, of exploration, of doing something that you really enjoy and entering what he calls “a flow state” were the world quiets out and he's only focused on the skiing, that's what kept him going to that third day when it all fell into place again.

     Then, Josh and I had made it to his jump. The back flip that would be viewed by thousands. I asked him how and he felt when he decided to do it. He knew he could do it, but the fear was there. It was one of the hardest things he ever had to wrap his mind around, and he was terrified. After the training was complete and it was time to do the jump, his fear shifted to excitement.

     The practice tries were all successful. Then the snow trial.. a perfect ski away after only the second try. Then laughter from Josh. He told me that this was something that he never viewed as being “the first to do” or even thinking that it would be a cool idea. Now, afterwards, he guesses it's a big deal.

     Josh's life has no doubt changed. The accident has brought him to ski-skiing, and with the jump, Josh helped bring sit-skiing to the public eye. He was been able to represent Canada on the world stage. He was awarded a gold medal in the 2011 Aspen Mono Skier X in the X Games, and a bronze in the 2012 games. 2010 brought Josh his first paralympic medal. Being on Ellen was humbling and amazing for Josh, after all, he thinks she's hilarious and incredible. For the Rick Hansen Concert of Heroes, he was starstruck when he was introduced to the crowd by David Suzuki, a man he says “is just another man who's trying to figure out the world one day at a time, and doing a good job at it”.

     A few weeks before Josh spoke to me, he had been skiing in Italy and Switzerland. Coming up, he will be going to Spain. Yet he wanted me to know, although he's been to some of the best ski areas in the world, it's the people that make the trip. He could be on a beautiful mountain in a far away country or maybe in a small hill in a backwoods area. Who he's skiing with make the moment.

     Joshua Dueck told me as we finished up that if he's learned anything, it's don't let anything get in the way of your passion. Whatever the passion, or the obstacle may be. After all, Josh wanted to represent Canada in the Olympics and win a medal. Not even breaking his back got in the way of that.

     I think the man probably knows what he's talking about. 

Mark Hominick- UFC to Fatherhood

     When I called Mark Hominick to double check that our interview was still a go, he had to fight to make his voice heard over his young daughter who was rather upset at the time. Parenthood isn't the fight Hominick has been dealing with most of his life, but it's one he knows will be more rewarding. The fight that he's used to? Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). For until recently when he retired, Mark Hominick was one of the elite athletes that thousands watch weekly. An industry shown worldwide, and known as the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world. An industry where the objective is to, simply, win in a real fight using any form of martial arts you're trained with, from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to Muay Thai. Only the best in the sport can fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Hominick is one of the best for his weight-class. That's why it was exciting to talk to him. Not to mention we went to the same high school (him a while before me) and shared some teachers, that was for sure another reason I wanted to talk about his career and life now. Interesting Canadians always get to me, but interesting Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute students? Even better.

     When Hominick went to enter the Octogon for his first professional fight, he thought he would be nervous, and who wouldn't be? Around 20 years old at the time, only a little older than I am now, he entered to fight Richard Nancoo. Nancoo came into the fight with a record of five career wins, one draw, no losses and professional bouts for four years- versus the small country boy Mark Hominick. A realization befell him, he wasn't nervous anymore while walking up. He was prepared, excited, and wanted to get fighting. Obviously, prepared was right. Two minutes and thirty-four seconds into the third round, referee Yves Lavigne called it. Hominick wins with a technical knockout using punches and elbows. A great start, to an eleven year career. A career of excelling in the Featherweight division (136-145 pounds), working with his mentor the late Shawn Tompkins, a round of pushups in the Octogon after every win and fighting for the world title.

     I had to ask right away, what did his family think of his UFC career. In a way, it was the answer I was expecting. They weren't really fans of it, and I guess that's agreeable and relatable to every parent, Hominick now included. His mother never attended a fight, Hominick thinks it's probably since it would be rather nerve racking for her. His wife preferred to watch live, saying it was better than on television. His late father on the other hand did what I feel parents are best for, worked as a support system. The elder Hominick would go watch his son fight, then leave after (not watching any other fights). Showing that he was always there for his son, not the sport. Then I asked about what his young daughter thought in regards to it. Being to young to verbalize, she would point to his wounds and say “ow”. This was something that he didn't want his daughter to witness, but the bumps and bruises were reminders of his violent work. This was part of the reason he retired, so his children didn't have to see this all the time. As he says, when his children are as young as they are, it's better that they don't get the full vision of it or really watch his bouts. It's hard for them to realize that this is martial arts as a sport compared to fighting out of anger. In my opinion, it's hard to remember watching the fights and knowing they have parents who may be watching, spouses sitting in the crowds or young children at home, all watching their loved one fight. This is only another job though, and every job leaves its mark. Hominick strongly believes that his parents would of much preferred that he stuck with his four business degree from the University of Windsor, maybe that's in the cards for the future though.

     Business degrees are for another day, back to the fights. Hominick has made appearances in stadiums from Quebec to Hawaii, Alberta to Texas, Illinois to Nevada and others in between. When asked, his personal favourite was Montreal, Quebec. This is where he spent his first few years, feeling like he became on of Montreal and Quebec's own. Needless to say, fighting in Las Vegas on the Vegas strip (fight capital of the world) sticks in his mind and always will. His most memorable was a fight that made UFC history. UFC 129, hosted at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Only eight months after the legalization of mixed martial arts in Ontario, they planned on hosting a bout. All 55000 seats sold out, making a gate revenue exceeding $11 million dollars, this was the night Hominick would be facing the Brazilian Jose Aldo for the UFC Featherweight championship. This event broke records, including shattering gate records not only for Mixed Martial Arts in Canada, but in North America. With a final scoring of 48-45 for Aldo, Hominick just barely missed the title.

     A year and a half (and three fights later), Hominick released the news that he would be retiring from fighting. He had children, and a wife. They wanted to start settling down as a family. As he says, “the hardest part of the UFC is the constant grind”. Training six days a week, for hours at a time. From now there's the idea that he'll do some sports analyst jobs for FOX news and Sportsnet, maybe living up to that business degree, but not nearly as much fighting.

     Going back to his small home, he's proud to be back. He get's to be with his same friends from elementary and high school. He get's to raise his children in an atmosphere that's meant a lot to him and that he knows is a good one. He reminds me that no matter what you do, you should follow your passion. If you really believe that this is something you want to do, UFC or otherwise, nothing should be able to get in your way saying otherwise. From a small town in Ontario, with a population of 1748 came a man who fought in front of 55000. Anything can happen if you try.

John Robert Colombo- We Need to Know Ourselves

     In a section from the preface of a book written by Order of Canada Member and author John Robert Colombo titled “Fascinating Canada: A Book of Questions and Answers” strikes me captivating. The reason being, I feel in a few sentences he has managed to explain why I decided to stick to this blog, why it exists.

     “Many of us seem to have lost touch with our innate curiosity, especially in regards to our great country, and that is unfortunate, because curiosity is a great and essential gift. Curiosity is a trait that encourages us to wonder about ourselves and other selves, about the sciences and the arts, and ultimately about man's fate and human destiny” (page 8).

     To be honest, this is always a question I ask not only myself, but those who are ever up for a good old educated conversation. Why are we not more in tune with our own, incredible history? Our own captivating current affairs? I felt that there was one person who could maybe give me an answer as to why my generation (and even several members of generations before me) might be forgetting to delve into our massive nations', equally massive stories. That man would be John Robert Colombo himself, so ask him I did, over Reading Week 2013.

     John gave me the answer I myself had felt this whole time, public schools have been failing for the past half century in teaching national knowledge, which John believes is only an extension of self-knowledge in itself. The fact that he mentions “for a half century” is exciting, because for a half century, John has done some amazing things, here's a short explanation of his educated and interesting life.

     Born in Kitchener, Ontario on March 24^th 1936, there was little knowledge or inclination that John would go on the career path he did. His first recollections of serious literature involved flipping through an astronomy book and being taken away by the images. He told me this has since left him with a “taste for space”, that can for sure be seen in his works. Starting with self-published compilation of poems (he even helped operate the printing press) called “This Citadel in Time”, he progressed to vast genres such as true-as-told UFO and extraterrestrial stories, fantasy, science fiction, several more works of poetry and as him and I had discussed earlier- Canadiana. Of course, coming back every now and then to space.

     Canadiana is were the “half a century” comment made me smile. It brought me back to a line in the preface of the book I had mentioned earlier titled “Fascinating Canada: A Book of Questions and Answers”. John, for the past fifty years, has dedicated roughly an hour a day to learning about our country. The knowledge has granted him such titles The Master Gatherer, I would say that's pretty accurate. When asked how he hasn't run out of things to study he explained to me how he thinks he never will! From our country growing in unexpected ways, we will always have more to learn. As a back up though, he mentions how the depth of quantum physics and infinite galaxies will keep him going. That first astrology book returns.

     To the fact that we know very little of ourselves, he says this needs to be ratified. Most of the residents from his now-home-city of Toronto not only come from a different town.. but a different country. They need to know about where they live as much as the residents who have been forever do.

     John isn't one to give advice, but he mentions the late Pierre Berton who said “find your klondike”. Find what you're passionate about, and learn it. Be it Canadiana like John and I, or maybe hockey like my roommate. Be it animals, or whatever your major at school it.

     Maybe us as Canadians need to learn our history more in schools, or take the time to do it ourselves. We as a nation (regardless of our comparably young age) can write a narrative as think as any other nation. We have reached levels of culture, development and historical footprints no one assumed we could in this time.      John has given me a clearer vision of why we need to do this, as well as given me personal pride two aspects. First that I now know more about my home country, but also that I have now had the honour of discussing it with an Order of Canada Member. I feel like someday John and I may talk again, maybe this time in person about our home nation. With all of this in mind, I want to leave you with some of the facts that I have learned from his book. Maybe others will flick through it after this.

#100. Thirteen year old Leonard Thompson was the first to benefit from insulin, in a Toronto hospital

#186. Russian Revolutionary Leon Trotsky was imprisoned in Amherst, Nova Scotia during the early days of the revolution.

#191. Prince Edward Island could fit into Lake Ontario

#250. A Canadian invented the Whoopee Cushion