Looking Up This morning I stepped outside and looked up. For the first time in several days, the sky was a brilliant blue. It struck me just how grateful I felt for something I normally don't give a second thought. I don't think I've ever appreciated a blue sky quite this much. The 191 wildfires burning across northern Ontario have forced thousands of people from their homes and changed entire communities. My heart has been especially with our First Nations communities, including...
7 days ago • 2 min read
The Foundation for Every Dream A little over a week ago, I got sick. Not the kind of sick where you can push through with some lemon ginger tea and an extra-strength Tylenol. The kind where your body quietly, but firmly, says, "Not today." My body gave me such a clear message that there was no choice but to stop. My mind couldn't think, and my body didn't want to move. I didn't even feel guilty for lying on the couch watching episode after episode of a series or for leaving my laptop closed....
14 days ago • 2 min read
The Luxury of Silence and Solitude Most people assume I'm an extremely social person. In fact, someone I had dinner with recently told me they thought I had more friends than anyone they'd ever met. While that isn't actually true, I did take it as a compliment. I know how to build meaningful relationships, stay connected, and nurture genuine connections. It's one of the gifts I've developed over the years. Yes, I know a lot of people. Through my career, volunteering, and the organizations...
20 days ago • 1 min read
Curiosity is my fuel It's why I feel like I’m picking up speed at 63 instead of slowing down. Showing up to learn, to honour, to celebrate. Pride. When I think I “know,” I close doors. When I stay curious, my world widens. Two years ago I knew almost nothing about human trafficking. Today I know much more, and it’s still only a fraction of what I want to learn. Curiosity keeps my mind fresh, stretches my perspective, and opens paths I couldn’t see before. Before a podcast recording this week,...
28 days ago • 1 min read
Walking Through Open Doors Right now, it's about walking through doors while they're opening wide in front of me. Not knowing exactly where they're leading, but knowing they're the right doors. Some doors are ready. Pull. It also means not trying to force open doors that aren't ready to open. That's a lesson I learned this week. The doors with my government advocacy work have been flying open, sometimes faster than I'm ready for. But running through them feels easy, right, joyful. The retreat...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
What courage feels like in a room This week, I had the privilege of attending a book event in Toronto featuring Gisèle Pelicot. I want to be very mindful in how I share this. There is a weight to her story that deserves respect, not retelling. So I won’t go into details here. I invite you to look it up or, better yet, to read her book, A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides. But I do want to share what it felt like to be in that room. When she walked onto the stage, the entire audience...
4 months ago • 1 min read
The women who shape our lives Today is International Women’s Day, a day that commemorates women’s fight for equality and liberation within the broader women’s rights movement. It brings focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. When I think about this day, my mind goes in a million directions. I think about the women who have influenced my life. My mum showed me that a woman can be a strong mother and partner while also pursuing a...
5 months ago • 1 min read
The power of loosening your grip As I write this, all that remains are the Closing Ceremonies. The final medals have been awarded. Some athletes have already gone home. Others are packing their bags. There are celebrations, disappointments, and quiet reflections. And I have reflections too. I’m thinking about Lindsey Vonn, who gave her comeback everything she had, competing with a torn ACL in her left knee and a partial titanium replacement in her right. After five surgeries (four done in...
5 months ago • 1 min read
The quiet work no one sees Alex Bilodeau, Gold Medal, Sochi 2014 (Men’s Moguls) This past week, like so many Canadians, I found myself holding my breath. Watching athletes step onto the Olympic stage, knowing that behind those few minutes lived years, sometimes decades, of quiet, invisible work. Canada celebrated its first gold medal. Our pairs figure skaters stood on the podium after trying for 15 years. Fifteen years of showing up. Of falling. Of coming close. And continuing anyway. It...
5 months ago • 1 min read