Toronto’s most prominent food emporium for Indigenous cuisine in the city has announced it is closing down its Bloor Street West location. NishDish made the announcement via Instagram today.
“We want to say CHI-MIIGWECH to our community for showing so much love and support during 3 amazing years at our first-ever storefront….. Now we need your help through this transitional phase to find a new home,” the post read, in part.
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When it first opened, the restaurant spearheaded a resurgence in First Nations cuisine in Toronto thanks to the creative cooking of Anishinawbe chef Johl Whiteduck Ringuette. Dishes included, for example, the likes of Venison stew with roasted root veg flavoured with sage and juniper as well as dishes made with game meats such as elk.
The restaurant is making an appeal to the public via GoFundMe for funding to continue the NishDish vision of “Indigenous food sovereignty,” and locking down a new location. Donations, according to the page, will go towards “overhead costs and diversification of our products.”
Further information on the fundraising page set up by NishDish indicates the restaurant is not just a place for good and unique cuisine but has also gone to great lengths to benefit the greater community.
For instance, NishDish explains that a number of community projects have grown out of the restaurant including the Indigenous Harvesters and Artisans Market, as well as the Red Urban Nation Artists Collective’s Indigenous Murals project.
In addition, the restaurant helped in the creation of two community not-for-profit organizations: “Ojibiikaan Indigenous Cultural Network and TIBA Toronto Indigenous Business Association as well as a number of Miinikaan community gardens.”
Clearly, the restaurant has made a positive impact that goes beyond the already great work in introducing traditional First Nations food to the city.
“Your prayers, your thoughts, your kind words, your support, your financial donations, all go to supporting NishDish. All of these projects are interconnected to Indigenous Food Sovereignty, culture and ceremony because one is not without the other!”
So far, since the campaign launched on May 5 it has raised almost $5,000 towards its goal of $80,000.
With more businesses being allowed to open next week and certain stores requiring customers to wear face masks, the demand for non-medical grade reusable masks and gloves is growing. Joseph Tassoni, a local fashion designer based in Burlington, is responding to that demand by manufacturing protective equipment.
“This initiative is a chance for us to use our skills, supply chain and equipment to help produce products that will bridge the protective equipment gap in hospitals,” says Tassoni.
The material used in Tassoni’s masks is a specially-sourced material that resists the build up of moisture and bacteria which differentiates these masks from many of the other cotton ones currently available for consumer use. By producing these masks and gloves, Tassoni is hoping to ensure that medical grade equipment is reserved for the health-care workers who require it.
The initiative is also helping to keep local workers employed and $5 from every purchase is also donated to Tassoni’s local hospital, Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington.
“Everything we produce is made right here in Burlington — so with your help we will be keeping members in our own community working, and most importantly, doing our part to keep our community’s essential workers and citizens safe,” says Tassoni.
On his website, Tassoni is offering four sets as part of this initiative. One is a Mother’s Day combo of three reusable masks in metallic rose, hot pink and aubergine for $39.99. More colour options are available in the regular three-pack. The reusable face mask and hand covering set is also $39.99. Additionally, the Joseph Tassoni T-shirt is available with the message “Keep our workers working” across the front.
Tassoni is known for his eponymous men’s and women’s outerwear label. He studied fashion at Ryerson University before working for companies such as Joseph Mimran & Associates and LaParka. His brand is known for its inventive designs that do not sacrifice comfort for style.
Toronto gets back another fine dining favourite with the return of Edulis, which is debuting a multi-course dinner takeout program this week.
Regularly ranked among the city’s best restaurants, Edulis is known for its exceptional, seasonal menus, which focus on seafood, vegetables, and foraged ingredients.
Edulis had fallen quiet on social media in the weeks following mandated dining room closures, leaving us to wonder if the restaurant was going to remain shuttered until social distancing restrictions were lifted.
This week, however, Edulis announced the launch of a set dinner pick-up offering. Available for preorder through Tock, Edulis at Home appears to follow a similar model to Alo’s fine dining takeout program.
It will feature weekly, five-course meals priced at $65 per person, which can be preordered for fixed pick-up times at Edulis’ west end restaurant.
The first week’s menu, dubbed “Edulis Picnic at Home,” features chicken Marbella with prunes, olives, and capers; poached wild BC side stripe shrimp with ramps, radishes, and green goddess dressing; and carrot cake with whipped mascarpone, among other dishes.
Diners have the option to add bottles of wine or extra snacks and pantry items onto their orders. This week’s options include a cheese plate with a trio of artisan cheeses or 200g of the Laiterie Chagnon cultured salted butter that’s typically served with bread at the restaurant.
Orders can also include food bundles from some of Edulis’ suppliers, including an organic veggie “Goody Bag” from Soiled Reputation Farm.
Pick-up slots for the launch week of Edulis at Home, which is available May 8, 9, and 10, were all but sold out at the time of writing.
You’ll likely need to keep an eye on the restaurant’s Instagram and be quick on the draw if you want to book a spot for next week.
After cancelling its festival in March after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all public events in Toronto, the Luminato Festival is announcing a virtual program to run June 11 to 13, 2020.
The three days of programming will bring artists and thinkers together with audiences from across Canada and around the world. Although the full slate of programming is set to be announced soon, the festival states that the weekend will feature live and pre-recorded performances, conversations, panels, DJ sets and participatory programming, alongside key works from past Luminato Festivals. This free event will run from 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 11 until late on Saturday, June 13 and will include family programming beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
“We were all heartbroken to lose this year’s festival which promised our community so many exceptional experiences, but in its place, we’re thrilled to be presenting this re-imagined virtual version, to our international friends as well as all our Toronto family,” said Anthony Sargent, CEO of Luminato. “Of course it doesn’t substitute for the ‘live’ days we had planned on the stages and streets of Toronto from June 11 to 28, but we’re all very excited by it as a completely fresh kind of Luminato adventure.”
According to Luminato, some of the works that were going to be performed at the 2020 festival will appear in future festivals, while audiences of this year’s virtual festival will get a sneak peek into others.
“For three days, we will take you to artists’ homes, into virtual spaces, and onto the streets of Toronto, reminding you of past Luminatos when we were able to gather together, and anticipating a future when we can meet in person once more,” said Naomi Campbell, artistic director at Luminato. “Our virtual festival honours artists and audiences, our donors, funders and volunteers, as well as our indefatigable and resilient front-line workers, and we trust it will offer hope, joy, solace and much food for thought as we ponder our uncharted future.”
Cheryl Cartwright is the Managing Partner & Director of Case Management for our Home Care Assistance. Cheryl is a certified gerontologist with a specialized diploma in Alzheimer’s and dementia in addition to a diploma in emergency communications/ crisis management.
What can you do when you or your loved one are stuck at home during an outbreak? How will they manage their personal care or picking up groceries? And how will you help them to manage the feelings of isolation and anxiety?
Many of us feel anxious and fearful about COVID-19. If you have an elderly or at-risk loved one, we can help inform you about supporting elders and making sure they are safer at home. In addition to keeping elders safe at home it is critical that we continue to ensure that they live happy, fulfilled lives and eliminate as much anxiety as possible.
Here are three ways that caregivers can keep elders safe and comforted at home:
1. Make it Easier and Safer to Stay at Home
The safest place for even relatively healthy elders is often in their own homes. It is critical to make sure that the home is well stocked with essential supplies. In addition to that, the “happiness list” should be full too; favourite foods, games, activities, books and notes/ letters from loved ones all go a long way to easing the strain of isolation. In-home caregivers are experts in making sure all these client needs are met. For example, professional caregivers can make sure the supplies are well stocked and case managers oversee grocery deliveries with no more than a two day wait.
2. Get Creative with Companionship
Elders who live alone already are at risk for isolation and loneliness. Your loved one may feel anxious and disconnected from others during this uncertain time. Social distancing means family members shouldn’t visit. However a regularly scheduled in-home caregiver (either living-in or on shift basis) is a wonderful connection to the outside world and companion within the home.
Someone to help with a hobby, exercises or set up ways to communicate with loved ones such as writing letters, phoning, or using video calls is vital.
Did you do the crossword or Sudoku together with your relative before isolation? How about continuing to do it together virtually? Technology allows us to work together on projects like these from remote locations. If your loved one isn’t great with technology a caregiver can help with the technicalities.
You can try a virtual activity like listing 2 things that are similar and have your loved one guess the common theme. For example, “Gretzky and Orr were _________” or “Sparrows and Finches are _________”.
3. Protect and Reassure Your Loved One
Being alone during a time of uncertainty can lead to fear and anxiety. Your loved one needs to know that support is available. As a family caregiver you are doing your best to meet the needs of those who depend on you while following safety recommendations. However you also have yourself, other family members, your job and other daily activities to think about. A professional caregiver has only one person to focus on and take care of. Consider home care as a good fit for keeping your elderly loved one safe while they stay at home.
It was during the SARS crisis that Vishnuka Arulsundaram decided on her career path. She was a master’s student studying microbiology and volunteered at a cancer centre. “SARS exposed me to infection control practitioners (ICP) and the role they play, especially for vulnerable patients,” she says. Arulsundaram spent four years as a registered nurse before transitioning to infection control and says that experience solidified her desire to help prevent the spread of infections in vulnerable patient populations. “And now I’m doing just that in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre,” she says of her work with the University Health Network. Working in this field, Arulsundaram says she knew a pandemic was coming but didn’t know when. “We always thought it would be a novel strain of influenza, not coronavirus,” she says. The most difficult challenge for Arulsundaram in this time has been physical distancing. “My daycare right now is my mom, and we have chosen not to bring my daughter back and forth from my parents, to practise physical distancing and not risk my parents’ health because kids can serve as carriers,” she says. “It’s very difficult to be separated from my daughter right now.” It is the nurses around Arulsundaram that keep her motivated. “They always check in on me and tell me how thankful they are to have me as their ICP,” she says. “In reality, it’s me who is thankful to work with our wonderful RNs. These nurses come in every day, pandemic or not, and give it their best to care for ill patients.”
A few weeks after occupational therapist Karen Azavedo began working with COVID-19 patients, she began to show symptoms of the virus. “I developed a cough and tickle in my throat, and, as per our hospital’s policies, I had to be tested and sent home,” she says. In mid-April, the test at Toronto Western Hospital which is part of the University Health Network confirmed that Azavedo had the virus, and she began self-isolating at a colleague’s home in the spare bedroom. “The hardest part is having to leave my family and being away from them until I’m well,” says Azavedo, who left her husband and 18-month-old daughter as she entered isolation. Azavedo, who has been an occupational therapist for 14 years, says she chose the profession because it allows her to work with patients to maximize their function after a hospitalization or illness. “There is something wonderful about being able to help others in a period of uncertainty in their lives,” she says. But she notes that never in her wildest dreams did she think she would face a pandemic like this in her career. “Once the pandemic hit, the hospital had to adapt and restructure in a short time frame. An entire floor was devoted to COVID-19 patients, and I was assigned to be the first occupational therapist on the COVID-19 unit,” says Azavedo. Her focus was to maximize function for patients as they recover and plan their discharge. Currently, Azavedo is thankful for the support she’s received from colleagues and friends and is grateful she can see her husband and daughter through video calls.
For more than 25 years, Zelia Souter has been part of the nursing team at Toronto General Hospital which is part of the University Health Network and is now a manager in the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre’s cardiology unit. Her desire for patient care was sparked back in her teen years. “I had volunteered in a hospital as a teenager, and while there, I observed nurses expressing kindness and compassion for patients who were in pain or struggling with a new diagnosis,” says Souter. “They created an environment that helped people to recover and heal.” Souter says she always knew a pandemic was possible, but the effects of COVID-19 have drastically changed her work life. “During the pandemic, I am acutely aware of the need to communicate effectively, ensure staff are following new processes and policies, and more than ever, I need to be available to answer questions,” says Souter. She says her biggest challenge has been to remain focused on positive action. “Others look to me for how to behave, so I always try to do my best to remain calm and use a rational approach when solving issues,” she says. Souter has been working long hours and the exhaustion has also been a challenge. “One Saturday afternoon, I left the house to take my dog for a walk. When I turned the corner, one of my neighbours came outside and clapped for all health-care workers and said thank you,” says Souter. “She said she did not see me for some time and wanted to express her gratitude. After a difficult week, I was instantly energized.”
With more than two decades of experience under her belt, Dr. Andrea Furlan never thought she would witness a pandemic of this magnitude in her career, and it has changed her practice drastically. She has converted almost all of her patients to telephone and video consults, and for those who come in person, she is wearing a protective mask. “It is hard to show you are smiling and empathetic when you have a mask covering 50 per cent of your face,” she says. “When I call patients on the phone, I also remember to smile, since people can ‘hear’ your smile.” Dr. Furlan is a physician and senior scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute which is part of the University Health Network specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. “I care for patients living with chronic pain, who face unique fears around COVID-19,” she says. Dr. Furlan says her patients began flooding her with questions about how the virus might impact their condition, and she knew there must be more people out there with the same concerns. So she created the hashtag #COVIDpain to launch a Twitter chat. “Topics explored concerns over stress making pain worse to worries about pain medications being backlogged or contraindicated,” says Dr. Furlan. Based on the success of the first chat, she has decided to facilitate a second one as well. When it comes to her own coping strategies, Dr. Furlan says it’s the messages from people that motivate her to keep going.
On April 21, Gillian Gravely, an advanced practice nurse educator (APNE) at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, began a voluntary redeployment to Rekai Centres long-term care facility. “Having worked the front line through SARS, I always thought another deadly virus could come along at some stage — but never to the extent of COVID-19 and its unimaginable global impact,” says Gravely. As an APNE, her role is to keep staff updated with best practices around personal protective equipment and also provide support and understanding of their anxiety and concerns. She is providing that same coaching and support at Rekai Centres. “When I learned about what was happening in long-term care, with no visitors allowed on top of being short staffed, I was horrified. These residents are someone’s mum, dad or neighbour — and our most vulnerable population.” So when the University Health Network, which includes Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, put out an appeal to staff to help, Gravely stepped forward. “I volunteered because, if I can at least support and improve the care of just a few people, I have helped to make a difference,” she says. The nightly 7:30 p.m. noisy salute on Gravely’s street is one gesture that warms her heart after a tough day. “But what is even more inspiring is the resilience of humanity. Globally we are all in this together, and the kindness and generosity is connecting us all,” Gravely says. “I do believe we will get through this.”
At the beginning of March, Dr. Tasleem Nimjee says her entire team in the emergency department at Humber River Hospital was running on adrenaline. “I had trouble sleeping at night. What kept me up wasn’t worry about my own safety — a mother never worries about herself,” says Dr. Nimjee. Instead she was worrying about her children, her husband, her parents and, of course, her patients. “It is terrible to be sick, to be scared and to be without your family by your side. This kind of isolation from those you love takes a real toll on the human spirit. As health-care workers, we are doing our best to fill that gap,” she says. Dr. Nimjee is the physician lead for the COVID emergency response and the director of medical innovation at the hospital. “As an ER physician, I now wear personal protective equipment for every patient interaction, and much of this has to be worn all day. This makes it harder to do simple and important things like convey empathy to our patients or linger in a patient’s room when they might need a little more human contact,” says Dr. Nimjee. When she’s not in the ER, she is working administratively to support the hospital’s COVID emergency response by leading physicians to adopt virtual care platforms and creating educational content for staff on how to safely treat patients with COVID-19 infections. “What I value most about my job is that I get to connect with people, often at their most vulnerable, and simply listen. You learn a lot when you listen,” says Dr. Nimjee.
As a university student, Julie Nardi says she was always fascinated by virology. “As a respiratory therapist, I started my career only a few short years after SARS hit Toronto but have worked during the threats of H1N1 and Ebola and have always felt it was just a matter of time before something bigger hit,” she says. While working a shift on New Year’s Eve at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, she read a headline that a novel SARS-like virus had been identified in Wuhan, China and that multiple people were infected. “It was in that moment when I thought, this is it,” says Nardi. She says Sunnybrook has been actively preparing for an influx of patients since the admission of the hospital’s first COVID-positive patient in January. It’s this type of environment that reminds Nardi why she chose this career. “I was drawn to the idea of working in a fast-paced environment with individuals from different professional backgrounds, all having the common goal of providing optimal care,” she says. Her biggest challenge has been ensuring the team stays ready, but she says the support from the community has been phenomenal. “Members of the Leaside community have shown their appreciation for our team by sending baked goods and handwritten messages of love and support,” says Nardi. “Respiratory therapists are the silent heroes of the front line. Day in and day out, we care for the most critically ill patients, and it has been so uplifting to feel the support of family, friends, and the community.”
Siew Tang has been a registered nurse for 38 years and has spent much of that time at North York General, including during the 2003 SARS crisis. “We were providing care to patients in the emergency department as many of them were our own health-care workers. It was frightening and stressful watching your own being infected and suffering from the virus,” says Tang. Now, as she faces the COVID-19 pandemic, Tang says the number of patients is more than she has encountered or witnessed in her decades-long career. “The leadership team was proactive and engaged us, as front line staff, to create new pathways, training modules, and instilled a safety-first mentality with a serious focus on PPE,” she says. Wearing PPE for a full shift in triage is a big challenge for her — her throat is dry and her skin is cracking from the friction of the mask. “I have had to remove my wedding ring due to the skin breakdown around my fingers from the sanitizer and frequent handwashing,” she says. Another challenge is that she will not be able to fulfill her promise to visit her mom this Mother’s Day due to the travel restrictions. Tang pursued nursing after watching her mom and grandmother care for her dad who suffered a stroke in his 40s. “It was a very powerful image watching two very strong women unselfishly take care of others before themselves,” she says. She always reminds herself of the human side of this pandemic. “Every patient is someone’s mom, dad, brother, or sister.”
ER physician Dr. Jennifer Tomlin says the influx of patients to North York General Hospital had increased substantially by mid-March. “During the initial stages of the pandemic, our volumes were incredibly high. We were seeing over 500 patients per day,” she says. Along with her ER colleagues, she was staying well past the official end of her shifts to manage the number of patients. “We face infectious challenges at all times that can put immense pressure on our department, but the COVID-19 pandemic elevates this to a whole new level,” says Dr. Tomlin. Many of her medical school clinical rotations and her residency program took place at North York General, and Dr. Tomlin says it didn’t take long for her to “get hooked on emerg.” The biggest challenge for her has been the anxiety over all the unknowns — the number of cases, the amount of PPE and ventilators needed — along with anxiety over her personal safety. “I worry about bringing the infection home to my family and not being able to see extended family as we take self-isolation and social distancing very seriously,” she says. She relies on her 14 years of ER experience that have taught her to be very adaptable to rapidly changing situations. “As ER doctors, we are used to not knowing what’s coming in the door,” she says. “We have a strong desire, likely a feeling of duty, to keep our population and community cared for and safe. Our job is to manage crises, it is what we do best.”
Cheryl Cartwright is the Managing Partner & Director of Case Management for our Home Care Assistance. Cheryl is a certified gerontologist with a specialized diploma in Alzheimer’s and dementia in addition to a diploma in emergency communications/ crisis management.
