Photo by Christopher Katsarov.
By Tayvie Van Eeuwen
@tayvieeee
There’s been an abundance of happy news lately! With big movements happening around the world, we have remember to be fill up before we can pour out. Read on for good news.
Local
Chilliwack family paints personal rainbow crosswalk following chilliwack council’s rejection
Cute and LGBTQ+ friendly. The best of both worlds!
On September 3, Chilliwack residents were shocked by city councils decision to strike down a request for a downtown rainbow crosswalk. The councillors remarked that the art would be “divisive,” a “political statement,” and an inappropriate use of tax payer money. *Excuses*
While Councillor Sue Knott said, “You cannot change attitudes by painting crosswalks,” Marty van den Bosch and his family challenged this very ideal.
After feeling disappointed by the council’s vote, van den Bosch decided to transform his emotions into action. As recounted by Daily Hive, his inspiration came from the Squiala First Nation, who had recently painted two rainbow crosswalks of their own.
“Our local First Nation here… they took it upon their own initiative to paint their sidewalks on their private landing at Eagle Landing,” van den Bosch told Daily Hive. “And I thought hey, you know, I have private property and we have a large, wide sidewalk.”
With the support of his wife and local paint company, Two Girls On a Roll, van den Bosch was able to get the job done. The result? A 38-ft-long rainbow crosswalk in front of the van den Bosch home.
To announce his project van des Bosch posted to Facebook saying,
“To me, diversity is important. We have a large cross section of people that live in our country, and in our city. Each and every one of us are different, often in many ways.I do my best to treat people based on their actions, and their words, not on things like their sexual orientation, race or any other attributes they were born as.”
We need more people like you, Marty.
over 3,000 hectares of Land returned to we wai kai nation
After more than two decades of treaty negotiations, the We Wai Kai Nation has signed an agreement with the provincial government to return over 3,000 hectares of land.
This land, on the east coast of Vancouver, is home to approximately 1,150 members within the Campbell River and Quadra Island areas. In the latest treaty, both parties have agreed to re-indigenize land around Campbell Lake.
In addition to the land, the government has also forgiven millions of dollars in loans and expenses amassed by the nation in the treaty process.
As recounted in The Globe and Mail, “Chief Brian Assu says the First Nation is building a forestry industry and owning and managing private land is important as it develops its economy.”
With August marking the fifth stage of the treaty process, the final stage will hopefully finalize the agreement soon.
Here’s to returning stolen land.
Nationwide
Two-spirit and indigenous married couple make historic win at the amazing race canada
The latest pair to win the Amazing Race Canada has captured the nation’s hearts. Anthony Johnston and James Makokis of Team Ahkameyimok have become the reality show’s first two-spirit and Indigenous couple to be crowned winners.
Throughout the show’s challenges, the couple hoped to draw attention to culturally significant issues. Their main messaging lay in their clothing, complete with handmade red skirts, a red bandana for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and blue shirts labeled “Water is Life” in reference to the ceremonial and cultural practices of water.
As for life after the Amazing Race, Johnston and Makokis hope to utilize their fame for good. Currently, they are focused on fundraising efforts for a cultural healing centre in Alberta’s Kehwein Cree Nation.
In addition to monetary efforts, Makokis told CBC it was important to use their spotlight for Indigenous issues, including awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women and support for two-spirit and transgender youth.
“By being a queer person, by being a person of colour, by being an American-Canadian couple ….” explained Johnston to CBC.
“By being Indigenous born with an Indian status number,” Makokis added.
“By default your existence is political and so we’re not doing anything different than what we do in our lives on a daily basis,” remarked Johnston.
“So any naysayers, I’m happy, because that means they’re being educated, that means they’re being exposed, that means they’re listening to something that we have to say and whether or not they agree with it is not my concern.”
Bianca andreescu conquers tennis: winning U.S. open and two canadian sports awards
By the way, she’s only 19 years old! Let that sink in.
In January, Bianca Andreescu was ranked 152nd in the world. However, after her incredible game and three WTA titles in the following months, she has now moved to number five.
Andreescu has become a household name following her historic U.S. Open win against Serena Williams on September 8. Since then, Canada has been buzzing over the #SheTheNorth idol, but her iconic wins haven’t stopped yet.
To start, September 16 has been declared Bianca Andreescu Day in the City of Toronto. In addition, she has also been given the key to her hometown of Mississauga, Ontario, and had a street named “Andreescu Way.”
However, her latest Canadian victory comes in the form of two Canadian Sport Awards. At September’s 42nd Annual Canadian Sport Awards, Andreescu was named the female summer athlete of the year and people’s choice for performance of the year.
Congratulations Bianca!
Worldwide
Two Tennessee students donate clothes to bullied classmate
The idea of “fitting in” and “normalcy” in high school is still a constant threat to student safety, a struggle Tennessee student Michael Todd has been struggling with all his life.
As Todd had been growing at a rapid pace his entire school career, his mother could not afford to consistently buy new clothes. Unfortunately, this led students at MLK College Preparatory High School to bully him for his small array of outfits.
“I really don’t have clothes at home. My mom can’t buy clothes for me because I’m growing too fast,” Todd told Fox 19. “I’ve been bullied my entire life.”
Little did Todd know that football players Kristopher Graham and Antwan Garret were preparing to step in.
Three weeks after the start of the school year, Graham and Garrett surprised Todd with bags of clothes, shoes, and more. The items were straight from their own closets.
“He wasn’t smiling or anything, and I was like, ‘I think this is going to make you smile,’” Graham explained. “I told him, ‘We’re in the same third period and I apologize for laughing at you and I want to give something to you to make it up.’”
As for Todd, he said the encounter was, “The best day of my entire life, basically. I was very happy. Shocked completely.”
Watch the touching video here.
Grandfather with vitiligo crochets dolls for children with skin condition
As feminists consistently remind the media, representation matters. Luckily, for children living with vitiligo, a non-contagious skin condition known for patches of absent pigment, there is now a doll for them.
Brazilian grandpa, João Stanganelli Junior, has been living with vitiligo for approximately 22 years. In that time, he says he hasn’t felt pressure around his condition, but he told CTV News the social stigma for children can be devastating.
Staganelli had been looking to make something memorable for his granddaughter Isabella, when his wife suggested crocheting. After five initial days, he made his first doll for Isabella.
Soon, others in his social circle became aware of his talent and asked for their own personalized dolls. His dolls eventually became a niche, showcasing folks with wheelchairs, hearing aids, alopecia, and more.
Stanganelli told CTV News that “he’s been ‘amazed by people asking for dolls’ and felt ‘gratitude for the varied responses of adults and children.'”
As Stanganelli continues his work, he hopes to show others, “The spots [he] has are beautiful. What hurts [him] are the flaws in peoples’ characters.”
Follow his Instagram to see more of his heartwarming work!
21-year-old hotel employee named a hero after natural disaster
The week of September 16, Texas, USA, got hit with torrential flooding, threatening the lives of thousands. When Tropical Storm Imelda passed through the state, local roads and highways became unusable. For guest at the Homewood Suites in Beaumont, this meant they were stuck with no way out.
Fortunately, the 90 guests of the local hotel were granted Satchel Smith. As the only employee, Smith ran the hotel for 36 hours straight, acting as a manager, desk attendant, maintenance worker, and cook. Without other employees able to travel safely, he braved the day and a half with remarkable courage and positivity.
To commend his efforts, guest, Angela Chandler, published a post to Facebook praising the college student. She wrote:
“Satchel has been here all night. His coworkers couldn’t make it to work so he stayed. He has manned the phones, answered each of our questions, ensured that we have had a hot cup of coffee or tea, and helped serve us a hot breakfast. He has handled this situation with grace, kindness, and a beautiful smile on his face.”
Smith told CNN that the “guests were very helpful,” even braving the storm to help deliver clean water and food to grounded truckers nearby.
On Friday morning, his co-worker arrived and he was able to take a short nap before returning to work. Soon after, his family picked him up and brought Smith home.
Good people do exist.
A self-declared witch, Tayvie spends her time with all things magic. Her circle is small, but her joy is large. She splits her time between over-thinking and visiting Disneyland. Read her articles to take a peek inside the world of mental illness and happy news, because it’s all about balance, right?
