Toronto a Day in the Life 16

By Kris Scheuer

Here are my observations, reflections and comments on life in the big city-Toronto this past 10 days.
On Saturday May 19, I was on the Carlton streetcar riding along College Street when I saw a young family with a baby in a stroller. Their young boy (under two) had the most infectious laugh. It sounded like a mechanical toy. His laugh was almost unnatural as it sounded like a hahahaaaaaaaaaaa in one long continuous laugh. Kind of like as if you stepped on a baby toy by mistake and didn’t let your foot up so the sound just stayed stuck in one long string of sounds hahahahahahahaha. I started laughing so much at the sound of this young boy’s laughter that it brought tears to my eyes and the twenty-somethings (young men and women) sitting behind and across the aisle from this family and baby were also laughing along side this young toddler. It was just great.
Just the week before, I went to see the movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel a comedy about a group of mostly strangers, all British retires, who head to India to live out their golden years. It had me laughing out loud many times. One of the best lines is from actor Dev Patel’s (lead in Slumdog Millionaire) character Sonny Kapoor who says, “Everything will be alright in the end. And if it’s not alright, it’s not yet the end.”
Life is not all laughter of course. But these small moments caught me in this city and made me smile.
What has made you laugh or smile lately?  

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Back at Toronto city hall

By Kris Scheuer

I started a new job in Media Relations with Toronto Public Health for the City of Toronto on Monday, April 30. It’s combining my background in communications at St. Joe’s (St. Joseph’s Health Centre) and 12 years as a journalist with a decade of that reporting on Toronto politics.
It’s fast paced, fun and very fulfilling so far.

Good night and good luck

A new journey for me starts now
Kris Scheuer

Kris Scheuer (me).

The above headline Good Night and Good Luck was the sign off of famous American radio journalist Edward Murrow.
Well friends, after 13 years in journalism and 10 of those reporting on news, politics and city hall, I am signing off from reporting.
At least for now.
I said goodbye to my colleagues for the last 8.5 years at the Town Crier, and hello to a new team in public affairs at St. Joseph’s Health Centre
On May 4, I started an exciting and challenging new career with a one year contract as a communications associate at St. Joe’s hospital in Toronto. After just over a week on the job, I am already learning a lot and am busy writing for our website http://www.stjoe.on.ca. Some of my articles (two so far) will appear sans byline under the What’s New section. I will be writing monthly features for Hospital News, articles  for biweekly Connections newsletters , three editions of In the Community publication and website stories.
So far, I also attend hospital events and write about them, interview surgeons, nurses and other health care staff for profiles on them, new procedures, advances in health care, about teaching medicine for the next generation.
I will be helping with events around the hospital’s new wing Our Lady of Mercy opening later this year and our annual report.
Our department does internal communication to all staff in the hospital on any changes of procedure, policy, legislation, equipment, etc. And we handle external communication for every department in the hospital in coordination with the CEO.
At some point, I will be a spokesperson for the hospital and share the 24/7 on call role with my boss.
I remain a lifelong Torontonian and when appropriate can comment on life in Toronto from my perspective.
Keep you comments coming on anything I have written, will write or any of your observation on news and life in Toronto. I look forward to posting again soon.
After my contract is up in May 2012, I will either continue in communications at the hospital, elsewhere or venture back into journalism. We shall see what the future holds. I will of course keep you posted.

Politics, campaigns, election and rumours

Rumour mill includes falsehood I’m working for candidate
Someone spreads lie I’m on communication team for Dhanani
By Kris Scheuer

As a journalist for a dozen years including nine focused on politics, I am accustomed to interviewing politicians about rumours.
But I am not used to political rumours about me.
Yesterday, I got an email from  Satinder Sahota who’s working on Jon Burnside‘s election campaign in local race in Don Valley West Ward 26.
She’d heard I was a communications person for Ward 26 candidate Mohamed Dhanani’s campaign and wanted to know if this was true.
Of course it’s 100 percent false and I emailed and called her right away to say so.
I have never worked or volunteered on anyone’s political campaign, ever. And certainly would not do so at the same time as being employed as a political reporter who is interviewing candidates during the current 2010 election race.