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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Liz West candidate Ward 30

Journalist makes a run for politics
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Sept. 11.)

Council candidate Liz West is taking on Paula Fletcher in Ward 30. Photo courtesy of Liz West.

Broadcast reporter Liz West wants to trade in the microphone for a seat on city council.
The Toronto-Danforth candidate is running in Ward 30 against incumbent Paula Fletcher.
“I’m a working mom, a taxpayer and local resident. I’m just as disillusioned as my neighbours with city hall,” said West, who is currently a freelance journalist with a makeover show on Cosmo TV.
She’s put her broadcast career on hold while she campaigns for public office. The fact she’s been an on-air reporter for 15 years with City News, CP24 and Canada AM gives her a certain level of name recognition and visibility, she said. But so does the fact she is a local resident.
“I’m pretty visible in the community,” West said Sept. 10 in between campaigning. “I’ve been in the area for 12 years. I shop locally. I have two young kids and when you have young kids you are mixing with other families. I am out using the parks.”

Kid reporter inspires me in Toronto

Nine year old reporter Brennan LaBrie started his own newspaper
This youngster renews my passion for journalism and my job
By Kris Scheuer

I have been a reporter and editor for 11 years and I love journalism.
But I have to say I have good and bad days like everyone else when it comes to feeling inspired.
My focus in on Toronto politics, people and news but I just had to tell you about nine-year-old Brennan LaBrie who lives in Port Townsend near Seattle in Seattle in Washington State.
It was a joy on Sept. 5 to come across a posting on the National Public Radio site about LaBrie’s hand written, self-published paper The Spruce St. Weekly.
I read the story by Ned Wharton about this young journalist LaBrie who interviews people, writes their stories and includes a section called This Day in History, plus fun facts and a hand drawn comic strip. He photocopies his weekly 2-page paper and sells it for a quarter to over 100 subscribers.
But it is watching the You Tube Video of LaBrie talking in his own words about why he enjoys being a reporter that really made me smile.