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COVER PHOTOWILL ROBERTSON
ENDLESS GRATITUDE TO AN INSPIRING LEADERWRITTEN BY: VICTORIA PHAM | PHOTO BY: UNKNOWN
THE RISE OF THE RAPTORWRITTEN BY: ROSS YELLOWLEES | PHOTO BY: ERICA EDWARDS
SUMMER IN THE CITYWRITTEN BY: VERA QI-LIN | PHOTOS BY: SARA ROBERTSON, FABIENNE LEE, ERICA EDWARDS
BLUE DRAGONSWRITTEN BY: TIM CHEUNG | PHOTO BY: REBECCA TWOSE, NARYAN WONG
THE AD AIN’T SO BADWRITTEN BY: JOSH GLADSTONE | PHOTO BY: ERICA EDWARDS
ROTATION-RELOCATIONWRITTEN BY: SARA ROBERTSON | PHOTO BY: NARYAN WONG
TORONTO ON WHEELSWRITTEN BY: TIM CHEUNG | PHOTO BY: FABIENNE LEE, SUMEYRA INCE
THE INTERNS GIVE BACKWRITTEN BY: NOKHI KHAMAR & CAROL LIU | PHOTO BY: SARA ROBERTSON
THE VALUE OF A MEMORYWRITTEN BY: IRIS WONG | PHOTO BY: WIKIPEDIA
CONTENT & CONTRIBUTORS
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JOSH GLADSTONE
LEAD EDITOR
IRIS WONG
LEAD EDITOR
ERICA EDWARDS
LEAD DESIGNER
FABIENNE LEE
DESIGNER
Sun’s out, pun’s out—Welcome
Full Signal readers to the new Sum-
mer Issue! This edition, we were
graced with the writings of some
amazing new members as Ross
Yellowlees, Victoria Pham and
Sara Robertson joined the team.
Also, we were lucky enough to
have two interns, Anokhi Khamar
and Carol Liu help us out as well!
If you love summer, then this is-
sue is for you. Keep reading for
an amazing take on Summers
in Toronto, a unique perspec-
tive on the rising Raptors, a
great congratulations to our be-
loved Tegan, and much more.
Happy Summer!
The Full Signal Team
NOTE FROM THE EDITORS
FULL SIGNAL is a newletter pub-
lished by Grads in the Graduate
Leadership Program. We feature
articles on the telecom industry,
interesting stories, as well as pro-
files of our managers, directors,
and peers.
WHAT IS FULL SIGNAL?
CONTRIBUTORS
Want to get involved? Give us a
shout at FullSignal@bell.ca. We
look forward to hearing from you!
The month of August always
brings about the imminent end of
summer. But despite Mother Na-
ture gradually telling us to slow
down our summer activities, the
GLP is only just picking up. After
a busy summer filled with Intern
Programs, 4.0 Onboarding and
Alumni Program kick-offs, there
will be no shortage of activities or
areas of involvement for the Fall
months ahead.
Check out the list below for some
ideas of what to look forward to
and do not hesitate to contact a
member of your friendly neigh-
bourhood Leadership Develop-
ment team if you have any ques-
tions or want more information
about how to get involved:
AUGUST 28: 2.0 Graduation – Congratulate your
2.0 peers on successfully completing
the GLP!
SEPTEMBER 8: 3.1s Start their second rotation – Wish
a 3.1 good luck with their new role!
SEPTEMBER 8/9: 4.1 Onboarding - Introduce yourself
to the new faces at Bell!
Congratulations to the 35 graduates of Bell’s 2012 Mobility & Residential
Services Graduate Leadership Program! As the 2.0 grads leave the warmth
of the Grad bubble and move on to their final landing roles, take a look
back at their experience in the GLP by checking on the 2012 GLP Yearbook!
www.issuu.com/ashleynwhelan/docs/2012_glp_yearbook
WHAT’S UP IN THE GLP
SEPTEMBER 17: 4.0s Present to JW – Reach out to
your 4.0 buddy to offer your support!
SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER: Recruitment Season – Volunteer op-
portunities available for campus ses-
sions and interviews!
TBD: 3.0 Team Building Day – more details
to come soon!
It was a beautiful and breezy day in June 2011 when Tegan first heard the exciting
news: she was about to join the GLP team as the Leadership Development Manager.
With just a few weeks until the first 18 GLP - freshmen’s official start date, Tegan
worked hard alongside John, Maria and Nancy to plan everything. From the program
structure to on-boarding, from mentorship to rotations planning, all details were in
order to ensure a successful start to the GLP program. And the results? Monumental.
Now, three years later, she is responsible for launching a program with over 130+ grads,
maintaining 5% attrition and high engagement across the program. The program has
been recognized in our industry for winning two distinguishing awards in 2014, includ-
ing Best Grad Program (TalentEgg’s National Campus Recruitment Excellence Awards
voted by students), and Excellence in Innovation, Leadership Development (Cana-
dian Association of Career Educators and Employers). With Tegan now moving on to
her next, new challenge as the Associate Director of Talent Acquisition, we wanted to
share with you her inspiring thoughts about her time with the program.
ENDLESS GRATITUDE TO AN INSPIRING LEADERWRITTEN BY: VICTORIA PHAM
FS: What was your proudest
moment throughout the GLP
Program?
TM: Watching each grad grow
and develop through the pro-
gram stages from the very first
moment meeting them on cam-
pus, to onboarding them on
their first day at Bell, in front
of John Watson. Another great
moment was in May 2013 when
we had the opportunity to pres-
ent at the Talent Egg confer-
ence in front of over 200 people
and received great feedback on
our Bell programs.
FS: What were some of the chal-
lenges you faced along the way?
TM: I view challenges as ‘oppor-
tunities’ and ensured that with
any obstacle the team was faced
with, they communicated and
re-prioritized as needed. The
support on the team was ever
changing with new grads com-
ing in on rotations which made it
difficult at times to get ahead on
new projects.
FS: If you could go back, would
you have done anything differ-
ently?
TM: That’s a tough question—
there are so many great things
to do for the program that our
team wanted to focus on. I would
have had more face time with all
the grads. With the first groupin
2011, I was able to have one-on-
ones with everyone for 30 min/
bi-weekly, however, it became un-
sustainable with the team chang-
es and the program expanding
year over year. If I could go back
in time, I would build the resourc-
ing on the team to be structured
and have capacity to move around
different offices to enable more
face-time with grads to assess en-
gagement.”
FS: What is your outlook and goal
for the program as we go for-
ward?
TM: For all the grads to continue
to collaborate, build relationships
across Bell, grow, learn, and have
a strong, self-sustaining network.
Tegan’s biggest motto is “Everything happens for a reason”. There is a master
plan in place, and it is your job to follow your gut and trust your instinct. To start
her career in HR, Tegan actually was teaching at a local swimming pool when
she met the person who connected her to her first job in HR (a story for another
time). It’s difficult to put into words the resounding impact that Tegan had on
our lives. John Adams once said,
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and
become more, you are a leader.”
Thank you Tegan for being our inspiration to dream, learn, do and become more!
FS: Any parting advice for grads?
TM: Don’t take anything person-
ally at work. You’ll work with
many different people in your ca-
reer and you’ll have to remember
that feedback is constructive and
not personal. The best people you
work with will give you construc-
tive feedback as they want to see
you succeed!
Don’t think of it like a problem,
think of it like an opportunity
(courtesy of my mom). For exam-
ple, with the grad program, there
were challenges at the beginning
getting the business to adopt to
new grads on rotation, but with
continual selling and promo-
tion of grad value, it’s become a
very strongly supported program
across Bell.
THE RISE OF THE RAPTORWRITTEN BY: ROSS YELLOWLEES
It wasn’t long ago that the Toronto
Raptors were an afterthought in
most Torontonians minds. It didn’t
matter if it was the Maple Leafs, the
Blue Jays, or even the acclaimed Ar-
gonauts that took precedence—ul-
timately, the Raptors were regard-
ed with a shrug of indifference.
That, of course, all changed in
early December of 2011—the
day Bell bought a majority stake
in the MLSE, and with it, the
then-fledgling Toronto Raptors.
The deal didn’t just signify a
change of ownership. It repre-
sented a fundamental shift in the
teams culture. When the Teach-
ers Pension Fund owned the Rap-
tors, they simply wanted people
to tune in to basketball as a means
of ensuring consistent returns. For
a pension fund, little investment
coupled with steady profits was
more than ideal. However, when
Bell gained ownership over the
Raptors, the backbone of the club’s
culture shifted away from sim-
ple financial gain to some-
thing more passionate: winning.
For Bell, the equation was straight-
forward. Bell Media needed ratings
to succeed. The Raptors needed to
win to ensure high ratings. If Py-
thagoras taught us anything about
the relationship between A’s, B’s
and C’s, it’s that Bell’s success lay
directly within that of the Raptors.
It’s no secret that live sports are by
far the most important aspect of
TV through the lens of advertising.
With the advent of PVR, Netflix and
streaming, customers now have the
options to pause adverts and skip
them all together. However, with
sports, there is only one way to
watch—in the present. And pres-
ence of mind to the game is highly
correlated to presence of mind to
the advertisements. Clearly, To-
ronto sporting success is pivotal to
Bell Media’s growth and profit. So
how has Bell’s formula impacted
the Raptors as we’ve progressed
through the decade? Well, since
Bell purchased ownership in MLSE,
the Raptors have consistently im-
proved year to year. With only a
31% increase in salary cap from
2012 through 2014, the Raptors
have increased their wins per sea-
son by over 208%. For those fa-
miliar with investments and re-
turns, that would be dubbed as a
‘positive’ ROI. In the eyes of many
basketball analysts, if all free
agents stay loyal to the city of To-
ronto, then the Raptors will be a
serious contender to the Eastern
conference next year. But it isn’t
just analysts who are hopping on
the Jurassic bandwagon. Players
around the league finally want
to come to Toronto due largely in
part to the franchises newfound
ability to spend money and their
newfound emphasis on winning.
According to one Raptors ana-
lyst, the biggest change since Bell
bought ownership in MLSE is found
in the words of Tim Leiweke, CEO
of the MLSE: “the Raptors finally
have the blessing of the own-
ers to spend as freely as possible
if it means winning a champion-
ship.” That’s right, a championship.
If someone had mentioned the
words ‘Raptors’ and ‘Champion-
ship’ in the same sentence three
years ago, it would have been close-
ly followed by a fit of laughter and
a hard, sobering reality check.
But now, that’s all changed. As
evidenced through the 2013-2014
Raptors playoff campaign, this To-
ronto club is making noise north of
the border. The vibe is electric, and
you can feel it through every cor-
ner of the city. The Globe and Mail
recently published an article stat-
ing that basketball has the steepest
increase of Canadian viewership of
any sport watched in Canada. For a
team that once had the third worst
record in the NBA only three years
ago, that stat speaks volumes. And
for Bell, that stat is proof of success.
It all can be traced back to that one
key shift in Raptors culture—from
playing to play, versus playing to
win.
The wait has been long, but the re-
ward won’t just be historic. It will
be prehistoric.
We the North.
Now that any signs of ice and snow are just faded memories of a vicious win-
ter past, the city boasts the opportunity for all kinds of summer exploration and
discovery. It doesn’t matter if you are a lifelong resident or a new transplant to
the city—Toronto has a wealth of activities palatable to any type of individual.
SUMMER IN THE CITYWRITTEN BY: VERA QI-LIN
through Kensington Market
on Pedestrian Sunday (the last
Sunday of each month from May
through October) to take in the
eclectic mix of street performers,
vendors and really good tacos.
Meanwhile, St. Lawrence Mar-
ket hosts the largest indoor
market in the city with its mix
of vegetable and fruit markets,
butchers, cheese shops and ca-
fes. In the summer months, they
also feature a Farmers Mar-
ket on Saturday mornings, in
the event that you are an es-
pecially motivated early riser.
Though the Junction Flea now
alternates between its west-
end location at Sterling Road
and east-end location at Ever
For those searching for a brief
reprieve from city life, Toronto
Island offers the summer escape
you’ve been looking for. Capi-
talize on the abundance of open
space and clean air by biking
the trails or kayaking the water-
ways. If reliving the nostalgia of
childhood is more up your alley,
park yourself in the Centreville
Amusement Park and take ad-
vantage of the rides and attrac-
tions. Cap off your glorious day
in the outdoors with a picnic set
to the poetic backdrop of a set-
ting sun over the city skyline be-
fore returning back to reality.
If vintage finds, fresh produce,
or outdoor entertainment pique
your interest, there is a To-
ronto market for you. Roam
On Queen West, Trinity Bell-
woods offers the quintessential
Toronto park experience with its
numerous jogging trails, base-
ball diamonds and tennis courts
(along with the added bonus of
denim shirts and PBR). Several lo-
cal restaurants are now catering
to the park crowd with The Coun-
ty General and Parts & Labour
creating a picnic menu complete
with basket and optional bocce
ball rental.
Ultimately, Toronto plays host to
a number of summer activities
that expose the unique dynam-
ics of a city as diverse as ours.
From park hangouts to beer fes-
tivals, and from markets to street
performances, there are count-
less opportunities to take advan-
tage of all the city has to offer.
green Brickworks (which is tech-
nically outside of the Junction),
both still serve as a haven for those
in search of agood bargain or vin-
tage and antique items. For $2
admission, you can be transport-
ed to generations past to roam
the stalls for art, clothing, furni-
ture and other preloved trinkets.
In case you’re interested in
events that are more lounging
and less exploring, Toronto has
several notable parks that fit
that mold. On Sundays, you can
catch the Toronto Maple Leafs
(not those Leafs) play baseball
at Christie Pits. However, the
park’s reputation as a summer
staple comes largely from its sta-
tus as the city’s foremost unof-
ficial pool-hopping destination.
THE BLUE DRAGONSWRITTEN BY: TIM CHEUNG
Bell’s competitive dragon boat team, the Bell Blue Dragons, had their first race of
the season at Pickering on May 31st. Weeks of training and preparation surmount-
ed to three regatta throughout the day. In the first regatta, the team came 4th out
of four, with a time of 2:21.99. In the second regatta, they came 4th out of six with a
time of 2:18.77. In the final regatta, they came 2nd out of five with a time of 2:18.14.
Overall, the Bell Blue Dragons ranked 11th out of 15 in the Recreational division.
The event was an enlightening experience – it showed the team some of their
sources of strength and some areas to work on. The fact that they achieved pro-
gressively shorter times and better rankings from race to race indicates that the
team did not tap into their full potential throughout the event. Future prac-
tices will work on unleashing this potential right from the beginning. Further-
more, the team lost pace in several moments during the events. Maintaining
a unified pace is one of the most important factors in dragon boating, and fu-
ture practices will surely focus on achieving and maintaining proper cadence.
On June 21st and 22nd, the team participated in the Toronto International Dragon
Boat Race Festival, one of the largest events of its kind in Canada. They placed first
in the first 500m regatta with a time of 2:16.40, second in the second regatta with a
time of 2:19.18, and fourth in the third regatta with a time of 2:18.69. The team was
only two hundredths of a second from a medal – a disappointing result, but surely
a wake-up call. However, the incredible time achieved in the first regatta demon-
strates the improvements the team has made since the last race a month before. In
the 200m regatta, they placed fifth with a time of 0:55.13, a poorer result than ex-
pected, due to one of the paddles breaking during the third stroke of the race. Since
the event, the team has been working on a new start sequence, and will be putting
it to the test at the next race, GWN Sport, on Saturday July 19th at Marilyn Bell Park.
THE AD AIN’T SO BAD WRITTEN BY: JOSH GLADSTONE
There is a strong negative stigma surrounding targeted advertisements. But in a con-
sumer market swamped with choice, can relevant ads free us from unwanted clutter?
The other day I took the liberty of
conducting an entirely invalid and
exceedingly biased survey at work.
I drifted through the office, ask-
ing my colleagues their thoughts
on targeted advertising. The con-
sensus of my statistically insig-
nificant survey was resoundingly
clear: targeted advertisements
are universally disliked—nearly
as much as when the Bell escala-
tors temporarily become stairs.
Some thought that they are an
invasion of privacy. Another lik-
ened relevant ads to a cyber
stalker. A third melodramati-
cally took to referencing Orwell’s
1984: “If we allow Big Brother to
track our browsing history and
tell us what we want, then every-
thing we know about ourselves as
individuals will be destroyed.”
It appears that our society finds
targeted ads alarming enough
to threaten even the basic ten-
ants of the Geneva Conventions.
But does an unconventional work
survey truly represent the senti-
ment of general society? To an-
swer this rhetorical question, we
look towards Bell and its ‘Relevant
Ads’ program that was launched
nearing the end of 2013. The in-
tention of the program was sound:
by analyzing customers’ account
information and network usage,
Bell sought to make the adver-
tising banners seen on websites
more—for lack of a better word—
relevant to each user. It’s intuitive:
if you were browsing a website for
hammers, why would you want to
see an advert about a nail salon? I
see how that example can be mis-
construed, but you get the point.
Unfortunately, the backlash of the
program was both significant and
immediate. Call volume spiked
over a two week period following
the target launch, with customers
asking to opt out of the program.
The CRTC was implored by the Pub-
lic Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
to shut down the Relevant Ads pro-
gram based on its tracking and in-
vasion of customers “personal pri-
vacy”. The perception of both Bell
and the Relevant Ads program im-
mediately defaulted to the nega-
tive, despite its positive intentions.
In essence, the program failed—
driving the life out of this meta-
phor —to hit the nail on the head.
So, with the true attitude to-
wards targeted advertisements
unearthed, we must ask our-
selves a fundamental question:
are these cynical views towards
targeted advertising warranted?
More importantly, is this ‘inva-
sion of privacy’ a true threat?
There are two ways to answer this.
The first, finding roots in subjectiv-
ity, is my personal maxim: targeted
advertisements are a perfect bene-
fit. Let’s look at our lives holistically.
The irony of our society is that we
live in a world overwhelmed with
choice, yet we have an inability to
choose. In this advanced age of
consumerism, we have thousands
of options for literally every aspect
of our lives, and have very few
resources to facilitate a distinct
choice. Relevant ads are one (of
many) ways we can begin to make
a connection between our needs
and our wants. Imagine targeted
ads as a personal shopping assis-
tant—let’s call him Enrique—who
analyzes your tastes and pref-
erences and provides tailored
recommendations based on
the findings. Would you not
want to keep Enrique around?
The second answer is more objec-
tive in nature. Targeted adver-
tisements, in their current form,
pose absolutely no threat to any
consumers’ privacy. Customer in-
formation is collected and dis-
seminated with complete ano-
nymity, ensuring that no personal
details are disclosed about any one
customer. This methodology complies with Canada’s privacy regulations, so the
arguments posed by the PIAC will ultimately falter. This is not to say that com-
plete privacy exists on the Internet—in fact, nearly every third party website you
attend will collect data about you if you are not protected through an IP Proxy.
So if privacy is a concern for you, let relevant ads be the least of those concerns
So, with all this information finally made public, the choice is yours. Will you em-
brace Enrique as the helpful hand he is, or continue to cower behind fallacious
walls of unjustified fear?
ROTATION-RELOCATIONWRITTEN BY: SARA ROBERTSON
When I initially decided to join the Grad Program, I thought I knew what to
expect: exposure to Executives, plentiful socials with other grads, and amazing
rotational opportunities with the possibility of relocation. Having lost my previ-
ous roommate at the time to the city of Toronto due to an abrupt role reloca-
tion, I had secretly vowed to myself that I would never leave my native home
city of Montreal. And yet here I am, nine months after joining Bell, staring out
the window of a 13th floor Toronto apartment near Church street, wondering
how a city could be so muggy and cold at the same time. The reason I’m writing
this article is to dispense to you three buckets of wisdom that have helped me
make the most of this opportunity. Hopefully, in doing that, you’ll see why it is
I decided to relocate in the first place.
1. Wisdom Words # 1: Know What You Love To Do When my first rotation selection period came along, I was almost positive of the
role that I wanted. It was great job, allowing me to work with different people
and leverage some of my well-earned call centre experience. Most importantly,
it would allow me to stay in Montreal. The only problem was that when I pic-
tured myself in the role, it wasn’t giving me that excited, fluttery feeling one
usually gets before starting a new job. Thankfully, a well-timed email from the
Leadership Development Team listing off the benefits of working with them
caught my attention. I realized that the reason I wanted the other role wasn’t
because I was genuinely interested, but rather, because it meant that I could
stay at home. It was at that point that I started thinking more about the job
I wanted to do and the experiences I wanted to gain, rather than focusing on
where I wanted to be.
2. Wisdom Words # 2: Have an Open MindI have always considered myself to be pretty open-minded, (that is, with the
exception of living in Toronto). Maybe it was all that hockey rivalry, or the
increasingly outrageous mayoral antics of Rob Ford. Either way, something
had me dead-set against coming here. Moving cities is a terrifying experience.
I would know. Having moved twice in my life I have dealt with finding new
friends, creating a new routine, and constantly feeling lost. I dreaded leav-
ing Montreal for those same reasons and that negativity had an effect on my
first few weeks in Toronto. Luckily, some wise (and slightly annoyed) friends of
mine gave me some solid advice. They told me to stop comparing Montreal to
Toronto because neither city would ever be the other. Sure, I was missing sum-
mer in Montreal. But I was gaining a summer filled with new opportunities in
Toronto – including a Drake sighting. I could literally stop right there. But let’s
continue…
3. Wisdom Words # 3: Set Challenges for YourselfEven though I’m only in Toronto for a few months, I have still made it a per-
sonal goal to set realistic challenges for myself that can be attained before
leaving. Not only do I love the feeling of accomplishment (nothing beats check-
ing items off a to-do list!), but I have put myself in the habit of spending my
time productively. Now, when I leave this city in a few short weeks, I know that
I will be better at 4 or 5 more things than I was when I first left Montreal. How
is that for a good feeling?
So while I may never get used to the traffic, I actually think Toronto has a lot to
offer. Thanks to my relocation, I’ve made countless friends, explored a new city
and created opportunities for myself that might not have been possible had I
stayed in my cozy, brick-walled, Montreal apartment. And while my relocation
experience is biased towards T.Dot, the same things can be said for any new
city. So if you can, take that chance. Leap into a new adventure—you never
know what can happen.
Bicycling is a vital form of transportation
in any metropolitan area. It is often the
quickest way between two points with-
in the city, and it helps to both reduce
environmental impact and relieve traf-
fic congestion. With a population of ap-
proximately 2.6 million, Toronto is the
largest city in Canada and is therefore
home to many bike cooperatives, advo-
cacy groups, and recreational networks.
Take, for example, Bike Works at Ever-
green Brickworks. It is the site of a former
factory, and since its closure, has been
converted into an environmentally-fo-
cused community and cultural centre.
On weekends and holidays, Bike Works
opens its doors to the public, where rid-
ers of all ages and skill levels can bring
in their bikes to clean, lube up, and re-
pair with the assistance of expert staff.
Bike Pirates is another organiza-
tion whose mission is to empow-
er cyclists and make bicycles more
accessible. They do this by providing
low cost bikes and parts, mechanical
instructions to cyclists on a drop-in ba-
sis, and a Do-It-Yourself workspace for
anyone to work on their bikes. Fur-
thermore, they host Bike Rave, a night
ride through the streets of Toronto be-
tween dance destinations with bicycles
decked out with lights and speakers.
Last year, they garnered a 400-strong
crowd of cyclists for the event.
Evidently, Toronto has a significant cy-
cling culture which its residents should
be proud of. Bike to Work Day, which
happened this year on May 26th, start-
ed in Toronto, and has since evolved
into a nationwide month-long event
called Bike Month. It includes a mul-
titude of events such as daily group
rides, pancake breakfasts, picnics,
critical mass rides, guided bike tours,
family events, and much more. It is
hosted by Cycle Toronto, a member-
supported organizationfocused on ad-
vocacy for a cycling-friendly Toronto.
Nevertheless, there is still much that
Toronto can do to make itself more
TORONTO ON WHEELSWRITTEN BY: TIM CHEUNG
cycling-friendly. Compared to Montreal, the city is decades behind – where Montre-
al has a 730 km long network of bike lanes, Toronto has only 114 km. Bike lanes are im-
portant for the safety of cyclists – the number one cause of cyclist injuries is being side-
swiped by another vehicle travelling in the same direction, and the number two cause
is being struck by opening vehicle doors. Red tape and lack of political will are often
cited as important reasons for Toronto’s slow adoption of cycling culture, but organi-
zations such as Cycle Toronto are working to build and maintain that momentum. Their
campaigns helped move the political needle on a proposed project to implement pro-
tected bike lanes on Richmond and Adelaide, which was recently approved in June.
As Toronto grows, so too will its need for transportation. Its residents and politicians will
determine whether the city adopts a cycling-friendly culture, which would ultimately re-
duce the city’s environmental impact and help relieve its congestion issues. The recent ap-
proval of the Richmond/Adelaide project is indication of movement in the right direction.
HIGH PARK | PHOTO BY: SUMEYRA INCE
PHOTO BY: SARA ROBERTSON
THE INTERNS GIVE BACKWRITTEN BY: ANOKHI KHAMAR & CAROL LIU
On Wednesday, June 11th, a swarm of 33 good-looking individuals set out on a mission.
As they trickled into the North York Harvest Food Bank, they were greeted with a warm
welcome by the friendly staff. The Interns fashioned themselves with the Food Bank’s sig-
nature maroon aprons and began the start of an afternoon’s work.
The day began with a tour into the office and the warehouse, where the Interns were
introduced to 6 full-time staff who managed the entire organization, along with the help
of 55 to 100 gracious volunteers throughout the year. With over 2-million pounds of food
distributed annually, the North York Harvest Food Bank is a key facility that serves over
one third of population in the Greater Toronto Area. After gaining a deeper understand-
ing of the Food Bank’s mission, purpose and daily operations, the interns were eager to
begin their work. The mission began with the division of labour. All hands were called to
deck for labeling boxes, sorting food, packaging, and weighing the boxes on a scale. After
2 hours of hard work, the interns were able to sort through 11 large crates of food and
pack over 263 boxes weighing a whopping 5,283 pounds. The day ended on a success-
ful and rewarding note with a group picture (as seen below), and more importantly, the
warm feeling of knowing it was a job well done.
THE VALUE OF A MEMORYWRITTEN BY: IRIS WONG
Above all else, our memories are undoubtedly the most valued possessions. Memory
preservation has been embedded in our lifestyles using a variety of different me-
diums over the years. But as a generation, what are we proactively doing now to
capture and capitalize on our greatest asset?
That’s where 1 Second Everyday comes into the picture (no pun intended). App
designer Caesar Kuriyama originally developed 1 Second Everyday to enshrine all
of the “many tiny, beautiful, funny, tragic moments in life…and to never forget
another day again” . The concept behind this revolutionary app is simple: users film
one second of their lives every day for a predetermined amount of time. At the
end of the filming cycle, the app compiles all of the quick snap-videos to create a
montage of visual excerpts from the user’s life. The length of the cycle can be read-
justed to the preference of the user -whether it’d be for several weeks, months, or
years. In addition, multiple timelines can be maintained to create ongoing parallel
videos. For example, a user with an active, adventure-driven lifestyle and a child can
capture and categorize moments for both. The app also offers a reminder setting
tool as well as the ability to back up all snap-videos to Google drive. It’s currently
available for Apple (iOs 6.1 or later) and Android (4.0 or later) platforms and is of-
fered for a free 30-day trial from both stores. The full cost of the app rings out at
a total of $0.99 - less than the cost of a daily double-double. While I leave it up to
you – the user – to rank the worth of this app in your collection, I would definitely
recommend at least taking full advantage of the free trial to experience memory
preservation in a way like never before.
For more on Caesar Kuriyama’s “1 second everyday” philosophy, I recommend:
https://www.ted.com/talks/cesar_kuriyama_one_second_every_day