Windsor Small Talk

In honour of it being LGBTQ+ History Month, Bronwen and Bee talk with Walter Cassidy, a local historian, 2SLGBTQIA+ activist, educator, parent, and the next Educator in Residence at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. He is chair of Windsor/Essex Rainbow Alliance working to preserve local 2SLGBTQAI history, and has published a number of queer historical accounts.Walter Cassidy is a well-known figure in the local community for creating 2SLGBTQI+ programs for students and teachers. With decades of experience in highlighting queer and trans issues, he is all set to take on a national role. Walter has played a crucial role in addressing the underrepresentation of 2SLGBTQIA+ people in schools and communities across Canada. He currently works as a teacher with the Greater Essex County District School Board, and he is the third person to serve as an Educator in Residence and the first from Windsor, Ontario.To learn about the Canadian Museum for Human Rights; https://humanrights.ca/Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights is the first museum solely dedicated to the evolution, celebration, and future of human rights.The Queer Walk https://queerwalk.ca/Windsor Essex 2SLGBTQIA+ Timeline https://www.wepridefest.com/about/wehistorytimeline/Other works by Walter Cassidy: https://xtramagazine.com/power/first-person-dead-aids-canada-225281 and https://activehistory.ca/blog/2021/06/17/windsorparks/#:~:text=Canada's%20First%20Gay%20Bathhouse%20Raid,members%20of%20the%20gay%20communityMusic from SoundStripe including Track Title: Lemonade. Artist Name(s): Demure. Writer Name: Stephen Laurenson

In this episode, Bee and Bronwen interview two prominent Windsor disability advocates, Evelina Baczewska and Danica McPhee. We learn about some of their experiences with transit in Windsor and the systemic and archaic challenges that continue to hinder the freedom of mobility for people with disabilities.We value the contributions and perspectives of our guests and listeners. Humans of Transit is about hearing the experiences from anyone who has had to rely on public transportation. Your insights are valuable, and we're honoured to hear these stories.

Bronwen and Bee are joined by two of Windsor’s passionate disability advocates, Evelina Baczewska and Danica McPhee. We talked about the importance of showing up and invading spaces. Topics we explore are how to undo ableism, what makes us proud, resilience and the importance of community to disabled people for survival. The perspectives of Evelina and Danica make this episode not one to miss. To learn more about Evelina Baczewska you can follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/evelinabaczewska/Or check out her Blog called Feminist Limns https://feministlimns.ca/author/evelinabaczewska/To explore how Danica McPhee is involved in our community, check out https://www.instagram.com/windsoressexoht/We want to urge our listeners to help call out ableist systems and behavior and to reflect on how we all contribute to ableism.

Bronwen and Bee speak with Courtney Stearns, the bereavement program coordinator of Julien’s House, about death, dying, and the grieving process. Juliens’s House is where people affected by the death of a loved one can come for compassion and support throughout their journey. Their mission is to support, educate, and companion individuals through their grief experience.Courtney speaks about their values of respect and responding to each bereaved person’s unique needs by being non-judgmental, trustworthy, and ethical.If you think these services are right for you, you can contact Julien’s House with the information below.You can visit their website here: https://www.julienshouse.ca/They have a phone number you can call (519) 945-CARE (2273) and an email where you can reach them CARE@JULIENSHOUSE.CATheir grief services are free, and as a result, they throw fundraisers and accept charitable donations as well as volunteers. Follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/julienshouse/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/julienshouse/Dr. Alan Wolfelt is the author Courtney speaks about too, we encourage you to look up his works about grief!

Bronwen and Bee talk about community involvement! We are joined by two talented, kind, and caring members of Windsor’s community; Grace and Dana.They spoke about the Gee project, which is a community-focused summer program that encourages sustainable activism like gardening, creating artwork, and upcycling. The program takes place 3 days a week for 3 hours a day and aims to help students fulfill their community involvement hours. Grace and Dana are both enthusiastic leaders in this amazing program.You can follow the Gee project on Instagram to see what kind of work and community involvement they do. https://www.instagram.com/geeprojectyqg/If you know of any great community efforts, please let us know, and we would love to highlight them!

Bronwen and Bee chat with one of Windsor's talented drag queens; Lua! Windsor has a bustling, emerging drag scene, and we are excited to share this conversation with Lua with you all! She is a fierce, creative, and kind queen who speaks with us about gender expression, being neurodivergent, and her “beef” with Margaret Atwood on Pelee Island. Lua has been performing in Windsor and all over Southwestern Ontario since 2020.She is an acclaimed drag judge for local lip sync battles and always shares the stage with drag kings and performers of all expressions and experiences. She competes and wins pageants, organizes drag weddings for herself, and so much more.There are so many events coming up where you can experience the ethereal goddess Lua herself. Make sure you follow Lua for all of the incredible drag events.https://www.instagram.com/she.is.luahttps://www.tiktok.com/@she.is.lua.tiktokDragqueenlua.carrd.cohttps://lavenderpromotions.com/

In this episode, Bronwen and Bee speak to University of Windsor researcher Willow Key about her work rediscovering the history of the McDougall Street Corridor. We wanted to learn about their research methodology and the personal impact on the community. The McDougall Street Corridor project was conducted using the Anti-Black Racism Student Leadership Experience Grant with the University of Windsor and in partnership with the Essex County Black Historical Research Society.If this is your first time hearing about this amazing piece of Windsor history, please read up on the topic here https://www.mcdougallcorridor.ca/.“Windsor, like most major cities across Canada during the twentieth century, was home to a dynamic Black community in the metropolitan core. Situated east of the Downtown commercial district, the McDougall Street Corridor was a mostly self-sufficient African Canadian community bound loosely by Riverside Drive East, Goyeau Street, Giles Street East, and Howard Avenue.” You can even take a self-guided tour and experience this history firsthand. Pro-tip: Allow between 2.5-3 hours to complete the walking tour in one visit. Thisweekend, as part of the Jane's Walk Festival, you can participate in a tour led by Willow herself, highlighting the rich history of the McDougall Street Corridor. This walking tour is available Friday, May 5, 2023 from 5-6pm.https://www.windsorjaneswalk.ca/full-scheduleRecovering the Stories of Windsor's McDougall Street Corridor Walking Tour is an immersive experience meant to bring home the realities of this rich history and show just how much has changed in a short period.

Bronwen and Bee are joined by two of Windsor Roller Derby’s finest; Lula and Boom. Windsor has a wonderful history with a sport you might not know enough about. Join us as we learn about Windsor Roller Derby, its local history, and what it looks like today. Our guests talk about the challenges the team has faced, their values, their successes, and what the future holds.To learn more about Windsor Roller Derby, check out their website.http://windsorrollerderby.com/aboutCheck out their Skate School and get signed up for updates about their next session! http://windsorrollerderby.com/learn-to-skate-1Follow them on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/windsorrollerderby/Follow them on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/windsorrollerderby/Remember, you can support Windsor Roller Derby by more than just playing the sport. You can show up to games and cheer on your favourites. You can volunteer to help the games run smoothly or help out in other capacities that appeal to you. You can also help their campaign for a permanent venue. This is a community that we believe deserves a home so that they can grow and continue to become a welcoming, fun, and encouraging space for folks of all different speeds.Music and sound effects by SoundStripe

Today, April 3rd, Windsor mayor and council are deliberating the City of Windsor's 2023 budget. In honour of that, we think that Windsor's city council needs a stark reminder that all the decisions they make about funding and prioritizing public transit have REAL LIFE consequences for human beings and their quality of life. In this episode, Bee interviews two lovely human beings, Mackenzie and Sarah, about their experiences with Transit Windsor and what their hopes and dreams are for the future of public transit in our city. They give us some wonderful food for thought and their insights are so appreciated. These conversations matter. These humans matter. Please enjoy this episode and consider sharing your transit stories with us and reaching out to city council to implore them to make wise budgetary decisions to fully fund our public transit system.