In the latest episode of Uncovered, join host Bruce de la Cruz, as he talks with Victoria Lavigne, who is running 100km from Ottawa to her hometown in Hawkesbury, to raise money and awareness for mental health. This fundraiser is in honour of her father, who after having his own battle with mental health, sadly took his own life when Victoria was just 10 years old. Victoria, who is currently living in Ottawa, has been planning this fundraiser since March, and has trained for it immensely. Although unable to complete the 100km trek on foot as originally planned due to an ankle injury, she kept a positive attitude about her circumstances. When talking about her father, she remembers her best friend, but as an adult she now sees the times when he wasn’t himself, as his battle with bi-polar greatly affected him. When he took his own life, Victoria went through a dark period, and questioned if she had a future at all. Only when she became a young adult did she start to realize she needed to change and become better. This led her to start her non-profit organization called “Fight 4 the Light”, which aims to spread mental health awareness to a larger audience. In addition, the $3000 collected by the organization from the fundraiser is being distributed to various organizations and charities that combat mental health. On the topic of resources available for men and their mental health, she says that there are not enough, and that men need just as much attention as women do in these matters. When asked about her plans for the future, she says she will keep training to run again in the spring, and plans to make appearances at schools to talk about mental health. On a final note, Victoria says that if her father were here, he say was proud of her, and that nothing that happened was her fault, and that he lover her.

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Uncovered Episode 16, Victoria Lavigne

Une entreprise locale, Kyan Cuisine, crée et vend des repas végétaliens en ligne et dans certains magasins dans la région de Prescott-Russell puisqu’il est difficile d’en trouver. Cette entreprise continue à progresser même après la pandémie de la COVID-19. Copropriétaire Vanessa Viau, a commencé Kyan Cuisine avec ses deux amis, car ils étaient à la recherche des repas “moins cher [et] moins compliqué" et avaient de la misère à trouver des repas végétaliens en déplacement. "Quand Aude (copropriétaire) et moi on est devenue végétalienne on a trouvé ça vraiment difficile de manger ‘on the go’,” elle explique. “On était deux personnes qui travaillaient déjà beaucoup puis on n'avait pas le temps de se rendre dans la cuisine et de faire des bons repas”. Ils ont une cuisine située à Embrun, par contre il y a toujours des possibilités d’expansion. Tranquillement, ils ajoutent des nouveaux produits et ils utilisent des sources locales le plus possible. "Présentement on va vraiment focuser sur les livraisons en ligne puis les magasins”, elle déclare. “On aimerait agrandir le territoire de livraison en ligne puis grandir le nombre de magasins et les régions que les gens peuvent acheter les bols dans les magasins. “Je te dirais que peut-être à un moment donné on va voir Kyan Clothing, Kyan Wellness, Kyan Bistro, on ne sait pas, ça va être a voir.”. Ils ont gagné deux prix, un d’entre eux est le prix du commerce francophone, et selon Vanessa cela était “tellement touchant”. En gagnant cela, ils ont aussi reçu une somme de 10 000$ et Vanessa explique que c’est "énorme". "Présentement on est en expansion, on a plus de magasins [et] on a plus de gens qui commandent en ligne," dit Vanessa. “On a besoin [des] nouveau matériel, plus d'employés, des voitures de livraison, [et cela] va nous aider à pouvoir expandre et à pouvoir offrir plus loin".

Révéler Episode 17, Kyan Cuisine

In the latest episode of Uncovered, join Bruce de la Cruz as he speaks with Adam Hoerdt, a retired math teacher who is biking across the country to raise funds and spread awareness of a Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Myopathy (ARVC), a genetic disease of the heart that has affected his family immensely. Adam Hoerdt’s story begins with the tragic passing of his wife Jackie in 2001, from a sudden cardiac arrest. At the time, the doctors had no idea what caused the arrest. It was only in 2018 when Adam’s oldest son Greg had his first cardiac arrest were they able to determine the cause of his and Jackie’s condition: ARVC. ARVC is a genetic condition that breaks down the walls of the heart, causing irregular heartbeats that can prove fatal. Many athletes suffer from the disease, and the first symptoms are usually unprecedented cardiac arrests in young adults. Adam was inspired to bike across Canada when Greg entered into a vegatitve state as a result of ARVC in September 2020. The 3 main goals of the ride taken from their Gofund me page are as follows: “Raising awareness of ARVC for all Canadian families and health care providers” “Provide support for families diagnosed with ARVC at our soon-to-be-launched website (www.arvcfamilysupport.org)” “Raise funds to help the research and clinical care efforts at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at the UHN in Toronto” Right now, Adam is nearly done with the 3250 Km ride from Newfoundland to Ontario, having started in late August, with his final stop in Kitchener-Waterloo. He plans to continue the ride once spring has come around. The thing that Adam wants people to take away from his story the most is that even though you can’t always predict what happens to us, whether it be negative or positive, you can still choose what to do next.

Uncovered Episode 15, Adam Hoerdt

In the latest episode of TVC22's podcast, "Uncovered", join host Bruce de la Cruz, and 3rd generation beekeepers Russell and Andrea Gibbs, as they talk about the importance of bees, beekeeping during quarantine, and how by supporting your local beekeepers you are not only helping the local economy and environment, you are also making a healthier choice. Russell and Andrea own Gibbs honey, a beekeeping business that began as a few colonies in 1925 that Russell’s grandfather owned, to now 450 colonies. They ensure the quality of the honey every step of the way, as everything is done on the premises of their family farm. Swarming is when a bee colony splits in half, and the new half leaves to create a new home elsewhere. Russell explains that swarming in of itself is a good thing, and has methods to keep the new hive on his property. But with people taking up beekeeping during the covid-19 pandemic without the proper knowledge, a swarm can take up residence in a residential home. Calling a local beekeeper is the better way to go, as Russell says that they will be able to re-home the colony properly, and no harm will come to the bees. Further, Andrea explains that rehoming a swarm outside of a populated area isn’t just about protecting humans, but also about protecting the bees themselves. Bees will have a better chance of surviving the winter and mites that plague colonies if they are taken in right away rather than being left on their own. Andrea says that this is another reason why beekeepers are needed, to keep the bees safe from outside dangers. Having both quit their jobs to become full-time beekeepers, Russell and Andrea moved to Vankleek hill last year to a larger farm, which they hope to one day turn into an agro-tourism business as well. When asked if he felt a connection to his ancestors whenever he was beekeeping, Russell explains that he does, and that it’s hard not to also feel connected to nature as you’re always working outside. Growing up in Toronto, Andrea always made time for activities that would get her out of the house and working with animals, like horseback riding. She was first introduced to beekeeping when she began dating Russell, and has since become passionate about what she does. The pair explain the benefits of local honey, comparing it to wine, having local flavours from local flowers. This in turn has benefits for people with pollen allergies, and also boosts your immunity.

Uncovered Episode 14, Andrea Gibbs

Rejoignez l'animateur de TVC22, Thomas Stockting, qui vous emmène dans sa cuisine pour cet épisode spécial de notre podcast, Révéler. Dans cet épisode, Thomas s'entretient avec Angelique () et Noemi () au sujet de leur émission de cuisine bihebdomadaire organisée sur les pages de médias sociaux du Rockland Youth Hub. Toutes deux étudiantes à l'université, Angélique et Noémie se connaissent depuis le highschool et ont gardé non seulement une amitié mais aussi un amour de la cuisine. Toutes deux très impliquées dans le sport, les recettes (créées par Noemi) sont aussi délicieuses que nutritives. Tout au long des épisodes, Angélique cuisine avec Noemi, l'interrogeant sur l'importance de chaque ingrédient et sur les alternatives possibles. Regardez cet épisode pour entendre parler de l'importance du Rockland Youth Hub et apprendre une nouvelle recette, tout en voyant notre animateur incapable de gérer la chaleur dans la cuisine.

Révéler Episode 13, Rockland Youth Hub

Joey Desjardins, un habitant de la région, a vu son rêve de devenir olympien prendre une autre tournure en 2009, à la suite d'un accident qui lui a coûté la vie. Mais pour Joey Desjardins, son rêve de devenir olympien a pris une autre tournure en 2009, à la suite d'un accident qui l'a laissé paralysé de la poitrine à la tête. Cependant, grâce au soutien de sa femme Vanessa (un amour d'enfance - ils se fréquentent depuis le lycée), Joey n'est pas resté longtemps au sol et a su tirer le meilleur parti de la vie. Aujourd'hui, en regardant son jardin à Vankleek Hill, ce père de deux enfants est un homme très heureux - et sur le point d'embarquer pour un voyage à l'autre bout du monde. Inspiré par sa rencontre avec la légende canadienne Rick Hansen, Joey s'est mis au cyclisme à main quelques années seulement après sa blessure, un sport qu'il a commencé, selon lui, juste pour le plaisir. Mais le destin a voulu que le cyclisme à main soit un sport pour lequel Joey s'est révélé doué, très doué. Après être passé de force en force (en remportant la médaille de bronze aux Championnats du monde en 2019), Joey avait les yeux rivés sur les Jeux paralympiques de Paris en 2024 mais, grâce à une forme en constante amélioration (ainsi qu'à une année supplémentaire accordée par la pandémie), le natif de Prescott-Russell a grimpé dans le classement canadien et, aux côtés de ses compatriotes, s'envolera pour Tokyo le 23 août pour participer à l'une des compétitions les plus prestigieuses au monde. Écoutez l'interview ci-dessous pour en savoir plus sur la vie de Joey, sur la force mentale nécessaire pour se recentrer de manière aussi radicale et sur la façon dont, bizarrement, le fait de se ménager pendant la pandémie l'a conduit au Japon. Toute l'équipe de TVC22 souhaite à Joey Desjardins le meilleur pour sa participation à l'épreuve de cyclisme à main H3 qui aura lieu à Tokyo le 31 août.

Révéler Episode 12, Joey Desjardins

Après avoir vécu avec le diabète de type 1 pendant plus de 15 ans, Sacha Cardinal, habitante d'Alfred, a découvert qu'elle était allergique à l'insuline. Son allergie est si rare que tous les médecins du CHEO sont restés perplexes. Ils ont fini par se tourner vers un traitement qui n'avait jamais été utilisé en Amérique du Nord auparavant, mais malgré le fait que la solution ait été trouvée, il a fallu plus d'un an de démarches administratives pour obtenir l'approbation du traitement. Écoutez le podcast ci-dessous pour entendre Sacha et sa mère, Sylvie L Gélinas parler des réalités de la vie avec l'une des allergies à l'insuline les plus rares au monde. GoFundMe Link: https://ca.gofundme.com/f/help-sacha-have-a-normal-life-without-worries?qid=8ec27de7cb4dcb561347cc31407c2336

Révéler Episode 11, Sacha Cardinal

In the latest episode of TVC22's podcast, "Uncovered", join host Bruce de la Cruz, and personal trailer Shaun Kehoe, as they discuss Shaun's difficult medical journey, and how his experiences inspired him to coach students with autism, cerebral palsy, and other disabilities. Shaun Kehoe moved to Clarence-Rockland a year ago to be closer with his girlfriend. He already established himself as a personal trainer in the Ottawa area, having gained his certification years prior. But once Covid hit, his business went down the drain. He had to let a large number of his students go, and struggled to find a way to teach his main clientele: people with disabilities. Some of Shaun’s students are Autistic, have Cerebral Palsy, Asperger’s syndrome, some of them even having multiple special needs. With Shaun himself having gone through 9 brain surgeries, and suffering from epilepsy, he felt a connection to his students, and realized that someone needed to guide and encourage them. He believes that the disabled community is under-represented when it comes to sports and fitness, and that there’s a stigma around being a personal trainer to disabled people. "It's not that people don't want to work with disabilities, it's just that sometimes they're too intimidated by it" Shaun is aiming to break down those barriers, and show that training and watching those kids succeed and reach their goals can be so fulfilling and inspiring. Thankfully, Shaun has since been able to go back to teaching his students in person from his garage. Matthew, one of Shaun’s students who has Cerebral Palsy, says that Shaun was the only trainer his mom could find for him, as no other trainer was qualified. Matthew says that the greatest thing that Shaun has taught him is to never give up. Having always been very community oriented, he is currently trying to get a fundraiser going. For every Kilo he lifts, he will donate a certain amount of money to charity that he has yet to choose. He is going to get some of his other fitness friends to help as well. Moving forward, Shaun says he will continue to train to become a better athlete, and a better coach, with becoming a public speaker and inspiring people with his story as his next big step in life.

Uncovered Episode 10, Shaun Kehoe

Festival de la Curd existe depuis plus de 25 ans et a débuté pour célébrer le 100ème anniversaire de la Fromagerie St-Albert Co-op Inc. (Officiel/Official). Depuis, la festival est devenu l'un des plus grands festivals francophones au Canada. Le projet "Oh la Vache" (lancé en 2020 en raison de la pandémie), a permis à vingt artistes de donner leur touche personnelle à des vaches en fibre de verre grandeur nature, qui ont ensuite été placées dans toute la région pour stimuler les entreprises agricoles. Dix autres ont été commandées pour 2021 et nous avons eu l'opportunité de parlé avec Mme Mireille Groleau, une des artistes de cette année, pour discuter de son style artistique et de sa création à venir lors d'un événement portes ouvertes à St-Albert.

Révéler Episode 9, Mireille Groleau

Uncovered: Muskoka Cabinet Company In the latest episode of TVC22's podcast, Uncovered, join host Thomas Stockting as he sits down to speak with Luke Elias, the President of the Muskoka Cabinet Company based in Alfred, ON, about their recent investment from the government of over half a million dollars. Established in the 1970's by a local family, Luke bought the business in 1989. After attending a few trade shows Luke's vision for the company was clear, moving away from "tedious" manual labor and incorporating rapidly advancing technology into the sector. As a manufacturer of residential cabinets, images that may pop into your mind are likely to be saws, a rustic workshop and saw dust. But in the case of Muskoka Cabinet Company you get something closer to the inside of an Amazon warehouse, with robotic arms and conveyer belts moving wooden elements across the factory. "We consider ourselves as a high-tech company, that just happens to make cabinets," says Luke. This $625,000 investment from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario will allow for the Albert-based company to further advance their equipment to keep pushing forward with state of the art technology. Along with taking strides in terms of technology, the investment will lead to the creation of 7 jobs, and although it will "reduce the amount of manual labor", Luke is adamant that no-one will be let go from the company despite the upcoming changes. To find out more about this local Prescott-Russell company watch the full interview below. FedDev Ontario works actively top advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through fun ding opportunities and business services that support innovation and growth in Canada's most populous region.

Uncovered Episode 8, Luke Elias

Uncovered: Episode 7, Martial Seguin In the latest episode of Uncovered, Bruce de la Cruz speaks with Martial Seguin, one of the administrators of the Pickleball association of Clarence-Rockland, to discuss the sport’s relevance, how the sport has been hindered during the stay at home order, and ways the municipal government can help them expand. The interview begins with Seguin briefly explaining the history, and rules of the game. One of the benefits is that the game allows you to meet new people regularly, as the fast pace of round robin tournaments ensures that you play multiple opponents during a session. In addition, it can be enjoyed by all age demographics due to the accessible nature of the small-court and light weight equipment, which makes it less physically demanding than other racquet sports. Seguin then goes on to explain how he became involved with the sport, and how he became a founding member of the pickleball association. He and his wife picked up the sport when some of their friends suggested it, and found more people to play with in Rockland. This led to the creation of the association in 2018. After discussions with the city, they were able to play during the winter in the Jean-Marc Lalonde arena in Rockland. Word of mouth, and their Facebook page propelled the group from 30 members to its current number of 130. Diving into more details about the social aspect, Seguin talks about how the association holds brunches, and tournaments 4 times a week, in order to create a consistent and friendly playing environment. When asked about the competitive nature of the game Seguin mentioned that the association welcomes all skill levels, and creates specific tournaments to tailor to everyone’s needs. In regards to the stay at home order and the shutdown of outdoor sports, Seguin says that Pickleball should be able to continue. Some of the protocols that have been suggested are only playing with people from the same address, sanitizing equipment, masks on while waiting to play, masks off while playing, and having social distancing in place as well. In terms of what the city could do to help the club, Seguin says the city should expand and improve existing facilities, mainly the courts in Simon Park. This would create more space for players, greatly increasing the numbers of the association. In addition more bathrooms in Simon Park should be installed to accommodate the older demographics. Finally, the city should involve them more when there are meetings and discussions related to possible expansions of said facilities. The association wants to be involved and help the city identify the problems, rather than being left in the dark. Seguin hopes that the sport continues to grow in Clarence-Rockland, and doesn’t see it falling off the map anytime soon.

Uncovered Episode 7, Martial Seguin

Révéler Episode 6, Jeff Dale

Dans ce nouveau épisode de Révéler, le podcast de TVC22, rejoignez l'animateur Thomas Stockting qui s'est entretenu avec deux entrepreneurs locaux, les autoproclamés "local boys". Michael Lemire et Alexi Forget sont deux étudiants franco-ontariens originaires du Bourget et, alors que leurs projets d'été 2020 ont été chamboulés par la pandémie, le duo local a décidé de tirer le meilleur parti d'une situation défavorable. Plutôt que de se lamenter sur toutes les opportunités manquées, les "local boys" ont rassemblé leurs esprits et ont décidé de lancer leur première entreprise commerciale, en incorporant leur amour du cinéma. Après l'ouverture du cinéma Horizon Drive-in à Sudbury (où Michael étudie à l'université), les deux hommes ont décidé d'explorer la possibilité de lancer une telle entreprise dans leur propre coin du monde. Bien que l'entreprise de l'été 2020 se soit révélée être une tâche beaucoup plus ardue que prévu, Michael et Alexi sont déterminés de continuer d'aller de l'avant grâce aux progrès et aux leçons qu'ils ont appris l'année dernière. La Cité de Clarence-Rockland a récemment annoncé qu'elle aiderait les jeunes entrepreneurs en réduisant certains des coûts liés à l'emplacement du terrain et, en partie grâce à cela, les gars sont en bonne position pour se développer cet été, sous un tout nouveau nom (écoutez l'interview pour entendre l'annonce exclusive). Ce changement de nom signifie que les entrepreneurs vont s'orienter vers la gestion d'événements afin de rendre l'entreprise plus polyvalente et rentable, tout en conservant un élément de leur activité de drive-in. Écoutez l'interview complète de Michael et Alexi ci-dessous.

Révéler Episode 5, Michael Lemire et Alexi Forget

In the fourth episode of Uncovered, TVC22 Journalist Bruce de la Cruz speaks with Mathieu Lafleur, who co-owns Pronature Rockland, a hunting and fishing store, along with his wife Deana since 2012. Mathieu opens up about his history as a hunter, how his father taught him at a young age, and how he is continuing the tradition by teaching his two sons. He and his wife Deana opened Pronature Rockland in response to seeing a lack of hunting stores in the area. The shop’s business depends on what hunting season it is, but on average they can have anywhere from 20-100 transactions per day. Although Mathieu acknowledges that hunting can be considered a sport/outdoor recreational activity, he also says that hunting is a way of life for many people. Many hunters are doing it to provide food for their families,and in some cases to protect their livestock from predators. After going through a list of firearms that were banned, Mathieu expresses that many of those guns are semi-automatic, and are used for sport shooting (target shooting). Mathieu expresses his concern that the government is banning guns based on looks rather than function, and that his patrons won’t be able to buy adequate firearms for their respective needs from him anymore. He continues by saying that there is a lack of communication between legal gun owners and the government. There is also a difference of needs for firearms in smaller rural communities as opposed to larger cities. Legal gun owners in rural areas most likely use their firearms for hunting, sport shooting, and protecting livestock from predators, while people in cities often don’t have any interactions with guns at all. Although Mathieu doesn’t sell airsoft guns, which fall under the “Replica Firearm ban” of Bill-C21, he still empathizes with people who play the sport and how the government is attacking it. He goes on to say that since legal gun owners have daily police checks in order to keep their license, the gun ban and Bill-C21 is reprimanding the wrong people. The government should be cracking down on the people who smuggle guns illegally into the country, rather than needlessly interfering with law abiding gun owners’ daily lives. Mathieu concludes by saying that people should be taught firearm safety in schools rather than banning guns outright as a measure to decrease gun violence.

Uncovered Episode 4, Mathieu Lafleur

In the third episode of Uncovered, TVC22 Journalist Bruce de la Cruz speaks with Robin Barré, the Adult and Youth program coordinator for the library of Clarence-Rockland, to highlight some of the virtual programs that people can get involved with while they are stuck at home during the COVID-19 shutdown. The interview begins with Robin giving a brief introduction of who she is, and how her experience working with the library has been. Before being hired by the library worked at the Ottawa hospital for over 10 years where she was coordinating volunteer programs in the different campuses of the hospital. Eventually she decided to take a break from her work to focus on raising her family, which she did for 3 years. 5 years ago, a friend who worked at the library convinced her to apply for a part time position. Once the head of the children’s programming retired, Robin stepped up and has been working full time at the library for the past 2 years. Robin explains that working at the library feels less like a job, and more like a family, and that her colleagues are very warm and welcoming, Her main objective as the head of programming for adults and teens is to come up with activities for both demographics that are entertaining and educational. Much research is done online, as well as listening to feedback to find out what programs people want. Robin mentions that some programs at the beginning of the pandemic transitioned to a virtual format better than others. She explains that no one really knew how long this pandemic was going to last, so they were learning on the go. The virtual kids programming has been very successful, while some teens and adult programming are just starting to increase their numbers. Some of the successful adult programs include the Tech Café, cook clubs, yoga and fitness programs, personal life management courses, and meditation programs. All programs are free or cost very little in order to keep attendance going. Robin explains that staying engaged with teens has been hard, and that she mostly uses Instagram and other social media posts to interact with them. One good thing that the pandemic has brought, Robin says is that speakers such as authors and health care specialists are able to hold lectures virtually, which is more convenient for both parties. Although she loves all the activities that the library has to offer, Robin’s favourite programs are the book clubs that meet once a month, and the activity bags that are sent out to teens. Robin describes her biggest challenge working from home is not being able to interact and socialize with the people that she plans programs for, and she can’t thrive off the energy and the atmosphere like she used to. Further, she says that the library started making changes 6 years ago, when they noticed that the community needed a place where people could just hang out. The vision of the library is to be a hub, or a community center for people to learn and enjoy each other’s company. Robin encourages people to get out during this pandemic, try something new, and sign up for one of the programs.

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