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ISSUE 171

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THE GROUND EFFECTS WINDSOR WATERFRONT HALF MARATHON ISN'T JUST A RACE. IT'S A MOVEMENT. LIFESTYLE | CULTURE | PEOPLE | TRENDS Page b

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PAUL ST-PIERRE....................................................... Publisher BREANNE MCGINTY...........Managing Editor, Director of Sales MARNIE ROBILLARD...............................................Art Director SABINE MAIN .............................................. Creative Director MACKENZIE COJOCAR.............................Publication Assistant GREG EDWARDS.......................................... Graphic Designer MEL MONCZAK ..................................Senior Account Manager JAYCI WIGLE.......................................Sales Account Manager CONTRIBUTORS JESSE ZITER................................................................. Writer DEVAN MIGHTON.......................................................... Writer LAYAN BARAKAT.......................................................... Writer LINDA MONDOUX......................................................... Writer TERI GYEMI................................................................... Writer MONA ELKADRI................................................. Stylist/Writer MAXIMUS REID.................................................. Photographer TREVOR BOOTH................................................. Photographer ANTHONY SHEARDOWN.................................... Photographer ZISHAN ALI........................................................ Photographer ANNA STANLEY....................................................Copy Editor

ISSUE 171

THE DRIVE LIFESTYLE | CULTURE | PEOPLE | TRENDS

On the Cover: Brad Baker and Ryan Allison from Windsor Waterfront Half Marathon Cover Photo by: Maximus Reid Story Written by: Devan Mighton

STRIDE

ISSUE 171

THE GROUND EFFECTS WINDSOR WATERFRONT HALF MARATHON ISN'T JUST A RACE. IT'S A MOVEMENT. LIFESTYLE | CULTURE | PEOPLE | TRENDS Page b

Follow and like us: X @thedrivemag Instagram @thedrivemag Facebook @thedrivemag The Drive magazine is delivered to 40,000 select homes and businesses throughout Windsor-Essex exclusively through Canada Post. Mail subscriptions available on line at thedrivemagazine.com/signup or by emailing info@thedrivemagazine.com CANADA POST Delivery agreement no. 43497602. Printed in Canada. Owned and operated by the Landscape Effects Group of Companies. 1125 County Road #42 RR#1, Belle River ON, N0R1A0 All advertisement content to appear are subject to approval of the publisher and the publication assumes no responsibility for content included. We do not necessarily share the opinion or views of such advertising and assume no liability of this content or messaging.

CONTENTS 10

PORTRAIT Ground Effects and the Windsor Waterfront Half Marathon are building momentum far beyond race day

ISSUE 171 DRIVE RECIPE 8O h So Mona uses premium olive oils to transform simple ingredients into unforgettable dishes DRIVE COMMUNITY 22 W indsor Fire and Rescue Services celebrates an unprecedented baby boom and the families behind the uniforms DRIVE ENVIRONMENT 28 Discover why looking up may be one of the simplest ways to find perspective and wonder DRIVE TECHNOLOGY 42 Jordan Goure reveals why better information is the key to better AI performance

44 DRIVE MUSIC Windsor rock legends Teaze are revving up a new chapter with their longawaited comeback album

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DRIVE MIND 48 T eri Gyemi reveals why reconnecting with nature could be the reset your nervous system needs DRIVE EVENTS CALENDAR 50 S tay in the loop with local events in each issue and on our website thedrivemagazine.com

A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER Summer is here, and we are feeling the heat, especially with this scorching new issue! This season is all about adventure: getting outside, gathering over drinks on a patio, lounging on the beach, taking a drive down the 401. Wherever summer takes you, we hope you bring this issue along for the ride (Seriously, snap a photo and tag us!). We are absolutely thrilled to feature our cover story on the incredible team at Ground Effects and the meaningful ways they give back to the Windsor-Essex community. Among their initiatives is the Windsor Waterfront Marathon, an event that brings hundreds of people together with a shared mission: to put Windsor on the map for big-city racing while raising money and awareness for local charities that make a real difference in our city. Gracing the cover is Brad Baker and Ryan Allison, the dedicated event organizers behind it all. We also want to shine the spotlight on our newest initiative, The LFX Group Drives Windsor. Aimed at giving back to the community, this is something we are truly excited about. Follow us on social media to learn more and we hope you love this issue as much as we do. Thank you, Paul St. Pierre Publisher 6

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pour

THE POWER OF A After visiting Olive Branch on Main, I was blown away by how complex and distinct each olive oil and vinegar tasted. The flavours literally evolve on your palate. So, when I was developing recipes for this issue, I knew I didn’t want to overcomplicate things. I kept these recipes simple, letting those exceptional notes act as the true "secret weapon" that instantly elevates a dish. That inspiration is woven into every bite. The sweet, slightly tart lychee vinaigrette was the perfect match for brightening a grapefruit, spinach, and blackberry salad (though I was tempted to pour it over vanilla ice cream!). For a savoury punch, the distinct, vibrant kick of the Baklouti Chilli olive oil needed nothing more than a smooth bed of labneh and a few olives to absolute perfection. Finally, a drizzle of Tuscan Herb olive oil became the ultimate "level-up" for my smoked salmon crostini, tying the fish, lemon, and capers together beautifully. If there is one thing I want readers to take away from these dishes, it is that you don't need a massive ingredient list to create something memorable. When you start with high-quality, flavour-forward ingredients, they do all the heavy lifting for you. A note: The olive oils and vinegars used in the following recipes can be conveniently found at Olive Branch on Main, located in Kingsville, ON.

SWEET CITRUS BERRY SALAD WITH LYCHEE DRESSING SALAD INGREDIENTS • 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves • 1 radish, thinly sliced • 1/3 cup blackberries • 1 small grapefruit, segmented and chopped • thinly sliced red onion for garnish • 1/3 cup crumbled feta • ¼ cup praline pecans DRESSING INGREDIENTS • 1/8 cup Cobrancosa Olive Oil • 2 tbsp Lychee White Balsamic • ½ tsp salt • pinch of pepper to taste

Visit ou media c r social for the f hannels ull OIL TAS OLIVE TIN VIDEO. G

DIRECTIONS 1. L ayer the spinach leaves, radishes, blackberries, grapefruit, red onions, feta, and pecans onto a large plate. 2. I n a cup, combine all the dressing ingredients. When you’re ready to serve, pour over the salad and enjoy!

SMOKED SALMON CROUSTINI’S WITH TUSCAN HERB OLIVE OIL INGREDIENTS • ½ baguette, sliced 1cm thick • Tuscan Herb Olive Oil for brushing and garnishing • 227g plain cream cheese • 2 x 75g portions of thinly sliced smoked salmon • ½ lemon, thinly sliced • ¼ red onion, thinly sliced • 1 tbsp capers, rough chopped DIRECTIONS 1. Slice the baguette and brush one side with olive oil. Bake for 10 min at 375 degrees F. 2. Once cooled, spread cream cheese on each piece. 3. Layer salmon, lemon, onions, and capers. 4. Finish with a drizzle of Tuscan Herb Olive Oil.

MEDITERRANEAN LABNEH WITH OLIVES AND BAKLOUTI OLIVE OIL INGREDIENTS • 3/4 cup labneh yogurt • 1/3 cup your favourite olives • 3-4 tbsp of Baklouti Olive Oil DIRECTIONS 1. Spread labneh yogurt onto a plate. Layer with olives, then drizzle with Baklouti Olive Oil. 2. Enjoy with fresh pita or naan bread. All recipes serve 2. Mona Elkadri is not just a food writer, but also a skilled recipe developer, former restaurateur, and culinary teacher. She possesses a keen appreciation for that elusive secret ingredient that invariably elevates each dish to perfection.

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MORE THAN JUST A FINISH LINE Ground Effects Windsor Waterfront Half Marathon and 5K: Running for community, racing for charity By Devan Mighton Photos by Maximus Reid

The company behind Windsor's most exciting new race weekend is also one of its oldest success stories. As title sponsor of the Ground Effects Windsor Waterfront Half Marathon and 5K, this Windsor-built global manufacturer puts its name on the event for a reason, community has always been the core of everything they do. What originally started as a conversation between three lifelong runners has quickly grown into one of Windsor-Essex’s most anticipated community events. The Ground Effects Windsor Waterfront Half Marathon and 5K is doing more than bringing runners together for a weekend on Riverside Drive. Entering its second year, organizers Ryan Allison, Brad Baker, and Jean Claude Boulos see their half marathon as an opportunity to draw scores to the shore of the Detroit River, promote the local running scene, support charities, and showcase the city that they love. “A lot of people don’t realize what we have here,” says Allison. “We have the best waterfront parks around, we have a flat, easy course, and we have an incredible running community. We wanted to bring people to Windsor to see what we’re all about.” The idea for the race came from the trio’s own experiences travelling to larger races across Canada and the United States. “We’ve all run all over the world,” states Allison. “We always wondered, ‘Why doesn’t Windsor have this?’ If cities like Detroit and Toronto can build these huge race weekends, we knew Windsor had the potential to do something special too.” Boulos explains that they recognized a gap in Windsor’s race scene. “I always wanted to put a race in Windsor because there just weren’t enough long-distance events,” he says. “There were plenty of smaller races, but nothing big like a half marathon. We felt Windsor needed something unique.” THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

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Off To The Races The inaugural event launched just last year and sold out with about 2,000 participants. According to organizers, runners travelled from across Southwestern Ontario, the GTA, and the US to take part. “We recognized the need for a half marathon,” states Baker. “The running community in Windsor-Essex has continuously grown year over year, and there’s definitely demand for bigger events like this.” Part of the race’s appeal is its accessibility. Windsor, in a nutshell, is fairly flat, and lacks much difficult terrain. The Ground Effects Windsor Waterfront Half Marathon and 5K is as flat as it gets, a fast route along the city’s gorgeous scenic riverfront. A topography that makes the event appealing to everyone from the pros to the up-and-coming novice simply hoping to cross the finish line. “You’re giving everyone the chance to do a race and have a good experience with it,” explains Allison. “Experienced runners can push for their fastest time, while first-time runners can feel comfortable tackling their first half marathon.” For the organizers, the race has always been about more than competition. They see running as transformative, building confidence and community. “There’s a lady in our Blue Heron run group who is a recovering alcoholic, and running is what changed her life,” recalls Allison. “Events like this give people something to look forward to. They create routine, camaraderie and a sense of accomplishment.” According to Allison, running differs from many other forms of entertainment because participants become part of the experience long before race day arrives. “You sign up for the race months ahead of time, and suddenly you’re training, eating healthier and meeting people with similar goals. By the time race weekend comes around, you’ve already gained so much from the experience.”

An Opportunity To Give Back Making an event of this scale possible requires support. Standing firmly behind the event is Ground Effects Ltd. and Chairman 12

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and CEO Jim Scott, who signed on as the race’s title sponsor. Scott immediately understood the vision for what the Ground Effects Windsor Waterfront Half Marathon and 5K could become and recognized the value the event could bring to the city.

“Everything we do, we want Windsor to benefit,” explains Allison. “The charities benefit, local businesses benefit, the runners benefit and the community benefits. That’s what this event is about.”

improve and provide something special to runners, we’re not going to grow,” he says. “We always have to be creative and innovative because our goal is to make this event bigger every year.”

That long-term vision includes eventu“It’s a good opportunity to show people “Jim Scott and Ground Effects have been our city,” adds Baker. “A lot of runners are ally turning the Ground Effects Windsor huge supporters of this from the beginning,” states Allison. “They believed in what we were trying to build and understood how important an event like this could be for Windsor.” According to Allison, support from local businesses has helped transform the race into something much larger than a single-day sporting event. From Walkerville Brewery hosting race kit pickup to local run clubs promoting the event and businesses sponsoring aid stations, organizers say the race has become a citywide collaboration. “We’ve always wanted this to be mutually beneficial,” adds Allison. “The businesses supporting us are helping create a better experience for runners, and in return the event brings thousands of people into local restaurants, hotels and businesses throughout the weekend.”

We'd love to eventually grow it into something with 10,000 participants. “I want people to feel proud of their community because an event like this takes a village to put on. It’s not just the three of us organizing a race. It’s local businesses, volunteers, run groups and the city all working together.” With runners coming from far and wide, the race weekend creates increased business for hotels, restaurants and local shops. They estimate that hundreds of participants and spectators will travel into Windsor from outside the region this year, creating a significant economic boost during race weekend. THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

coming in from out of town, staying in Waterfront Half hotels, going to restaurants and exploring Marathon and 5K into a full weekend Windsor while they’re here.” festival featuring additional The race has also become an important races and expanded programming. fundraiser for local charities. Big Brothers “The ultimate vision is for this to Big Sisters of Windsor-Essex and the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation are become a weekend-long event,” explains among the organizations benefiting from Allison. “We’d love to eventually grow it the event. The organizers say that more into something with 10,000 participants than $20,000 was raised for Big Brothers and make it one of the marquee races in Big Sisters in its first year and they have the region.” already surpassed that amount again this year. Support from local businesses like TD Bank help to make this possible to achieve. In addition, the event has also generated approximately $10,000 for the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation so far.

Racing Towards The Future According to Boulos, the team understands the importance of continuing to grow and improve the race each year, especially if they want to compete with larger events across Ontario and the US. “If we don’t

Even with those ambitious goals, the organizers want to keep Windsor and its community at the core of the race’s heart. For them, success is not only measured by race times or the number of runners, but by the sense of pride and connection created along the waterfront and in the City of Windsor. “We’re proud to bring something unique to Windsor,” states Boulos. “Running is growing everywhere, and we felt it was time for Windsor to have an event that truly reflects the energy and spirit of this community.” 13

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RUNNING FORWARD WITH WINDSOR-ESSEX Ground Effects celebrates 40 years and a growing partnership with the Windsor Waterfront Races By Devan Mighton Photos by Zishan Ali

As Ground Effects marks its 40th anniversary, the company is celebrating more than manufacturing success. What started in 1986 as a 10-employee family-run business has grown into a global automotive supplier with a 4,300-member workforce. Founded in Windsor, Ground Effects is known for its deep investment in the community, highlighted this year through its continued role as the title sponsor of the Windsor Waterfront Races. Ground Effects Chairman and CEO Jim Scott states that the partnership feels like a natural fit. “I went to the marathon last September and I could not believe the excitement and the closeness of the race community,” says Scott. “It really puts Windsor on the map for a day, and I instantly understood why we were a part of it as the presenting sponsor.”

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The company became involved when Brad Baker and Ryan Allison, representing the race, approached Scott about supporting the event. Although Ground Effects has sponsored many local initiatives over the years, this was their first race. “They walked us through the vision for the marathon, and I got excited about it almost immediately,” recalls Scott. “The organization was world class, and you could see how much pride and energy the event brought to the community.” The race aligns closely with causes that match Ground Effects’ interests, as proceeds from the event benefit organizations including the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters. “I’m chair of the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation, so there’s already a strong connection there. We have also recently started working more closely with Big Brothers Big Sisters and they are a wonderful organization,” explains Scott. “When you combine community wellness, fundraising, and bringing people together on the waterfront, it becomes something really special.”

Ground Effects plans to have a major presence at this year’s races, with Scott even considering participating himself. “We’re going to be there alongside them for years to come,” he says. “The organizers and volunteers did an outstanding job last year, and we’re proud to help support what they’re building right here in Windsor/Essex.”

A Four-Decade Legacy Ground Effects officially launched in March 1986, but Scott entered the picture two years later after leaving his job in banking to take over the struggling operation. That decision helped transform Ground Effects into one of Windsor-Essex’s largest manufacturing success stories. Today, the company operates more than 30 locations worldwide, including facilities across Ontario, the United States, Mexico, China, and Thailand. Despite that growth, Scott says Windsor remains the heart of the business. “Our roots are here in WindsorEssex, and that has never changed,” states Scott. “We’ve grown around the world, but

We've grown around the world, but this community is where our people, our families, and our legacy are.

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industry for its innovation and manufacthis community is where our people, our turing quality. This year, the company has families, and our legacy are.” continued to put its name on the map, Ground Effects now employs over 800 receiving its sixth General Motors’ Supplier locally across six Windsor operations and of the Year Award, one of only 107 winners one Kingsville facility. Scott says that the selected from nearly 25,000 suppliers worldcompany’s success is a credit to the people wide. Ground Effects is also set to receive a Ford Supplier of the Year Award in the coming weeks.

I wanted to make sure Ground Effects stayed here long after I'm gone. behind the brand, many of whom have spent decades with the organization. “We still have employees with us from the 1980s, and that says a lot about the culture we’ve built,” says Scott. “We’ve always treated this company like a family, and our employees take tremendous pride in what they do.” Ground Effects reaffirmed its commitment to company culture and its dedication to the community earlier this year through a major employee ownership initiative. In March, Scott completed an employee buyout of the Windsor and Kingsville operations, creating 139 shareholders within the company. “I wanted to make sure Ground Effects stayed here long after I’m gone,” states Scott. “I remain the major shareholder, but now I am joined by 138 other shareholders and they will guarantee that Ground Effects remains in Windsor-Essex for the next 40 or 50 years.” The new employee ownership will help ensure the company’s operations remain rooted in Windsor-Essex, while giving workers an opportunity to invest in its future. “Our employees are now owners, and they’re incredibly proud of that,” he says. “It creates even more passion and accountability because they’re building something for themselves and for the community.”

Taking A Lead Ground Effects has been earning due recognition throughout the automotive 18

team that we built, their pride, loyalty and dedication to doing it the right way.”

The company is also heavily invested in robotics and automation, operating nearly 90 robotic cells across its facilities. “Automation has allowed us to improve quality and consistency in everything we do,” he says. “When our products reach assembly plant customers, we know they’ve been inspected “To be recognized at that level means properly and built to the highest standards.” a lot to everyone in the company,” reports Ground Effects has been committed Scott. “Our employees work hard every to expanding its capabilities through new day, and they take real pride in seeing that technologies and operational facilities. effort recognized globally. These awards and One of its largest recent investments is a acknowledgements are a testament to the 305,000 sq. ft. chemical production facility

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in Tennessee, where the company now Office of The Make-A-Wish Foundation, manufactures materials used in spray-on the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation, Hospice of Windsor and Essex County, bedliners and other automotive coatings. “We realized we needed to become more Alzheimer Society Windsor-Essex, The vertically integrated and produce our own Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital Foundation materials,” reports Scott. “That facility has among many others. “We believe strongly in taking care of become one of the most innovative operathose less fortunate than us,” states Scott. tions in our entire company.” Even as the automotive industry shifts “Giving back isn’t just something we do toward electric vehicles, Scott believes occasionally—it’s part of our culture every single day.” Ground Effects is positioned to adapt. “Our technology works across gas, hybrid, and electric vehicles, so we’re ready for wherever the market goes,” he says.

A Commitment To The Community

Ground Effects’ employees are also heavily invested in volunteer work across Windsor-Essex. “When we ask employees to help out at an event, they jump in immediately,” he says. “They care deeply about the community, and that’s something really special to see.”

tion established by Ground Effects following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Enable Haiti currently supports more than 900 children by providing housing, education, meals, medical care, and safety in a country facing severe instability. “We’re trying to give these kids hope and a future,” says Scott. “Haiti is facing enormous challenges right now, but we’re committed to continuing that work because those children deserve opportunities.” As Ground Effects enters its fifth decade, Scott says the company’s focus remains very simple and very committed—support their employees, serve their customers, and strengthen the Windsor-Essex community as a whole.

“We’ve been fortunate to build someGround Effects supported 229 charithing special over the last 40 years,” he table organizations in 2025 and will duplicate that reach throughout 2026. These One initiative especially close to Scott’s states. “Now it’s about making sure that initiatives include the first ever Satellite heart is Enable Haiti, a non-profit organiza- legacy continues for generations to come.” THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

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BLAZING BASSINETS An Unprecedented Baby Boom at Windsor Fire and Rescue Services By Jesse Ziter Photos by Jessica Tullio Photography

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Thanks to the brave men and women at Essex County’s largest fire department, 2025 saw a thirty-alarm fire in local maternity wards. The Drive sat down with the firefighter who made sure this historical quirk was commemorated on film for posterity. Speed is of the essence in firefighting, but Rick Miller didn’t mind finishing last this one time. An active firefighter in his eighth year of service with Windsor Fire and Rescue Services, Miller welcomed his first child one week before Christmas 2025. Miller’s daughter, having snuck in just before the close of the year, was the thirtieth of thirty babies at Windsor’s municipal fire prevention and protection authority last calendar year—enough for two full soccer teams with ample substitutes.

“I wondered if we were going to come close to that,” he recalls. “If so, I thought it would be pretty cool to get a similar photo.” In the end, the remarkable shot—we think it speaks for itself—was captured by Jessica Tulio, a professional photographer specializing in family and “lifestyle” shoots who happens to be married to a Fire and Rescue servicemember. As Miller explains, the production was no small undertaking: the logistics involved triangulating dozens of nap schedules, securing shift coverages, locking down a fire truck, begging for agreeable weather, and ensuring enough real estate, food, and parking space for 29 service members, the 30 babies, and dozens of grandparents, partners and spouses, and siblings.

As Miller explains, Fire and Rescue currently boasts an uncommonly young workforce in the wake of a wave of coincidentally coordinated retirements and buyouts. The department currently employs 258 “on the floor,” full-time firefighters, meaning the 29 pregnancies (including one pair of twins) equated to one for every ninth service member. (What’s more, the baby boom grows even louder when you factor in ancillary and support staff, like dispatchers, several of whom also had babies last year.)

The Fire Service is a family and the station is your home away from home.

Around this time, Miller came across a Good Morning America segment on a “baby boom” at the Chandler, Arizona fire department; the piece featured a group photo of “18 or so” new parents and their kids.

colleagues. “The Fire Service is a family and the station is your home away from home," he relates. “I always say the firehall’s been a great precursor to parenthood in terms of the skills it teaches you. We learn to cook, clean, cut

In the end, the Fire Service settled on a March Sunday morning at 10 a.m., and everybody showed up. The VIPs arrived in uniform: The new additions were outfitted in custom onesies showing off the InterMiller and his wife were delighted to national Association of Fire Fighters and learn they were expecting in late April of last Windsor Fire and Rescue crests. year, by which point they were already aware “Everybody moved heaven and earth of a half-dozen colleagues with newborns to be able to participate,” says Miller, who and several more with upcoming due dates. credits Chief James Waffle and the Fire “Every time somebody in our department and Rescue administration for their critical has a child, our fire dispatch team puts out support. “I can’t thank the members, their an email notice welcoming them into the spouses, and all their other children enough fire family,” explains Miller, speaking with for making the time to show up. In our me during a rare moment of quiet when line of work, we talk often about family, both our respective infants were down for that closeness, and that brotherhood and an afternoon nap. “We kept getting these sisterhood: looking back on it, it really emails— two, three a month. Within the overwhelms me.” past few years, we’d noticed an uptick, but As a new dad, Miller is delighted to be this was unheard of.” figuring things out in parallel with so many

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the grass, and ultimately truly make a home of things other parents can’t. I get to spend and your kid starts crying and you need to in a way I think translates a lot.” four days a week with my daughter!” tend to them,” he relates, “well, the same Miller, like several of his colleagues, While Miller really does think he has thing happens in the fire service. When a represents a second-generation in the “the best job in the world,” his recent life call comes in, you’ve gotta put everything vocation; he still recalls visiting his own has featured contours that new parents else down.” father at the fire station, and he has photos reading this will know all too well. “Some of himself in those environs when he was days its tough,” he confirms. “When you’ve about the age his daughter is now. had a fire all night long, you’ve slept for As Miller already knew well, a firefight- 45 minutes, and you come home and your er’s schedule poses unique challenges but spouse hands you the baby. Your kid doesn’t confers real benefits for family life. “There’s care what went on the night before!”

Whatever the future holds, Miller and his colleagues will always have their one-of-akind photo to crystallize this period in their collective life.

“I know she’s not going to remember it,” he admits, “but I’m always going to think a lot of sacrifice—we do miss a lot of birthStill, few firefighters show up at the about these moments with my daughter even days and holidays,” he explains, “but our station expecting or desiring a frictionless as she grows up.” shift schedule means we’re able to do a lot life. “When you’re trying to cook dinner He and 28 others.

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Photo (above) by Jeff Peacock. You don’t have to go far to view something special like this beauty. In fact, this image of the Northern Lights was captured at Tremblay Beach Conservation Area in Stoney Point. It was taken with a DSLR camera with ultra-wide-angle lens, but nearby teens shot their own beautiful images simply using their cellphones.

LOOK UP! Why sky-gazing is good for your health By Linda Mondoux Photos by Jeff Peacock

You get a sense of awe, a sense of being small, but a sense of belonging too.

Some people head to the gym to release the stress of a long day. Others take to their favourite lounge chair to unwind with a book. And still others, like Jeff Peacock, simply walk out into their backyard and look up. It wasn’t always this way. In fact, forty years ago, barely out of high school, Peacock was feeling a bit anxious about the future. “Age 20 hit me hard for some reason,” he recalls. Then came the media hype about Halley’s Comet, marketed as a must-see cosmic event. “It was 1986 and I heard about this comet coming in and I thought oh, this is something I’ve got to see. A once-in-a-lifetime thing, with the next one 75 or so years away. It piqued my interest.” With a new-found interest, Peacock got in touch with a member of the Windsor Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) and invested in a small

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starter telescope. He took photos of Halley’s Peacock’s celestial photos prove you Comet that year, both here and in the sky don’t have to go far to view something above Florida. And he’s been looking up at special up above. In fact, it was at Tremblay the sky ever since. Beach Conservation Area in Lakeshore “You get a sense of awe, a sense being where, with the help of an Aurora-tracking small, but a sense of belonging too,” he says app, he was able to capture the majesty of about the vastness up there and what he the Northern Lights in fall 2024. He had feels when he gazes into the sky above his his fancy telescope that night, but all you home in Tecumseh. “You realize you’re here need to see many of the nighttime gifts in for a short period of time and you kind of the sky are binoculars, or even your smart want to make the most of it. And as you get phone. older too, you realize that stuff that used to In August, all you’ll need are your bare bother you shouldn’t bother you any more eyes to enjoy shooting stars galore, thanks in real life.” to the annual Perseid Meteor Shower that That sense of awe, purpose and calm - sends streaks of light raining down on Earth of being grounded and humbled all at the from outer space. Bring a chair and sit on same time - is exactly what psychologists the beach in Point Pelee National Park have been preaching as a natural stress where local astronomers will be hosting reliever, a sort of cosmic happy pill. British a shower party. In the meantime, you can researcher Paul Conway, who coined find out more about the sky above Windsorthe term skychology in his 2019 study Essex by attending a meeting of the local on sky-gazing, found that looking at the RASC. The group’s monthly meetings at ever-changing sky was an everyday oppor- Ojibway Park Nature Centre are open to the tunity to experience the extraordinary public and are held on the third Tuesday in the ordinary. “Positive activities boost of the month, except for July, August emotions, thoughts, behaviours, and satis- and December. faction, all of which enhance well-being,” This summer, whether you find yourself he wrote in his analysis. on a blanket under the trees in Seacliff Park The good news is that this sky-gazing in Leamington, fishing off the pier at the medicine is free for all and easily accessible, Belle River Marina or kayaking on Cedar even if you live in an urban area where the skies Creek in Kingsville, it’s nice to know that aren’t as dark as they would be if you travelled sky-gazing can help keep you and your mind to the wilds of, say, the Northwest Territories, healthy. As Mr. Peacock says: “Just look up known for its Aurora Borealis displays. and see what you’re missing,”

Photo by Jeff Peacock/Steve Mastellotto. This image of the cosmic powerhouse Andromeda Galaxy M31 is the result of a collaboration between two members of the local astronomical club. The photographer used a telescope with light pollution filter and equatorial mount to take a one-minute photo 210 times over 3.5 hours. He processed the image, then sent it to his friend Steve Mastellotto to enhance it to the next level. Fun fact: Andromeda contains about one trillion stars.

Dark Sky Nights, Point Pelee National Park The park is open until midnight, except during the Perseid Meteor Shower event, when gates will stay open from 6 am on Aug. 12 to 10 pm on Aug. 13. • June 13 • August 12, 13 • October 10

• July 18 • September 12 • December 12

NOTE: If skies are clear, members of the Windsor Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada will join visitors onsite with telescopes to facilitate sky viewing at all of the above events except for June 13 and Dec. 12.

Viewing Platforms Get up close to the sky to watch hawks, sunsets, the night’s first stars and even the new Gordie Howe International Bridge: Malden Park Observation Area 4200 Malden Road, Windsor. Park features the highest hill in Essex County. Ramped accessible site. Viewing binoculars for bridge viewing. Petite Cote Conservation Area Front Road/Vista Avenue, LaSalle. Viewing tower over Detroit River at end of Marshland Trail. Holiday Beach Conservation Area 6952 County Road 50, Amherstburg. Great bird watching from the tri-level Hawk Tower. Point Pelee National Park End of Point Pelee Drive, Leamington Choose from marsh boardwalk tower or The Tip Tower overlooking Lake Erie. Ruscom Shores Conservation Area Pointes-aux-Roches, Lakeshore. Trail and viewing tower along Lake St. Clair marshland.

Photo by Jeff Peacock (above) This otherworldly image of the Aurora Borealis was taken in Tecumseh at Lakeside Park at Riverside Drive and Manning Road using a Pentax k1 DSLR camera with Irix 15 mm lens, three-second exposure at F2.4 ISO 1600.

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Tremblay Beach Conservation Area 10065 St. Clair Road, Pointes-aux-Roches, Lakeshore. Trails, tower for viewing Northern Lights. 31

DRIVE SAFETY

KEEPING IT ANONYMOUS, SPREADING THE WORD Crime Stoppers strengthens community trust across Windsor-Essex By Devan Mighton Photos by Anthony Sheardown

DRIVE SAFETY

For many locals, Crime Stoppers is something they might recognize from a billboard, a TV commercial, or maybe even an advertisement on a park bench. It’s a reminder of the option to report information anonymously. In WindsorEssex, Crime Stoppers has quietly grown into something more personal. It has become a connection between concern and action, and a steady presence, building a bridge between personal accountability and the needs of the community. Windsor-Essex County Crime Stoppers exists to give people a voice without fear. Keeping Us and Our Community Safe “We promote community safety,” explains Crime Stoppers program manager Greg Rumpel. “Not only as a whole, but as close to home as your own neighbourhood.” The notion, that safety is close to home, is something Rumpel touches on often when he discusses the role of Crime Stoppers in our community. He says it’s not just about solving crimes after they happen, but about giving people the confidence to speak up before situations escalate. “It’s totally anonymous,” he states. “You never have to worry about your name being out there. That’s what makes people comfortable.” Built on a system of anonymity and trust, Crime Stoppers requires a level of faith in the process, the coordinators handling information, and the belief that even a small detail can make a difference here at home.

During Police Week at Devonshire Mall, an event that takes place annually during the second week of May, interactive displays include a fun and lighthearted “jail” setup for children to experience. “They went in and took pictures,” says Rumpel. “Those types of things resonate because we’re not intimidating. We’re somebody they feel they can approach.”

followers helping share alerts and safety messages. “What that says is that people care,” explains Rumpel. “They want their community to be safe.”

Structurally, Crime Stoppers is supported by a volunteer board and multiple police partners. Rumpel explains that collaboration has been key in rebuilding momentum. “It gives us confidence to go For the families of Windsor-Essex, these out there and know we can make a differmoments can help reshape how safety ence,” he adds. organizations are seen. Not distorted as distant and intimidating authority figures, Making That Difference but as approachable members of the commuConnection, collaboration, and outreach nity who are here to help. “It’s those smaller are key, because Crime Stoppers only works events where you actually get to interact with if people trust it enough to use it. “If people,” explains Rumpel. “Those are the somebody is worried about calling in, they ones that really make an impact.” don’t have to worry about retribution,” he Since the disruption of the COVID-19 says. “Nobody knows where the tip came pandemic, Crime Stoppers has spent much from. That’s the point.” of the past few years rebuilding its public Crime Stoppers board president Brenda presence. Showing up consistently at health Roberts feels that their connection to the fairs, schools, charity events, and senior outreach programs across Windsor-Essex, Windsor-Essex community continues to they are working to reconnect with the define them and give them purpose. “I feel public and re-establish the symbiotic trust very fortunate to live in a community that is very supportive and interactive with our required to be an effective partner. organization,” she says. “Our ongoing events Their focus often centres on prevention, educating the public about online help foster this relationship and allow us scams that target seniors and fraud attempts to support the safety and security of our aimed at youth. “Our guys go into schools community.”

and senior centres,” reports Rumpel. “We For Rumpel, that connection between talk about scams, internet safety, and what people, is what gives the work meaning. people should watch for. It’s about preven- Crime Stoppers isn’t just about the infortion as much as response.” mation coming in. It is about someone, Crime Stoppers has also grown its somewhere, feeling safe enough to speak, While individual cases remain confidigital reach, with nearly 10,000 Facebook and knowing that when they do, it matters. dential, Rumpel explains that the impact of anonymous tips are felt across the region every day. Your tips lead to major investigations, provide a helping hand to the community, and help to reassure residents that someone is listening.

Connecting With The Community Not every impact comes from a tip. Sometimes, it comes from a conversation. Crime Stoppers often engages in community events where their staff are not behind a desk or phone line, but standing in parks, schools, or community halls speaking directly with families—making connections and building trust. THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

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DRIVE TECHNOLOGY

DRIVING INNOVATION KNOWLEDGE BASE CAMP

Why the companies winning with AI aren't using better tools, they're feeding them better information

By Jesse Ziter

For the latest installment of our ongoing Driving Innovation series, we got back in touch with Jordan Goure, chronic entrepreneur and, most recently, co-founder of the dynamic hiring platform Picsume. Goure was recently identified as an “Emerging Leader” in Artificial Intelligence by The Peak, a popular Canadian business newsletter. According to Goure, if your AI workflow doesn’t start with a knowledge base, you’re already falling behind.

The Big Idea: The knowledge Base In the context of consumer-facing AI-powered chat apps like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Perplexity, a knowledge base is a structured, centralized repository of specific information (think rules, documents, and baseline facts) that an AI-enabled system accesses to do its work: “reason,” answer questions, and make decisions. While a “basic” AI tool (e.g., a new ChatGPT window) relies on a broad-spectrum information library assembled from years of scraping who-knows-what across the internet, an AI tool with a purpose-built knowledge base will prioritize the specific stuff that matter most to you and whatever work you do. “A knowledge base provides the information layer that helps AI generate accurate, context-aware responses. It doesn’t make AI necessarily smarter, just more informed,” explains Goure. “Instead of re-explaining your business, your tone, or your processes every time you start a conversation, a knowledge base stores that information so the AI can reference it when needed. Think of it as the difference between working with a temp who needs everything explained from scratch and a trained employee who already has access to your company's documentation and procedures.” Alternatively, if we can borrow a different use of the key word, think of it as starting every query on third base: if a lot of the groundwork has been laid before your step up to the plate, the path to your goal becomes much shorter.

Connect the Bots: What Your Knowledge Base Can Include Any knowledge base will be populated by documents of various varieties; for example, custom GPTs (tailored versions of OpenAI’s ChatGPT tool built for specific purposes) permit direct file uploads. Popular static document formats include PDFs, Microsoft Word and Google docs, text-based training manuals, and standard operating procedures (SOPs). The strongest possible knowledge base will also “talk to” several of the systems you already use in your work by integrating external software platforms. Goure has witnessed successful integrations of workplace-management, corporate communications, and productivity apps like Notion, Hubspot, Slack, Google Drive, and Airtable. Moreover, according to Goure, some platforms let you “deliver” live data, recorded in real time, directly into your AI workflows.

Keep It Simple: How to Set Up a Knowledge Base For Yourself Goure recommends a straightforward four-step process to construct a new knowledge base: 1. Gather your documents: Comb through your company’s hard drives and cloud storage to identify existing SOPs, frequently asked questions (FAQs), product descriptions, brand guidelines, past emails, and policies that are still valid and relevant to your work. 2. U pload the documents or approve direct connections to cloud apps to share them with your AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, etc.). 3. Test the AI by asking it a question your proprietary documents should answer; see if it responds correctly. 4. R efine the process over time by cleaning up any outdated or conflicting information and re-uploading newer, better files.

Jordan Goure is an entrepreneur and community leader who launched his first business at 19. He now owns Vin Winery, several resort properties, and a real estate development company. He is also Co-Founder and CEO of Picsume, an award-winning Canadian software company building ethical AI and workforce solutions. Based in Windsor-Essex, he serves on the Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island board of directors. He holds a Political Science degree and has completed a Harvard executive business program in AI strategy.

DRIVE TECHNOLOGY

Dos and Don’ts: How to Take Out The Garbage

Innovation at Work: How Goure Puts Knowledge Into Practice

Are you familiar with the “GIGO” concept? Goure thinks you should be. GIGO, which stands for “garbage in, garbage out,” is a fundamental principle of computing. While the underlying idea— the quality of an agent’s input into a computer system determines the quality of that system’s output—has existed in some essential form for about 200 years, programmers, engineers, and mathematicians have been using the abbreviated version since at least the 1960s. In the context of machine learning and what we now call generative AI, savvy operators understand that poor-quality training data and prompt construction will invariably result in a poorly performing model.

According to Goure, Picsume’s platform is a knowledge base built around one central task: hiring. “Instead of recruiters re-reading the same PDFs over and over,” he says, “candidate information flows into what we call ‘structured profiles’ that AI tools can actually read, make sense of, and use.”

Here are a few of Goure’s best tips for ensuring the next knowledge base you build sets your operation up for success: Do: • Use clean, clearly written documents. • Keep information as current as possible. • Use consistent formatting. • Clarify context (who, what, and why) whenever possible. Don’t: • Upload “messy” files, or multiple files that contradict each other. • Let outdated or obsolete documents “sit” in your knowledge base. • Mix different naming conventions across your system. • “Dump” heaps of raw data without adding structure.

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The philosophy is straightforward: structured data beats a stack of documents every time. Storing information matters, but the companies pulling ahead aren’t just digitally warehousing the data important to their work. Smart companies are building intelligently structured systems that process whatever is stored, keep it current, and, in Goure’s words, “put it to work.” He explains: “Picsume dynamic profiles aren’t static files; by design, the data updates as candidates evolve, which means the AI is always reasoning from an accurate picture. That is what separates a file cabinet from a knowledge base.”

The Last Word “The companies ‘winning’ with AI aren’t necessarily using better tools,” concludes Goure. “They’re feeding those tools better information. That’s the real competitive edge.”

DRIVE MUSIC

STOMPING THE ACCELERATOR 44

Windsor’s Teaze goes full throttle with long-awaited comeback Rev Your Engines By Devan Mighton Photo by Maximus Reid

DRIVE MUSIC

Nearly 50 years after first emerging from Windsor’s rock scene, Teaze is turning the amp back up to 11 with its new album, Rev Your Engines.

and a thriving local live music scene. “As musicians, we definitely heard more American radio, Michigan radio, more than anything else,” reveals Bonventre. “The scene was really good back then. We had Rev Your Engines, the band’s first tons of places to play and could work six release since 1980’s Body Shots, officially nights a week without ever leaving the city.” launched worldwide on May 22 to much Bradac believes that Detroit influence acclaim. Featuring founding members gave Teaze a sound that stood apart from Brian Danter on vocals and bass, and Mark many Canadian bands of the era. “We were Bradac on guitar, along with guitarist Chuck Lambrick and drummer Jim Bonventre, the a breath of fresh air in the Canadian music new offering blends the group’s classic hard landscape because of where we came from,” he says. As the band’s reputation grew rock roots with a modern production style. beyond Windsor, Teaze soon found itself navigating the highs and struggles of the music industry.

We went from being broke and in rock-androll despair to suddenly sitting with the biggest rock band in the world having drinks.

One of Bradac’s most memorable moments came during a turning point in the late 1970s after years of grinding it out on the road. “We’d been slugging it out on the road for a couple years, we were broke, frustrated and unhappy with our management situation,” he recalls.

For Bonventre, joining Teaze carried personal significance. “I’m not joking when I say I used to dream about being on stage with Teaze,” he said. That chemistry became the foundation for Rev Your Engines, which combines classic arena-rock energy with updated songwriting and production. “I think the album has a lot of the same energy Teaze had before, except the sound is a little more modern,” Bonventre said. The album’s first single, “Man of Vision,” was followed by the energetic title track “Rev Your Engines.”

A striking moment in the album hits when the band does a sizzling cover of Rainbow’s “Man on the Silver Mountain.” One of early metal’s most iconic songs, it also served as one of the first songs the band learned when they formed in the ‘70’s. “We modernized the music a bit,” says Bradac. The band arranged a meeting in Toronto “Brian sang it very faithfully because you with representatives from Aquarius Records can’t really improve on Ronnie James Dio.” and Donald K. Donald Productions at the The album also revisits “Sweet Misery,” Windsor Arms Hotel, unaware of who else one of Teaze’s best-known songs, in a dramatwould be attending. “When they escorted ically different form. “‘Sweet Misery’ was us into the private room, sitting there were probably the most contentious song Teaze Mick Jagger and Ron Wood from The ever recorded, but it was also our biggest Rolling Stones,” says Bradac. song,” Bradac said. “This time we stripped

For Bradac, the album represents far more than a reunion project. It’s injecting a little nitro into their catalogue of ‘70’s bangers for the modern audience. “The only path forward for Teaze was new material At the time, The Rolling Stones were because we’d been away for so long,” he secretly preparing for their famous El explains. “A lot of bands coming back can rely on catalogues of hit songs, but we Mocambo concerts in Toronto. “We went needed something new to push us forward.” from being broke and in rock-and-roll despair to suddenly sitting with the biggest Early reactions to the album have already rock band in the world having drinks,” exceeded the band’s expectations. “The remembers Bradac. reviews have honestly been crazy over the Teaze eventually signed with Capitol top,” states Bradac. “We keep seeing scores Records and toured internationally, like 10 out of 10.” including Japan, before the original version Teaze’s energy can be traced directly back of the band ended abruptly. Still, Bradac to the music culture of their youth—where never believed the story was truly over. “I the band first formed during the 1970s. “The always thought there was something magical Teaze energy is really just the Windsor-De- about the band,” he explains. “When we got troit energy,” Bradac said. “We grew up on back together in 2019, that energy was still bands like Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Grand there.” Funk Railroad, and Bob Seger.” The reunited lineup brought together Growing up in Windsor meant longtime friendships and lifelong fans of being immersed in Detroit rock radio the original band. “Jimmy and Chuck are

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the perfect guys for this band,” Bradac said. “The band feels beautiful right now.”

everything down to piano and cello and turned it into a beautiful ballad.” Now, with the album released and gaining traction internationally, Teaze is ready to take it on the road. After decades away from the spotlight, these hometown rockers are pushing full speed into a next chapter.

THE ROLLING STONES MOMENT In the late 1970s, a struggling Teaze arrived at Toronto's Windsor Arms Hotel expecting a business meeting. Instead, they found themselves sharing drinks with Mick Jagger and Ron Wood as The Rolling Stones secretly prepared for their legendary El Mocambo shows.

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DRIVE MIND

NATURE IS YOUR

superpower

There is a quiet ache many people carry today; a feeling of disconnection they cannot quite name. We live in an age of endless notifications, artificial light, crowded schedules, and constant stimulation, yet despite all our conveniences, many of us feel depleted, anxious, overstimulated, and strangely lonely. We spend our days indoors under fluorescent lights, staring into glowing screens, disconnected from the rhythms that once guided human life for thousands of years. And somewhere deep within us, the nervous system remembers another way of living. It remembers sunlight warming our skin, the sound of wind moving through trees, rivers and campfires, birdsong and ocean tides, and the feeling of bare feet touching the earth. Perhaps this is why we feel so instinctively drawn to nature. Even as children, most of us felt captivated by forests, creeks, beaches, mountains, or open fields. We collected 48

rocks and leaves, climbed trees, chased waves and watched clouds move across the sky. Nature has always called on us because we are not separate from it, we are part of it.

deepens. Muscles unclench. Thoughts become quieter. There is something deeply regulating about being surrounded by living things that ask nothing from us.

MODERN LIFE OFTEN ASKS US TO FORGET THIS TRUTH.

A tall forest does not demand productivity. A river does not care about how many ‘likes’ you get.

Our nervous systems were never designed for the relentless pace of today’s world. The constant exposure to noise, information, social media, and digital stimulation keeps many people trapped in a low-grade stress response. We become mentally exhausted yet emotionally restless. Sleep becomes lighter. Anxiety increases. Even moments of rest are often interrupted by screens and notifications. NATURE OFFERS SOMETHING PROFOUNDLY DIFFERENT. Under the naked sky, the body begins to soften. Heart rates are slow. Breathing

A campfire does not ask you to perform. NATURE SIMPLY INVITES YOU TO BE PRESENT. Spending time outdoors can feel deeply healing to the nervous system. Studies have shown that time in green spaces can lower cortisol levels, reduce blood pressure, improve mood, and support emotional regulation. But beyond the science, many people intuitively know this already. They feel calmer after sitting near water or restored after a walk through the woods.

DRIVE MIND

There is something especially healing about witnessing the transition points in nature like a sunrise and sunset. A sunrise carries the quiet promise of beginning again. Even after difficult nights, grief, mistakes, disappointment, or exhaustion, the morning sun rises without fail, reminding us that today is a brand-new day. Likewise, sunsets offer their own kind of medicine. A sunset teaches surrender. It whispers that tomorrow is another day and another chance to try again, heal, forgive, create, or begin anew. In Japan, there is a practice known as Shinrin-yoku, often translated as “forest bathing.” Forest bathing simply means immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the forest and engaging your senses fully. The practice encourages people to walk slowly, breathe deeply, observe the textures of bark and leaves, listen to birdsong, and absorb the stillness of the natural world. The goal is not to “get somewhere.” The goal is to reconnect. Nature reminds us that we belong to something larger than ourselves. When we sit beside water or beneath ancient trees, we remember that life exists in countless forms all around us. Birds sing to one another overhead. Bees move from flower to flower. Trees communicate underground through intricate root systems. Even the smallest leaf contains astonishing beauty and intelligence.

Even animals can help regulate our stress response. Listening to a cat purr, for example, has an almost hypnotic effect on the body. The low rhythmic vibration and steady sound can gently pull someone out of fight-or-flight mode and into a more relaxed parasympathetic state. It is one reason people often feel calmer after holding or sitting quietly beside a contented animal. Simple practices can strengthen this reconnection. Walking barefoot on grass, soil, or sand, often called grounding or earthing, can help people feel calmer and more centered. Swimming in the ocean or floating in natural water has a uniquely restorative effect, almost as though stress dissolves with every wave. Sitting beside a fire at night can also be deeply therapeutic. Humans have gathered around fires for thousands of years, and many researchers believe firelight naturally induces a meditative state. Gazing into flames can quiet mental chatter, slow the body and shift the nervous system into rest-and-repair mode. Some scientists even suggest that this deeply relaxed state may support the body’s natural cellular repair process by reducing stress hormones and moving the body out of chronic survival mode. These experiences awaken the senses that have become dulled by excessive screen time and indoor living.

When we spend time outdoors, we begin communing again with other living beings. We step outside the isolating bubble of technology and modern life and re-enter the wider web of existence. It nourishes something deep within the soul to remember that we are not alone.

NATURE ASKS US TO NOTICE.

Many people describe feeling held by nature, as though the earth itself offers a kind of quiet maternal comfort. This is why phrases like “Mother Earth” resonate so deeply. The rhythmic sound of waves, the sway of branches in the wind, the warmth of sunlight, and the crackle of a campfire all seem to speak a language the nervous system instinctively understands.

Importantly, reconnecting with nature does not require living deep in the wilderness. Even in cities, opportunities for connection exist everywhere if we are willing to slow down enough to notice them.

To notice the scent of pine after rain. The coolness of morning air. The changing colours of the sky at dusk. The hypnotic rhythm of running water. The softness of moss beneath our feet.

When you step outside your door each morning, pause for one full minute before reaching for your phone. Close your eyes and let your senses absorb your surround-

ings. Listen carefully. Perhaps you will hear a neighbourhood bird singing from a nearby branch or a dog lapping up some water. Feel the temperature of the air against your skin. Notice the scent of rain, flowers, or freshly cut grass. Look closely at a single leaf and observe the astonishing variety of greens within it. Study the intricate veining that carries life through something so small and delicate. Watch how sunlight filters through branches and how clouds drift overhead without urgency. These tiny moments matter more than we realize. They gently pull us out of chronic mental overstimulation and back into embodied presence. They remind us that life is happening here, now, and not only on screens, schedules, or social media feeds. Nature nourishes the soul because it reconnects us to what is real, timeless, and alive. It reminds us that healing is not always found in doing more, but often in slowing down enough to remember what we already belong to. Time in nature reminds us that despite the noise of modern life, we are still connected to the earth, to other living beings, and to something ancient and steady within our own spirit. And perhaps that is one of nature’s greatest gifts: it reminds us that we were never meant to navigate life entirely alone. ACTION STEP: This week, choose one intentional moment to reconnect with nature without distractions. Leave your phone behind. Spend at least twenty uninterrupted minutes outdoors, walking through a park, sitting beside water, standing barefoot in the grass, or simply watching the sunrise or sunset. Instead of thinking, planning, or scrolling, allow yourself to simply observe and feel. Notice what shifts inside you when you stop trying to escape the world and begin being curious about it again.

I’m Teri Gyemi, a passionate life coach with a strong love for human behaviour. My own flawed past and my will to understand the hidden impulses that led me there, as well as my unrelenting desire to serve others, is what inspired me to become a life coach. Equipped with my certifications from the late Debbie Ford of The Ford Institute for Integrative Coaches, 2 decades experience as a life coach, practice as a workshop leader and educator, I have successfully supported clients through a holistic approach in realizing and executing their goals, healing emotionally, reviving their relationships or uncouple from unhealthy ones. My hope is that something I write will encourage those in need to take a step toward positive personal growth. terigyemi.com | psychologytoday.com THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

events

CALENDAR

music

LIVE

JUN 13 Farmer’s Market In The Quarry Stone & Sky at The Quarry | 10am-1pm

JUN 27 Pelee Island Fireworks | Pelee Island 9:45pm

JUN 13 Kids Fishing Derby | Lakewood Park 8:30am-12pm

JUN 28 Lakewood Summer Sounds Lakewood Park | 1-3pm

JUN 13 Fort Malden Medieval Faire Fort Malden National Historic Site

JUN 29 Pop-Culture Trivia | Dominion House Tavern | 7-9pm

JUN 15 Live Music with Alex Wyant | Colchester Ridge Estate Winery | 2-5pm

JUN 14 Corvette Club of Windsor Annual Waterfront Show Dieppe Park | 8am-5pm

JUN 30 Mack Flash Trivia | Parks & Rec Gastropub and Sports Bar | 7-9pm

JUN 18 Live Piano with Lisa Difazio | Kona Sushi | Tecumseh

JUN 14 Mega Machine Party | Tilbury Auto Mall | 10am-2pm

JUL 1 Amherstburg Canada Day 5k Fort Malden National Historic Site | 9am

JUN 12 Friday Music Live with Mark Hawken Daisy & Co. Wine Bar | 6:30-9:30pm

JUN 15 Card Board Game Night The Shadowbox Theatre | 5-10pm

JUL 1 Windsor Canada Day Parade Downtown Windsor | 11am-1pm

JUN 19 Live Music with Brendan James Water’s Edge Events Centre | 7:30pm

JUN 18-20 “Because I’m A Photographer” Art Exhibition | ArtsSpeak | 5-11pm

JUL 2-5 Essex Fun Fest | Essex Fair Grounds | 5pm

JUN 19-20 Taste of Tecumseh | Lakewood Park | 12-5pm

JUL 3 Electric Avenue International Jazz Festival | Windsor Eats | 6pm

JUN 19-21 Amherstburg Ribfest | Downtown Amherstburg

JUL 3 Essex Fun Fest Car Show | Talbot St N Essex | 4:30-8pm

JUN 20 Kingsville Block Party – Summer Solstice | Cottam Centre | 5-10pm

JUL 8 10-Year Anniversary Trunk Show Rana Eyecare | 12-6pm

JUN 28 Open Mic Night | Kingsville Brewery Co. | 2-5pm

JUN 20 Family Father’s Day Charity Extravaganza | St. Clair College Sportsplex 10am-3pm

JUL 10 Moonlight Movie Night | Tecumseh Town Centre Park | 8:30pm

JUN 29 Live Music with Jake VanDongen Colchester Ridge Estate Winery | 2-5pm

JUL 11-12 Mystic Garden Music Festival Lanspeary Park | 12pm

JUL 1 Live Music with Crowbar Parkside Grille | 6pm

JUN 22 Ford Fireworks | Windsor Riverfront 9:30pm

JUL 18 Walkerville Art Walk | Wyandotte St. East, from Lincoln Rd. to Devonshire Rd. 11am-10pm

JUL 2 Live Music with Denver Bohdal Urban Surf Co. | 6:30pm

JUN 23 Terracotta Planter Pot Dot-Painting Workshop | Banded Goose Brewing | 6-8pm

JUL 19 Tecumseh Farmers Market Lacasse Park | 9am-1pm

JUN 24 20’s & 30’s Paint Your Match Speed Dating Event | Windsor Craft Club | 6:30pm

JUL 23-26 Kingsville Pro Rodeo | Trimble Farms Cattle Company

JUN 25 Brews and Board Games Walkerville Brewery | 5pm

JULY 24 Tecumseh Twilight | McAuliffe Park 6:30-10:30pm

JUN 26-28 The Great Benjamins Circus Leamington District Agricultural Society | 7pm

JUL 26 Amherstburg’s Gone Car Crazy Show Downtown Amherstburg | 10am-3pm

JUN 27 Taste of Summer Market | WFCU Centre | 11am-5pm

JUL 26 Paws & Pours Cooper's | Hawk Vineyards | 11am-5pm

JUN 27 Kingsville Highland Games Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens

JUL 31- AUG 2 Hogs for Hospice Seacliff Park

JUN 21 Tecumseh Farmers Market Lacasse Park | 9am-1pm

JUL 4 Live Music with Radio Unplugged Parkside Grille | 6pm JUL 11 Live Music with Chiq Quattro The Rendezvous – Parkside Grille | 7pm JUL 17 Live Music with Danceland | The Cherry Rock Lounge | 9pm-2am

For more information scan QR code *Event details are subject to change. We recommend verifying dates, times and availability with the event organizers before attending. The Drive Magazine is not responsible for any changes, cancellations or inaccuracies.

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The Drive Magazine // Issue 171