SPLASH of SUMMERWOODBINE PARK | PHOTO BY: WILL ROBERTSON

COVER PHOTOWILL ROBERTSON

ENDLESS GRATITUDE TO AN INSPIRING LEADERWRITTEN BY: VICTORIA PHAM | PHOTO BY: UNKNOWN

THE RISE OF THE RAPTORWRITTEN BY: ROSS YELLOWLEES | PHOTO BY: ERICA EDWARDS

SUMMER IN THE CITYWRITTEN BY: VERA QI-LIN | PHOTOS BY: SARA ROBERTSON, FABIENNE LEE, ERICA EDWARDS

BLUE DRAGONSWRITTEN BY: TIM CHEUNG | PHOTO BY: REBECCA TWOSE, NARYAN WONG

THE AD AIN’T SO BADWRITTEN BY: JOSH GLADSTONE | PHOTO BY: ERICA EDWARDS

ROTATION-RELOCATIONWRITTEN BY: SARA ROBERTSON | PHOTO BY: NARYAN WONG

TORONTO ON WHEELSWRITTEN BY: TIM CHEUNG | PHOTO BY: FABIENNE LEE, SUMEYRA INCE

THE INTERNS GIVE BACKWRITTEN BY: NOKHI KHAMAR & CAROL LIU | PHOTO BY: SARA ROBERTSON

THE VALUE OF A MEMORYWRITTEN BY: IRIS WONG | PHOTO BY: WIKIPEDIA

CONTENT & CONTRIBUTORS

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12

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34

JOSH GLADSTONE

LEAD EDITOR

IRIS WONG

LEAD EDITOR

ERICA EDWARDS

LEAD DESIGNER

FABIENNE LEE

DESIGNER

Sun’s out, pun’s out—Welcome

Full Signal readers to the new Sum-

mer Issue! This edition, we were

graced with the writings of some

amazing new members as Ross

Yellowlees, Victoria Pham and

Sara Robertson joined the team.

Also, we were lucky enough to

have two interns, Anokhi Khamar

and Carol Liu help us out as well!

If you love summer, then this is-

sue is for you. Keep reading for

an amazing take on Summers

in Toronto, a unique perspec-

tive on the rising Raptors, a

great congratulations to our be-

loved Tegan, and much more.

Happy Summer!

The Full Signal Team

NOTE FROM THE EDITORS

FULL SIGNAL is a newletter pub-

lished by Grads in the Graduate

Leadership Program. We feature

articles on the telecom industry,

interesting stories, as well as pro-

files of our managers, directors,

and peers.

WHAT IS FULL SIGNAL?

CONTRIBUTORS

Want to get involved? Give us a

shout at FullSignal@bell.ca. We

look forward to hearing from you!

The month of August always

brings about the imminent end of

summer. But despite Mother Na-

ture gradually telling us to slow

down our summer activities, the

GLP is only just picking up. After

a busy summer filled with Intern

Programs, 4.0 Onboarding and

Alumni Program kick-offs, there

will be no shortage of activities or

areas of involvement for the Fall

months ahead.

Check out the list below for some

ideas of what to look forward to

and do not hesitate to contact a

member of your friendly neigh-

bourhood Leadership Develop-

ment team if you have any ques-

tions or want more information

about how to get involved:

AUGUST 28: 2.0 Graduation – Congratulate your

2.0 peers on successfully completing

the GLP!

SEPTEMBER 8: 3.1s Start their second rotation – Wish

a 3.1 good luck with their new role!

SEPTEMBER 8/9: 4.1 Onboarding - Introduce yourself

to the new faces at Bell!

Congratulations to the 35 graduates of Bell’s 2012 Mobility & Residential

Services Graduate Leadership Program! As the 2.0 grads leave the warmth

of the Grad bubble and move on to their final landing roles, take a look

back at their experience in the GLP by checking on the 2012 GLP Yearbook!

www.issuu.com/ashleynwhelan/docs/2012_glp_yearbook

WHAT’S UP IN THE GLP

SEPTEMBER 17: 4.0s Present to JW – Reach out to

your 4.0 buddy to offer your support!

SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER: Recruitment Season – Volunteer op-

portunities available for campus ses-

sions and interviews!

TBD: 3.0 Team Building Day – more details

to come soon!

It was a beautiful and breezy day in June 2011 when Tegan first heard the exciting

news: she was about to join the GLP team as the Leadership Development Manager.

With just a few weeks until the first 18 GLP - freshmen’s official start date, Tegan

worked hard alongside John, Maria and Nancy to plan everything. From the program

structure to on-boarding, from mentorship to rotations planning, all details were in

order to ensure a successful start to the GLP program. And the results? Monumental.

Now, three years later, she is responsible for launching a program with over 130+ grads,

maintaining 5% attrition and high engagement across the program. The program has

been recognized in our industry for winning two distinguishing awards in 2014, includ-

ing Best Grad Program (TalentEgg’s National Campus Recruitment Excellence Awards

voted by students), and Excellence in Innovation, Leadership Development (Cana-

dian Association of Career Educators and Employers). With Tegan now moving on to

her next, new challenge as the Associate Director of Talent Acquisition, we wanted to

share with you her inspiring thoughts about her time with the program.

ENDLESS GRATITUDE TO AN INSPIRING LEADERWRITTEN BY: VICTORIA PHAM

FS: What was your proudest

moment throughout the GLP

Program?

TM: Watching each grad grow

and develop through the pro-

gram stages from the very first

moment meeting them on cam-

pus, to onboarding them on

their first day at Bell, in front

of John Watson. Another great

moment was in May 2013 when

we had the opportunity to pres-

ent at the Talent Egg confer-

ence in front of over 200 people

and received great feedback on

our Bell programs.

FS: What were some of the chal-

lenges you faced along the way?

TM: I view challenges as ‘oppor-

tunities’ and ensured that with

any obstacle the team was faced

with, they communicated and

re-prioritized as needed. The

support on the team was ever

changing with new grads com-

ing in on rotations which made it

difficult at times to get ahead on

new projects.

FS: If you could go back, would

you have done anything differ-

ently?

TM: That’s a tough question—

there are so many great things

to do for the program that our

team wanted to focus on. I would

have had more face time with all

the grads. With the first groupin

2011, I was able to have one-on-

ones with everyone for 30 min/

bi-weekly, however, it became un-

sustainable with the team chang-

es and the program expanding

year over year. If I could go back

in time, I would build the resourc-

ing on the team to be structured

and have capacity to move around

different offices to enable more

face-time with grads to assess en-

gagement.”

FS: What is your outlook and goal

for the program as we go for-

ward?

TM: For all the grads to continue

to collaborate, build relationships

across Bell, grow, learn, and have

a strong, self-sustaining network.

Tegan’s biggest motto is “Everything happens for a reason”. There is a master

plan in place, and it is your job to follow your gut and trust your instinct. To start

her career in HR, Tegan actually was teaching at a local swimming pool when

she met the person who connected her to her first job in HR (a story for another

time). It’s difficult to put into words the resounding impact that Tegan had on

our lives. John Adams once said,

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and

become more, you are a leader.”

Thank you Tegan for being our inspiration to dream, learn, do and become more!

FS: Any parting advice for grads?

TM: Don’t take anything person-

ally at work. You’ll work with

many different people in your ca-

reer and you’ll have to remember

that feedback is constructive and

not personal. The best people you

work with will give you construc-

tive feedback as they want to see

you succeed!

Don’t think of it like a problem,

think of it like an opportunity

(courtesy of my mom). For exam-

ple, with the grad program, there

were challenges at the beginning

getting the business to adopt to

new grads on rotation, but with

continual selling and promo-

tion of grad value, it’s become a

very strongly supported program

across Bell.

PHOTO BY: ERICA EDWARDS

THE RISE OF THE RAPTORWRITTEN BY: ROSS YELLOWLEES

It wasn’t long ago that the Toronto

Raptors were an afterthought in

most Torontonians minds. It didn’t

matter if it was the Maple Leafs, the

Blue Jays, or even the acclaimed Ar-

gonauts that took precedence—ul-

timately, the Raptors were regard-

ed with a shrug of indifference.

That, of course, all changed in

early December of 2011—the

day Bell bought a majority stake

in the MLSE, and with it, the

then-fledgling Toronto Raptors.

The deal didn’t just signify a

change of ownership. It repre-

sented a fundamental shift in the

teams culture. When the Teach-

ers Pension Fund owned the Rap-

tors, they simply wanted people

to tune in to basketball as a means

of ensuring consistent returns. For

a pension fund, little investment

coupled with steady profits was

more than ideal. However, when

Bell gained ownership over the

Raptors, the backbone of the club’s

culture shifted away from sim-

ple financial gain to some-

thing more passionate: winning.

For Bell, the equation was straight-

forward. Bell Media needed ratings

to succeed. The Raptors needed to

win to ensure high ratings. If Py-

thagoras taught us anything about

the relationship between A’s, B’s

and C’s, it’s that Bell’s success lay

directly within that of the Raptors.

It’s no secret that live sports are by

far the most important aspect of

TV through the lens of advertising.

With the advent of PVR, Netflix and

streaming, customers now have the

options to pause adverts and skip

them all together. However, with

sports, there is only one way to

watch—in the present. And pres-

ence of mind to the game is highly

correlated to presence of mind to

the advertisements. Clearly, To-

ronto sporting success is pivotal to

Bell Media’s growth and profit. So

how has Bell’s formula impacted

the Raptors as we’ve progressed

through the decade? Well, since

Bell purchased ownership in MLSE,

the Raptors have consistently im-

proved year to year. With only a

31% increase in salary cap from

2012 through 2014, the Raptors

have increased their wins per sea-

son by over 208%. For those fa-

miliar with investments and re-

turns, that would be dubbed as a

‘positive’ ROI. In the eyes of many

basketball analysts, if all free

agents stay loyal to the city of To-

ronto, then the Raptors will be a

serious contender to the Eastern

conference next year. But it isn’t

just analysts who are hopping on

the Jurassic bandwagon. Players

around the league finally want

to come to Toronto due largely in

part to the franchises newfound

ability to spend money and their

newfound emphasis on winning.

According to one Raptors ana-

lyst, the biggest change since Bell

bought ownership in MLSE is found

in the words of Tim Leiweke, CEO

of the MLSE: “the Raptors finally

have the blessing of the own-

ers to spend as freely as possible

if it means winning a champion-

ship.” That’s right, a championship.

If someone had mentioned the

words ‘Raptors’ and ‘Champion-

ship’ in the same sentence three

years ago, it would have been close-

ly followed by a fit of laughter and

a hard, sobering reality check.

But now, that’s all changed. As

evidenced through the 2013-2014

Raptors playoff campaign, this To-

ronto club is making noise north of

the border. The vibe is electric, and

you can feel it through every cor-

ner of the city. The Globe and Mail

recently published an article stat-

ing that basketball has the steepest

increase of Canadian viewership of

any sport watched in Canada. For a

team that once had the third worst

record in the NBA only three years

ago, that stat speaks volumes. And

for Bell, that stat is proof of success.

It all can be traced back to that one

key shift in Raptors culture—from

playing to play, versus playing to

win.

The wait has been long, but the re-

ward won’t just be historic. It will

be prehistoric.

We the North.

Now that any signs of ice and snow are just faded memories of a vicious win-

ter past, the city boasts the opportunity for all kinds of summer exploration and

discovery. It doesn’t matter if you are a lifelong resident or a new transplant to

the city—Toronto has a wealth of activities palatable to any type of individual.

SUMMER IN THE CITYWRITTEN BY: VERA QI-LIN

through Kensington Market

on Pedestrian Sunday (the last

Sunday of each month from May

through October) to take in the

eclectic mix of street performers,

vendors and really good tacos.

Meanwhile, St. Lawrence Mar-

ket hosts the largest indoor

market in the city with its mix

of vegetable and fruit markets,

butchers, cheese shops and ca-

fes. In the summer months, they

also feature a Farmers Mar-

ket on Saturday mornings, in

the event that you are an es-

pecially motivated early riser.

Though the Junction Flea now

alternates between its west-

end location at Sterling Road

and east-end location at Ever

For those searching for a brief

reprieve from city life, Toronto

Island offers the summer escape

you’ve been looking for. Capi-

talize on the abundance of open

space and clean air by biking

the trails or kayaking the water-

ways. If reliving the nostalgia of

childhood is more up your alley,

park yourself in the Centreville

Amusement Park and take ad-

vantage of the rides and attrac-

tions. Cap off your glorious day

in the outdoors with a picnic set

to the poetic backdrop of a set-

ting sun over the city skyline be-

fore returning back to reality.

If vintage finds, fresh produce,

or outdoor entertainment pique

your interest, there is a To-

ronto market for you. Roam

TORONTO ISLAND | PHOTO BY: SARA ROBERTSON

ST. LAWRENCE MARKET | PHOTO BY FABIENNE LEE

KENSINGTON MARKET | PHOTO BY ERICA EDWARDS

On Queen West, Trinity Bell-

woods offers the quintessential

Toronto park experience with its

numerous jogging trails, base-

ball diamonds and tennis courts

(along with the added bonus of

denim shirts and PBR). Several lo-

cal restaurants are now catering

to the park crowd with The Coun-

ty General and Parts & Labour

creating a picnic menu complete

with basket and optional bocce

ball rental.

Ultimately, Toronto plays host to

a number of summer activities

that expose the unique dynam-

ics of a city as diverse as ours.

From park hangouts to beer fes-

tivals, and from markets to street

performances, there are count-

less opportunities to take advan-

tage of all the city has to offer.

green Brickworks (which is tech-

nically outside of the Junction),

both still serve as a haven for those

in search of agood bargain or vin-

tage and antique items. For $2

admission, you can be transport-

ed to generations past to roam

the stalls for art, clothing, furni-

ture and other preloved trinkets.

In case you’re interested in

events that are more lounging

and less exploring, Toronto has

several notable parks that fit

that mold. On Sundays, you can

catch the Toronto Maple Leafs

(not those Leafs) play baseball

at Christie Pits. However, the

park’s reputation as a summer

staple comes largely from its sta-

tus as the city’s foremost unof-

ficial pool-hopping destination.

PHOTO BY: REBECCA TWOSE .

THE BLUE DRAGONSWRITTEN BY: TIM CHEUNG

Bell’s competitive dragon boat team, the Bell Blue Dragons, had their first race of

the season at Pickering on May 31st. Weeks of training and preparation surmount-

ed to three regatta throughout the day. In the first regatta, the team came 4th out

of four, with a time of 2:21.99. In the second regatta, they came 4th out of six with a

time of 2:18.77. In the final regatta, they came 2nd out of five with a time of 2:18.14.

Overall, the Bell Blue Dragons ranked 11th out of 15 in the Recreational division.

The event was an enlightening experience – it showed the team some of their

sources of strength and some areas to work on. The fact that they achieved pro-

gressively shorter times and better rankings from race to race indicates that the

team did not tap into their full potential throughout the event. Future prac-

tices will work on unleashing this potential right from the beginning. Further-

more, the team lost pace in several moments during the events. Maintaining

a unified pace is one of the most important factors in dragon boating, and fu-

ture practices will surely focus on achieving and maintaining proper cadence.

On June 21st and 22nd, the team participated in the Toronto International Dragon

Boat Race Festival, one of the largest events of its kind in Canada. They placed first

in the first 500m regatta with a time of 2:16.40, second in the second regatta with a

time of 2:19.18, and fourth in the third regatta with a time of 2:18.69. The team was

only two hundredths of a second from a medal – a disappointing result, but surely

a wake-up call. However, the incredible time achieved in the first regatta demon-

strates the improvements the team has made since the last race a month before. In

the 200m regatta, they placed fifth with a time of 0:55.13, a poorer result than ex-

pected, due to one of the paddles breaking during the third stroke of the race. Since

the event, the team has been working on a new start sequence, and will be putting

it to the test at the next race, GWN Sport, on Saturday July 19th at Marilyn Bell Park.

THE BLUE DRAGONS | PHOTO BY NARYAN WONG

THE AD AIN’T SO BAD WRITTEN BY: JOSH GLADSTONE

There is a strong negative stigma surrounding targeted advertisements. But in a con-

sumer market swamped with choice, can relevant ads free us from unwanted clutter?

The other day I took the liberty of

conducting an entirely invalid and

exceedingly biased survey at work.

I drifted through the office, ask-

ing my colleagues their thoughts

on targeted advertising. The con-

sensus of my statistically insig-

nificant survey was resoundingly

clear: targeted advertisements

are universally disliked—nearly

as much as when the Bell escala-

tors temporarily become stairs.

Some thought that they are an

invasion of privacy. Another lik-

ened relevant ads to a cyber

stalker. A third melodramati-

cally took to referencing Orwell’s

1984: “If we allow Big Brother to

track our browsing history and

tell us what we want, then every-

thing we know about ourselves as

individuals will be destroyed.”

It appears that our society finds

targeted ads alarming enough

to threaten even the basic ten-

ants of the Geneva Conventions.

But does an unconventional work

survey truly represent the senti-

ment of general society? To an-

swer this rhetorical question, we

look towards Bell and its ‘Relevant

Ads’ program that was launched

nearing the end of 2013. The in-

tention of the program was sound:

by analyzing customers’ account

information and network usage,

Bell sought to make the adver-

tising banners seen on websites

more—for lack of a better word—

relevant to each user. It’s intuitive:

if you were browsing a website for

hammers, why would you want to

see an advert about a nail salon? I

see how that example can be mis-

construed, but you get the point.

Unfortunately, the backlash of the

program was both significant and

immediate. Call volume spiked

over a two week period following

the target launch, with customers

asking to opt out of the program.

The CRTC was implored by the Pub-

lic Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)

to shut down the Relevant Ads pro-

gram based on its tracking and in-

vasion of customers “personal pri-

vacy”. The perception of both Bell

and the Relevant Ads program im-

mediately defaulted to the nega-

tive, despite its positive intentions.

In essence, the program failed—

driving the life out of this meta-

phor —to hit the nail on the head.

So, with the true attitude to-

wards targeted advertisements

unearthed, we must ask our-

selves a fundamental question:

are these cynical views towards

targeted advertising warranted?

More importantly, is this ‘inva-

sion of privacy’ a true threat?

There are two ways to answer this.

The first, finding roots in subjectiv-

ity, is my personal maxim: targeted

advertisements are a perfect bene-

fit. Let’s look at our lives holistically.

The irony of our society is that we

live in a world overwhelmed with

choice, yet we have an inability to

choose. In this advanced age of

consumerism, we have thousands

of options for literally every aspect

of our lives, and have very few

resources to facilitate a distinct

choice. Relevant ads are one (of

many) ways we can begin to make

a connection between our needs

and our wants. Imagine targeted

ads as a personal shopping assis-

tant—let’s call him Enrique—who

analyzes your tastes and pref-

erences and provides tailored

recommendations based on

the findings. Would you not

want to keep Enrique around?

The second answer is more objec-

tive in nature. Targeted adver-

tisements, in their current form,

pose absolutely no threat to any

consumers’ privacy. Customer in-

formation is collected and dis-

seminated with complete ano-

nymity, ensuring that no personal

details are disclosed about any one

customer. This methodology complies with Canada’s privacy regulations, so the

arguments posed by the PIAC will ultimately falter. This is not to say that com-

plete privacy exists on the Internet—in fact, nearly every third party website you

attend will collect data about you if you are not protected through an IP Proxy.

So if privacy is a concern for you, let relevant ads be the least of those concerns

So, with all this information finally made public, the choice is yours. Will you em-

brace Enrique as the helpful hand he is, or continue to cower behind fallacious

walls of unjustified fear?

TORONTO PHOTO

PHOTO BY: NARYAN WONG

ROTATION-RELOCATIONWRITTEN BY: SARA ROBERTSON

When I initially decided to join the Grad Program, I thought I knew what to

expect: exposure to Executives, plentiful socials with other grads, and amazing

rotational opportunities with the possibility of relocation. Having lost my previ-

ous roommate at the time to the city of Toronto due to an abrupt role reloca-

tion, I had secretly vowed to myself that I would never leave my native home

city of Montreal. And yet here I am, nine months after joining Bell, staring out

the window of a 13th floor Toronto apartment near Church street, wondering

how a city could be so muggy and cold at the same time. The reason I’m writing

this article is to dispense to you three buckets of wisdom that have helped me

make the most of this opportunity. Hopefully, in doing that, you’ll see why it is

I decided to relocate in the first place.

1. Wisdom Words # 1: Know What You Love To Do When my first rotation selection period came along, I was almost positive of the

role that I wanted. It was great job, allowing me to work with different people

and leverage some of my well-earned call centre experience. Most importantly,

it would allow me to stay in Montreal. The only problem was that when I pic-

tured myself in the role, it wasn’t giving me that excited, fluttery feeling one

usually gets before starting a new job. Thankfully, a well-timed email from the

Leadership Development Team listing off the benefits of working with them

caught my attention. I realized that the reason I wanted the other role wasn’t

because I was genuinely interested, but rather, because it meant that I could

stay at home. It was at that point that I started thinking more about the job

I wanted to do and the experiences I wanted to gain, rather than focusing on

where I wanted to be.

2. Wisdom Words # 2: Have an Open MindI have always considered myself to be pretty open-minded, (that is, with the

exception of living in Toronto). Maybe it was all that hockey rivalry, or the

increasingly outrageous mayoral antics of Rob Ford. Either way, something

had me dead-set against coming here. Moving cities is a terrifying experience.

I would know. Having moved twice in my life I have dealt with finding new

friends, creating a new routine, and constantly feeling lost. I dreaded leav-

ing Montreal for those same reasons and that negativity had an effect on my

first few weeks in Toronto. Luckily, some wise (and slightly annoyed) friends of

mine gave me some solid advice. They told me to stop comparing Montreal to

Toronto because neither city would ever be the other. Sure, I was missing sum-

mer in Montreal. But I was gaining a summer filled with new opportunities in

Toronto – including a Drake sighting. I could literally stop right there. But let’s

continue…

3. Wisdom Words # 3: Set Challenges for YourselfEven though I’m only in Toronto for a few months, I have still made it a per-

sonal goal to set realistic challenges for myself that can be attained before

leaving. Not only do I love the feeling of accomplishment (nothing beats check-

ing items off a to-do list!), but I have put myself in the habit of spending my

time productively. Now, when I leave this city in a few short weeks, I know that

I will be better at 4 or 5 more things than I was when I first left Montreal. How

is that for a good feeling?

So while I may never get used to the traffic, I actually think Toronto has a lot to

offer. Thanks to my relocation, I’ve made countless friends, explored a new city

and created opportunities for myself that might not have been possible had I

stayed in my cozy, brick-walled, Montreal apartment. And while my relocation

experience is biased towards T.Dot, the same things can be said for any new

city. So if you can, take that chance. Leap into a new adventure—you never

know what can happen.

Bicycling is a vital form of transportation

in any metropolitan area. It is often the

quickest way between two points with-

in the city, and it helps to both reduce

environmental impact and relieve traf-

fic congestion. With a population of ap-

proximately 2.6 million, Toronto is the

largest city in Canada and is therefore

home to many bike cooperatives, advo-

cacy groups, and recreational networks.

Take, for example, Bike Works at Ever-

green Brickworks. It is the site of a former

factory, and since its closure, has been

converted into an environmentally-fo-

cused community and cultural centre.

On weekends and holidays, Bike Works

opens its doors to the public, where rid-

ers of all ages and skill levels can bring

in their bikes to clean, lube up, and re-

pair with the assistance of expert staff.

Bike Pirates is another organiza-

tion whose mission is to empow-

er cyclists and make bicycles more

accessible. They do this by providing

low cost bikes and parts, mechanical

instructions to cyclists on a drop-in ba-

sis, and a Do-It-Yourself workspace for

anyone to work on their bikes. Fur-

thermore, they host Bike Rave, a night

ride through the streets of Toronto be-

tween dance destinations with bicycles

decked out with lights and speakers.

Last year, they garnered a 400-strong

crowd of cyclists for the event.

Evidently, Toronto has a significant cy-

cling culture which its residents should

be proud of. Bike to Work Day, which

happened this year on May 26th, start-

ed in Toronto, and has since evolved

into a nationwide month-long event

called Bike Month. It includes a mul-

titude of events such as daily group

rides, pancake breakfasts, picnics,

critical mass rides, guided bike tours,

family events, and much more. It is

hosted by Cycle Toronto, a member-

supported organizationfocused on ad-

vocacy for a cycling-friendly Toronto.

Nevertheless, there is still much that

Toronto can do to make itself more

TORONTO ON WHEELSWRITTEN BY: TIM CHEUNG

PHOTO BY: FABIENNE LEE

cycling-friendly. Compared to Montreal, the city is decades behind – where Montre-

al has a 730 km long network of bike lanes, Toronto has only 114 km. Bike lanes are im-

portant for the safety of cyclists – the number one cause of cyclist injuries is being side-

swiped by another vehicle travelling in the same direction, and the number two cause

is being struck by opening vehicle doors. Red tape and lack of political will are often

cited as important reasons for Toronto’s slow adoption of cycling culture, but organi-

zations such as Cycle Toronto are working to build and maintain that momentum. Their

campaigns helped move the political needle on a proposed project to implement pro-

tected bike lanes on Richmond and Adelaide, which was recently approved in June.

As Toronto grows, so too will its need for transportation. Its residents and politicians will

determine whether the city adopts a cycling-friendly culture, which would ultimately re-

duce the city’s environmental impact and help relieve its congestion issues. The recent ap-

proval of the Richmond/Adelaide project is indication of movement in the right direction.

HIGH PARK | PHOTO BY: SUMEYRA INCE

PHOTO BY: SARA ROBERTSON

THE INTERNS GIVE BACKWRITTEN BY: ANOKHI KHAMAR & CAROL LIU

On Wednesday, June 11th, a swarm of 33 good-looking individuals set out on a mission.

As they trickled into the North York Harvest Food Bank, they were greeted with a warm

welcome by the friendly staff. The Interns fashioned themselves with the Food Bank’s sig-

nature maroon aprons and began the start of an afternoon’s work.

The day began with a tour into the office and the warehouse, where the Interns were

introduced to 6 full-time staff who managed the entire organization, along with the help

of 55 to 100 gracious volunteers throughout the year. With over 2-million pounds of food

distributed annually, the North York Harvest Food Bank is a key facility that serves over

one third of population in the Greater Toronto Area. After gaining a deeper understand-

ing of the Food Bank’s mission, purpose and daily operations, the interns were eager to

begin their work. The mission began with the division of labour. All hands were called to

deck for labeling boxes, sorting food, packaging, and weighing the boxes on a scale. After

2 hours of hard work, the interns were able to sort through 11 large crates of food and

pack over 263 boxes weighing a whopping 5,283 pounds. The day ended on a success-

ful and rewarding note with a group picture (as seen below), and more importantly, the

warm feeling of knowing it was a job well done.

THE VALUE OF A MEMORYWRITTEN BY: IRIS WONG

Above all else, our memories are undoubtedly the most valued possessions. Memory

preservation has been embedded in our lifestyles using a variety of different me-

diums over the years. But as a generation, what are we proactively doing now to

capture and capitalize on our greatest asset?

That’s where 1 Second Everyday comes into the picture (no pun intended). App

designer Caesar Kuriyama originally developed 1 Second Everyday to enshrine all

of the “many tiny, beautiful, funny, tragic moments in life…and to never forget

another day again” . The concept behind this revolutionary app is simple: users film

one second of their lives every day for a predetermined amount of time. At the

end of the filming cycle, the app compiles all of the quick snap-videos to create a

montage of visual excerpts from the user’s life. The length of the cycle can be read-

justed to the preference of the user -whether it’d be for several weeks, months, or

years. In addition, multiple timelines can be maintained to create ongoing parallel

videos. For example, a user with an active, adventure-driven lifestyle and a child can

capture and categorize moments for both. The app also offers a reminder setting

tool as well as the ability to back up all snap-videos to Google drive. It’s currently

available for Apple (iOs 6.1 or later) and Android (4.0 or later) platforms and is of-

fered for a free 30-day trial from both stores. The full cost of the app rings out at

a total of $0.99 - less than the cost of a daily double-double. While I leave it up to

you – the user – to rank the worth of this app in your collection, I would definitely

recommend at least taking full advantage of the free trial to experience memory

preservation in a way like never before.

For more on Caesar Kuriyama’s “1 second everyday” philosophy, I recommend:

https://www.ted.com/talks/cesar_kuriyama_one_second_every_day

1 SECOND EVERYDAY | SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA