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LOG: WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE LACK OF GET TOGETHERS WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. ONE SENIOR HAS DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
Mehnaaz Layton is a 73 years old senior and she organizes a program that helps seniors in Edmonton stay connected during the pandemic.
But her program didn’t start out like that.
Originally, Layton received a grant to deliver an Outreach Program that would help seniors stay healthy. She began by creating a 6-week health program held on Mondays with the intent to invite experts like a dietician, exercise instructor, and other health specialists. Mehnaaz sends the seniors home with a catered lunch at the end of each session.
Then the pandemic hit. And the seniors were no longer allowed to attend weekly meetings in person.
“What the pandemic did was it forced our seniors to have NOBODY. To have nobody means to have no children, spouse or friend to socialize with. It is to have no church group to belong to, no neighbour to eat a sandwich with, no sibling to come over. No social groups to attend. People are physically and socially isolated, geographically isolated, and linguistically isolated if they don’t speak English. They get caught in cyclical loneliness. Who knows if they’re getting exercise? Who knows if they’re getting regular meals?” adds Layton.
Layton had to come up with a new idea on how to reach her group. Of course, the health classes could continue online. The dietician helped with seniors’ weekly food and drink intake, and offered suggestions on how to stay healthy. The exercise specialist presented 90-minute classes in chair yoga and zumba. And the health specialist, allowed seniors to discuss their mental health. But what would cure the group’s loneliness?
Mehnaaz began to put together a series of online social distancing get togethers. Seniors were able to see one another on-screen in virtual Zoom meetings, to gossip, share personal stories, and share songs, poems, and jokes.
Her group consisted mostly of senior immigrants who are Muslim.
“It is said that senior immigrants face more social and cultural isolation than any other group in our city. That’s because they face barriers in language, in different cultural practices, and lack of familiarity with the resources available. With Covid affecting our day-to-day lives, isolation due to these barriers has become a real issue for our seniors,” explains Layton.
What started out as a weekly set of classes providing health and wellness information to seniors has turned into a unique group of individuals who have become friends, who speak about their lives, difficulties, and prevent each other from feeling lonely. It evolved into something even Mehnaaz couldn’t have imagined. The group became a family.
With Covid rules relaxing, the group was able to meet in person for the first time in a long time for a social distancing Christmas brunch at a restaurant as well as a birthday party for one member of the group. And catered lunches, now delivered to homes, have continued.
The original outreach program was sponsored by community grants. Mehnaaz was allowed to use the extra money she didn’t use in 2021 to buy gift cards for groceries for everyone in the group. The group does not have an official name yet. But everyone is very grateful that Mehnaaz kept things running online during the pandemic.
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LOG: ONE YOUNG WOMAN IS CONVERTING HER BARBIES INTO HIJAB WEARING HIJARBIES
Barbies have for a long time been a toy favorite representing a world where girls can do or be anything. And now thanks to a local woman, Haneefah Adam, her Barbies can dress in a hijab and represent all the things a Muslim girl can do and be. Adam, a Nigerian-Canadian woman who resides here in Toronto has revamped the dolls and posted her creations on her Instagram page titled Hijarbie. And her dolls have gained a lot of attention online.
“I thought I had not seen a Barbie dressed in a hijab before so I decided to open an Instagram account and dressed Barbie up in the clothes that I made. I thought it was really important for a doll to be dressed like how I would be,” says Adam.
The 28- year-old who recently completed a Masters in Pharmacology, describes Hijarbie as a “modest doll” — one that offers Muslim girls a relatable role model.
After being a longtime symbol for diversity, this is just one more way Barbie could diversify.
“The most important thing with playing with dolls is to see them dressed as we dress. To see them look as we look. I think it’s important to create a sense of value in Muslim Canadian girls,” says Adam.
Adam started the Hijarbie account on Instagram five years ago, posting images of Barbie dolls in different styles of hijab head covering. And the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive with requests from all over the world to buy her dolls.
Hijarbie now has over 29,000 followers on the social network and Adam plans to expand her account to include dolls of color.
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Dolce and Gabbana just debuted their new line of high-end hijabs and abayas.
Dolce and Gabbana’s hijab collection includes elements from the brand’s latest runway collection, including lemons, lace, and flower motifs.
Italian designer, Dolce & Gabbana are shining on the runway with a brand new line of hijabs and abayas targeted specifically for women in the Middle East. The collection includes traditional floor length dresses and headscarves in black and beige, with prints of roses, lemons, and daisies.
The clothing has just been released on Dolce & Gabbana’s website as part of the company’s Spring/Summer 2016 collection.
“It’s something that will really, really do well in this market,” said Desmond Namlanda, a staff member at the Dolce & Gabbana store in the Dubai Mall. “It’s going to be something different.”
Middle East based companies have been creating high-fashion hijabs and abayas “for modest-minded women and girls” for years, so this isn’t something new. But it is different, in that a major Italian designer has taken on the fashion trend. And it is a trend!
“Muslim Canadian consumers spent $374 billion on clothing and fashion in 2013, according to a Thomson Reuters study.”
Brands are taking notice that Muslim women work and play and they want to look good doing both. Although hijabs are a religious garment with deep and profound significance, it’s always fun to dress it up. And that’s what this trend is all about.
Just to get an idea of how popular dressing up hijabs and abayas has become, Turkey’s Modanisa.com sells high-end Turkish designer clothes and they receive about 6 million online visitors per month. In a recent campaign, H&M featured a hijab-wearing model. And in recent years, several well-known designers have released hijab and abaya collections, including Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY, Zara, and Oscar de la Renta.
According to Vogue, each of these designers released one-time collections. It’s really great that these companies are offering lines, even if they are one-time collections. It means that they’re noticing that the Muslim women of today are both modest and fabulous.
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Some clothing stores and retail establishments have dress codes that may surprise you.
Companies say they follow dress codes to make their employees accessible, look professional, and help represent the brand's look, but is that completely true?
In some stores, it may shock you that the manager has a book of pre-approved outfits and hairstyles and even pre-approved nail polish colours that employees most follow. In other stores, employees are expected to wear a specific uniform. Some stores even require employees to accessorize with products they sell.
Mostly minimum wage positions, many clothing stores ask their employees to wear and buy new merchandise each month, which can become a large financial burden because workers aren’t usually provided with the clothes they’re required to wear.
But are dress codes also creating harsh standards about race, class and body image? They are when they unintentionally single out a group of workers, for example, those who do not fit the clothes "well." That’s where things can get sticky.
WHAT CAN EMPLOYEES DO?
Non-unionized workers can try to encourage their employer to compromise, but if the company does not want to change, there is not a whole lot that can be done. But, employees who belong to a union can change some of these rules. Since dress codes have been known to interfere with employees’ right to make personal decisions about their appearance, unions can be successful in changing unreasonable dress codes, or ones that aren’t for a legitimate business purpose (i.e. safety or hygiene).
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A new trend is emerging in gift giving aimed at social consciousness.
With the rise in social consciousness, it is important that we teach our kids about anti-racism, pride in who they are, pride in where they come from, and the importance of inclusivity.
And now is the perfect time to teach them, during their extended stay-at-home holidays this winter break.
Here are some fun and educational packages you can order online and have delivered to your home, to teach your little ones about other cultures and communities around our world.
If you want your kids to learn a bit about Canada’s history, Crate Joy has created a monthly educational subscription kit called “The Great Canadian Adventure” delivered right to your door. Designed for kids ages five to seven, the box contains supplies to do hands-on experiments and an interactive booklet that helps your child learn the history, geography and culture of one Canadian province or territory each month. For example, you could be sent a Fresnel lens to do light experiments to learn about Nova Scotia’s lighthouses. www.cratejoy.com
The “Little Passports World Edition Subscription” helps your little adventure seekers explore the world, one country at a time, taking them on a new adventure each month. Designed for ages six to ten, your child receives hands-on activities, collectible coins, and letters from pen pals in each new country. Tucked into a toy suitcase, kids will also receive a passport, world map, adventure-inspired stickers and activity booklets. www.littlepassports.com
The “By Us Box” comes with books, toys, activities, and learning guides for guided conversations and interactive play that teach kids about equity, inclusiveness, and anti-racism. Parents can choose from The Black Box, which explores anti-racism and the science of skin colour; and the LGBT2SQ+ Families Box, which focuses on queer families and expanding gender roles. There is also an Indigenous Box coming in March 2021. Boxes are modified by age beginning with baby (0-2) all the way up to the Adult Book Club (15+). www.byusbox.com
With Christmas, Hanukah, New Year’s, and many other multicultural holidays just around the corner, this is a great way to celebrate and educate, and to give meaningful gifts about those we love, to those we love.
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I can’t wait for the moment when we are all able to travel without any restrictions and be able to do fun things together and be able to enjoy an actual seven day holiday. I have a question for you. Where will your first trip be, when restrictions are lifted completely? Maybe to Vegas? Maybe to Dubai?
There is some good news for fully vaccinated Canadians who are looking forward to more travel! That is, those who have had two doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZaneca vaccine; or one dose of the Janssen vaccine.
The government just announced that as of July 5th, fully vaccinated Canadians can now look forward to travel once again! If you are thinking of travelling soon, you may be interested to know how the new border measures affect your travel plans.
So here it is:
If you are fully vaccinated, you can soon enter Canada by land or by air, without having to quarantine, if you can show that you have a negative Covid test result at the border. And if you test negative at the border, you are also exempt from the government authorized hotel stay and you are exempt from taking the Covid test on day eight of your stay.
You do, however, have to have a quarantine plan in place just in case your test result comes back positive.
Now here is where it gets a little bit complicated.
Non-vaccinated children under 18 still must isolate for 14 days. They can isolate at home or at the destination. But! - their fully vaccinated parents and siblings will be allowed to go out of the home and into the community.
If you are considering travelling right now, plan in advance and research all the requirements of the province you are visiting as well as the current Canadian government requirements. Happy travels!
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The government announced Monday, that fully vaccinated Canadians can now enter the country without quarantining. This new rule will take place at 11:59pm on July 5th. As restrictions loosen fully vaccinated Canadians can now look forward to travel once again.
“Yep. Travel fever is a real thing! I am excited. We’ve been unable to travel for about 16 months with all the restrictions. As soon as the borders open, I want to start making travel plans. Hopefully this Christmas too,” says Edmontonian and traveler, Robbie Jackson
With more Canadians getting vaccinated, there is a reduction in the chances of significant outbreaks. But, other travelers, like Joe Howdle, are still taking some precautions. Joe is worried that with the new travel rules, crossing at the border will mean a few more cases of Covid-19 being introduced into the country.
“There is always some risk that even fully vaccinated travelers can carry the virus,” said Dr. Kelley Lee, a professor in health sciences at Simon Fraser University and a Canada Research Chair in Global Health Governance.
The new changes announced just this week, go into effect July 5th. If you are thinking of travelling, you may be interested to know how the new border measures affect your travel plans:
Fully vaccinated travellers can soon enter Canada by land or air, without having to quarantine, if they present a negative Covid test result. And fully vaccinated visitors will no longer have to stay at a government required hotel upon entry. That means, if you test negative for COVID-19 and are fully vaccinated you are exempt from quarantine, government-authorized hotel stays, and taking a COVID-19 test on day eight.
However, fully vaccinated travelers will still be required to provide pre-travel Covid testing within 72 hours before arrival at the border and a second Covid test upon arrival. Travelers must submit their vaccine information to the ArriveCan app before their arrival at the border. Travelers must also have a quarantine plan in place just in case their arrival test comes back positive.
The definition of fully vaccinated traveller is a traveller who has had two doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccine; or one dose of the Janssen vaccine.
Those who aren’t eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine, are unvaccinated, or partially vaccinated, still face travel restrictions.
Adult travelers who are not fully vaccinated must continue to adhere to current testing and quarantine requirements.
Non-vaccinated children under 18 will be exempt from the mandatory hotel quarantine, but they must still quarantine for 14 days at home.
Travel restrictions for foreign nationals still remain in place.
These new rules will be challenging for families that want to travel. Parents Irm and Furqan Illahi, are Canadians living in the United States on a work visa. They are travelling with three children back to Canada, all have been immunized except for her 8-year old son, Yusuf.
“Because currently vaccines aren’t authorized for use on children under 12, my child who is not yet vaccinated will not be vaccinated in time for our trip this July. But we have to go, I haven’t seen my parents in 16 months and I want to see them and make sure they are ok,” Irm explains.
With the new rules, children under 12 years old will need to isolate for 14 days. But their fully vaccinated parents and family members do not need to isolate with them and will be allowed to go out into the community. This means Irm’s 8-year old son, Yusuf, will be the only person in her family required to quarantine under the new health measures.
“I mean, it is highly inconvenient. We got everyone who can get vaccinated, vaccinated. I understand the need to keep everyone safe. I just don’t feel like I could move about in the city and have fun without my youngest child right there with us. But I am happy after his quarantine period, we will be able to plan to do all the fun activities together,” Irm adds.
Doctors are optimistic that vaccines for children 12 and under will soon be available.
“I would certainly hope September would be the month that these shots are approved for younger kids below the age of 12,” said Dr. Peter Juni with the COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. Until then, Juni said if you plan a trip abroad and your kids are the only ones not vaccinated, that may hold you up.
For families, that just means more planning in advance. If a member of your group who is travelling with you is not fully vaccinated, consider researching all the requirements of your destination province as well as the Canadian government requirements. This could save you a lot of time, money, and stress during your travels.
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Plans are on track for Edmonton’s next LRT expansion that will connect the area between downtown and West Edmonton Mall, as well as Lewis Farms.
The project is now fully funded and a builder has even been brought on board.
The LRT heading west is expected to bring more business to neighbourhoods surrounding the route.
However, the project has been a source of controversy. One issue effecting residents: construction and redevelopment, which is set to last two years, causing considerable disruption to businesses along Stony Plain Road.
Longtime transit critic, Mark Harvey, who thinks the project has its advantages, has this to say:
“I mean, it’s an incredible disruption for the two years that that construction takes place but there are good businesses there and I think they’ll be better businesses or more good businesses after the construction is complete”
He adds, after redevelopment, the LRT will actually bring in much more business, because there will be a stop in the area. LRT passengers will visit more often, walk through the neighbourhood as they get on and off the train, and be able to shop at local businesses, which will create a boom to the neighbourhood. Passengers from other parts of the city will have the opportunity to visit as well.
Mark, also a resident of the area, says the new LRT plans will make it easier for passengers to travel to the west end, an area that has become more central. He thinks the current trip by car or bus is congested and unacceptable with its endless streets, traffic line ups, traffic circles, and many traffic lights.
“If you don’t have to ride a bus; if you have a choice between riding a bus and a train, people will ride a train because of the comfort factor, just the feeling of being outside of the traffic.”
Edmonton has been working on the expansion of its LRT for more than a decade.