66 Days of Cold Water, Courage and a Whole Lot of Love
My brother and me in a park in Hamilton, October 27, 2017. On December 23, 2021, I organised my brother’s funeral. Five years later, on that very same day, I’ll be walking into the freezing waters of Lake Ontario. Holy shit. Of all the dates on the calendar. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let […]
$4.7 Trillion
**This is independent, non-commercial research undertaken in the public interest. It was written to be shared freely and often, in the true spirit of knowledge sharing.** Canada is losing approximately $4.7 trillion in lifetime economic cost and loss because we have never fully counted the impact of child sexual violence. That estimate is based on […]
Tara MacLean, Sparrow and Healing the Voice Within
I really hope Tara MacLean sings Sparrow for us at The Gatehouse Healing the Voice Within Gala on Oct 8. ❤️ Tara is a survivor of child sexual violence, an incredible musician and author, and one of the artists sharing her gifts with us that evening. The Gatehouse saved my life. I don’t say that […]
The Gatehouse Healing the Voice Within Gala
October 8th is The Gatehouse Healing the Voice Within Gala. It is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Community services have been gutted across the board. The Gatehouse is a charity, and the work it does now depends heavily on people choosing to give a damn. But this night is about more than raising money. […]
Words Have Power. Water Heals.
Five Great Lakes in 18 days. One day for every year of my childhood. The wind moves me. The water heals me. The land holds me. The sun gives me strength. Over 18 days, I swam in all five Great Lakes. What began as a cold-water plunge journey became something much bigger. A journey through […]
The Collage Collection
Breathing the Night Out: The Collage Collection brings together 78 collages, one for every chapter of my memoir, Breathing the Night Out: A Story of Intergenerational Sexual Violence and Healing. These collages helped me write the memoir. When words were not enough, I turned to images. The memoir tells what happened. The collages show what […]
Are Debtors’ Prisons Making a Comeback in Ontario?
**This is independent, non-commercial research undertaken in the public interest. It was written to be shared freely and often, in the true spirit of knowledge sharing.** I have a question for Ontario. And I think we need to ask it before we build thousands of new jail beds. Are debtors’ prisons making a comeback? Not […]
Two Artists. One Mission. Ending Child Sexual Violence.
I am a writer. Lara St. John is a world renowned violinist. We tell our stories through different art forms, but we are united by the same purpose. We are both survivors of child sexual violence and warriors committed to ending it through education, justice, and love. I had the privilege of attending the premiere […]
A Systemic Crisis We Keep Refusing to Name: Sexual Violence is Everywhere
Click here for the full media story At what point do we stop treating sexual violence as isolated incidents and start recognizing it for what it is a systemic crisis? It is everywhere. And yet again, this victim had to wait to step forward, just as so many children are forced to wait in silence, […]
The Hidden Numbers: Child Sexual Violence and Canada’s Justice Gap
**This is independent, non-commercial research undertaken in the public interest. It was written to be shared freely and often, in the true spirit of knowledge sharing.** My nephew has been sitting in Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay for almost six months for stealing two cars. Triple time. Meanwhile, his grandfather, my dad, served two […]