Reflections

Thanksgiving in Canada has a checkered history, so Joeita Gupta set out on a mission to learn more about it. She spoke with Peter Stevens, a Professor of Liberal Studies at Humber Polytechnic. Peter talks about the religious histories of the widely celebrated holiday, and describes how settlers wrote Indigenous peoples out of the story of Thanksgiving in the early 1800s.  Brian Rice offers insight into the Indigenous history of the holiday. Brian is an Indigenous Land Based Educator at the University of Manitoba and is of Mohawk descent. He shares how the origins of Thanksgiving can be traced back to harvest ceremonies that were shared with settlers when they first came to Canada. Christine Sismondo is a historian and writer based in Toronto, Ontario. She explains that Canada’s eagerness to set itself apart from the United States was through nation-building holidays like Thanksgiving, especially after the civil war. About AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaIncEmail [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Canadian Cultural Historian Ed Conroy takes Kelly MacDonald back in time to the late 20th century to ponder about what kids at the time were watching on TV. They go over communication style, disability representation, quality of writing, and how the creators aimed to connect to the audience. Alyson Court, a very busy teenage actor at the time, runs down the highlights of her career, and lets us in on her days starring on The Big Comfy Couch as Loonette the Clown. Jordan Christopher Morris, co-writer and producer of the documentary Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, reminds us how this iconic Canadian children's TV show gathered kids from multiple generations to teach imagination and self-expression.  About AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaIncEmail [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Running can be a fun way to participate in the community, improve your health and fitness, or push yourself beyond your perceived limitations. Grant Hardy speaks to two partially sighted runners, Richard Harlow and Julie Colangelo, and learns how their running journeys evolved. Richard's sighted guide Richie Jackson also gives his perspective on prepping for a marathon and completing it accessibly.This is a deep dive on running: a fast-paced sport and a look at how it can be made accessible. About AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaIncEmail [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jennie Bovard has been a lifelong cyclist and now spends part of her time putting butts on tandem bikes as a program coordinator with Blind Sports Nova Scotia. She gets a lot of joy from tandem cycling, and finds out who else feels the same. Ange Purcell is brand new to tandem biking. She shares what drew her to the sport, why group rides have quickly become a summer highlight, and how tandem cycling compares with riding a standard bike for someone with low vision. Jamie Penton has volunteered as a tandem pilot since Parasport PEI launched its paracycling program in 2009. He shares what keeps him coming back to the front seat. And Ron Walsh, a blind outdoorsman and adventurer, returned to cycling after more than 25 years away, taking on an ambitious tandem ride to raise money for his local food bank. From first rides to decades of volunteering to an epic comeback, Jennie is curious why people ride and why they keep coming back.  About AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaIncEmail [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Workplaces across North America have been implementing period positive policies in their offices and cultures for several years now. One policy that sparks a strong debate is menstrual leave, and Joeita Gupta learned how organizations handle issues of period equity in their workplaces. We hear from Sophie Zivku, Impact Manager at DIVA, about how their menstrual leave policy was implemented to destigmatize periods and create a holistic workplace for their employees. Meaghan Furlano is a qualitative sociologist, and through her research tells us about how menstrual leave policy announcements are snapshots of society’s stigma surrounding menstruation and menopause. AMI offers its employees unlimited sick time, and HR Business Partner Elysia Yardley shares how this policy eliminates employees having to disclose personal information.  About AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaIncEmail [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.