Letter from the Editor Like most Canadians, high school for me was a really mixed bag. I loved seeing my friends every day, playing football and other sports, and there were always some classes I genuinely enjoyed, like history and drama. In fact, I still talk to my history and drama teachers almost 30 years later. But, of course, there were parts of school I didn’t love — some classes weren’t my cup of tea; waking up early was never fun, and then there were the bullies. Back when I was in school, bullies were more traditional. They wanted to appear smarter, cooler, bigger, or tougher than you. Even at 6’4 and a defensive lineman, I had a bully who tried to make his mark by picking on the younger, bigger kid. In Grade 9, I just wanted to get by and get along, but I quickly learned that with this kid, if I didn’t stand up for myself, it was going to be a long first year. I put up with it for about a week before finally defending myself, and that put an end to it. Of course, this was never the best way to handle things, even back then, but those were different times. Today, bullying has evolved in ways I wouldn’t wish on any kid. Bullies still take the traditional forms, but they’ve also developed new ways to torment their peers. Unlike when I was younger, where the bullying ended when you got home, today’s bullies have access to their victims 24/7 through social media, texts, and
other digital channels. A friend of mine recently told me about their child being bullied, and I reminded them that it doesn’t matter how big, tough, smart, pretty, skinny, heavy, or popular you are — there will always be someone determined to knock you down. More often than not, it stems from their own insecurities. This is why, back in November, when I heard Chief Marc Roskamp speak about police not being allowed back into schools, I invited him to write a column on why schools and students need police presence. Since then, we’ve seen incidents of school violence right here in St. Thomas and in surrounding communities. The Chief’s story is on pages four, five and six — I encourage you to give it a read. On a different note, I love small businesses. I am a small business. Small businesses are the foundation our community is built on, which is why this month marks the third edition of my Building a Small Business feature. This series focuses on starting, growing, and improving your own business. One of my favourite quotes is from Lori Greiner of Shark Tank : “Entrepreneurs are willing to work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week.” Finally, I want to celebrate the incredible Peri Hayes, who is about to release her first-ever book of poetry! If you’ve read Hometown St. Thomas , you’ve probably enjoyed Peri’s writing over the years. Now, you can meet the woman behind the words at one of her upcoming book signings. Congratulations, Peri — what an amazing accomplishment!
Page 2 Hometown St. Thomas • March 2025
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