a broken trigger

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Originally uploaded by finding focus.

This photo is of a good friend that I met while working at Onondaga Farms. He is Simon Gervais from Montreal, also known as A Broken Trigger.

A Broken Trigger is his band moniker. The music is acoustic/emo-ish/rock; it’s awesome, that’s what it is. The man has passion for music and has the talen to back it up. He’s got his own style that is complex but fluid creating some very surreal and ambient riffs. Seeing him live is pretty amazing as well and when you throw in his bandmates into the mix, the music is taken to a new level.

I only have three photos of him playing that I took quickly during the March Break camp. However you can find more, plus a couple of his songs, at his website. The most exciting news about his band is that they are getting set to record their first album. It’s going to be amazing! Check him out.

a different kind of spring break…

While many people take off for March Break or Reading Week, I took the opportunity to work at a residential camp for underprivileged kids. The camp is called Onondaga Farm and is part of the Tim Hortons Children Foundation. It was an intense week of rain, snow, wind, cold, ziplining, games, animals and extremely enegetic kids. It's the last part that makes it all worth while.

The Foundation has the goal of providing experiences and opportunities to children that are at risk, both socially and economically. There are six camps in total. Five are in Canada (St.George and Parry Sound, Ontario; Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia; Kananaskis, Alberta; Quyon, Quebec) and another in Campbellsville, Kentucky. Each camp tries to offer different experiences. Kananaskis offers horseback riding and real rock-climbing. Tatamagouche offers campers a chance to try a wide range of water sports and activites done in the Atlantic. For me, Onondaga Farms in St.George was the perfect choice. Being a teacher, veteren camp counsellor and interested in socio-political issues, The Farm offered me a chance to be involved in all of these.

St.George, provides kids with a conservation and educational experience based on a 400 acre property that includes a commercial farm, environmental education lab, climbing tower and one of the largest carolinian forest areas left in Ontario. The forest itself creates a ton of possibilities for children to explore, learn and have fun. It's an amazing environment, run by an amazing organization that has the ultimate goal of inspiring children. The Foundation is about bringing hope to these children and I have felt blessed to a part of it.

The photoset contains pictures of many different parts of The Farm. More will be coming soon as well. The shot seen here is of the Molly Henderson House. It is the camp's dining hall. Molly Henderson and her husband Gil, owned the property and farm before it was turned into the camp. When Molly became sick her wish was to do something for children and through some connections they were able to develop the camp. Shortly before Molly passed away she was able to sign the papers to make the camp official. The development of The Farm itself is inspiring. It is truly a wonderful place.

For more information go to:
THCF Onondaga Farms

For a little more of political perspective go to:
Random Noise: When Will We Realize…

that night in toronto…

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Originally uploaded by finding focus.

Well, these are actually a partial accumilation of photos from Toronto over a few years. Some were taken with my old Kodak digital camera and some were taken with my new Canon Rebel K2 (film).

This photo in particular was taken from the seat of a school bus. We were on our way to do a lake tour and I noticed this jammed ad at an intersection when we stopped. I don't recall the neighbourhood. Sometimes things just make you think. This one did for me.

in colour

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Originally uploaded by finding focus.

It's a very bland time of year. It's too cold for most of nature's colours to be exposed. There are exceptions, however. In the midst of some solid snow, this bush, even without its leaves, still stuck out.

There's a great conservation area near my residence, complete with a bridge that is as old as the town. I'll be taking a lot more photos from there.

a peculiar creature a cat is…

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Originally uploaded by finding focus.

"I always say that I don't want to be sentimental, that the photographs shouldn't be sentimental, and yet, I am conscious of my sentimentality." ~ Robert Frank

Meisha has provided me with more than enough excuses to take pictures. Probably too many to be truthful. With that in mind though, it only seemed suiting to begin my photoblog with her.