Michael “Wingin’ it” Vallely
Michael Vallely is a Mon
treal-born son of Irish immigrants. He moved to Hamilton in 1997 with his wife to be. He is the owner of Upper Ottawa Physiotherapy, where his practice is focused on the injured hand. Mike teaches clinical skills at McMaster University. He is singer/songwriter and a father of three.
Edith “Mexico City survivor” Chavez
Edith Chavez was born and raised in the heart of Mexico City. She holds a BA in Business Communication, and loves to learn about other cultures and ways of life. Edith is the mother of a toddler, which makes her life very colourful. One of her favourite quotes comes from Ramon De Campoamor: “Nothing is true and nothing is false. All depends on the colour of lens through which we look.”
John “The Real Deal” Mills 
John describes himself as an average guy trying to do something meaningful. Originally from Prince Albert, SK, John has spent most of his career working in IT. Though Hamilton has been his home since 2011, John has lived in Saskatoon, Nanaimo, Edmonton, Oregon and Toronto. He is an active volunteer with City Housing’s Community Access Program, the Campaign for Adequate Welfare and Disability Benefits, and the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction’s ‘Speak Now Hamilton’ Speakers Bureau, where his stories about the impacts of poverty help to make Hamilton a better city for everyone who lives here.
We’re one week away from “Faking It” and it’s time to introduce your storytellers!
Chris “Put the ram in the rama-lama-ding-dong” Farias
Chris is a dreamer of dreams and a builder of brands. A designer, columnist, and award-winning entrepreneur who is not afraid to wear pink pants after Lab
our Day. That being said, he is his own brand. His own superhero. And even his own super villain. He’s over the top and everywhere in between. Some might call him a little vain, but seeing as his Steel City Story is about him, he’d be ok with that. To quote one of his idols, RuPaul: “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” Can he get an Amen?
Stay tuned this week for full details on our exciting lineup of storytellers.
Our next event is almost here!
Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 7pm
Come in from the cold and join us next Saturday at Mills Hardware for an evening of storytelling. Hear six Hamiltonians tell true tales from their lives, in 10 minutes each, without notes or props… all on the theme of “Faking It.” You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be glad it wasn’t you. In the end, you’ll know six Hamiltonians just a little better than you did before.
Hosted by Greg Tedesco, and featuring stories by: 
Chris “Twice, I do” Godwaldt
John “The Real Deal” Mills
Edith “Mexico City survivor” Chavez
Michael “Wingin’ it” Vallely
Nathalie “Pants-no-longer-on-fire” Zur Nedden
Chris “Put the ram in the rama-lama-ding-dong” Farias
Intermission with refreshments by Relay Coffee and Mills Hardware.
Seating is limited, so get your tickets now! Our Ticketfly event has all the details:
Steel City Stories was back at the First Unitarian Church on November 1st, and the theme of the night was Moonlighting! We heard a range of stories about what people do in their spare time, from passions to obligations, and all that comes with it! For those of you who missed out (or just want to re-listen), keep an eye on our Soundcloud page as we’ll be posting podcasts of the stories there. Let’s dive in!
Anne Cumby was our host for the night, regaling us with her own tales of moonlighting.
Susan Creer kicked off the night detailing the struggles she has experienced with the ODSP system.
Our very own Grace Evans, a Steel City Stories committee member, told of her relationship with her 106 year old friend Mrs. Goodale, and how she ‘moonlighted’ learning and sewing a quilt over ten years.
What was a weekend passion became a full-time job for Kate Flynn, as she went from working as a 9-5er in the city, to farming with her husband in a true fish-out-of-water story.
Carla Borstad Klassen shared her experience of being a new parent, and all the surprises it entails.
Ending the night was Darlene Chrissley, telling her enlightening experience of discovering skinny-dipping.
Unfortunately Joy and Gary Warner were unable to attend.
And that’s it! It was another great event, with wonderful people and fascinating stories. We are taking a short break for the winter, but will be back on March 7, with stories about “Faking It”. Stay tuned for details!
Get to know your storyteller! Leading up to Moonlighting on Saturday, we’re bringing you brief bios of our speakers. Here’s Kate!
Kate Flynn is Co-owner and Operations Manager at Honest Field Farms, a small organic farm based just outside of Hamilton in Millgrove, Ontario. A one-time New Yorker, Kate is proud to call downtown Hamilton home. Kate holds a M.Sc. from Oxford University and B.A.H. from Queen’s University. When she’s not at the farm, Kate can be found volunteering with the Hamilton Victory Gardens, reading at the Mulberry Cafe, or running (very slowly) in Bayfront Park.
Join us at the First Unitarian Church on Saturday, November 1st, to hear Kate and others tell true stories from their own lives, live without notes! Doors open at 7. Advance tickets available online (here!). See you there!
Get to know your storyteller! Leading up to our next event, Moonlighting, on November 1st, we’re bringing you brief bios of our speakers. Here’s Grace!
Grace Evans is a community development worker at the Social Planning and Research Council for Tastebuds, Hamilton’s Student Nutrition Collaborative. At Tastebuds, Grace supports universally accessible student nutrition programs in schools across Hamilton by incorporating local foods and developing and implementing food literacy programming. Grace is a co-founder of Steel City Stories and lives downtown with her partner Scott and their dog Hank.
Join us at the First Unitarian Church this Saturday, November 1st, to hear Grace and others tell true stories from their own lives, live without notes! Doors open at 7. Advance tickets available online (here!).
Get to know your storyteller! Leading up to our event on Saturday we’re bringing you brief bios of our speakers. Here’s Darlene!
Darlene Chrissley is fascinated by the unique weirdness of people and the wonders of the everyday world. She has the curiosity of a scientist, the imagination of an artist and a passion for language. Her ongoing quest is to live in the sweet spot where self-expression and service meet. Darlene is the author of the book Conversations for Power and Possibility. She has an international coaching and consulting practice. Skinny-dipping is her favorite sport.
Join us at the First Unitarian Church this Saturday, November 1st, to hear Darlene and others tell true stories from their own lives, live without notes! Doors open at 7. Advance tickets available online (here!).
Get to know your storytellers! Leading up to our next event, Moonlighting, on November 1st, we’re bringing you brief bios of our speakers. Here’s Gary and Joy!
Gary Warner has had a lifelong career as a university professor and administrator. He both taught and worked overseas in international development and was director of McMaster International. He has been active in the Hamilton community for over 40 years on social justice issues, including anti-racism, immigration, poverty, human rights and international development. He is a member of the Order of Canada.
Joy Warner has spent a lifetime pursuing the elusive goal of peace through many groups, including Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Project Ploughshares, KAIROS Ecumenical Justice Initiatives and the Hamilton Culture of Peace Network. Joy is the Coordinator of the Spiritan Office for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation. She is proud to be a Raging Granny. Joy and Gary have 4 creative children and 9 beautiful grandchildren.
Join us at the First Unitarian Church this Saturday, November 1st, to hear Gary, Joy, and others tell true stories from their own lives, live without notes! Doors open at 7. Advance tickets available online (here!).
Steel City Stories 