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 Susan!

Susan Creer is a local gal with a strong interest in people as well as disability and poverty concerns. Susan’s background includes professional and community theatre, event planning, and administration. She has a B.A. in Psychology and Theatre Arts from Redeemer University College and an Event and Conference Management Certificate from Mohawk College. Susan teaches acting to children and youth and is a speaker with ‘Speak Now.’ She is also a board member for the Routes Youth Centre in Dundas and a Toastmaster International club member. Susan loves to walk and then relax with tea and a good book.

Join us at the First Unitarian Church this Saturday, November 1st, to hear Susan 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 next event, Moonlighting, on November 1st, we’re bringing you brief bios of our speakers. Here’s Carla!

Carla Borstad Klassen was born and raised in Hamilton, and grew up singing and defending herself against her brother. She works at the Social Planning and Research Council where she does program evaluation and community planning related to immigration, food, neighbourhoods, and children. She likes laughing, has problems with capitalism, tries to be kind, and feels lucky to have such a compatible partner in Anna. Carla likes sleeping (but doesn’t do it much), eating (constantly), dancing, and being deeply silly with her kid, Charlie. 

Join us at the First Unitarian Church next Saturday, November 1st, to hear Carla and others tell true stories from their own lives, live without notes! Doors open at 7. Advance tickets available online (here!).

Our Supercrawl event was a huge success thanks to all of you! Many people made the detour from James Street North to come see us at Mill’s Hardware, and there were plenty of great stories to be heard. Unfortunately musician Tom Wilson was sick and could not make the event, but our remaining seven speakers shared their journeys of venturing “into the wild”…

 

Crowd-favourite Steve Bunn returned to host (his second time!), quipping small stories of his own trips into the wild.

 

Sandy Shaw shared a story about losing her purse, and the unexpected journey she took to retrieve it.

 

When a honeymoon went from bad to worse, Suzanne Burchell had to cope with the uncomfortable situation.

 

Alex Drumm told us about the time he tried to force a life changing experience, and ended up hanging onto the side of a 40-foot cliff.

 

Zak McDonald went off to India for his life changing experience, but ended up learning more about his love of home in the process.

 

Chris Krucker told us his story of becoming an organic farmer, and how an oak savannah became his organic farm.

 

Katy Morrison went “into the wild” by taking her education to Kenya, and pushing herself outside her comfort zone.

 

Jess Goodes shared some relationship wisdom, telling the story of a trying camping trip he took with his wife when they first started dating.

Again, thanks for everyone that came out and to everyone who has been supporting us so far! Keep an eye out as our November 1^st event, Moonlighting, is coming up quickly!

It’s coming up, folks: our 2-part storytelling showcase at Supercrawl! This weekend!

On Saturday, September 13th we’ll be at Mills Hardware, at 95 King Street East, from 1 – 4pm with speakers from 1 – 2 and 3 – 4. This is a free event! See below for more information on the four Hamiltonians who will be sharing their “Into the Wild” stories from 3 – 4pm!

Zak McDonald is a stand up comedian. After a rough childhood he turned to stand up comedy as an outlet. Zak has shared his story across the country developing a strong local following. Zak’s comedy is a mix of his new-age lifestyle and his I-used-to-live-in-a-car past. He is known as a “spiritual journeyman” as he has spent time exploring every religion. Starting this September, Zak will spend eight months touring with non-profit charity Live Different, visiting high schools across Canada and inspiring students to pursue their dreams.

 

Chris Krucker farms in Copetown with his wife Denise and kids at ManoRun Farm. Chris graduated from McMaster with a philosophy/social work degree. He grew up working in his father’s pastry factory and realized that there must be more than machines, labourers and commuting. He thought that there must be people that knew how to make things and how things work. He also felt a strong call from the landscape that he commuted through each day from Burlington to Mississauga, and ManoRun Farm was born.

 

Born and raised on the Hamilton Mountain and currently living near Dundurn Castle, Katy is a huge believer in this great city of Hamilton. She completed her nursing degree at McMaster in 2010 and couldn’t get enough of the penniless student life, so she is back doing a Masters in Public Health at U of T. Nursing has provided many opportunities for Katy to meet many different kinds of people, and to be in situations that challenge and humble her.

 

Jeff Goodes is a proud dad and husband. When he’s not immersed in the chaos of his home life, Jeff works at CBC Radio as a producer and host. Currently, he is working on White Coat/Black Art with Brian Goldman, and as the host of CBC Radio’s Overnight. Jeff also produces and co-hosts the Scott Free Podcast with Scott Thompson of Kids in the Hall. He puts on 5×7 Talks: 5-minute talks by 7 people who have an idea to improve their community. Follow Jeff on twitter: @jeff_goodes

It’s coming up, folks: our 2-part storytelling showcase at Supercrawl! This weekend!

On Saturday, September 13th we’ll be at Mills Hardware, at 95 King Street East, from 1 – 4pm with speakers from 1 – 2 and 3 – 4. This is a free event! See below for more information on the four Hamiltonians who will be sharing their “Into the Wild” stories from 1 – 2pm!

 

Sandy Shaw is a fiercely proud Hamiltonian whose roots run deep in our city. She is a booster of our incredible civic and creative communities. Putting people first, Sandy has long championed causes that are socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible. She is proud to have received the Women of Distinction Award for her work. A natural wit, quick with a quip, compassionate and committed, Sandy is looking forward to sharing her talents with her community for many years to come.

 

Suzanne is an instructor in Drama in Education at Brock University. She is retired from teaching drama for 38 years in secondary school. Her roots of storytelling are from her hometown of Parrsboro, Nova Scotia on the Bay of Fundy, where story telling is a natural ‘way’ for many in daily life. She was a founder of the Parrsboro storytellers group. Currently she belongs to the Hamilton Storytelling Circle. Recently writing short stories to tell has become a part of her repertoire as well.

 

Alex Drumm is a Hamilton-based writer who composes works of poetry and short fiction. He is currently a full time English major at McMaster University working towards his Masters in Creative Writing. Alex is also an accomplished singer-songwriter, formally under local label Other Songs Music and an active member of Eucharist Church. Some of his poetry can be read at http://www.wordgeryne.wordpress.com.

 

Tom Wilson is a three time multi-gold record awarded Canadian musician. The songs he has written have been recorded by Sarah McLachlan, Colin James, Lucinda Williams, Billy Ray Cyrus, Mavis Staples, The Rankin Family as well as his own band Junkhouse, who scored eleven Top Ten hits. His most recent incarnation is LeE HARVeY OsMOND. Tom Wilson is a long-time Hamiltonian.

We may have been quiet on this front, but only because we’ve been so busy planning our upcoming events! When the organizers of Supercrawl invited us to be a part of this year’s festival we just couldn’t say no. So hold on to your hats: Steel City Stories is coming back two times this fall!

On September 13th, from 1 – 2 pm and 3 – 4 pm, as part of Supercrawl’s festivities, we’ll be showcasing 8 fantastic speakers talking about “Into the Wild.” This is a free event held at Mills Hardware at 95 King Street East.

And on November 1st we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled program, with “Moonlighting”! We’ll be back at First Unitarian Church of Hamilton and ticket info will be available soon.

Stay tuned for further details on next week’s speakers. In the meantime, check out our poster below, and take a look at our event info on Supercrawl’s website!

 

 

Our July event was all about how one experience can change your look on life. Whether it was a disaster that made you reevaluate your values, or witnessing something that challenged your previous perceptions, this event was all about how our speakers took the best out of unforeseen circumstances.

Renée Wetselaar returned from our April event to host Turning Point.

Chris Erl kicked off the night tying his educational experience at McMaster to the history of Hamilton, and the parallels he’s seen in his own life.

Maha Hossein described what it was like first coming to Canada, and the challenges she faced and overcame.

Jean Ryan talked about how her childhood self was torn between what various spiritual teachers told her, and how that framed her future perspectives.

Greg Tedesco told us his journey from being a Steel Town skeptic to a passionate community member and supporter of all things Hamilton.

Anne Kalonji shared the experience of her cross-culture wedding which incorporated Congolese and French traditions.

Kevin Makins wrapped the evening up by warning us of the dangers that come with being a home owner, and the saving grace of insurance.

Thank you to everyone who came out and enjoyed the event! It was yet another success thanks to all the support the Hamilton community has given us! We’ll be back soon…stay tuned for details!

Get to know your storyteller! Leading up to our event on Saturday we’re bringing you brief bios of our speakers. Here’s Greg!

Greg Tedesco is a proud Hamiltonian, social justice advocate and street outreach worker. A two time graduate from McMaster University in Political Science and Social Work, Greg is interested in issues around health, equity, inclusion and community development. Greg lives in the Strathcona neighbourhood with his partner Robyn and their golden retriever, Spencer. A hockey fan and amateur gardener on the side, Greg can often be found drinking coffee in one of Hamilton’s many great cafés!

Join us at the First Unitarian Church on July 5th to hear Greg 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 Jean!

Jean Ryan was born in Brooklyn when New York had 3 major league baseball teams. Upon completing McMaster University’s Certificate in Creative Writing in 2008, she received the Awards for Academic Excellence. She is a professional storyteller whose memberships include the Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada, the National Storytelling Network (U.S.) and the Transformative Language Arts Network.

Join us at the First Unitarian Church on July 5th to hear Anne and others tell true stories from their own lives, live without notes! Doors open at 7. Advance tickets available online (here!).