Celebrating Black History Month 2024 in Ottawa and Montreal

Happy Black History Month! Whether you’re in Ottawa or Montreal, there are plenty of ways to celebrate and honour Black History Month across both of Also Cool’s respective headquarter cities. Below, find a non-exhaustive list of events spotlighting our local Black communities and uplifting the power and influence of Black history, culture and creativity. Be sure to keep up with the programmers and curators of these events to enjoy and support their endeavours all year round!

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Ottawa Black History Month Roundup

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The second edition of “Crépu: Our DNA” returns this coming Sunday, February 4th, at the Canadian Science and Technology Museum from 5pm-9pm.

Presented in collaboration between Hors Pair Social, The Moving Art Gallery and Ingenium, “Crépu: Our DNA” is a multidisciplinary Black hair art show, showcasing the complexity and innovation that Black folks have engineered in hair care.

Following the event’s extremely successful launch in 2023, the second edition of “Crépu: Our DNA” features artists from both Ottawa and Montreal, and offers a wide range of programming, from workshops on curly hair care to a hair-art runway.

Advance tickets are sold out! A limited number of tickets will be available at the door - arrive early!

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In collaboration with the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition and Pass The Vibes, Produced By Youth presents FUBU (For Us By Us) at Club SAW on Wednesday, February 7th from 7pm-11:30pm.

Celebrating five years of Produced By Youth—a Black-led grassroots organization that delivers a unique music-making workshop program aimed at fostering a creative safe(r) space exclusively for Black youth ages 15-25—FUBU features a networking mixer, live performances, raffle prizes, games and more, for and by Black youth.

The FUBU lineup includes Produced By Youth Advanced Cycle alumni μames., Nonso, Chyme and Produced By Youth x Pass The Vibes DJs dj boatie & Mona Monet

Secure your pay-what-you-can tickets below!

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Hip hop takes centre stage throughout February at the National Arts Centre eleven-day Hip Hop Theatre Festival. On now until February 10th, the inaugural event revolves around the text-based essence of hip hop. Programming includes battle rap, spoken word, staged readings, panels, concerts and virtual events “aimed at broadening our perspective on how we view and experience theatre at its core.”

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On February 20th, Hors Pair Social invites you to celebrate Black History Month at the Algonquin Commons Theatre with The Ottawa Black Creatives Hub Performing Arts Showcase.

From 6:30pm-9pm, catch performances from musical artists, dancers, poets, and other multifaceted creatives representing Ottawa’s Black arts scene. The lineup includes Grey Brisson, N’nerjie, Sommer Knight, Malaïka Urbani, Chloe Bonnet, Miss Mcleod, Christjay, KingH509, Noni, Mxzy, Olivia Onuk, Carleton Afro Dance Crew AKA CADC, Jacqui Du Toit, Fitch Jean, and Kiera Meeks. 

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BLKGURL Prom takes Club SAW February 24th and this year’s theme is The Elements. Organized by BLKGURL—a grassroots collective dedicated to creating space, building community and uplifting Black women and gender diverse folks—BLKGURL Prom is the ultimate celebration of Black girl/gender non-confirming magic.

There is no dress code, but get ready to strut your stuff on the dancefloor! The event is free, and donations are welcome to support BLKGURL.

Please note that this a dry event. BLKGURL Prom is a closed event specifically for Black women, girls and gender/sexually marginalized people.

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Montreal Black History Month Roundup

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Also Cool had the pleasure of attending the opening night of Black Theatre Workshop’s Diggers at Segal Centre for Performing Arts. On until February 17th, this brilliant co-production with Prairie Theatre Exchange is the world premiere of the story of three essential workers—grave diggers—who make the best of a bad situation as townsfolk grow increasingly distant when illness hits their town.

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This Saturday, February 3rd, the second edition of Frky x Listen takes La Sotterenea from 8pm-10:30pm to celebrate Black musical heritage on the dancefloor. Spanning multiple genres, from jazz, hip hop, house, afrobeat and more, this free event brings together members of the music scene to honour Black history month and the rich tapestry of Black music and its influence.

The lineup features Mauro Pezzente, Donald D, Lexis (Music Is My Sanctuary), Dapapa, Blackgold, Sisters of Sim, Living Legends, Mathieu Grondin, Quest, Inobe, Jesse Walker, ESC, Duke Eatmon, and Supernature.

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The next edition of Also Cool x Mags Drink n’ Draw is coming up on February 21st at Système! Bring your friends (or make new ones), vibe to tunes supplied by DJ JU!CE, and enjoy the best food and drink in town as you unlock your artistic side. This Drink n’ Draw will have a special colouring page for Black History Month, made in collaboration with a surprise local music group!

More details coming soon - save the date!

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BLK WinterFest is fostering nothing but Black joy in the middle of winter! Organized by Hike Mtl, BLK WinterFest is a month-long happening, offering winter activities (skating, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice climbing) every weekend for the Black community throughout the month of February.

Open to all ages and skill levels, BLK WinterFest is the perfect opportunity to gather with family and friends for a fun outdoor excursion!

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From February 7th to March 10th, experience the story of American Black civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin. Presented by the Phi Centre, Colored: The Unknown Life of Claudette Colvin, is an augmented reality installation that uses the HoloLens 2 (an augmented reality headset) to transport the viewer through Colvin’s life in segregated Alabama.

Learn more about this immersive and powerful exhibition here.

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For more Black History Month programming in Ottawa, see this list compiled by Hors Pair Social and visit Black History Ottawa.

For more Black History Month programming in Montreal, visit mtl.org and Table Ronde.

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"I hated working with Porky Pig" Frosty Valentine Gets Real on the Cartoon Industry, Shares Beauty Secrets and More!

Photo courtesy of Debaser

If you aren’t already in the know, Toronto’s Frosty Valentine is the next it-girl. Now retired from three decades in the cartoon industry, Valentine is turning heads as a triple-threat performer; singing, dancing and animating her way to the top of the charts, all while setting the record straight on her previously unrecognized talent. Rather than a thorn in her side, Valentine’s plight with the seedy underbelly of the entertainment world fuels her desire to make change in the form of sugary-pop anthems and elaborate, uncanny productions. 

We got the chance to connect with the pop-star leading up to her performance at the second edition of PIQUE, a new forward-thinking, artist-driven quarterly event series featuring eclectic musical, visual and multimedia artists produced by Debaser. Valentine will be performing at the festival this coming Saturday, September 11th, 2021 at Arts Court in Ottawa. 

Read our exclusive tête-à-tête with Valentine below. 

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hi Frosty! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with Also Cool. To start, can I ask you how your retirement has been going? It seems like you've taken an unconventional path since leaving cartooning behind. Where did this new energy come from?

Frosty Valentine: My whole cartoon career

I was a shadow in the back.

I sang, stunt doubled, danced

to be honest I lost track…

I dressed as Lady and the Tramp

for the scene with the spaghetti.

Cause Lady was gluten intolerant

and I was camera ready!

I hated working with Porky Pig

and looked for a new job.

It was nearly impossible

and every day I would just sob.

I sang at Chucky Cheese at night

and then got my big break!

Manager Sticky was sitting there

and said that I was great!

Also Cool: You've spoken candidly about the industry leaving a bad taste in your mouth. Knowing that ethics are important to you, how do you cultivate an ideal work environment now that you're the ringleader of your troupe?

Frosty Valentine: Since being in the industry

I really saw it all.

That’s why I only have puppets

and a robotic doll.

AC: Speaking of your entourage, how did all of you come to know each other?

FV: I studied to become a wrestler

that was my retirement plan.

My costume is for a wrestler

just so you understand.

Every time I got knocked out

these visions came to me…

That’s when I came across

my heavenly puppet Pinky!

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Frosty Valentine and Pinky by Kate Killet at The Harbourfront Centre - Long Winter Festival, 2019

AC: At the same time, how do you take time for yourself, and look so good doing it, while managing your recent rise to fame? Any words of wisdom, or beauty secrets, that you'd care to share?

FV: It’s true that I'm famous

there are days that I forget…

But then everyone will know my name

Whenever I go to the vet.

You better drink lots of water

if you want to look like me!

Wear sunscreen every single day

and “Miscellaneous Water” by Cerave!

AC: Knowing that you're beginning to tour again, how will you keep yourself grounded and motivated as your schedule picks up and the paparazzi begins to swarm?

FV: I wear a tinted sunscreen

every single day.

it takes care of my skin

and it makes me look okay.

I stretch every morning

to release yesterday's stress.

If I don’t do that daily then

I promise I’m a mess!

AC: We’re excited to see your performance this Saturday in Ottawa at Debaser's PIQUE festival. Can you give us any hints about what your set will entail?

FV: This time my robot won’t be there but,

I have a body double.

I can’t say too much more

or you might get me in trouble.

I will say that a lot of local

people are involved.

I feel so grateful to them

that my heart will soon dissolve!

Frosty Valentine will be performing in-person at the second edition of PIQUE, Debaser’s new forward-thinking, artist-driven, quarterly event series at Arts Court (Ottawa Art Gallery - Jackson Courtyard) on September 11th, 2021 at 9:30PM EST.

For more information on PIQUE and to purchase tickets to Saturday’s event visit thisispique.com

Frosty Valentine

Instagram | Bandcamp | Youtube | TikTok

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Yo Perreo Sola En Mi Cuarto Con Cuarenteca

Art by Malaika Astorga

Yo perreo sola en mi cuarto… for real though. Cuarenteca is the best Latinx online discoteca that you never knew you needed, every week on Zoom. We chatted about Latinx spaces, online and IRL, and how we’re staying connected to our familias.

Also Cool: Hola Cuarenteca! Let's start at the beginning. Tell us a bit about who you are, what the two of you do IRL, and how you started this online discoteca.

Cuarenteca: Hello! Thanks for having us. Our names are Ana Luisa and Camila. We are Venezuelan visual artists living in Toronto. We bonded over our mutual experiences, as well as our love for reggaeton and other Latin genres. Ana Luisa started DJing six months ago after attending an Intersessions workshop. Camila began DJing four years ago, getting her start on friends' computer programs, and has recently begun learning how to use a controller. 

Our weekly online discoteca is called Cuarenteca, and it's hosted on Zoom. We were initially inspired by Club Quarantine and decided to start our own online party focusing on Latinx genres and spotlighting queer femme DJs.

AC: As an avid Xicanista, I've been following online Latinx efforts for the past few years. Recently, it seems like there's a strong wave of young Latinx creatives making space for ourselves in mainstream art and music spaces. What have your experiences been like in creative scenes? Why do you personally feel like it's important to have Latinx representation in these spaces, both online and IRL?

Cuarenteca: As visual artists and musicians, we have always felt the need to make space for ourselves and other people of Latinx descent, especially in a Canadian context. We feel like there's a real lack of safe, queer-friendly Latinx parties in Toronto, excluding Convento Rico. This was one of the main reasons we started DJing. Ana Luisa in Toronto, and Camila in Halifax, where there are literally zero Latinx dance parties except the ones organized by Camila and her friends.  

Ana Luisa: I don't have a ton of experience in the Toronto music scene yet, but I know that there are a lot of amazing people out there creating spaces by and for underrepresented women, queer, trans and BIPOC creatives. Intersessions, which is a workshop series that puts a spotlight on gender disparity in music, was my first encounter with a DJ community in the city. They truly made me feel welcome and safe. I never felt judged for asking technical questions or for not knowing a lot about the craft. Big shoutout to Chippy Nonstop, Karim Olen Ash, Nino Brown and everyone else involved. 

Camila: When I was a teenager, I was avidly involved in Toronto's all ages music scene, but at the time it was super straight-white-male dominated. It wasn't until I moved to Halifax to go to art school that I really felt encouraged to make music. In 2016, I joined an all-femme band and also started DJing in an all-femme DJ collective. I have definitely felt more welcomed in visual arts spaces overall, especially in art school, where there were mostly female, queer, and non-binary students. There’s a super small Latinx community in Nova Scotia, so being back in Toronto definitely feels more validating. 

AC: What were your lives like before quarantine? What are some of the ways that you've been finding comfort since this began?

Cuarenteca: Our lives before quarantine, in terms of online communication, have more or less been the same. As members of the Venezuelan diaspora, this is how we've always communicated with our friends and family, so quarantined or not, we'll always video-chat our loved ones. 

Cuarenteca has definitely been comforting and validating, especially in creating an online space that points to the experience of being an immigrant, but also of living in the current pandemic. We look forward to dressing up, putting on some makeup, playing tunes, and seeing our friends all over the globe move their bodies with us every week. It's been amazing to see how people have been either joining for the first time or coming back every week; it seems like there is a real need for Latin music and community right now. We think that all the tunes we spin are great for the body and the soul, and can truly lift up your spirit! 

AC: How have you personally been connecting with the Latinx community lately? I follow a few Xicana and bruja accounts on Instagram and TikTok, but it's difficult for me to actually talk to my family in Mexico.

Cuarenteca: Cuarenteca has definitely been connecting us to the Latinx community, both our friends and folks we didn't know before. It's cool to meet new people who are into the same music we like! We are also part of an artist collective called Satélite, and they are definitely our chosen family and support system getting us through this time.

CS: I've continued listening to Latinx podcasts and shows, in particular Brown Love, Gentefied, On My Block, Los Espookys, which are all very US-centric. As well as reading works by Isabel Allende, and listening to artists like Ms Nina, and Bad Bunny! 

AL: What's been getting me through the quarantine has been discovering new music, making mixes, doing Cuarenteca every week, keeping in touch with my friends and family, and reconnecting with friends that I haven't talked to in a long time because we all live in different countries. I recently worked on a mix for days, check it out! 

AC: Describe the Latinx dance party of your dreams.

Cuarenteca: Cuarenteca is as close as it gets, for now. Música para perrear and all our friends in one place, please! Y el calorcito of sweaty bodies IRL. 

AC: How can we best support you, and other Latinx artists right now?

Cuarenteca: For Cuarenteca and any other initiatives, sharing the projects, inviting your friends, purchasing from our online shops and Bandcamps, and donating to PayPal accounts if you're in the position to do so! Artists are suffering from a lack of funding, gigs, and opportunities so all of the above would be immensely helpful.

Our Instagram is @cuarenteca and our PayPal is paypal.me/cuarenteca <3 

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Self-Isolation with Club Quarantine: Dancing with Drag Queens, Party Chickens, and Charli XCX

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Yes, that is the chicken that Paris Hilton dressed up in an outfit on The Simple Life.

Within the cold, corporate realm of Zoom video conferencing lies the hottest club the Internet has ever seen. Hundreds of tiny screens give you a glimpse into the quarantined lives of partiers the world over - somewhere a baddie is voguing in their neon thong and matching angel wing harness, while a drag queen performs a song from her bathtub. Someone else checks their phone... Now suddenly a farmer is holding up a chicken, reminiscent of the one that Paris Hilton once dressed up on The Simple Life. Like ChatRoulette, the screen changes again and we see a shirtless hottie cooking spaghetti and hitting a bong. 

Page after page of video screens showcase people twerking, pole-dancing, making out, and sliding around in a kiddie pool in their living room. Others are just vibing on the couch, with a glass of wine and a virtual background of their choice. Then there’s the infamous chat - blowing up with saucy flirtation, track ID requests, “afterparty” and exclusive “club bathroom” invitations, and endless love and support for everyone online. It’s the epicentre of queer nightlife in this precarious time. 

Welcome to Club Quarantine, the virtual gay club we never knew we needed. We had the chance to catch up with Club Q founders on what it’s like maintaining one of the hottest queer Internet dance parties every night of the quarantine.

Before every DJ (and everyone else, too, honestly) was doing an Instagram live stream from their livingroom, four Toronto-based artists and friends, Ceréna, Casey MQ, Brad Allen, and Mingus New, were video-chatting on the first day of quarantine and debating the serious implications that social distancing would have on the artist community. They would no longer have a space to perform, an audience, or a source of income, for that matter. However, it didn’t take long before a few friends hanging out online became a nightly congregation of hundreds of people from all over the world, featuring iconic live drag performances, celebrity DJs, and heaps quarantined cuties shaking their booties.  

Now, every night at 21:00, the Club Q page drops a Zoom meeting code and password to join the party - and until midnight, you are no longer dancing alone in your bedroom. You’ve got a reason to dress up, run into some friends, and casually flirt with strangers. No guestlist, no cover, and no need to leave the house. It’s an important space for queer people to find friends and comfort in this surreal time. Not only is it incredibly convenient, Club Q has revolutionized nightlife accessibility - people whose disabilities normally prevented them from going out can now take part from the safety of their homes.

The Club Quarantine hosts have a big job. If you’re wondering whether the hosts ever get tired, organizers Ceréna and Brad Allen have assured us that yes, they’re exhausted. Every night, they have to book new lineups with a minimum of three artists, maintain a safe and open space for all attendees, and deal with any technical difficulties that may occur. They spend their days scouting Instagram for LGBTQI+ artists who could stream live performances from their homes, and behind all the virtual backgrounds, they’re constantly moderating the chat to shut down bots and trolls who “come out to play.”

In fact, cybersecurity has become a major concern on the Zoom platform, which has faced objection from governments in the wake of security loopholes allowing hackers to spy on meetings and access files. How can you ensure having a safe space in a virtual world? The majority of Club Q participants are marginalized people who are at a high risk. Organizers are well aware of the risks involved with using this platform, and have implemented chat monitors to maintain some level of control. Meanwhile, they are also keeping participants informed of the “dark underbelly of the internet that we may not be aware of, but have to deal with.” 

Nightly performances have featured Charli XCX, Tinashe, and Pabllo Vittar alongside lesser-known artists - everyone gets the same level of enthusiasm, and everyone gets paid. Party hosts are prioritizing the showcasing of local talent, giving budding artists essential monetary support, and in some cases, the opportunity of a lifetime. RedBull Canada made a donation back when Club Q had a mere 1000 followers on Insta (they now have over 41k), and the organizers have set up a PayPal account where you can tip performers and help keep the party going. Speaking of which, when asked about the future of Club Quarantine, Ceréna and Allen are determined to keep going, “It’s like learning how to run a large organization.” Thanks to huge levels of community support, the operation can continue to run smoothly.

In the midst of this crisis, the queers have reclaimed the Internet to keep an isolated community alive. Support Club Quarantine by donating here.

Be sure to catch our previous Also Cool guest, Frankie Teardrop’s set live on Club Quarantine TONIGHT, raising funds with LIP for Hot Crip. See you on the virtual dancefloor!  

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“Drifting on a Dark and Empty Sea of Nothing”: Death, Depression, and Pup’s Morbid Stuff

If a musician can get to their third album, it will be their best. The first album is the beginning, everything leading up in the artist’s mind until they express it. The second album is a disappointment in comparison: a failed promise of potential, unused or unsure. But failure is unavoidable if you want to get anywhere worth going. If a band can push through the discomfort of the sophomore slump, they will get somewhere creatively they were previously unable to reach: London Calling by The Clash, Let It Be by The Replacements, Dookie by Green Day, Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney, The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, 24 Hour Revenge Therapy by Jawbreaker, Third by Big Star, Double Nickels on the Dime by The Minutemen. Birth, death, rebirth. Genius.

Morbid Stuff is the third album by Toronto pop-punk band PUP, an acronym short for “Pathetic Use of Potential.” I heard it for the first time when my soon-to-be ex-partner played it over the speakers in our basement apartment in Kingston, Ontario, shortly after it was released in April 2019. It was good, I thought, but not great, or particularly meaningful to me. PUP always felt like a band I should like, but didn’t. It’s not because I don’t love pop-punk - I have a Green Day tattoo, and a pretty deep-cut one at that. Something about the way PUP sounded just didn’t resonate. They reminded me of a Canadian Blink-182 for millennial bros: a little too overproduced, a little too clever. I thought their album covers and merchandise were gauche and garish. Definitely not for me, a punk snob proudly perched on her high horse. 

My partner and I broke up two months later, on the first day of July. It was a difficult but necessary split. I moved back in with my mom, in Ottawa, Ontario. A friend I’d fallen out of touch with invited me to see PUP play at Bluesfest a few days later. I said yes, just grateful for the invitation. 

Walking into the festival, I saw hordes of teenagers moshing in a field to the band screaming and shredding, still full daylight outside. “This is a weird way to see PUP, but whatever,” lead singer Stefan Babcock said. Something began to click in my brain about the band. I danced to the music, too-quiet on the festival speakers, sang what lyrics I knew, and felt part of me returning to myself. 

I listened to the album almost every day after that; its jangly riffs opposed with lyrics describing a terrible, all-encompassing malaise. It was comforting to hear, right after I woke up in the shower, or in the middle of the day walking around the suburbs, or late at night on the bus ride home. I texted lyrics from it to friends at random, as a way of keeping in touch. The album gave me something to hold onto while I was “drifting on a dark and empty sea of nothing,” as the song “Kids” goes, grieving what I lost, unsure of where I was going next. 

Unfortunately, Morbid Stuff only became more pertinent to me in September, when my step-father passed away after living with Alzhiemer’s for the last five years of his life. I felt like I had already grieved him so much: when he was diagnosed, when he became unable to carry on a conversation, when he had to move out of our family home and into a long-term care facility. My family agreed that it was for the best, that he passed when he did, before things got even worse, but that didn’t make it any easier. Grief is not a linear process, and neither is healing.

I have long sought out music and movies and writing that are “sad,” “uncomfortable,” or “a bummer.” It’s the main way I have coped with living with anxiety and depression for the majority of my life. It’s the reason I love The Mountain Goats, Fleabag, Chris Gethard, The Bell Jar, BoJack Horseman, the movies of Ingmar Bergman, Normal People by Sally Rooney, the entire genre of emo music and now PUP; a band that makes music about the harsh realities of choosing to be alive in a world that often feels like a nightmare. 

Alienation, frustration and loneliness are central themes of PUP’s body of work, as they are for the majority of their pop-punk predecessors. But this loss, anger and fear is expressed most strongly on Morbid Stuff. “See You At Your Funeral” makes me think about how badly it hurts when something is over, even though you know it’s for the best. “Kids” makes me think about how depression, often characterized as feeling “blue,” is more akin to nothingness. “Bare Hands” makes me think about how good it can feel to let someone manipulate you, even when you know they shouldn’t. “City” makes me think about how sometimes you choose to live somewhere you hate because the person you love is there. And “Full-Blown Meltdown,” with its full-blown metal breakdown consumed by a Satan-summoning power riff, makes me want to punch something really hard, in a good way. 

My favourite song on the album changes depending on the mood I am in and the weather outside. Right now, it’s “Closure,” a song firmly in the middle of the record. “Closure” is a song about looking for something that doesn’t fully exist, but that one can search for and find in fragments. What do you do when someone or something you love isn’t around anymore? More than anything, grief feels like disbelief, aimlessness, a forced re-routing. And if that’s what grief is, then closure is the off-brand Band-Aid that refuses to stick to your skin, making the pain worse in its irony. As Babcock sings, “I’m looking for something to keep this scab from coming off.” 

It’s easy to try and keep the scab in place with things that feel good on a superficial level; it’s much harder to find something that will actually make the Band-Aid stick. You do not get better through consuming art about mood disorders alone. When I saw PUP for the second time this year in October, I was comforted by the fact that the day before I had gone to therapy, for the first time in years. The day after, I finally asked my doctor about trying antidepressants. Therapy has been amazing for me; antidepressants were a total bust. But I am trying things that have worked for other people. I have shed the idea that I am above known solutions. I no longer think that I must fix myself by myself. 

In interviews, PUP have made it clear that by writing about mental illness, they are not seeking to fetishize it. The lyrics of “Full-Blown Meltdown” deal with this in particular. “Self-destruction is alluring,” Babcock sings, a sentiment that had me hook, line and sinker as a sad teenager. These days, however, I am more interested in self-preservation and sincerity. As alluring as destruction and nihilism are, they not only hurt you, but everyone around you. Artists are still sold the myth that the only way to make great art is through suffering, a pain that is the key to their genius that must be maximized and exploited. It is a foundational myth of art, and rock music in particular. It is a lie that needs to be unmasked immediately. In the words of music writer and poet Hanif Abdurraquib, “No one is making their best work when they want to die.” 

If a musician can get to their third album, it will be their best. Or will it? Third albums are both preceded and followed by a body of work. The best album doesn’t have to be the third; it can come at any point in a career. The most important thing, for artists and non-artists alike, is simple: keep going. Joni Mitchell’s Blue is a fourth album. Elliott Smith’s Figure 8 is a fifth album. Prince’s Purple Rain is a sixth album. Guided By Voices’ Bee Thousand is a seventh album. Bruce Springsteen’s Tunnel of Love is an eighth album, and it is my favourite, even if it is no one else’s. ABBA Gold is a GREATEST HITS album and yet, it is the best one. 

You can do good no matter where you are.

Alanna Why is a writer, musician and avid library-patron based in Ottawa. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @alanna_why.

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