By Nina Badwal - St. James Town Press, November 2021 edition - - - Each year during autumn, Hindus, Jains and Sikhs celebrate Diwali, known as the Indian “festival of lights.” The word Diwali is derived from deepavali which means "rows of lighted lamps" in Sanskrit, an ancient language of India. [...]
By Yvonne Yorke - October 2021 - Teachers can do VIRTUALLY anything! That’s a catchphrase seen since the start of the pandemic which forced schools to move to virtual learning. Virtual learning has definitely provided challenges for students, parents and teachers alike. It could be the challenge of learning how to navigate the [...]
By Yvonne Yorke - October 2021 - - Every year, Halloween is celebrated as a fun-filled finale to October that delights children and adults alike. Because of the pandemic, Toronto Public Health was not able to support the traditional door-to-door trick or treating in 2020 and as of our print date for [...]
- By Dimitrije Martinovic - Blending form with function in design and application is always at the heart of architectural projects. Adding social and inspirational factors to the equation can sometimes become less of a priority. But with a project like a public park in a neighbourhood as diverse as St. James Town, [...]
- By Raagave Kannan - With the lockdown easing, all of us are eager to get out and make the most out of summer. We spoke to a few residents to know what their plans for summer are. I am planning to enjoy going out more often and hopefully go to La Ronde [...]
- Yvonne Yorke - Swimming is to the Canadian summer what skating is to the Canadian winter. It doesn’t matter if you are in a lake or a pool, nothing beats the cool water temperatures on a hot summer day. To ensure that swimming remains cool and refreshing, please keep these water safety [...]
- By Shirley Roberts - Just steps south of St. James Town, Toronto residents and visitors will find an urban gem that is accessible to all, free of charge. Located on the east side of Sherbourne Street, west side of Jarvis, from Carleton to Gerrard – Allan Gardens stands as a legacy to [...]
- By Yvonne Yorke - While July and August will still look different than summer’s past, embrace the opportunity to explore local. Visit the Toronto Islands. The Toronto Islands can be reached by ferry. Take in the skyline during the day or the evening sunset. Visit a farm. Yes, they do exist in [...]
- By Lisa Kowalchuk - An article in our June edition focused on the health benefits of exploring urban nature, and ways in which Park People (the group working to use parks to increase people’s quality of life) works to overcome inequalities in people’s access to green spaces in cities across Canada. In [...]
By Nina Badwal - June 2021 - A group on a bird walk (Photo: Andrés Jiménez Monge) A recreational activity that was once seen fitting for retired white men is now attracting a diverse group of people. Bird watching – or birding which includes the visually impaired – has reached an all-time high [...]
Nalini Pandalangat, Director of Newcomer Health & Specialty Services, Sherbourne Health, is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She completed her PhD at the Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, and has extensive experience leading projects and programs in the community health, hospital and international development sectors. Her PhD was on cultural influences on help-seeking, treatment and support for mental health problems in the Sri Lankan Tamil community. Her research and program interests are focused on immigrant mental health, gender and health, cultural competence, health care access and health equity. Currently she is part of a core team working on the development and dissemination of a refugee mental health framework.
