Fall trees in Montreal

Melissa Dawn

Camp Erin Creates a Safe Space for Children’s Grief

Camp Erin® MontrealCamp Erin® Montreal

SPOTLIGHT: Camp Erin Creates a Safe Space for Children’s Grief

Montreal Tips | Cause of the Month | January 2019

 

Children experience grief differently from adults and often struggle to cope with feelings they don’t understand and can’t articulate. It can be an immensely helpful and healing experience to spend time with other children who are also working through grief, and guided by adults who understand their unique experience.

 

Camp Erin® Montreal

Camp Erin® Montreal

 

Camp Erin is the largest network of free bereavement camps in North America, and is open to children aged 6 – 17 who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

 

This incredible camp gifts children with the opportunity to laugh, cry, grieve and celebrate. It allows them to accept that it is okay to be sad and okay to be happy. It is a space where they can be children among other children who also have loss in their hearts; to experience, together, that their own lives can move forward with joy, fun and all the typical childhood activities, while celebrating and honouring their memories of their lost loved one. You can learn a bit more about what they do and what the camp is like for children in their video.

 

The camp is led by grief professionals and trained volunteers, including the camp’s Clinical Director, Corrie Sirota. Corrie specializes in the areas of loss and bereavement, parenting, relationships, stress management and self esteem. She is also the author of the incredibly insightful and supportive book, Someone Died… Now What? A Personal and Professional Perspective on Coping With Grief and Loss. Having experienced the loss of her own brother at a young age, helping children through painful loss is a purpose dear to her heart.

 

Camp Erin has a staff to camper ratio of 2:1 to ensure every child receives the attention and care they need. It takes place over a weekend and is now scheduled for August 9 – August 11, 2019. The deadline for camper registration is June 30, 2019.

Camp Erin® Montreal

If you or someone you know could benefit from this amazing initiative, check out Camp Erin details here.

 

Camp Erin is completely free to campers and is very grateful for any donations that help them offer this unique, caring and compassionate experience to grieving children.

 

 

Melissa DawnMELISSA DAWN : Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be | Corporate and Leadership Coach | Best-Selling Author | Speaker

I am Founder of CEO of Your Life, an organization helping individuals and businesses get clear on where they are, where they want to be and what they need to do to get there. Read more on Melissa

 

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T Riman
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Aspire2Inspire Series: An Exclusive Networking Brunch for Professional Women in Montreal  

Photo of Downtown Montreal used for a women eventPhoto by daniel baylis on Unsplash
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T Riman
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Clusterflux Jewelry by Dominique Nicholson | Woman of the Month Feature

Montreal Jewelry maker

Clusterflux Jewelry by Dominique Nicholson

Woman of the Month Feature

Originally from Quebec City, Dominique Nicholson now lives and creates in Montreal. What does she create? Tiny pieces of stunning artwork.

Nicholson is a talented jewelry designer and creator, as well as the founder of Clusterflux Jewelry.

Gold necklase

The road to craftsmanship

Nicholson originally set out to study physiotherapy. “Oh boy! What I disaster! I am not made for school,” she says. With traditional learning environments not fitting her personal learning style and needs, she decided to try something new and enrolled in the Jewelry School of Montreal. There, she discovered the classes were 100% tactile and 0% theoretical. Ideal for someone of Nicholson’s particular brand of talent and drive.

In this unique learning environment, she excelled and absolutely loved working with her hands, creating gorgeous and positively charming pieces. She studied there for three years, with an additional year of study in 3D design, while working as a designer for renowned Canadian jeweller, Ecksand.Dominique Nicholson

 

 

Creating with Clusterflux

Today, Nicholson makes fine jewelry that is a balance between traditional craftsmanship and 3D design. She specializes in custom pieces that have a personal touch, as well as stunning earrings, rings, necklaces, high end body jewelry and more for her in-house collections.

Taking inspiration from the latest trends, Nicholson adds her own flair through the details. Her pieces are typically minimalist, but often with a hint of detail, only visible when looking closely. “Almost like a little secret only you know about,” she says. The result is charming, for sure, but also eye-catching and beautiful, blending touches of industrialism with a delicacy that is truly unique.

 

 

Pieces that last

All of her pieces are made with top-quality materials and using thoroughly studied and practiced techniques to create jewelry that is meant to be worn and loved for years to come.

Working mainly with gold and genuine stones, her emphasis is on quality, but also affordability. Looking ahead, her goal is to continue to create beautiful, eye-catching pieces that are affordable and accessible.

In a field where design possibilities are endless, technology is now catching up with the imagination, making more and more possible. Nicholson is on the forefront of these developments, continually pushing her own limits to create beautiful and original jewelry.

Dominique Nicholson

Where to get it

You can purchase Nicholson’s work through the Clusterflux Jewelry website, and much of her high-end body jewelry at select local tattoo parlours including Adrenaline, Slick Styled Steel and South Beach, St. Jerome. You can also contact Nicholson at [email protected], if you’re interested in a custom project.

 

Creating with purpose

As of 2019, Clusterflux Jewelry will be donating 2% of its profits to the Fraser Recovery Program in Quebec City. This rehabilitation centre is dedicated to helping youth recover from substance abuse. The donations from Clusterflux will specifically be going towards helping the centre’s clients complete or continue their education. Financial trouble is too often a huge struggle for anyone getting sober, especially youth. The efforts of the Fraser Recovery Program, with the support of organizations like Clusterflux Jewelry, help give them a second chance at bettering their lives.

Tarek Riman

Founder | Marketer | Speaker | Best Selling Author | University Instructor

As Founder of Cap.TaiM, a full-service digital marketing agency, I have worked with 100+ agencies, SMBs and Fortune 500s. I hold 30+ certifications in digital marketing including AdWords, Analytics, Bing, Hubspot, Woorank, Facebook & Hootsuite.

With a passion for exploration and sharing new discoveries, I also founded Montrealtips.com, with proceeds going to the UN Refugee Agency, Montreal Children’s Hospital and other causes. I am also involved with NGOs & charities in Canada & worldwide.

Tarek on Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter 

 

 

 

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Melissa Dawn
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How to hire & retain the best people in Montreal, Canada & Worldwide

How To Be a Company the Best People Want to Work For [Infographic]

Top employees are now harder to find… and retain.

Why are so many employees ready to jump ship and what can be done about it?

The market is changing and so should you.

Coaching Culture Infographic

Infographic by: CEO of Your Life

Melissa DawnMELISSA DAWN : Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be | Corporate and Leadership Coach | Best-Selling Author | Speaker

I am Founder of CEO of Your Life, an organization helping individuals and businesses get clear on where they are, where they want to be and what they need to do to get there. Read more on Melissa

 

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Melissa Dawn

Torteria Lupita – Mexican Market Dining in Montreal

Mexican Market Dining in Montreal

 

Torteria Lupita

Mexican Market Dining in MontrealMExican Tortilla with veggies

If you’ve ever been to an authentic Mexican market (i.e. one actually within a Mexican city, town or village) you know that Mexican cuisine is nothing like what you typically find in Canada. The food you find in these markets is made with unbelievably fresh ingredients and is full of rich flavours and incredible textures.

 

The family behind Torteria Lupita is originally from Mexico City and is on a mission to recreate the Mexican market dining experience, as closely as possible, for Montrealers.

 

Inside this charming and cozy restaurant, the atmosphere is authentically Mexican, as opposed to Mexican-themed. The warm colours, natural materials and laid back, welcoming vibe will transport you to another place. And that’s just the beginning.

 

The menu is small, which is often a good indicator that the food is amazing. Small menus typically mean fresher ingredients, dishes made to order, more dynamic flavours and often more homemade elements. In this case, homemade chorizo, churros that melt in your mouth and agua fresca made on the spot.

 

The specialty of Torteria Lupita (in case the name didn’t give it away) is the tortas. Unlike the tacos, quesadillas and burritos many North Americans are familiar with, tortas are sandwiches served on white sandwich rolls. They’re brimming with deliciously spiced meats, vegetables and cheeses, like the Pastor featuring grilled, marinated chicken topped with grilled pineapple, smoked mozzarella, chipotle mayonnaise, red onions and cilantro. There’s also a veggie torta with avocado and marinated onions, a grilled steak torta with spicy pasilla mayo, a braised pork torta with coleslaw, a chorizo torta topped with a fried egg and more.

Inside of Torteria Lupita

Torteria Lupita also has a small brunch menu on Saturdays, while the absolutely irresistible churros are available all week long. You can also get enchiladas, or a variety of smaller plates such as soup, quesadillas and flautas. In addition to the variety of agua fresca, they also offer beer, coffee and hot chocolate (perfect for churro dipping).

 

The staff is incredible and so welcoming. You won’t want to leave!

Torteria Lupita is located at 4601 Notre Dame west, just down the street from Tacos Victor. Will we see you there?

Melissa DawnMELISSA DAWN : Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be | Corporate and Leadership Coach | Best-Selling Author | Speaker

I am Founder of CEO of Your Life, an organization helping individuals and businesses get clear on where they are, where they want to be and what they need to do to get there. Read more on Melissa

 

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