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COMMUNITY TRAUMATIC CHILDHOOD REVISITED IN LOCAL WOMAN'S FIRST NOVEL PROFITS FROM BOOK GOING TO FIRST NATIONS CHILD AND FAMILY CARE SOCIETY BRYAN MYERS bmyers@metroland.com arsha Barrett has published her first novel, Storm Orphan, a memoir of her turbulent child- hood. "Thad a lot of loss in my early years," said the new Georgetown author. Growing up as the youn- gest reaeinied of a Jewish Hogg's Hollow, a ratbourhees in North York, Barrett's mother died when she was only six years old. “The book is the story of growing up in the shadow of her death," she said. "It's a sad story - but it's told with humour." At its core, Barrett's novel is about feelings of not belonging, ying to find a sense of home "A lot of bad things did happen to me - but they are also quite humorous," Bar- rett said. While many of the is- sues had been resolved, Barrett said some parts of the novel brought unex- pected feelings. Recounting the death and discovery of! her father, Barrett said she prised at the feelings that surfaced. "I thought I was pretty much over it," Barrett said, “put I had a physical re- sponse to writing it." Despite the ly, Barrett said she felt she'd been able to maintain an optimistic outlook. "When you know pain - 1 think then you know what REIMAGINE, RECREATE. RESTORE. 185 Guelph Street, Georgetown 374 Queen Street East, Acton "| wanted to do something with the profits that was meaningful and relevant to the theme of the book.” ~ Marsha Barrett through all of this trauma and difficulty, I came out seeing the world as an [op- ‘misty. " arrett said she'd had thei idea for the book for 30 years but started to active- Marsha Barrett photo Marsha Barrett has published her memoir, recounting a turbulent and traumatic childhood. on pull time. March, Barrett’ sz boo! on was released with all = m the vant to the theme of the book,” Barrett said. The organization pro- vides reconciliation-based public education, and sup- port to promote the safety and well-being of First Na- tions children to grow up safely at home. "I really want people to buy the ‘book because of the cause," she said. Storm Orphan is avail- 1H VOWeH = al UL | J ly write a few years ago while still a professor of early childhood education at Humber College. " a coincidence you go into the field," Bar- rett said. "There's a connec- tion - writing about my childhood, I studied early childhood, and I've worked with a lot of students who have had troubled child- able through the publisher, hoods." Friesen Press, but is also After retiring from the available through Amazon college, Barrett returned and Google. as a student of creative non-fiction and devoted herself to writing the mem- A sample chapter of Storm Orphan is available at www.marshabarrett.ca. A look at eco-friendly packaging =) ESA #7003060 DE KE Retecrric ltd! 905-702-0515 info@dekerelectricica wwwidekerelectricrcal Located inside G georgetowndental.com FRG? eorgetown Marketplace Mall Packaging is often needed to protect food and other types of goods from impact, moisture, bacteria and damage that could compromise the quality of the product. However, if you're an eco-conscious consumer, you should favour items made by companies that seek to minimize their environmental impact. LUTIONS Many companies have designed packaging intended to minimize their carbon footprint. Often, this means opting for less and lighter packaging. In many cases, there's also an emphasis on using recyclable or renewable materials, such as: +100 per cent recycled paper and cardboard - Biodegradable polythene film + Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) «Recycled polystyrene foam -Bio-based materials (corn starch, cellulose, sugar cane, algae, etc.) + Sustainable inks (water-based, natural polymers, etc.) Additionally, reusable packaging is increasingly popular. This gives these containers — be they bags, boxes or bottles. — a second life that helps keep them out of landfills and recycling centres. The next time you go shopping, take some time to consider the environmental impact of the packaging used for the products you want to buy. You can also Consult the manufacturer's website for more information to help you make an informed decision. eordyouy