OUR CO-FOUNDERS TOP ARTICLE PICKS FOR OUR CRATER’S ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Its been a whole year already! Its hard to believe but time flies when you’re having a blast! We started this adventure with no idea where it would take us, we just knew we wanted to show people how much Sudbury has to offer. And man if we were in love this this city before, we’re simply head over heels now! We’ve met so many amazing people, worked with so many fantastic local businesses, collaborated with all sorts of organizations and contributors. The thing that stands out the most though is that all these different people are committed to one common cause – to move Sudbury forward!

A great big thank you goes out to our contributing staff, family & friends, and the organizations who actually bothered to answer an email from three random girls who wanted to write a blog. But most of all thank you to all our dedicated readers, we do it all for you!

Now with our first year under our belt we wanted to take a look back on all the hard work that went into keeping Our Crater alive, 364 articles to be exact! Look back with us as we give you our co-founders favourite articles of 2016!

MAYOR’S CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS: JOHANNA WESTBY

The Annual Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts Awards occurred last month, and we had the chance to learn more about local artist Johanna Westby, winner of the Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist.

She is well known throughout Sudbury as a graphic designer and art teacher at Cambrian, a children’s book author and illustrator, and the creator behind the cement truck mural at UpFest last year (don’t worry, we asked her for all the details!). Read on for our interview with Johanna.

THE WHO-WHAT-WHERE ON INDIE CINEMA

Picture this: film festivals, international hits, lectures with industry professionals, and year round festival-quality film…all happening right here in our hometown! Indie Cinema has already started to make this happen, and they aren’t stopping now!

FASHION FYI: WARM HANDS, WARM HEARTS! STAY COZY WITH NORTHERN SMITTENS

Meet Josée Huard, the craftiest lady we know! Josée is the creator of Northern Smittens, a handmade mittens company originating from North Bay. We’re smitten with these mittens ourselves, and can assure you that they will keep you toasty and warm through countless northern winters. Read on to find out Josée’s incredible story!

THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MUSIC AND FILM IN MOTION

Music and Film in Motion (MFM) is Sudbury’s go-to place for information on film production in the north. A division of Cultural Industries Ontario North (CION), MFM works to support all media productions, from feature films to music videos, shot right here in northern Ontario. They are heavily involved in the Sudbury community, hosting workshops for media artists, marketing local films and creations, and planning public events.

TESSA USA TOUR DIARY PART 1 & PART 2

Imagine a large black SUV pulling up to your door fully clad with a small crew of artists and business minds alike, ready to lug you and the VERY small amount of things you have on the musical journey of a lifetime. Those of you how know me, know that around 11:30 pm, I start to near the “past my bed-time” point (not the traditional rockstar, but what can I say? I guess all of those years of Alessandro Costantini ‘very calmly’ reminding me I should go home and rest my voice after a rehearsals for YES Theatre stuck in my head). On this day, I can tell you my heart was racing and eyes were wide open around 11:30 pm on Tuesday, March 15th, 2016. The car pulled up, and CornerstoneLifestyle and Karmaxwave were off to Detroit for our first tour date.

SHOP LOCAL: VALENTINE’S INSPIRED LOOKS

Wondering what to wear this Valentine’s Day? This is never an easy question to answer, but we were lucky enough to pair with local fashion shops SixtySix and Stitch & Stone to bring you our favourite Valentine’s Day outfits! Whether you’re planning on having a cozy night in during our current snowpocalypse, or heading out for a night of music and dancing, we’ve got you covered.

CHECK YOUR INBOX: YOU’VE GOT MALE

Gabrielle Bonin, Hannah Petingola, and Adriana Nicolucci (one of our co-founders!) are three recent graduates of Laurentian University with a strong passion for LGBT rights, issues, and education. They worked together during their final year of school to create a documentary short entitled You’ve Got Male; a film that explores the meaning of gender and masculinity from the perspective of local men in Sudbury. We talked to them about the idea behind You’ve Got Male, the creative process, and what they have planned for the upcoming year. Oh, and why someone called Laurentian Security on them (it’s a funny story, we promise)!

OUR NEW POET LAUREATE SHARED HER STORY

On March 21, it was announced that Kim Fahner was named Sudbury’s fourth poet laureate. She is also our first female laureate! Kim is well known throughout the community as both a published author and English teacher at Marymount Academy. We were fortunate enough to have the chance to talk with Kim about her love for poetry, her plans as poet laureate, her upcoming novel, and where you can read her published work!

SUDBURYAY (SUMMER SAMPLER)

Wowza this summer is gonna be more lit than a backyard bonfire! I recommend that you stock up on at least 1lb of earplugs because tinnitus is so last year and there are four hype A F music festivals you’re going to need to go to this summer. For this playlist I compiled my favourites (that are available on Spotify) from this summer’s line-ups at Up Here, River & Sky, Northern Lights Festival Boreal, and Jazz Sudbury. And goddamn, these line-ups are hella dope.

TAFARI ANTHONY MERGES SOUL AND POP WITH NEW DIE FOR YOU EP

Tafari Anthony (pronounced Ta-far-eye) – a name you don’t hear every day and with a talented voice to match! This Sudbury transplant with the deep tones and falsettos to knock your socks off made his way to our town the way many do, to go to school. Studying Graphic Design at Cambrian College by day and working at HMV by night, daydreaming of the day when he might get the chance to see his album on the shelf. He made a name for himself in the area performing every chance he got and most notably as an original cast member with YES Theatre.

WHO TO SEE AT NLFB 45!

The best part of going to a music festival has to be discovering an act you’ve never heard of before and falling in love with them live on a stage in front of you! It’s all a part of the “festival magic”, the music, food, art – its like being in another world! Northern Lights Festival Boréal is coming up quick with the 45^th edition of the festival hitting Bell Park July 8-10. This year’s event boasts a stellar line up of headliners featuring Bahamas, Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy and Steven Page but part of the fun is checking out the varied buffet of artists before you! We know you’re ready to celebrate and get into the festival spirit but we thought we’d give you a few pointers of some great acts not to miss at this year’s festival!

WHAT’S IN YOUR BLOOMERS? WE HOPE IT’S NORTH IN BLOOM!

Cilantro people, guacamole enthusiasts, and all around pun-lovers will get a kick out of this Sudbury local’s new design line! Andrea Ouellette has officially launched North in Bloom, a snarky collection of prints and products guaranteed to brighten your day and your home (our personal favourite is “Not Today, Satan”). Learn how Andrea began North in Bloom, and find out how Our Crater readers can get 20% off any purchase!

COLLABORATION, COMMUNITY, AND CRAFTS: MEET MAKERS NORTH!

Tracy Baker and Julieanne Steedman are the co-founders of Makers North, a collective of makers here in Northern Ontario. Tracy is an illustrator/graphic designer who, with partner Josh Turnbull, created The Awful Alphabet, a children’s book poking fun at the darker side of the alphabet. Julieanne paints and sells her original artwork as well as prints, cards and pillows of her paintings.

CRATER CREATIVES: WILD RICE

With a style as bold as his favourite black ink Wild Rice is making Sudbury a little more badass one tattoo at a time! Working out of Studio 613 Electric Tattoo Co. after honing his skills at various studios locally and beyond you’d be hard pressed to find another artist with quite the same technique. Favouring bold blackout silhouettes and shading his work is vintage meets minimalist with a pulp feel. Read on for more about Wild Rice and his work!

AN OPEN LETTER FROM “THE ARMPIT OF ONTARIO”

Hey there! Its us, the residents of Sudbury, the happiest city in Canada! We heard it’s common belief that our city doesn’t have much of a music scene. We’re really sorry you feel that way. We’ll be the first to admit we don’t necessarily have all the huge venues and boundless options for musical entertainment the big city might have, but what we do have is the industrious, fearless, inventive, and resilient spirit of the North. There’s a phrase, “necessity is the mother of invention”, and that’s how I like to think of Sudbury’s artistic community. We need music and entertainment in the North and we’re going to make it happen!

CRATER HANGOUTS: KADENCE MUSIC THERAPY

Did you know that Sudbury has its first official music therapy program? The Our Crater co-founders got to hang out with Kylie Klym, registered psychotherapist, accredited music therapist and owner of Kadence Music Therapy, to learn all about the program! Find out why Kylie decided to become a music therapist, and how Kadence Music Therapy is benefiting individuals and organizations in Sudbury and Northern Ontario.

HANG WITH US PODCAST: POP CULTURE, POLITICS AND EVERYDAY 20-SOMETHING STRUGGLES

One of my favourite ways to start my day is by listening to podcasts. There are so many amazing ones out there from business tips to murder mysteries – there is seriously a podcast for everything and I’m hooked! Recently, two Sudburians decided to start a podcast of their own – Hang With Us has quickly become part of my Monday morning routine. I get to work , grab a coffee and listen to their latest episode – my favourite part is definitely when they share their bachelorette living stories. We spoke with Amanda Roy and Hailey Short to find out more about Hang With Us!

 

OUR CRATER X CAMBRIAN COLLEGE GRAPHIC DESIGN: FRANK CHARTRAND

We’ve had the chance to talk to some of Sudbury’s finest designers who are all graduates of Cambrian College’s Graphic Design program! Each designer in this series were born in raised right here in Sudbury, and have continued to grow their careers all over the world. Today’s designer is: Frank Chartrand!

OUR CRATER X CAMBRIAN COLLEGE PUBLIC RELATIONS: SAMANTHA DAVIDSON

Many of the Our Crater team members have a background in Public Relations and Communications, so we set out to interview some of our fellow PR graduates from Sudbury who have already launched their professional careers! Read on to find out their stories and what advice they have for incoming students and recent graduates.   Today’s Public Relations graduate is: Samantha Davidson!

HELLAFRESH DESIGNS: HILARIOUSLY INAPPROPRIATE

Valentine’s day is less than two weeks away and if you’re still looking for the perfect (and hilarious)  Valentine’s day card for your special someone – we need to introduce you to Sylvie! Sylvie is the owner & designer behind HellaFresh Designs, an online shop selling humorous and inappropriately honest greeting cards.  Sylvie took her long-time love of creativity and crafting and opened up her Etsy shop less than a year ago.  In her short time on the popular ecommerce site, Sylvie has already surpassed 1,500 sales, not including numerous wholesale orders.  Her cards have been featured on popular websites such as Huffington Post, BuzzFeed and Dose, and can also be found in Urban Outfitters locations.  Her shop is currently ranking in the Top 500 Canadian Etsy Sellers list and climbing quickly.

EZZY LYNN: SAVING ANIMALS ONE SCRUNCHIE AT A TIME

Best known for their stylish scrunchies and hair accessories, Ezzy Lynn is a Canadian fashion and accessory brand that supports global endangered species by donating proceeds from each item sold to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF). When I first chatted with Ezzy Lynn founders Sonja, Samantha, and Bianca in 2014, they had made 16 animal adoptions. Now, they are at nearly 150! Find out how these three powerful entrepreneurs are continuing to change the fashion world and save endangered species, one scrunchie at a time.

SUDBURY’S FIRST YOGATHON FOR MENTAL HEALTH

We’ve got the inside scoop from Emily Zanini on the Sudbury Yogathon for Mental Health – happening on Sunday, April 17th at the Caruso Club. The yogathon is a one-day community event to support mental health awareness throughout Greater Sudbury and we are really looking forward to it! Don’t consider yourself a yogi? No problem – Sudbury Yogathon for Mental Health is for people of all ages and fitness levels.

SHOP LOCAL: BE POSITIVE, BE YOU WITH THE POSITIVE INCEPTION!

Ryan Benoit is the innovative mind behind the local clothing brand the Positive Inception. Created while he was still in university, Ryan’s brand was made to help people feel happy, positive, and comfortable in their own skin. “It’s a pretty amazing feeling when people message me or come up to me saying that I am changing their lives and every time they wear the Positive Inception; they feel better and happier. That’s why I do what I do, to make people’s lives better overall.”

GREATER SUDBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY – IT’S NOT JUST FOR BOOKS ANYMORE!

With Reading Town hitting the scene and literary community is on fire this week! Naturally we find Greater Sudbury Public Library at the centre of the action. Maybe you’re a casual library user or maybe it’s been years since you’ve visited your local branch – but did you know it’s a whole lot more than books?! With GSPL in the spotlight we got in touch to find out all the resources available, and all you need is a library card!

SHOP LOCAL: TAKE A PEEK AT STITCH & STONE’S NEW LOCATION

By now you’ve probably heard that Sudbury’s boho boutique Stitch & Stone has made the move to a larger location just up the road from its previous home on Cedar Street! Our co-founders decided to check out the new shop together last week, and they fell in love with everything in the store! Stitch & Stone owner Gabrielle Roy shared all the details with us.

EAT LOCAL: OUR CONTRIBUTORS FAVOURITE LOCAL RESTAURANTS

Delicious homemade pastas, mouthwatering panini’s and vegan food that even a non-vegan can enjoy – We’ve rounded up our contributors favourite local restaurants! Not sure what to order? Don’t worry – we’ve also included some suggested menu items (and they are all delicious). We want to encourage everyone to eat local this year and support all of our amazing local spots. Sudbury is growing and we’re really excited to see what other local spots open up in 2017. What’s your favourite local spot for a delicious meal?

SUDBURY LOVEBIRDS GIVE THEIR BEST ADVICE

Love – it’s a subject just about everyone has tried to tackle or define at some point in their lives. Something everyone has experienced but is still so fleeting and impossible to pin point. Centuries of prolific thinkers have tried their best to put it into words:

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own…” – Robert A. Heinlein

LOCAL VALENTINE GIFTS TO HELP NURTURE YOUR LOVED ONE

Do you have a crush on someone who treats their body like a temple? Or maybe it’s a significant other who has recently taken on a healthier way of life. If so, here are some Valentine gift ideas for your special someone, and to top it all off they are all LOCAL!

CHRISTINA BEST- SUDBURY’S OWN NATIONAL CHAMP

Christina Best is a modern martial artist, a mother and a mentor. Don’t let these photos fool you; she is a badass, but she’s also one of the friendliest people around. Christina trains out of Melbrook Martial Arts Academy, where she can be found almost every day, either smashing Thai pads, the heavy bag, or as acting instructor during Women’s only classes. Recently, Christina has been very busy, with fighting in the featured bout of Northern Fights (a local amateur promotion), followed by winning the National Championship for WAKO in her weight division.

CATCHING UP WITH DUNK SENSATION JORDAN KILGANON

Did you know that Sudbury’s own Jordan Kilganon, international basketball dunker, was named after famous basketball player Michael Jordan? Or that he has travelled all over the world performing his dunks? A quick Google search will lead to videos of his extreme dunks, some with hundreds of thousands of views! Find out more about him, his talents, and what he has planned for the year ahead in our one-on-one interview!

WOMAN CRUSH WEDNESDAY? HOW ABOUT WOMAN CRUSH EVERYDAY!

nternational Women’s Day was yesterday, but here in Sudbury we’re making it last all week long! Because guess what? The world isn’t perfect, and although we don’t like to admit it women still aren’t getting the credit they deserve. Feminism has definitely been the hot topic issue of the day bringing with it issues such as the glass ceiling, wage gaps and consent – but the heart of the issue really boils down to equality. Feminism by definition is the belief that every person regardless of race, sex, religion or any other label you can think of should be treated with equal respect. What a magical world that would be, huh? While we’re all out there trying our best to make the world a better place this week, make sure you take some time to thank an outstanding woman in your life for being just plain awesome! And to all you ladies out there reading – keep living the dream! To give you a little inspiration today we put together a list of some of our everyday woman crushes for you, get ready for some #girlpower!

NEW COUNTRY, NEW LIFE

My name is Angie, and I am from Taiwan. I graduated from Laurentian University and Cambrian College for Public Relations and Communication Studies. I have been in Sudbury for five years, and I love traveling, learning about new cultures and trying different activities. I have been to many places around the world; but I really enjoy my time here in Sudbury.

SO FRESH, SO OPINIONATED, SEW LOCAL

After being introduced to Sew Local this summer at Northern Lights Festival Boréal while browsing vendors we knew we had to get the word out about these folks! From their custom stamped buttons, suit jacket messenger bags, and even gender diverse rag rolls – this dynamic duo have easily become our favourite local find of the season! Its not every day you run into a vendor offering such an assortment of quality handmade products that are both adorable and socially conscious! Read on for all the details on Sew Local and where you can find them this fall.

TOP 5: DINE FOR UNDER $25!

The holidays are over, the new year is here, and we are all officially broke. Well maybe not completely broke, but let’s face it, we’re close. The idea of going out for a few casual dinners or lunches with friends may seem a little far-fetched right now, the phrase “I can’t afford it!” being all that you can think of.

NORCAT: BRINGING IDEAS TO LIFE AT PITCH 2016

NORCAT’s PITCH event is back for its third year. Four innovative businesses will be pitching their ideas to a room full of prospective investors. NORCAT received 25 applications and their panel selected four to compete at PITCH 2016 on Thursday, April 28^th at the United Steelworkers Hall.