What was the community like when you first moved here?

Well to be frank, away from the mishaps here and that kinds of things, it’s really nice, you know. Like when I go outside, the grass is green, children around, the birds and things, the whole thing you know. Some people might see it different, but that’s the way I see it. Sometime I just sit by myself and looking and that’s the way I see it. It’s really nice.

This old lady lives in my building, she’s been here nearly 30 years. She’s kind of sick. She comes out and we talk sometimes. It’s her house that burn out the other day. She’s a Nova Scotian. I really don’t know her name.
What are your favourite places in the community?

Winston in Lawrence Heights

I mostly write poetry. Well I was going to Adult School in 1996. One day the teacher look at us and she said ‘you guys are really depressed. I think you should write down the feelings and when you read it you’ll know about things. And then I started writing & writing and I say to myself ‘hey it works” and then I went into songs and then into poems. And I performed on that stage here first. I was passing and I ask if I could go up there and they said yes so I run home and get my things. So from there I kind of liked it.

Yes when they keep stuff at the stage and then they had this meeting the other day and I happen to drop in. It was very interesting. It was at 10 Old Meadow Lane, Domenic was there. It was about how people would like to see money spent in the neighbourhood. I was saying the kids need a basketball court in the building. And picnic benches at the building cause most people don’t want to come outside.

When I get to come outside in the evening and see the children, the grass and trees. It looks so happy and everything. That’s like a good memory for me.

I would like to see a trades and training centre for kids and youth or in the Arts or in acting or music. I would like the politicians to be more involved with the people, to have one on one conversations with people, see them one on one and be interested.

My beliefs are really important to me. I don’t really believe like most people do. I just believe in things I see. I grow up in the Church - my Dad was a preacher- but I don’t go now. I don’t think I should be praying to dead people. For me God is love and respect for each other. I try to live respectful- don’t hate and don’t quarrel with no one. And to me I think religion brings a fear factor. Fear of the dead, fear of hell, fear of not going to heaven. I just like to write and make music too.