Portraits of Some Interviewees

So far, I have done four sets of interviews, with more planned over the next few weeks. I am already amazed by the diversity of viewpoints and lives of these McCauley residents.

Here are some of the people you will be “meeting”:

Nhan came to Canada from Vietnam in 1978 with her family. She owns a cooking school in Chinatown which is host to a number of area events and also lives in the area where she raised her two children who are now grown.

Teresa is the daughter of the Spinelli legacy. Despite her abundant wealth, she continues to operate a business, live, and send her young son to school in the area. I also spoke with her mother and son.

Michael and Heather moved into their house in McCauley last year after renting for a while. Michael is a pastor at one of the churches on Church Street (96 Street) and Heather is a home maker. They have two young children (and several bunnies) and they are convinced that McCauley is an excellent place to raise a family.

Dorothy is an Aboriginal kookum (grandmother) who lives near Sacred Heart Church, a source of deep support to her and her family. She gave birth to six children, of which only two are still living, and is raising a brood of grandchildren with her husband. She has seen and experienced a lot in the decade and a half she has lived in the area (including a shooting that took out one of her windows and wounded a young person staying with the family at the time) yet feels safe and secure where she lives.