2022-06-01 Reader's Digest Canada

QUEEN ELIZABETH: A SILVER JUBILEE PHOTO ALBUM PAGE
84

SSuI XBmTeI PmaStTerO
Heat
CANADA’S JUNE 2022
PAGE 48 MOST-READ
MAGAZINE

HOW TO

CATCH A KILLER
NEW BREAKS IN CANADA’S MOST
NOTORIOUS COLD CASES
PAGE
36

VICTIM 1

VICTIM 2
VICTIM 3

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PAGE 78



reader’s digest

CONTENTS

CALGARY HERALD. COURTESY OF LIBRARIES AND CULTURAL RESOURCES Features 58
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
36 drama in real life

cover story Lost World

HOW TO CATCH When the U.S. aban-
A KILLER doned Afghanistan
to the Taliban, I had
Amateur and a choice: leave my
professional detectives, life behind or die.
plus cutting-edge
technology, are helping BY FATEMA HOSSEINI
to solve Canada’s most WITH KIM HJELMGAARD
notorious cold cases. AND KELLEY BENHAM
FRENCH FROM
BY LUC RINALDI USA TODAY

48

health

Beat the Heat

Stay safe this summer
with these expert tips
on keeping cool.

BY LISA BENDALL

on the cover: 84
photograph by thomas dagg

rd.ca 1

reader’s digest

66 72 78

heart health life lesson

Throw It Forward A Record Skipping Spill the Beans
in My Head
Fly-fishing with my Everyone has secrets.
daughters became I’ve found ways to Here’s why you should
a lesson in the live with my obsessive- share yours.
wonders of nature. compulsive disorder.
What bothers me are BY LEAH RUMACK
BY MARK HUME the people who say
FROM THE BOOK READING THE I should get over it. 82
WATER: FLY FISHING, FATHER-
HOOD AND FINDING STRENGTH BY LISA WHITTINGTON-HILL humour
IN NATURE FROM THE WALRUS
Hockey Talk
48
Seven phrases that
will help you sound DREW SHANNON
like an expert.

BY SOPHIE KOHN

84

profile

The Crown and Us

On the occasion of
her Platinum Jubilee,
a reflection on Queen
Elizabeth’s relationship
to Canada.

BY GARY STEPHEN ROSS

94

editors’ choice

The Moths

When we couldn’t heal
my father, we looked for
something else to fix.

BY MORGAN CHARLES
FROM THE FIDDLEHEAD

(PHOTO) DANIEL EHRENWORTH; (ILLUSTRATION) LAUREN TAMAKI Departments Humour

4 Editor’s Letter 17
6 Contributors Life’s Like That
7 Letters
20 Points to Ponder 47
Laughter, the
big idea Best Medicine

10 Relief Effort 56
As Kids See It
How Canadian
volunteers are 71
helping in Ukraine. Blast From the Past

BY SYDNEY LONEY ask an expert 18

good news 18 Why Is Inflation reader’s digest
So High? book club
14 Five Reasons
to Smile We quiz Talan 104 We Measure the
Iscan, economics Earth with Our
BY LISA BENDALL professor. Bodies

10 BY COURTNEY SHEA In her epic debut,
Tsering Yangzom
health Lama explores a
life in exile.
24 Just Add Poles
BY EMILY LANDAU
Nordic walking is a
boon for mobility 106 Brainteasers
and overall health.
108 Trivia
BY KATHERINE ASHEN-
BURG 109 Word Power

26 News From the 111 Sudoku
World of Medicine
112 Crossword
BY MARK WITTEN

medical mystery

30 A Pain in the Gut

Nothing seemed
to cure her intense
stomach aches.

BY LUC RINALDI

rd.ca 3

reader’s digest

EDITOR’S LETTER in high school in the next town over. (PUPO) DANIEL EHRENWORTH; (EVIDENCE MARKER) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/OLEKSII ARSENIUK;
I remember the sense of dread, the (BAGGY) ANTON STARIKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (HAIR) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/STOCKFORLIVING
Gene Genies curfews, adults insisting that we walk
everywhere in pairs, and how the inves-
W ho’d have expected that in tigation and Bernardo’s trial consumed
2022, we’d still be coming everything. DNA testing played a key
to grips with the 1990s? role in his arrest. It seemed amazing
Among that decade’s many world-dis- that a microscopic sample of genetic
rupting events: we started using Goo- code could help find a serial killer.
gle and Hotmail, mobile phones started
replacing pagers, the Princess of Today, the DNA tools available to
Wales died after the crash in that forensic investigators are astonish-
Paris tunnel, Ukraine split from ing. As you’ll see in this month’s cover
the Soviet Union—and Vladimir story (“How to Catch a Killer”), those
Putin became Russia’s prime min- tools can even solve crimes that took
ister. It was also when police place 50 or more years ago.
began relying on DNA to
solve cold cases. One of the most fascinating develop-
ments is how the popularity of genetic-
DNA evidence helped testing services offered by companies
detectives catch Paul Ber- like Ancestry and 23andMe has created
nardo and Karla Homolka, a gigantic DNA database against which
for the murders of teens detectives can compare crime-scene
Leslie Mahaffy and Kris- evidence. Police access to that DNA
ten French in the early raises many privacy and ethical con-
1990s. At the time, I was
cerns. But to the families and friends
of murder victims and people
who’ve disappeared, it also prom-
ises hope, answers and closure.
To read more, turn to page 36.

P.S. You can reach
me at [email protected].

4 june 2022

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Samantha Rideout
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VOL. 200, NO. 1,190 Copyright © 2022 by Reader’s Digest Magazines We acknowledge
Canada Limited. Reproduction in any manner in whole or in part in English or with gratitude the
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reader’s digest

CONTRIBUTORS

SOPHIE KOHN CELESTE COLBORNE

Writer, Toronto Illustrator, Calgary

“Hockey Talk” “The Moths”

Kohn is the head writer A multidisciplinary
of Q on CBC Radio. Her humour writ- artist and illustrator, Colborne is a
ing has appeared in The New Yorker, Sheridan College graduate whose
McSweeney’s and Chatelaine. Kohn’s work has been featured in Politico
essay about developing a major spinal Europe, Canadian Wildlife magazine
disorder in the middle of a ballet and The Walrus. Colborne is a 2022
career was a finalist at the National winner of the Applied Arts Young
Magazine Awards in 2018. She’s cur- Blood Illustration Awards and the
rently working on her first children’s 2021 winner of the Brenda Clark Visual
book. Read her contribution to this Narrative Award. Find her drawings
issue on page 82. on page 94.

SYDNEY LONEY THOMAS DAGG (KOHN) TESSA BUCHAN; (LONEY) KATHERINE HOLLAND

Writer, Toronto Photographer, Toronto

“Relief Effort” “How to Catch
a Killer”
Loney is an award-
winning writer and editor whose work Dagg is a commercial and editorial
encompasses everything from lifestyle photographer who studied at Algon-
features, celebrity profiles and travel quin College in Ottawa. He specializes
articles to in-depth reporting on in capturing people in a variety of set-
health and social justice issues. She tings, from lifestyle and portraiture to
has contributed to The Walrus, sports and adventure. You can find his
Maclean’s, The Globe and Mail and images in Sportsnet Magazine, Report
Chatelaine. Find her story on how a on Business Magazine and Canadian
Canadian charity is getting aid to vul- Business. See his latest work for this
nerable people in Ukraine on page 10. issue’s cover story on page 36.

6 june 2022

LETTERS NOT SO GREEN
I hope readers don’t follow some of the
suggestions in “The Ultimate Guide to
a Greener Bathroom” (March 2022). A
bamboo toothbrush sounds better
because it’s made from sustainable
material, but how far did it travel to get
to my home? While I applaud the
intent to reduce the amount of plastic
going into landfills, we need to focus
on the environmental costs of manu-
facturing and shipping our purchases.

— ANNE SOUTH, Oro-Medonte, Ont.

PUBLISHED LETTERS ARE EDITED FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY WITH GRATITUDE THUMBS DOWN
“The Remarkable Miss C” (March 2022) I was very disappointed by the jokes in
really hit home with me. My fifth-grade the March issue. I usually really like
teacher, Evelyn Meldrum (née Kumm), your joke pages. Only one of these
was also an inspiration to each student made me laugh.
she taught. She was kind, thoughtful
and set us all on an amazing path of — BERNADETTE CHAPMAN,
learning. A group of us have been trying
to find her and say thank you but hav- North Vancouver, B.C.
en’t had any luck. Remarkable women
and teachers like her are a rare trea- THUMBS UP
sure and never should be forgotten. Thank you for the jokes in the March
issue. What a pleasure in these trying
— JAN McARDLE, Sandford, Ont. times. After reading Reader’s Digest
for many years, it was one of the best.

— RUBY MAILANDER, Calgary

CONTRIBUTE FOR SERVICE TO SUBSCRIBERS Pay your bill, view your account
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rd.ca 7

Did you know that Canada has to see the doctor. It’s why IBD is often
one of the highest rates of called the invisible disease.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
(IBD) in the world? 300,000 “IBD is not about controlling symptoms;
Canadians are living with either Crohn’s it’s about controlling the disease,”
disease or ulcerative colitis – the two says Dr. Remo Panaccione, Professor
main forms of IBD – and studies show of Medicine at University of Calgary,
that that number is steadily increasing. Director of the Inflammatory Bowel
Disease Group, and IBD educator.
What’s worrying about IBD isn’t “When patients think of the disease,
just the growing number of people they think of their daily symptoms.
diagnosed or its debilitating When doctors think about the disease,
symptoms – from abdominal pain, we think about the damage due to
diarrhea and fatigue to fever, poor inflammation, which is a hallmark of
nutrient absorption, and bleeding from Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.”
the bowel. It’s the damage that often
goes undetected, when patients are It’s a disconnect. A patient can feel
symptom-free and don’t feel the need completely well while their disease is

doing severe damage to the Dr. Remo Panaccione, University of Calgary
intestine and lining of the
bowel, called the mucosa. adds that these tests should be done
And without proper healing regularly – between six months and
taking place in the mucosa— every other year, depending on the test.
which doctors call mucosal
healing—this damage can “Patients are focused on symptoms,
lead to future flare-ups, because that’s what affects their
bowel obstructions and immediate quality of life,” says Dr.
abscesses, hospitalizations Panaccione. Patients don’t understand
and risk of surgery. In extreme the disconnect between lack of
cases, ongoing active symptoms and the regularity of these
inflammation in the bowel can tests. It is critical that people living
increase risk of cancer. with IBD take an active role in their
health, asking questions about what
“The mucosa is an integral testing is required, and tracking their
part of all of our health,” says test results over time. “I always tell
Dr. Panaccione. “It not only people that it’s about the long-term
creates a barrier from the game – making sure we’re ahead of
external environment to the the disease so the disease doesn’t get
rest of your body and the ahead of us.”
immune system, but a healthy
mucosa also is important for For more information about mucosal
digestion and absorption.” healing, please visit crohnsandcolitis.ca
and badgut.org.
So, what can be done
to find out if mucosal
healing is being achieved
in patients living with IBD?
The answer is both simple
and a struggle: testing. Yes, there
are diets and apps that might help
keep symptoms in check, but they
are not proven to aid in mucosal
healing. Dr. Panaccione explains that
patients living with IBD can have their
inflammation tested in several ways.

“Testing options include a C reactive
protein blood test, which is a measure
of systemic inflammation, a fecal
calprotectin bowel sample to test
inflammation in the bowel, and
ultrasounds, MRIs and CTs. But the
gold standard is really an endoscopic
evaluation, in which a camera inserted
into the end of the intestine will help us
see if there is any damage there.” He

reader’s digest

BIG IDEA

How Canadian volunteers are helping in Ukraine

Relief Effort

BY Sydney Loney

photograph by daniel ehrenworth

O N FEBRUARY 28, 2022, four days triage kits to volunteer medics treating
after Russia invaded Ukraine, wounded civilians after bomb and mis-
Alyssa Martschenko, a 22-year- sile strikes. As of early April, the orga-
old recent university graduate, began nization had shipped 300 boxes, in
spending nine hours a day in a small total weighing more than five tonnes.
warehouse in Toronto, managing dona-
tions and sorting and packing Band- Martschenko, who has extended fam-
Aids, alcohol wipes, medical tape, ily in Ukraine, takes comfort in knowing
gauze and more. She was one of sev- she’s making a difference. “We have
eral volunteers who answered the call someone on the ground to receive the
of Help Us Help, a Ukrainian-Canadian shipments and we know they’re getting
charitable organization. to the people who need them,” she says.

Before the invasion, Help Us Help She first got involved with Help Us
had focused on providing education Help four years ago, fundraising and
and humanitarian aid to some of volunteering at one of the organiza-
Ukraine’s 200,000 orphans and 42,000 tion’s kids’ camps in Ukraine, where
veterans and their families. Now, the disadvantaged children get a chance
more pressing need is to get emergency to play sports while also learning
how to sew, cook and use a computer.

10 june 2022

Help Us
Help’s Kira
Antonyshyn

reader’s digest

Help Us Help was established in relocating past and present program
1993, a few years after founder Ruslana participants out of high-risk cities in
Wrzesnewskyj travelled from Canada Ukraine. “We maintain contact with
to Ukraine to adopt a baby girl and dis- orphanage leaders daily, but they don’t
covered the wretched conditions—a disclose their exact locations for fear of
lack of proper clothing, limited food, being targeted,” says Antonyshyn. “It’s
little hope—in the country’s orphan- a very scary and difficult time.”
ages. Since then, Help Us Help has
sent 10,000 children to camp, given Staff and volunteers routinely send
more than 400 orphans scholarships photos and videos of rallies in Toronto
toward a post-secondary education and to their contacts in Ukraine to show
helped 500 veterans and their fami- them that they’re not alone. “They’re
lies overcome trauma through various uplifted to see us supporting them, and
support programs. it’s critical for us to continue to advo-
cate for them,” Antonyshyn says.
IN THE MONTH SINCE
THE WAR BEGAN, THEY Help Us Help has broadened its sup-
port by raising awareness about human
SHIPPED OVER 300 trafficking as more and more displaced
BOXES OF MEDICAL children are crossing the Ukrainian
SUPPLIES TO UKRAINE. border alone. (As of March 2022, the
United Nations reported that 1.5 mil-
But for the foreseeable future, the lion children had fled the country, with
focus will be on coping with the ongo- hundreds crossing the border unac-
ing humanitarian crisis precipitated by companied by friends or family, mak-
the Russian invasion. “Our mission is to ing them easy targets.) The charity has
work with vulnerable people, and we also expanded its Mental Health Hub,
have our work cut out for us because an initiative initially launched to offer
soon everyone will fall under that cat- support to scholarship students during
egory,” says Help Us Help’s director of the pandemic; it’s now bringing addi-
operations, Kira Antonyshyn, 27, who tional psychologists to relocation cen-
first learned about the organization tres across Ukraine.
as a child, doing walkathons to raise
money for shoes for Ukrainian orphans. “We’re listening to people on the
ground and responding to needs as
In addition to sending medical best as we’re able,” Antonyshyn says.
supplies, Help Us Help is working on “The Ukrainians I’ve spoken to aren’t
giving up. They believe in the strength
of Ukraine. They believe that Ukraini-
ans will continue to live freely in a free
country. They are truly inspiring.”

12 june 2022



GOOD NEWS

Five Reasons to smile
BY Lisa Bendall

Will Heegaard of the
Footprint Project

A GREENER RESPONSE TO DISASTERS

united states Weather disasters will Ebola crisis. He realized there was COURTESY OF FOOTPRINT PROJECT
become more frequent as the climate nothing stopping humanitarian proj-
crisis worsens, the U.S. Environmental ects from relying on solar power else-
Protection Agency warns us. But recov- where, too. Now his non-profit organi-
ery efforts in the aftermath of a hurri- zation, Footprint Project, tows trailers
cane, flooding or wildfire can leave their outfitted with solar panels to sites where
own sizable carbon footprint. Often, gas- the power grid has been knocked out
powered emergency generators are used after an extreme weather event. Thanks
to provide electricity. A report commis- to the sun-powered energy provided
sioned for the UN estimated that in just by these units, people in disaster zones
one year, the humanitarian sector spent can charge their phones and local food
$1.2 billion on fuels that pollute the air. banks can keep their refrigerators cold.

Will Heegaard, a paramedic in Min- Footprint Project volunteers have
neapolis, Minnesota, has created a deployed solar equipment to multiple
power-supply solution that’s gentler on American sites—among them Loui-
the planet. He’d used solar batteries in siana, hard hit by Hurricane Ida last
2016 in West Africa as part of an inter- August, and Tennessee and Kentucky
national NGO team responding to the after deadly tornadoes tore through

14 june 2022

reader’s digest

these states in December. The fleet interviewed said their mental health
includes about 20 trailers and 40 por- had deteriorated because of COVID.
table solar generators. Heegaard has
seen first-hand the difference a supply Iman Al-Areibi, a high school teacher
of renewable energy can make to those in London, Ontario, found a way to help
who are struggling. “In Nashville, a gen- her struggling students as she prepared
tleman charged his electric wheelchair. to welcome them back into the class-
That was a powerful moment.” room last January. She put pen to paper,
mailing each one of her 80 students a
Heegaard hopes to steer his coun- handwritten message of support. “Thank
try toward other more sustainable you for your hard work and contribu-
responses to weather disasters. “Mov- tions to our class and school commu-
ing the needle even a little bit can have nity,” one letter read in part. “Thank
some really significant longer-term rip- you for being you!” A student’s mom
ples. It can help us stand a better shot tweeted, “The kindness and encour-
at long-term survival.” agement brought tears to my eyes and
boosted my daughter’s spirits.”
Handwritten Letters
Raise School Spirit An Octogenarian Creates
a Free Game App
canada The pandemic has been tough
on students, who’ve often had to japan When 85-year-old Masako
forgo seeing friends. In one 2021 sur- Wakamiya of Tokyo couldn’t find Jap-
vey of over 16,000 undergraduate stu- anese gaming apps for seniors with
dents in 21 countries, over half of those slower reflexes and arthritic fingers,
she didn’t give up—she made one.
COURTESY OF SHAWNA LEWKOWITZ Wakamiya had long embraced tech-
nology, buying her first computer
when she retired from her banking job
so she could stay in touch with friends.

This self-described “IT evangelist” set
about to teach herself coding. Waka-
miya successfully launched her first
game app, Hinadan, in 2017. Named
after an ancient festival, the game
requires users to arrange traditional
dolls in a special order. The five-star-
rated game has been downloaded more
than 100,000 times. Wakamiya now

rd.ca 15

reader’s digest

teaches computer classes for other peo- with him—along with a passion for
ple her age. And she hasn’t given up showcasing his culture to the world.
app development—her second game, Jazbeh spent months bringing together
named after the ritual “seven herbs of other displaced Syrian musicians.
spring,” was released in 2020. Then, in 2015, he founded the Syrian
Expat Philharmonic Orchestra.
Displaced Syrians Share
Their Joy of Music Under Jazbeh’s artistic leadership,
these talented men and women play
germany Of the millions of Syrians classical and contemporary music as
who have fled their war-torn country well as traditional Syrian and Arabic
over the past 11 years, hundreds of pieces. The award-winning group, now
thousands have found a home in with about 75 members, has made
Germany. Raed Jazbeh, a bassist, appearances in festivals and concert
claimed asylum in Berlin in 2013. halls in numerous countries across the
Although Jazbeh left his homeland continent, including the Klarafestival
behind, he brought his love for music in Brussels and the Centre d’Art et de
Culture outside Paris.

ACTS OF KINDNESS

A 10-Year-Old Marine Life Saviour

Romario Valentine of Durban, South hundreds of tree plantings around COURTESY OF DELSHA MOODLEY
Africa has cleaned beach litter hun- the world, through his own dona-
dreds of times, stuffing bags so full tions as well as fundraising. “He has
of cans and plastic that his parents a lot of enthusiasm,” says his accoun-
often help carry them. It’s a weekly tant mom, Delsha Moodley.
routine for Romario, ever since
learning about endangered The young boy has racked up a
marine life at age six. “It made few environmental awards, but
me feel extremely sad. I love the big prize, for him, is sav-
animals,” he recalls. ing the planet. Romario’s first
book, a how-to for aspiring
But his efforts don’t stop there. young environmentalists, will
More recently, he has led crowd- be released in September. Says
funding campaigns to ben-
efit a bird sanctuary in Romario, “I hope children
South Africa’s Plettenberg will be encouraged to
Bay. He’s also sponsored help the environment
and nature.”

16 june 2022

LIFE’S LIKE THAT I want a candle that
smells like finally
Unhappy Meal replying to that email
that’s been sitting in
your inbox for almost
two months.

— @KRISTEN_ARNETT

GARAQUARUBYLINE/REDDIT My mother-in-law loves A truck is here to cut For her birthday, I
to lecture me on the down a giant tree in my bought my octogenar-
state of my house—as if neighbour’s yard, so ian mother a La-Z-Boy
I don’t live with some- now my husband has to power recliner. I was
one that she raised. cancel all his plans and explaining all the vari-
stand by the window for ous features when the
— @ONEAWKWARDMOM the next two hours. phone rang. My mother
answered: “Can I call
Two signs on a restau- — @COPYMAMA you back, Betty? My
rant’s door were once son just bought me an
overlapped in such a My bank blocked my electric chair and he’s
way that, when I drove card because of a showing me how to
past one morning, I read security threat. It was use it.”
“Sorry We’re Open.” me, buying a mattress
at 2 a.m. — BRIAN STOLLERY, Calgary
— MARY KARADZOVSKI,
— @DRIVINGMEMADI My wife recently got
Scarborough, Ont. mad at me because I
never buy her flowers,
and this was very sur-
prising because I didn’t
even know that she
sold flowers.

— MEHTAB BRAR, Calgary

Send us your original
jokes! You could earn $50
and be featured in the
magazine. See page 7 or
rd.ca/joke for details.

rd.ca 17

reader’s digest

ASK AN EXPERT

Why Is
Inflation
So High?

We quiz Talan Iscan,
economics professor

BY Courtney Shea

illustration by lauren tamaki

We’ve always had inflation—but why? When prices drop, it’s usually due
Is it a good or a bad thing? to low demand and is a sign of a
Inflation is the rate at which the prices recession or depression, which usually
of goods and services increase over leads to high unemployment. As long
time. If the inflation is two per cent, a as unemployment is low, the ideal
pack of gum that costs one dollar this inflation rate ranges between zero and
year would cost $1.02 next year. People five per cent.
tend to think of it in negative terms—
things getting more expensive is bad. Canadian inflation hit a 30-year high—
But a modest amount of inflation is a 5.7%—in February. Is that because of
sign of a growing economy where the pandemic?
demand is greater than supply, which Yes and no. The drivers of that rate are
raises the value of goods and services. a perfect storm of several factors, some
This typically corresponds to low of which began well before the pan-
unemployment and, depending on demic. They include the 2008 financial
several other factors, can also indi-
cate prosperity.

18 june 2022

crisis and trade wars between the U.S. currently high level of inflation?
and China, which resulted in tariffs on Fiscal spending has definitely been a
Chinese goods that have meant higher factor, but that money was largely spent
prices for North American consumers. on the most vulnerable groups—and
where would we be now if these people
Overall, there’s been skepticism had not received help? Certainly there
toward the “global economy” model in would be less demand, but we would
the last few years, with China increas- have higher unemployment numbers
ingly looking to increase its own because many businesses would not
domestic demand rather than sell have survived. Would that be a better
goods at low prices to the rest of the Canada? I don’t think so.
world. That move prompted supply-
chain disruptions, then the pandemic So what’s next? Will this get better?
came along, further hindering supply The hope is that, as pandemic restric-
chains and resulting in a huge amount tions are lifted and our supply-chain
of pent-up consumer demand. issues are resolved, we’ll be able to
keep a robust demand while stimulat-
Can you give us an example of how ing supply.
inflation works with one commodity?
If we consider the price of beef, which The other thing is that inflation itself
is up by 14 per cent, you can look at could have a cooling effect: more than
droughts that happened in Western half of Canadians are feeling the rising
Canada and the U.S. last summer put- costs of goods and services in their
ting a huge dent in supply. And then wallets, so that’s going to have an
there were supply-chain issues attached impact on their purchasing power. And
to the pandemic, as well as labour short- recently we are seeing the Bank of Can-
ages. So suddenly you have less beef, ada attempt to tackle the demand side
which means greater demand, which of the equation by hiking interest rates.
means suppliers will charge more and That will have an immediate effect on
retailers will pass that increase on to anyone with a mortgage, car payments,
consumers. That is a fairly local exam- debt and ultimately on the economy as
ple, but then you take something like a whole. But there is concern around
the spike in gas prices; that involves a anything that would restrict demand
whole bunch of global factors includ- while we’re still coming out of the pan-
ing, now, the U.S. ban of Russian oil. demic, so it’s really about finding the
right balance.
Would a more conservative approach
to government spending during the Talan Iscan is a professor of economics
pandemic have saved us from our at Dalhousie University.

rd.ca 19

reader’s digest

POINTS TO PONDER

It’s super important THOSE DINOSAURS
to have movies that ARE BECOMING
show Asians in a very EXTINCT.
human, empowering
and beautiful way. –Tamara Pongracz,
department head, trades
–Domee Shi, DIRECTOR OF access, at the BC Institute
for Technology, ADDRESSING
TURNING RED AND THE FIRST WOMAN
TO SOLO-DIRECT A PIXAR FILM THE BOYS’ CLUB VIEW OF

WOMEN IN THE TRADES

The brain works hard to protect you from what’s (DOMEE SHI) DEBORAH COLEMAN/PIXAR; (DAVID FOSTER) SIPA USA/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
happened and to make what happens after survivable.

And that means obliterating a lot.

–Sarah Polley TALKING ABOUT HER NEW BOOK, RUN TOWARDS THE DANGER,

WHICH DISCUSSES A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE WITH JIAN GHOMESHI

LOL. I’m still a hippie—still angry, and yet
–The official full of love for justice!
statement of
Alexandra Chyczij, –Musician Eric Mercury, WHO DIED IN MARCH 2022

president of the Sometimes I think I’ve accomplished a
Ukrainian Canadian lot, and then there are other days when

Congress, AFTER I feel like I haven’t accomplished
anything and I’d better get to it.
LEARNING SHE WAS ON
–Musician and producer David Foster
THE SO-CALLED

“BLACKLIST” OF PEOPLE

BANNED FROM

ENTERING RUSSIA

20 june 2022

( JEREMY ROBERTS) OFFICE OF JEREMY A. ROBERTS, MPP; (ABA AMUQUANDOH) COURTESY OF CBC; (AVRIL LAVIGNE) RYAN McFADDEN I had convinced myself that in order
to have the job I wanted, I could
never be with someone I love.

–Jeremy Roberts, Progressive Conservative
MPP for Ottawa West–Nepean,

WHO RECENTLY PUBLICLY SHARED THAT HE’S GAY

NO ONE CAN NO MATTER WHAT WAS
AFFORD TO BUY A GOING ON IN MY LIFE,
HOUSE, SO WHY BALLET WAS THE ONE
WOULDN’T WE BE THING I COULD RELY ON.
OBSESSED WITH
–Sonia Rodriguez, the longest-serving
MINIATURE dancer for the National Ballet of Canada,
HOUSES?
WHO IS RETIRING AFTER 32 YEARS
–Comedian Aba Amuquandoh, HOST
I’m Canadian and a
OF THE NEW SHOW BEST IN MINIATURE beer girl. I’m opening
my fridge right now to

look at my Labatt
Blues. Is it too early?

–Avril Lavigne, WHO RELEASED

HER SEVENTH STUDIO ALBUM,
LOVE SUX, THIS YEAR

We cannot feed 10 billion
people in a sustainable
way using the current
production systems.

–Evan Fraser, director of the Arrell Food
Institute at the University of Guelph

rd.ca 21

The AbbVie IBD Scholarship is
about more than financial support.
It’s about being seen.

T en years ago, Navjit Kaur years have been a rollercoaster for
Moore couldn’t imagine Moore. “I’ve had several flare-ups,
being where she is today: a multiple hospitalizations and cycles
first-year medical student, of steroids, immunosuppressants and
biologic infusions. My social life was
a Doctor of Pharmacy, decorated non-existent. My grades suffered. I had
to withdraw from third year. At times, I
volunteer and excited fiancé. Ten felt like I would never get better.”

years ago, Moore couldn’t fathom But then Moore found a community
that understood what she was
what her future looked like, let alone going through, and that helped her
understand how to prioritize her
how to thrive in it. health above school, work and social
life: Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, a
At 19, Moore was diagnosed with charity committed to education,
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), support, advocacy, as well as finding
specifically ulcerative colitis. She had cures and improving the lives of those
been constantly unwell, experiencing affected by IBD through research.
pain, bloating, diarrhea and
constipation so severe that it often
prevented her from attending school
– sometimes spending entire lectures
in the bathroom. Indeed, the last nine

“A frustrating part of living with Scholarship. In 2018, Moore was one
IBD – the main forms being Crohn’s of those recipients. “The scholarship
disease and ulcerative colitis – is a helped me more than just financially.
lack of awareness of the severity Being recognized for overcoming
of these diseases. People may look adversity gave me the confidence to
fine on the outside but dealing with speak about my journey in academic
excruciating pain and symptoms settings,” she says. “It took a lot of
on the inside,” explains Lori Radke, hard work to get where I am with
President and CEO of Crohn’s and IBD, and being recognized for that
Colitis Canada, adding that many was immensely rewarding.”
people with IBD often feel alone in
their journey, missing important life The application period for the
moments not knowing when their 2022 scholarship is now open, and
disease will flare up. students have until June 1 to apply.

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada wants To learn more about the scholarship,
to make the invisible disease previous recipients, and Crohn’s and
visible, support those living with colitis, please visit ibdscholarship.ca
IBD in achieving their academic and crohnsandcolitis.ca.
aspirations. That’s why they
partnered with AbbVie, a research-
based biopharmaceutical company
committed to helping patients
thrive, to build a scholarship fund for
students living with IBD. Now in the
scholarship’s 11th successful year, 15
exceptional students living with IBD
who are pursuing post-secondary
education in Canada will receive a
$5,000 scholarship.

“IBD is most often diagnosed in those
between the ages of 15 and 30, which
is typically when people are pursuing
their education and starting careers,”
says Alison Shore, Director of Patient
Experience at AbbVie. “Nearly 70% of
people living with IBD have delayed
completing their education because
of their disease. This scholarship
can help alleviate stress by easing
the financial burden so students can
focus on their studies.”

Since the scholarship’s creation, 109
people have received the AbbVie IBD

reader’s digest

HEALTH I ’M A WALKER, logging an average of
9,000 steps a day several times a
Just Add Poles week around my Toronto neigh-
bourhood. One of walking’s great
Nordic walking is a boon for charms for me is that you don’t need
mobility and overall health equipment. But on recent trips to
Copenhagen and Stockholm, I noticed
BY Katherine Ashenburg tall, fit Scandinavians striding along on
city streets with poles, as if they were
illustration by sandi falconer cross-country skiing without any snow.
It was a revelation to learn that the
addition of the poles makes it a more
vigorous, full-body exercise than sim-
ply walking—and, as a 76-year-old
looking to stay healthy while enjoying
the outdoors, I decided to give it a try.

There’s plenty of help online for the
novice Nordic walker: stand tall, swing
your arms out as if to shake hands
and plant your poles with vigour. Then
there’s the little matter of the glove-like
strap on the pole. This allows the walker
to grip the pole when thrusting forward
and then relax that hand as the other
hand pushes forward—a feat of coordi-
nation that builds stronger muscles.

For a warm-up, I started in the wimp-
iest way imaginable: Nordic walking
down the hall that extends from my
front door to the deck. In case you’re
tempted to sneer, that measures 19 good
strides and it wasn’t easy. Back and forth
down the hall, as I struggled to propel
the right arm out while the left leg
stepped—all while gripping and releas-
ing properly—I was reminded of the
poem about the centipede who went all
to pieces when asked how she walked.

24 june 2022

Coordinating the movements wasn’t my way of training off-season. In the early
only problem. As someone who can 1990s, it was adopted in North Amer-
walk eight kilometres briskly without ica as a rehabilitation tool. Peter Bur-
apparently raising my heart rate, the rill, head of the Nordic Pole Walking
novel use of my arms and upper body program at InsideOut Physiotherapy
was surprisingly strenuous. After half an in Toronto, says he’s seen the exercise
hour, my heart was pounding and I was speed up the post-surgical recovery
sweating, but I still wasn’t much good. of patients with new hips and knees.
It also helps people with Parkinson’s:
NORDIC WALKING “We put poles in their hands and it’s
ENGAGES MORE OF amazing because they start walking
YOUR MUSCLES—AND with real rhythm.”
BURNS CALORIES IN
Meanwhile, out on the winding path
THE PROCESS. around the cemetery near my house,
I was still advancing three steps and
I pressed on, because there’s no argu- falling back two. But after a few more
ing with the exercise’s proven benefits. clumsy days of being convinced I would
Nordic walkers’ upper-body exercise never master the technique, suddenly
increases their heart rate significantly everything clicked. Not only was I able
more than walking without poles. to coordinate the movements, I was
There’s up to 23 per cent more oxygen happily aware that my heart, arms and
delivered to the tissues. And according core were getting a workout.
to Boston cardiologist Dr. Aaron Bag-
gish, with poles “you’re engaging 80 Thinking back on those confident
to 90 per cent of your muscles, as Nordic walkers I saw across the ocean,
opposed to 50 per cent, providing a I wish I could report that participating
substantial calorie-burning benefit.” in the sport for 45 minutes a few times
a week has made me tall and blonde—
Cross-country skiers in Finland were but something even better has hap-
early practitioners of the sport as a pened. I found exercise that adds an
upper-body, aerobic component to my
love of walking and it’s one I expect to
enjoy for years to come.

Countdown

That sinking feeling when you’ve been waiting for the oven to preheat
for an hour only to realize you accidentally set the timer to 375 instead

@AMYRROSEN

rd.ca 25

reader’s digest

News from the Good Oral Hygiene ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/FREILA
Protects More
WORLD OF Than You Think
MEDICINE
Gum disease can lead to
BY Mark Witten losing much more than
your teeth. A British
OLIVE OIL ADDS YEARS study of almost 65,000
TO YOUR LIFE patients reported that
people with a history of
Forget an apple a day. According to a new study, periodontal disease
consuming a half tablespoon of olive oil on a daily were much more likely
basis lowers your risk of dying from a variety of ail- to develop autoimmune
ments. Among participants who were followed for 28 diseases, types 1 and 2
years, those who consumed this small amount had a diabetes and heart dis-
lower risk of death from heart disease (19 per cent), ease. Surprisingly, gum
cancer (17 per cent), neurodegenerative diseases disease raised the risk
(29 per cent) and respiratory disease (18 per cent). for mental health con-
Whether taken straight from the bottle or cooked ditions most of all. Gum
into a meal, olive oil’s anti-inflammatory and anti- disease’s contribution
oxidant properties contribute to overall health—as to these illnesses is
does finding ways to replace any artery-clogging fats due to the fact that it
currently in your diet with this Mediterranean staple. can cause systemic
inflammation in the
body and brain. But
other factors associated
with gum disease—bad
breath, loss of teeth and
drifting of teeth—may
also trigger anxiety or
depression in patients
by making them too
shy to have social inter-
actions. So next time
you’re putting off a
dental visit, remember
that it may prevent
more than just a cavity.

26 june 2022

(BICYCLE) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/STURTI; (AVOCADO TOAST) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MAGONE An Upbeat Outlook Avocados Boost New Hope for a
Can Slow Aging Heart Health Multiple Sclerosis
Vaccine
Having a more optimis- The trendy breakfast of
tic view of aging can avocado on toast is also Three million people
actually change how you good for you, accord- globally suffer from MS,
age. In an Oregon State ing to a new study. An a neurodegenerative
University study, older avocado contains high disease that has no
adults who held a dim- levels of unsaturated cure. A Harvard Univer-
mer outlook on their fats, which lower “bad” sity study found strong
capabilities reported LDL cholesterol, plus evidence that the
more fatigue, aches and plenty of fibre to keep Epstein-Barr virus
pains, shortness of you satiated longer (EBV), which can cause
breath and upset stom- than any other vegeta- infectious mononucle-
ach due to stress than ble or fruit. A British osis, is a trigger for mul-
those with a more Journal of Nutrition tiple sclerosis. In fact,
upbeat outlook. Fortu- study found that peo- the researchers found
nately, simple strategies ple who ate more avo- that those infected with
such as increasing cado had lower body EBV were 32 times
physical activity and weight and slimmer more likely to develop
making one’s own waists, which can lower MS as uninfected peo-
choices rather than blood pressure and dia- ple. Blood tests also
relying on others has betes risk. Avocados showed the nerve
been shown to nurture are also rich in vitamin degeneration that
a more positive view of C and vitamin E, which accompanies MS only
aging. And it’s never too can help maintain starts after EBV infec-
early to begin changing healthy skin and boost tion, bolstering the case
your view on getting immunity. for the virus as a cause.
old—researchers have Moderna, the creator of
found benefits from an mRNA vaccine
making the shift as early against COVID-19, is
as your 30s and 40s. developing an EBV vac-
cine aimed at preventing
mononucleosis, which
is now in clinical trials.
If all goes well, it could
be a lifeline for people
in the near future.

rd.ca 27

reader’s digest

An Active Body and Clear Vision Mindfulness ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/NEUSTOCKIMAGES
Help Prevent Dementia Therapy Minimizes
Migraines
Two new studies point to powerful preventative
measures you can take against dementia. A German study of
migraine sufferers
In one, published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia, found that weekly ses-
researchers tracked the daily physical activity of sions of mindfulness-
adults aged 60 to 101 who agreed ahead of time to based cognitive therapy
donate their brains for study when they died. reduced the frequency
Through autopsies, researchers discovered that of their headaches by
people who moved more—whether by running or 40 per cent. This may
walking—possessed higher levels of proteins be due to the therapy’s
known to strengthen transmission of signals psychological bene-
between brain cells. fits—decreased stress,
anxiety, rumination
The result was not only better connections and catastrophizing—
between cells in the hippocampus (the driver of which remove potential
memory) but also across other brain regions asso- migraine triggers.
ciated with thinking and judgment. Further analy-
sis revealed that these bolstered connections also First Injectable
protected against the neurotoxic effects of amyloid Drug for HIV
and tau, two proteins that are hallmarks of Alzhei- Prevention
mer’s disease. Those two proteins were still present
in active participants, but their cognitive capabili- The U.S. Food and Drug
ties remained intact, suggesting exercise is an anti- Administration recently
dote to brain aging. approved an injectable
drug, called Apretude,
While you’re keeping physically which could help to
active, you’d do well to keep your prevent the 1.5 million
eyes stimulated as well. Another HIV cases contracted
study found that people who had globally each year.
cataracts surgically removed had a Given every eight weeks,
30 per cent lower risk of develop- the shot is 70 per cent
ing dementia, compared to par- more effective in lower-
ticipants without surgery. This is ing HIV risk than Tru-
likely due to the psychosocial vada, the pill com-
benefits of less social isola- monly used now.
tion and the ability to partic-
ipate in activities that stim-
ulate the mind.

28 june 2022

TAKING
ON THE

TUNDRA

Bush pilot Dominique Prinet’s death-defying flights through Canada’s Great White North.

In many ways, becoming a bush gold, fighting forest fires, transporting
pilot saved Dominique Prinet’s life trappers and their sled dogs, saving
mentally and emotionally – even buffalo from the spread of anthrax,
though the job itself required him to nosedives through the ice, sunken
risk his life regularly. Flying to Extremes planes, passengers’ whisky frozen in the
accounts his most memorable adventures cabin, several “Mayday” moments and
piloting small planes through the Yukon more. Think terrifying conditions: snow-
and Northwest Territories in the 1960s blanketed landscapes sans landmarks;
and ‘70s. His first-person accounts of summers spent flying nearly nonstop in
these white-knuckle journeys – and the relentless daylight; storms, squalls, thick
downtime in between – net a compelling heavy fog, -50°C temperatures, the
snapshot of life in the most remote parts ever-looming risk of running out of fuel,
of the Great White North sixty years and a place called Dead Man’s Valley.
ago. There are plenty of actual photos Think: Death-defying situation after
throughout the book, too. situation, that even the strong-hearted
among us couldn’t stomach.
In this collection of short (and true)
stories, it’s obvious that there’s unique In short, Flying to Extremes is a
humour in Prinet’s heroism. He’s funny page-turner about a pilot taking his
in his fearlessness, which makes for planes (and passengers!) to the limit
riveting storytelling. Think action: sea of what’s possible in order to survive.
and snow landings, planes packed with Strap in for an epic adventure!

reader’s digest

MEDICAL MYSTERY

A Pain in
the Gut

Nothing seemed to cure
her intense stomach aches

BY Luc Rinaldi

illustration by victor wong

ONE EVENING IN June 2010, Gen- shrugged and told me to follow up with
evieve Crean was working late my GP,” she says. “I thought maybe it
at Cal Poly Pomona, a university was just a one-time fluke.”
just east of Los Angeles. Crean, a ther-
apist who was in her early 60s at the A year and a half later, however, the
time, was known around campus for pain returned while Crean was at a
her easy sense of humour and warm conference in L.A. “It was just excruci-
smile. But that night, she wasn’t smil- ating,” she says. “It was like childbirth
ing. Without warning, she had the most without the baby.” And this time, it
awful stomach ache of her life. It was was accompanied by cold sweats and
an intense pressure, as if her guts were vomiting. Crean went to the ER again,
being squashed. where the same pattern unfolded: by
the time she was seen, the episode was
Crean called her husband, John, to over, and the doctors couldn’t find any-
pick her up and take her to the emer- thing wrong with her. She was relieved
gency room. By the time a doctor it had ended, but she began to worry it
could see her, the pain was gone. “They would become a recurring problem.

30 june 2022

The next year confirmed her fears. could, but in the back of her mind she
Once or twice a month, her stomach was always concerned about possible
would erupt in pain for anywhere from flare-ups while abroad. She began to
an hour to four hours or longer. It hap- worry whether this would forever
pened at random—in the middle of affect her life. “Am I going to be a little
dinner, during a wedding reception, on old lady with these terrible pains still
a work trip. Her usual response was to afflicting me?” she wondered.
take painkillers, curl up into the fetal
position and pray it would pass. “God In 2018, Crean got a referral to the
was right there with me during those Cedars-Sinai Center for the Undiag-
episodes,” she says. “It didn’t decrease nosed Patient (CUP) in Los Angeles, a
the pain, but it gave me mental relief.” new multidisciplinary program dedi-
cated to tough cases. “The average doc-
With the help of her husband, Crean tor can’t take an entire day or week for
spent the next several years searching for one patient,” says Dr. Edward Phillips,
answers. They visited a variety of med- Cedars-Sinai’s director of general sur-
ical experts, including a gastroenterol- gery. But at CUP, physicians are given
ogist and an obstetrician-gynecologist. the time to sift through what can some-
The doctors scanned her stomach, ran times be thousands of pages of patient
blood and urine tests and checked for records to find the missing piece of
allergies, but everything came back nor- their diagnostic puzzle.
mal. At her doctors’ advice, she tried
switching her diet, eliminating raw fruit SHE TRIED SWITCHING
and vegetables and ingesting homeo- HER DIET, CUTTING
pathic oils, all to no avail. One surgeon OUT RAW FRUIT AND
removed her gallbladder, which can VEGETABLES, ALL TO
sometimes cause symptoms like Crean’s, NO AVAIL.
but the episodes stubbornly continued.
Her gastroenterologist suggested Crean When Phillips reviewed Crean’s med-
might have nutcracker syndrome, a rare ical history, he realized that while many
condition in which a vein flowing from doctors had scanned her stomach,
the kidney is compressed. The diagno- no one had run imaging during one of
sis turned out to be another dead end. her attacks. So, he asked Crean to go
to her local hospital the next time she
Even after all the consultations, no had an episode, which ended up
one was sure what was ailing her. being around Mother’s Day in 2019.
Crean’s doctors prescribed her an opi-
ate called hydrocodone to manage the
pain. Wanting to still live her life to
the  fullest, she travelled when she

rd.ca 31

reader’s digest

When she got there, a team was wait- been the result of a genetic abnormal-
ing to perform a CT scan. ity affecting her collagen, the main
structural protein in her connective
When Phillips saw the scan, he says, tissues. Fortunately, Phillips didn’t
“it was a eureka moment.” It revealed need to know the original cause to fix
that the upper section of Crean’s small it. Crean was cautiously optimistic.
intestine was dilated—much wider She’d seen so many doctors with so
than its usual one-centimetre diame- many theories. She’d only believe it if
ter—while the lower section was col- the episodes finally ceased.
lapsed, indicating an obstruction some-
where along the way. Upon further On May 21, 2019, Phillips performed
inspection, he discovered that a loop of surgery, delicately dislodging the bowel
Crean’s bowel was trapped inside a gap and sealing the hole in Crean’s pelvis
in her pelvis—a space through which with permeable mesh. It took Crean
the femoral arteries and veins, a week to recover, and then she
which  carry blood to and from the waited, hoping that the pain that had
lower body, travel. Most of the time, plagued her for the last decade was
the bowel was perfectly normal, which truly gone. A month passed, then
explains why no previous scans had another. Three years later, she still hasn’t
detected the problem. But occasion- had another episode.
ally, when the loop got stuck, it caused
Crean’s debilitating attacks. Crean recognizes the anniversary of
her surgery every year. “May 21 is indel-
Phillips wasn’t certain why Crean ibly etched into my mind,” she says. It
started having these issues. She could was the day she got her life back. “I call
have been born with it, or it could have it my miracle surgery.”

Inner Strength

We did not feel prepared to be heirs of such a terrifying hour.
But within it we found the power to author a new chapter,
to offer hope and laughter to ourselves.

AMANDA GORMAN, POET

One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked,
but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.

MICHAEL J. FOX

To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves—
there lies the great, singular power of self-respect.

JOAN DIDION

32 june 2022

Sweet Relief

Ease allergy symptoms this spring and summer with these practical tips.

R unny nose getting you down? indoors during peak hours and keep an
Peak allergy season is upon us and eye on pollen forecasts when planning
pollen from trees (in the spring) weekly activities.
and grass (in the summer) might be
the culprit of your allergy symptoms. If Rinse your sinuses
you’re suffering through watery eyes,
sneezing and a drippy or congested nose, Flush your nasal passage with a saline
it’s time to act. Try these tricks to get solution to get rid of built-up mucus
relief from bothersome allergy symptoms and allergens.
so you can get on with your day.
Take an antihistamine
Keep clothes pollen free
Histamine is the chemical that gets
Avoid hanging laundry outside to dry, released when your body tries to
and remove your clothes and shower combat allergens—and it’s what’s
immediately after outdoor activities. responsible for your symptoms. Take an
Frequently rinse pets, too. oral antihistamine like Reactine Extra
Strength to soothe an itchy, sneezy,
Manage your lawn runny nose and watery, red eyes.

Keep the grass in your yard as short as When allergies hit fast, Reactine hits
possible—or transition to rocks, sand fast. Thanks to the results of 4,000
and water features or low-pollen ground votes cast by Canadians like you,
cover like Irish Moss, Bunch or Dichondra. Reactine is one of the most Trusted
BrandsTM of Allergy Reliever* for 2022.
Stay inside in the morning

Pollen counts are often highest in the
morning and early afternoon. Stay

TMTrusted Brand and Trusted Brands are registered trademarks of Reader’s Digest. *Tied within the
Allergy Reliever category according to the 2022 Reader’s Digest Trusted BrandTM Study.

THE 2022 READER'S DIGEST

TRUSTED
BRANDTM
AWARDS

PLATINUM | 10+ YEARS

Sun Care Product Pharmacy/Drug Store Life Insurance
Company

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Sensitive/Dry Interior Paint Bottled Water Pet Food
Skin Lotion

CLASSIC | 1–4 YEARS

Healthy Cereal

Pads/Liners Allergy Reliever* Meal Kit
Exterior Paint Delivery
Exterior Stain Travel Insurance Incontinence Service
Company Product
Automobile
Mattress-in-a-box Allergy Reliever* Insurance
Company

T rust is critical today, from the service that Canadians identify as
people we encounter, to the being reliable, durable, credible
products and services we use. and holds a good reputation.

Celebrating its 14th year in 2022, So, when you are shopping for,
the Reader’s Digest Trusted BrandTM or researching your next product
study polled 4,000 Canadians to or service, check out the most
identify what brands Canadians’ Trusted BrandTM winners below,
trust most across 35 product and look for the Trusted BrandTM
and service categories. A trusted seal. A symbol of trust. Voted by
brand signifies a product or Canadians.

Hybrid Car Passenger Car Headache Pain
Manufacturer Manufacturer Reliever

Beauty Retailer Non-Dairy Tea Arthritis Pain Grill
Beverage Reliever

Home Insurance Cold Symptom
Company Reliever

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Rebate Company & Pain Reliever
Laundry
Sparkling Health & Dental Detergent Food Delivery
Water Insurance Service
Company
Allergy Reliever*

Remaining 2022 Winner: Ford (Pickup Truck category)

reader’s digest
36 june 2022

COVER STORY

reader’s digest

Mélanie Ethier disappeared (PREVIOUS PAGE) PAPER: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; (THIS PAGE, LEFT) COURTESY OF CELINE ETHIER; (THIS PAGE, RIGHT)
nearly three decades ago; a sign DAVID RIDGEN, CBC PODCASTS; (PAPER CLIP) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SQBACK
imploring people to come forward

THE MISSING along her route, two men pulled up
DAUGHTER beside her in a car and, after talking to
them, she got in the car and it drove
|NEW LISKEARD, ONT. 1996 away. The next morning, her mother,
Celine, discovered that Ethier never
A teenager decides to walk home alone made it home. She reported her missing
and is never seen again later that day. The town went on high
alert. Police questioned Ethier’s friends
Nothing bad seemed to happen in and relatives. Volunteers combed the
New Liskeard, a small lakeside town area around her route. A search-and-
in northeastern Ontario, until one Sep- rescue unit checked the river. No one
tember evening in 1996, when Mélanie could find her.
Ethier—a 15-year-old who had recently
told her best friend she wanted to Over the following years, police
become a teacher—went to her friend received 700 tips from more than 500
Ryan Chatwin’s house to watch the people. Theories abounded: that her
thriller Sudden Death. Around 1:30 a.m., father had kidnapped her (he wasn’t
Ethier said good night. On another day, even in town at the time); that she’d
she likely would have called home for been killed by a man named Denis
a ride, but her house’s land line had Léveillé who, at the time of Ethier’s
been cut off; her family was behind on disappearance, was dating her mom’s
the bill. So she chose to walk alone. It friend (he had allegedly previously
was roughly a kilometre to her house. assaulted another teen girl); or that it
had been white supremacists (Ethier
According to one unproven witness was one of the few Black girls in town).
account, when Ethier crossed a bridge

38 june 2022

(CARR AND SKETCH) COURTESY OF CHARLOTTETOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT; (PAPER CLIP) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SQBACK Yet no suspect was charged. In 2021, a gracious dinner party host and a
an episode of CBC’s true-crime pod- lover of rock ’n’ roll. On the evening of
cast The Next Call inspired a new wit- November 10, 1988, the 36-year-old had
ness to come forward. For reasons that some friends over for coffee and then
police won’t disclose, the man pointed went bar-hopping. As he was driving
them to a wooded area 10 kilometres home alone in the early morning hours
from Ethier’s last known whereabouts, after dropping off a friend, he report-
and in October, police searched it with edly stopped next to a young man rid-
dogs and drones. Still, no answers. ing a bicycle in the road. The two spoke
for a while, and then Carr drove off.
Celine accepts that her daughter is The cyclist appeared to follow in the
dead, but she hasn’t given up on find- direction of Carr’s home. That was
ing her body. “Then I feel I’ll be able the last time anyone saw Carr alive.
to move on,” she has said. “I believe
Mélanie deserves to be found. She’s When Carr failed to show up to a fam-
not just garbage that you throw to the ily function the next day, his relatives
side of the road.” visited his house to find his door ajar and
his lifeless body on the floor in his bed-
THE ISLAND room, strangled and stabbed. His wallet
MURDER had been stolen, and on his wall, some-
one had written in pen, “I will kill again.”
|CHARLOTTETOWN 1988
Based on the scene of the crime,
A terrified community and a killer who police suspected that Carr had been
promised to strike again killed following a consensual same-sex
encounter, perhaps with the man on
Around Charlottetown, Byron Carr the bike. Some believe the nature
was known as a caring schoolteacher, of the murder hindered the case. In a

School teacher Byron Carr;
a police sketch of the suspect

in his 1988 murder

rd.ca 39

reader’s digest

foreshadowing of the police failures in info, though, and police later put out a (LEFT) COURTESY OF THE VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT; (RIGHT) JOANNA SZYPULSKA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (PAPER CLIP) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SQBACK
the case of Bruce McArthur, the serial call encouraging him to come forward
killer who preyed on gay men in again to share what he knows. If Carr’s
Toronto’s Church-Wellesley neighbour- murderer is still on the loose, it could
hood in the 2010s, Charlottetown’s save someone’s life.
gay community accused the police of
treating Carr’s murder with indiffer- THE BABES
ence. Gay men and women told IN THE WOODS
media they also feared speaking out,
lest they out themselves or become |VANCOUVER DATE UNKNOWN
the killer’s next target.
The identities of two murdered children
For nearly two decades, the investiga- haunted investigators for years
tion went nowhere. Then, in 2007, police
reopened the case. A witness reported In January 1953, a groundskeeper made
that a couple of months after Carr’s a horrific discovery in the brush of Van-
murder, a sexual partner matching the couver’s Stanley Park. Hidden under a
profile of Carr’s killer had become woman’s coat were the bodies of two
violent with him in his Charlottetown young children. Investigators found a
home, stolen his wallet at knifepoint wealth of evidence—a hatchet, a wom-
and said he’d done this before. an’s shoe and two aviation caps—but
nothing to identify the kids. They deter-
In 2018, the case again evolved. An mined the children had been killed at
anonymous informant called police in least five years prior, although a doctor
July from a payphone at a mall in Char- at the time misidentified them as a boy
lottetown, suggesting they had a tip to and a girl. The mystery made national
deliver about the Carr murder. The headlines and tips flooded in, but none
source hung up before divulging any

Half-brothers David and Derek
D’Alton; Beaver Lake, near where
the boys’ bodies were found

Gotcha!

CRACKING COLD CASES WITH COP-TURNED-CRIMINOLOGIST
MICHAEL ARNTFIELD

COURTESY OF HARPERCOLLINS CANADA How did you become interested in was fishy; he was
cold cases? unaccounted for
As a child in London, Ontario, I walked more than two
to school along the same path as a boy weeks before his
who was abducted and murdered by death. The society took it on and wrote
a serial killer who was known to be at a report, and the chief coroner has
large. Many years later, when I became since reopened the case and ordered a
a detective constable with the London homicide investigation.
police’s criminal investigations division,
the first major cold case task force was How do you decide which cases
up and running. I began looking into to re-examine?
cold cases as a sort of hobby. One interesting way we find cases is
through the Murder Accountability Proj-
In 2013, you became a tenured pro- ect, which is run by a group of homicide
fessor at Western University, where scholars who collect data on murders in
you created the Cold Case Society. the U.S. I sit on its board. The organiza-
What kind of work does it do? tion has access to a database of killings,
The society started as a class on serial as well as an algorithm that scans cases
homicide. I put students into groups coast to coast looking for commonali-
and asked them to explore potential ties. For example, if we see two or more
new investigative avenues for a certain female victims have been strangled
cold case. If their reports were compel- in the same area, and the cases are
ling enough, we’d turn them over to unsolved after a year, that’s flagged.
the relevant investigative agency, police Then a few members of the society
department or the family or family law- might work on it for weeks or months
yer of the victim. There was so much until they’ve exhausted every avenue.
interest from students across the uni-
versity that we started the society. What attracts people to this work?
There are questions I think anybody
What has been your most significant with a sense of social justice wants to
breakthrough to date? answer: Why did this happen? Who
One big one is the case of Joe Grozelle, would do this? Why is it still unsolved?
who died as a cadet at the Royal Mili-
tary College about 20 years ago. The Michael Arntfield’s new book, How to
military police ruled it a suicide, but it Solve a Cold Case, is out now.

rd.ca 41

reader’s digest

yielded answers, and no parents came publicly identified the victims as seven- (RYU) COURTESY OF THE RYU FAMILY; (PAPER CLIP) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SQBACK
forward to report them missing. year-old Derek D’Alton and his six-year-
old half-brother, David. Police theorize
New clues emerged in the ensuing the killer was likely a close relative who
decades. One witness recalled a one- died approximately 25 years ago but
shoed woman stumbling out of the Stan- have yet to name anyone with certainty.
ley Park bush about five years before “These murders have haunted genera-
the discovery; another told of meeting tions of homicide investigators,” Van-
a woman and her two sons, at least couver inspector Dale Weidman said in
one of whom was wearing an aviation a news release. “We are relieved to now
helmet. In the 1990s, Vancouver ser- give these children a name and to bring
geant Brian Honeybourn reopened the some closure to this horrific case.”
case and took the remains to a specialist
who extracted DNA, determining that THE ROBBERY
the children were, in fact, both boys. TURNED DEADLY
Honeybourn cremated their remains,
saving some crucial bones, and scat- |TORONTO 1993
tered their ashes in the ocean. It seemed
like their identities were doomed to The search for the teenagers who shot a
remain a mystery. beloved store owner

Then, 70-plus years after the boys’ Suck Ju Ryu emigrated from South
deaths, a breakthrough. Last May, Van- Korea to Canada in 1972 with little more
couver police enlisted the help of than a dream of a new life. With his wife,
Redgrave Research Forensic Services, he raised a family and, about a decade
a Massachusetts firm that has helped
solve several high-profile cold cases, Suck Ju Ryu
including identifying the Ontario man
who killed nine-year-old Christine Jes-
sop in 1984. A Lakehead University lab
extracted genetic material from the
boys’ bones. Scientists in Alabama
sequenced the DNA and then sent it
to Redgrave to compare the results
against genealogical databases. They
got a match: one of the boys’ maternal
grandparents. From there, they found
the boys’ sister and great-niece, who
still lived in Vancouver.

This past February, investigators

42 june 2022

Working Overtime

TWO RETIRED OFFICERS TEAMED UP TO SOLVE A 55-YEAR-OLD MURDER.
THEY FOUND MORE THAN THEY EXPECTED.

KRISTYN ANTHONY/METROLAND In the summer of 2017, retired forensic Dogged sleuths Linda Gillis
investigator Gord Collins moved to Davidson and Gord Collins
Muskoka, a swath of cottage country
in Ontario. There, he met Linda Gillis When they searched the first site,
Davidson, a former RCMP inspector. several cadaver-sniffing dogs zeroed in
Instant friends, they shared a mutual on the same tree. At the second site,
fascination with cold cases—and the dogs again focused on one spot: a
decided that, just maybe, they had rock wall located near the driveway of
the time and skill required to solve one. an abandoned farmhouse. They now
suspect they likely stumbled on Schuett’s
The duo have dedicated themselves killer’s dumping ground. “We got
to decoding the disappearance of goosebumps,” says Collins. “The hairs
Marianne Schuett, an 10-year-old on our arms stood straight up.”
from Burlington, Ontario, who van-
ished while walking home from school To test their theory, they’ve col-
in April 1967. In the days after, roughly lected numerous soil samples, from
18,000 people participated in an which a lab is now trying to extract
unsuccessful ground search. Police human DNA. If they’re successful,
later identified a main suspect, an the two will compare the biological
alleged serial sexual predator who information to samples provided by
died by suicide as officers closed in on Schuett’s family—and perhaps the
him in 1991. At the time of her disap- DNA of other victims. “It may or may
pearance, Collins, then 14, lived not be Marianne,” says Collins. “Either
nearby. “It was shocking to me that way, we have a lot of work to do.”
this could happen,” he says. “I never
forgot her face.”

Collins and Gillis Davidson have
now spent years interviewing family
members, neighbours and classmates,
as well as retired investigators and
another of the suspect’s victims (who
escaped before he could abduct her).

In 2021, a set of clues led the duo to
two sites surrounding a defunct quarry
near Acton, Ontario. They hoped to find
the location of Schuett’s remains.

rd.ca 43

reader’s digest

The ABCs of DNA (EVIDENCE MARKER) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/OLEKSII ARSENIUK; (BAGGY) ANTON STARIKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (HAIR) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/STOCKFORLIVING

HOW FORENSIC GENEALOGY IS REVOLUTIONIZING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

In 1986, police in Leicestershire, a vial’s worth of blood—to yield enough
England, approached genetics profes- DNA to conduct an analysis. Today,
sor Alec Jeffreys with an unusual request: testing technology can extract DNA
could he identify the man who had from a single strand of hair or the skin
raped and murdered a 15-year-old girl? cells that are left behind when some-
Jeffreys, who had earlier discovered one touches a surface.
that humans can be differentiated by
patterns in their DNA, agreed to help. This has led to a revolutionary new
The police supplied over 4,000 sam- discipline called genetic genealogy.
ples of saliva and blood from men in Using this method, investigators com-
the area for Jeffreys to analyze. Within pare DNA extracted from a crime scene
a year, he had found the killer. against genealogical databases, such
as banks of convicted offenders’ DNA
Following the case, police depart- or biological information submitted to
ments around the world began using websites like 23andMe and Ancestry.
DNA analysis to catch perps. “It was Next, investigators can often narrow
an investigative game changer,” says their search from millions to just a few
Michael Arntfield, a criminologist who persons of interest. They then acquire
began his career as a police officer in their new suspect’s DNA by, for exam-
London, Ontario. In the 1990s, he says, ple, retrieving a discarded coffee cup.
you’d need a large sample—for example, This practice has resolved dozens of
mysteries, including the identity of the
Golden State Killer, a man who killed at
least 13 people in California and is
responsible for at least 45 rapes.

Yet forensic genealogy is dogged
by privacy concerns. Few people who
submit their DNA to ancestry websites
likely realize they may also be allowing
law enforcement to snoop in on their
genetic code. As such, in both Canada
and the U.S. police often now need a
judge to sign off on a warrant to access
private companies’ databases. Many
forensics experts argue, however, that
privacy shouldn’t impede the greater
good—that is, catching criminals.

44 june 2022

(BRADY) GLENBOW ARCHIVES; (PAPER CLIP) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SQBACK later, opened a new convenience store to create a profile that they can com-
on the ground floor of a seniors’ home pare to a database of known offenders.
in the north end of Toronto. The resi- Ryu’s daughter Elizabeth is still hoping
dents and other locals got to know the for a breakthrough. “There are moments
soft-hearted and hard-working busi- where I might see someone walking by
ness owner. By the cash register, the who looks like my dad and my heart
linoleum tiles had worn away from the stops,” she told media. “And then I
years he’d spent tending to the store. realize it’s not him.”

Sometime during the afternoon of THE PROSPECTORS
February 18, 1993, 56-year-old Ryu WHO NEVER RETURNED
closed the store briefly to drive his wife
home, as he often did. Shortly after |SASKATCHEWAN WOODS 1967
he returned, two teen boys, believed
to be 15 and 17, reportedly entered the The RCMP ruled out foul play—but
store with a firearm. Ryu’s daughter family and friends disagree
and police suspect he refused when
the teens demanded he hand over his In June 1967, 59-year-old Métis leader
cash. Whatever happened, one of them James Brady and 40-year-old Cree band
shot him in the chest and they fled. A councillor Absolom Halkett boarded a
few minutes later, a customer found tiny plane and departed the small Sas-
Ryu lying on the floor and called 911. katchewan town of La Ronge. From
there, they flew north to a remote lake
The suspects were last seen board- on a trip to prospect for uranium. By
ing a westbound bus, but by the time the time another plane arrived to
the police caught up to the vehicle, the
teens were gone. Police canvassed James Brady
the neighbourhood, collected evidence
from the store and brought the bus in
for forensic examination. But with no
solid leads or security footage, and with
DNA technology still in its infancy, they
couldn’t zero in on the killers.

In 2021, nearly 30 years after Ryu’s
murder, Toronto police reopened the
case in the hopes of extracting DNA
and further evidence from what was
collected on scene, hoping that advance-
ments in testing technology might
crack the case. The force also promised

reader’s digest

restock their camp about a week later, Absolom Halkett (HALKETT) COURTESY OF THE CARLSON FAMILY; (PAPER CLIP) ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SQBACK
the men were gone. The RCMP inves- with a friend in 1958
tigated, but neither the men nor their
bodies were found. Police quickly ruled In the past few years, the bodies of
out foul play and closed the case within what appears to be the two men were
weeks. The best guesses to come out of discovered. An American tourist and
the investigation: the men had gotten fishing guide found a waterlogged
lost or been eaten by a bear. corpse with its wrists tied in the water
where the men had been prospecting.
To those who knew Brady and Reder and her co-authors later found
Halkett, however, those weren’t plau- evidence of what could be human
sible explanations. Both were experi- remains at the bottom of the lake,
enced bushmen; they wouldn’t just though it remains inconclusive. Their
vanish. And why had the investigation book proposes, but doesn’t confirm, a
wrapped up so quickly? In a recent prime suspect: another fishing guide
book, Cold Case North, author Deanna with a history of violence. Indigenous
Reder writes that her mother, who filmmakers Danis Goulet, Tasha Hub-
knew the men, said they were taken by bard and Shane Belcourt have now
a UFO—to her it seemed more logical optioned the book for a film, which
than any of the other theories. Others could renew interest in the case and
suspected the men’s deaths were no finally lead to conclusive answers.
accident, but assassinations. Brady
specifically was an ardent communist
who challenged the Canadian govern-
ment and the church, advocating for
First Nations’ self-governance; back
then, it was enough for the RCMP to
surveil a person. Some even suspected
they found a uranium site and were
killed by business partners who wanted
it for themselves.

Plant Wisdom

No risk is more terrifying than that taken by the first root.
The tiny rootlet has only one chance to guess what
future years, decades—even centuries—
will bring to the patch of soil where it sits.

HOPE JAHREN, SCIENTIST AND AUTHOR

46 june 2022

LAUGHTER common? They are
both Paris sites.
the Best Medicine
— REDDIT.COM

Shout-out to my mem- Trust my gut? The thing Not looking at your
ory, which can’t that can’t even handle phone while watching a
remember where I set milk? TV show is the new
down my keys five min- reading a book.
utes ago but can totally — @JZUX
recall every detail of — @WENDYMOLYNEUX
that embarrassing thing Once you’re over 40,
I did in third grade. friendships fade, lives Why drive seven min-
drift, paths diverge. utes when I can spend
— @XPLODINGUNICORN Which is great, because an extra $47 to have
you need that new free the food delivered to
Breach of Contract time to stare at your my doorstep?
Someone at work told neck in the mirror.
me they got a new kit- — @EDEN_EATS
ten but they haven’t — @LIZHACKETT
sent a photo. Should I Send us your original
go to HR? Punny Stuff jokes! You could earn $50
What do a tick and the and be featured in the
— @THEFACEOFDAVE Eiffel Tower have in magazine. See page 7 or
rd.ca/joke for details.

OLIVIA SARI-GOERLACH THE BEST JOKE
I EVER TOLD

By Matty Vu

No matter what time of day your
working hours are, that’s when your
mom calls and asks, “Are you working
right now?”

Matty Vu is a Vancouver comedian.
Find him online at themattyvu.com

rd.ca 47

reader’s digest