Something Special
^{(Vancouver, British Columbia)}

Frighteningly scary yet beautiful at the same time, the Vancouver Special is an architectural style unique to Vancouver. You've probably seen these distinct two-storey stucco houses with a second-floor balcony as you drive through the suburbs into downtown Vancouver 🏠️ 🚘️ . They were built in the 60s and 70s as starter homes by mostly Italian and Greek immigrants. Of late, they’ve become popular because they are somewhat affordable (by Vancouver standards) and can be split into two homes. These houses are so iconic in Vancouver that there's a beer named after them and even a home interiors shop.

Curated Canada tip: Wanna see inside one? Sign up for the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s Vancouver Special Tour held every spring or keep your eyes peeled for open houses.

Mahjong, Anyone?
^{(Edmonton, AB)}

Ever since Julia Roberts revealed on Late Night with Stephen Colbert that she plays mahjong with her girlfriends every week, I’ve noticed a lot more non-Asians learning how to play mahjong, including myself. Last week, I finally checked out mahjong night at the Mah Society of Edmonton 🀄️. This 200-year-old game was harder than I thought, mostly because I had trouble reading the Chinese characters on the tiles. Despite my challenges, I still enjoyed mahjong and I look forward to going back again. My favourite thing was how multi-generational the game is. There were so many elders excited to teach younger folks how to play. Learn how to play mahjong at Edmonton’s Mah Society every second Friday from about 6pm to 11pm. There’s no cost at all, except $5 if you want a steaming bowl of noodles. 🍜 🥢 🀄️ And yup, they will be play this Friday, March 7.

Curious Canada tip: The University of British Columbia Mahjong Club has some useful free online resources for beginners.

The Only Show in Town
^{(Montreal, QC)}

Without a doubt, Montreal is the circus capital of Canada. It's such a big deal that the Quebec government created a cultural classification called "circus arts" and it is heavily funded. You probably know that Cirque du Soleil started in Montreal, but did you know that at least six other troupes call Montreal home? Anytime you’re in Montreal, check the schedules of Cirque Éloize, 7 Fingers, Agathe & Adrien, Cirque Alfonse and Les Foutoukours for budget-friendly shows. The National Circus School puts on grad shows in the spring and summer that are rumoured to be as good as Cirque du Soleil shows. There’s also an annual circus festival that spills out on to Montreal streets that attended by almost a half a million people every year.

Curated Canada tip: Live out your childhood fantasy and join the circus. Take an Académie de Cirque circus class for only $10 Book now.

Under the Sea
^{(Tofino, BC)}

Seaweed is no longer something you eat with sushi. It’s what you bathe in to soothe your aching body and soften your skin. Turns out people in Europe have been bathing in seawater for hundreds of years and it’s finally catching on here. All you need to know is that seaweed contains many of the same essential minerals that we need to regulate our bodies. Moon Jelly Bathouse in is worth travelling for. A 15-minute boat ride from downtown Tofino will bring you to this floating day spa that specializes in seaweed baths. Sadly, it’s pricey and it’s only group bookings, however once a month, they have a more affordable Community Day open to singles and couples. The season just opened this week so email them to find out Community Day date. I warn you they do fill up very quickly so get on it now. On the other side of the country, Grates Cave Co. in northern Newfoundland harvests seaweed from the nearby Grates Cove. Soak in tubs overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean and let your troubles float away.

Curated Canada Tip: I know your not supposed to order health products online but there’s this seaweed firming bodywrap on Amazon…

THE THROUPLE

3 Artists to Support on Bandcamp Friday

THE INTERVIEW

Representation Matters
^{(Edmonton, Canada)}

Those who have watched The Matriarch wrestle know that she she attracts a different fanbase, one that transcends beyond the mania and antics - Indigenous youth reclaiming their own stories and culture. Curious Canada caught up with Sage Morin ahead of her March 7 Monster Pro Wrestling match in Edmonton.

Where have you been competing lately? 
I'm just travelling back from northern Manitoba where I participated in Tony Condello's notorious Canadian Death Tour. Tony has promoted professional wrestling for about 50 years and he has run this tour for close to 30 years I think. A lot of big names in wrestling have gotten their start with Tony, names like Chris Jericho, Edge. Huge names and superstars in WWE today. 

Is this your first time on the Death Tour? No, it's my third winter on the tour and I am the first ever Women's Champion. On my first winter with Tony, we filmed a documentary called The Death Tour and it's now available on CBC, APTN and Apple TV. It is such a legendary tour that they wanted to film a documentary. 

What is it like going to these remote northern communities? 
It is really eye opening to go to different territories that I'm not familiar with. I'm from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, which is in Treaty 6 territory and 90 minutes east of Edmonton. I was very fortunate to be raised from conception to now in ceremony. Powwow and ceremony have always been part of my life and culture. It was eye opening to visit isolated Indigenous territories in northern Manitoba and see how the people are still under the effects of colonization and the disillusionment of the Catholic Church. Powwows have been banished. People will come down to the south and attend a powwow in Winnipeg and then when they return home, they are ostracized for attending a powwow or ceremony. It's a big no-no in some of these communities.

SAStill to this day powwows are frowned upon?
When you realize that you have generations and generations and generations of families who have grown up in residential schools, who have been beaten and abused horribly in residential schools for following these ways, you understand how it's been a coping mechanism. 

They were told that it is the devil's worship and the Catholic Church used fear and shame to instill these beliefs in Indigenous people. Yes, it's still around to this day.

There are some communities that we went to where they tried to revive the culture. They brought people in to work with the kids and to make hand drums. In our culture, the hand drum represents the heartbeat of our mother. You know, it's a very powerful tool in our prayer songs. We thought that was a great way to get the kids back into the culture. Let them make their own hand drums. They made their own hand drums, and they were so proud. And then the priest, and the pastor came, and took all the hand drums and burned them. It's a shame that is still put on the children to this very day. 

That must be hard to see.  
My finishing move as you've seen is what I call the powwow elbow. I say "let's powwow" and I dance around my opponent before I drop my elbows. That's very much a part of who I am. It's very special to do this in communities where powwows are banished and people are ostracized for attending pow wows. To hear the screaming and excitement of our youth is healing. That's what I mean when I say wrestling is healing. It's a very cathartic experience to be able to do that. 

Is this healing for you too?
Definitely, definitely, I always feel like it's bigger than me too. Without a doubt, wrestling has saved my life, personally, and now because of that, I feel like it's my duty to bring it forward as well. It is so healing to be able to go into these communities where our culture has been vanished and where people have been taught to be ashamed of being Indigenous. It's so special to be able to bring that and to tell these kids to be proud.

Suicide is rampant in our Indigenous communities and in these isolated communities. They still follow the traditional laws that when someone passes away, everything shuts down, and the community supports the grieving family. On these tours, when someone dies, the show is cancelled and that's it. Over the year as more Indigenous wrestlers joined the tour, the tour was better able to understand what was happening. Suicide is rampant in these communities and nobody's talking about it. I'm glad we've been able to bring some attention to that. But also bring a little bit of life back to the community. It a special honour to bring a little healing into a community that just lost someone the day before. 

What can Indigenous youth learn from wrestling?
We as indigenous people are storytellers and we always have been from time immemorial. Wrestling is just the greatest story ever told. When you break it down, wrestling is storytelling. And that's why I think Indigenous people and wrestling go together so well. I'm really, really, really excited to see the future of wrestling as some of these kids grow up. 

Why does Indigenous representation matter? 
I remember being a young Indigenous kid on the reserve and not seeing anybody that looked like me being successful or being celebrated. Now you have a whole new generation of kids that are watching Indigenous actors and actresses, models walking in international fashion week. You're watching indigenous wrestlers take down big championships. It's such an exciting time for our Indigenous youth.  

What is your future in wrestling? 
I really feel like my wrestling has been a gift from my son Geo. My son Geo was my first-born son, and he really made me a mother. When he passed, the loss of his life and finding my footing after that, turned me into The Matriarch as I am now. Everything has always gone back to him. On this, I feel like I'm following a path that he has laid out for me. So I will take it. I will follow that path wherever it will lead me, and I'll do whatever I'm called. I have no idea where that's going to take me right now. I just want to focus on working more with the youth and being who they need me to be. 

Any typos in this newsletter are the fault of my own.