Terri Gortnar knew her daughter's timeline for years. She fought to bring treatment to Canada, arranged hospice care at home, and stayed ahead of every piece of equipment and every next stage of the disease. Then Claire died, and Terri walked into a funeral home for the first time with no idea what she was supposed to do.

That gap is what this whole conversation is about. We sat down with three women who work in deathcare and grief every day: Lauren Andrew, co-founder of AWAKE, Terri Gortnar of the Canadian CLN2 Foundation, and Carol Richardson of Compass Rose Floral Design.

We talk about why our culture throws parties for birth and goes silent about death, leading us to know very little about the many options out there that may make someone's end of life a little bit less stressful.

This is episode one of our Behind The Village Podcast season on death, grief and end of life care.

Lauren Andrew - AWAKE

Website: https://www.awakeashes.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awake.ashes/

AWAKE Ceremony: https://www.instagram.com/awake.ceremony/

Terri Gortnar - Canadian CLN2 Foundation

Website: https://canadiancln2.org/

Cure for Claire: https://cureforclaire.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cureforclaire/

Carol Richardson - Compass Rose Floral Design

Website: https://compassrosefloraldesign.ca/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compass_rose_floral/

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:16 How They Ended Up Working in Deathcare

09:50 Fear of the Unknown and the Silence Around Grief

18:26 Terri's Story: Prepared for Everything but This

24:22 How to Pre-plan and Start the Conversation

34:20 What They Each Want for Their Own Send-Off

45:33 Grief at School, at Work, and at Home

Two hundred dollars feels small. A hundred women giving two hundred dollars at once turns into something else entirely.

That's the idea behind Ripple of Kindness Orillia, the women's giving circle Ashley Lehmann and Amber McGarvey-Moreland co-direct. In this conversation they talk about how a simple act of kindness, pooled together and repeated, has sent more than $300,000 to local charities. We get into what kindness actually means to them, why Amber brought a chapter home to Orillia, and the moments that have stayed with them. The very first donation funded a palliative care bed at Mariposa House Hospice. The Salvation Army gift brought one of them full circle, back to the Christmas hampers her own family once relied on.

It's a conversation about how giving can reshape a community, and how the small things really do add up.

Ripple of Kindness Orillia

Website: https://rippleofkindness.ca/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rippleofkindnessorillia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Ripple-Of-Kindness-Orillia-100070948456356/

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

0:00 Intro

2:20 What Kindness and Philanthropy Mean to Them

5:26 A Community of Women, Ages 18 to 90

8:44 The Hospice Bed Their First Gift Built

11:58 Full Circle With the Salvation Army

13:54 How to Join the Giving Circle

17:24 A Thank You to Every Member

Zach Dunn has interviewed over 165 veterans from 17 allied countries, and he does it all with an iPhone, a $30 tripod, and a $10 mic. It started when he found his grandfather's war medals in a box in his parents' basement. Now it's a race against time.

In this episode, Zach talks about what it takes to preserve the stories of WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans before they're gone. He shares how some veterans carried their experiences in silence for 50 to 80 years before opening up for the first time. He talks about the healing that happens when someone finally asks. And he makes a case for something simple but powerful: be curious, ask questions, and listen well. You never know what story is waiting to be told.

Zach Dunn / Global Veteran Stories

Website: https://www.rememberingcanadasveterans.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GlobalVeteranStories

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ww2veteraninterviews

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Global-Veteran-Stories-by-Zach-Dunn/61568304669684/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globalveteranstoriesbyzachdunn/

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

00:29 How a box of medals started everything

03:51 Why so many veteran stories go untold

06:27 Finding veterans across the world

10:42 A one-man documentary setup

12:41 The emotional weight of these conversations

17:29 What gets lost when stories aren't shared

Carmine De Santo bought his first comic book in 1978. By 16, he'd opened his own shop. Four decades later, he's still in the game, running Dr. Comics in Orillia and organizing comic cons across North America.

In this conversation, Carmine walks us through the world of rare comics and collectibles. He talks about buying a Batman #1 at 18 and selling it for $90,000 (it's now worth $3.5 million), why the collectibles market exploded after the pandemic, and what it was like losing $850,000 worth of inventory in a fire that destroyed his downtown Orillia shop.

He also shares the story of the Tim Maple collection, one of the most fascinating pieces of comic book history you've probably never heard of.

Whether you're deep into collecting or just curious about where to start, this one's worth your time.

Dr. Comics

Website: https://www.drcomics.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1drcomics/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcomics/

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

0:00 How Carmine fell in love with comic books

2:48 Rare finds and million-dollar regrets

4:09 Why the collectibles market is booming

7:33 Losing everything in a fire

11:18 The legendary Tim Maple collection

13:17 How to start collecting

17:19 Comic cons, anime fests, and what's trending

Brad Ferguson spent years building an animation career most people would never walk away from. Emmy-winning shows. Directing for Disney. Showrunning over 180 episodes of animated television. Then he quit to teach kids how to draw in Barrie, Ontario.

In this conversation, Brad talks about getting rejected from Sheridan College twice before getting in on his third try, what it actually takes to work in animation, and why he believes anyone can learn to draw. He gets honest about the perfectionism he sees in young artists growing up on social media, why embracing mistakes is the whole point of the creative process, and how his childhood in the middle of nowhere shaped everything he makes today. He also shares how Upchuckle Education's student sponsorship program is making creative learning accessible to families in the community who wouldn't otherwise have access to it.

Brad Ferguson | Upchuckle Education

Website: https://upchuckle.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpchuckleEducation/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upchuckleeducation/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@upchuckle.education

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:30 From aspiring actor to animator

4:40 Leaving animation for teaching

9:05 The creative process and embracing mistakes

17:43 How animation actually works

23:28 Getting started with animation

30:04 Giving back to the community

Sport has a way of giving people something to hold onto. Michael Fredson is helping build an entire organization around that idea.

Michael is the owner of Manticore Books in Orillia and Chair of the Board of the Canadian Street Soccer Association, Canada's partner organization for the Homeless World Cup. In this conversation, he breaks down what it actually looks like to use soccer as a social tool, what the Homeless World Cup is and why it's unlike any other sporting event in the world, and what happened when Team Canada went to Oslo. The stories from that trip alone are worth the listen.

Michael Fredson

Website: https://manticorebooks.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManticoreBooks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manticorebooks/

Canadian Street Soccer Association

Website: https://canadianstreetsoccer.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Canadian-Street-Soccer-Association-61563800721692/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canadianstreetsoccer/

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:29 The Canadian Street Soccer Association

6:28 The Power of Sport to Change Lives

9:46 Inside the Homeless World Cup

13:48 Team Canada at the Oslo Tournament

17:12 The Street Soccer Format

22:27 How to Get Involved

Angel Power was groomed by her father's friend, trafficked for nearly a decade, and told by everyone around her that she was safe. She wasn't. This is her story of survival, reclaiming her voice, and turning darkness into purpose.

In this episode of Behind the Village, Angel shares the reality of how human trafficking happens in ways most people don't expect. Not by force or at gunpoint, but through trust, unmet needs, and a system that failed her at every turn.

She talks about writing her way out of the pain, reframing survivor's guilt into survivor's responsibility, and why long-term support for survivors matters just as much as getting them out. If you've ever wondered what trafficking actually looks like in small-town Canada, this conversation will challenge everything you thought you knew.

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

0:00 - Intro

0:32 - How Angel Was Groomed and Trafficked

9:40 - Escaping the Darkness

15:13 - Reclaiming Her Voice Through Writing

17:41 - Why Education and Awareness Matter

19:45 - Supporting Survivors Today

23:50 - Hopes for Systemic Change

27:18 - Outro

Dillon Bickell is an Anishinaabe quill worker from Chippewas of Rama First Nation, and one of only a handful of people in his community still practising this craft. In this conversation, he walks us through the entire process, from harvesting birch bark and sourcing porcupine quills to creating intricate designs held together by nothing but friction.

Dillon talks about blood memory, the connection he feels to a grandmother he never met, and why he's driven to document and teach an art form that was nearly lost. He shares how he's pushing quill work into new territory with pop culture designs, commissioned medallions, and plans for a children's book that could give the next generation something he never had growing up.

Dillon Bickell

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quillinbydillon/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@quillinbydillon

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEc-c9z-JCKvd1RD78mtawQ

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:30 Meet Dillon Bickell, Anishinaabe Quill Worker

2:35 Blood Memory and His Grandmother's Legacy

5:06 How Porcupine Quills and Birch Bark Are Harvested

9:29 Tobacco Offerings and Cultural Teachings

10:26 Traditional and Pop Culture Quill Art

14:22 Commissions, Medallions, and Quill Boxes

17:51 Preserving Indigenous Art for Future Generations

Rodaysha Red Ashes is a local drag performer who turned shyness, anxiety, and a casual conversation at Home Depot into a stage career that changed their life. In this episode, we talk about what drag actually teaches you about confidence, how sobriety reshaped their relationship with performing, and how their indigenous heritage shows up in everything from their drag name to the beaded earrings that start conversations.

This is one of those conversations that covers a lot of ground, from the nerves that never fully go away to the community that carries you through the hard parts. Rodaysha is honest about all of it.

Rodaysha Red Ashes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodaysha.red.ashes/

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVillagerCommunityNews/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevillagermagazine/

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

00:30 How Rodaysha discovered drag

02:52 First performance and getting started

04:30 Performance as a lifelong pull

05:59 Where the confidence actually comes from

09:00 What drag means to Rodaysha

11:02 Evolving as a performer and the drag clown

13:20 Indigenous culture in drag and the story behind the name

16:24 How drag shaped their identity off stage

18:30 Sobriety, substances, and choosing yourself

21:57 Why the people around you matter

23:40 Advice for drag beginners

Reducing unhappiness isn't the same as being happy, and most people don't know the difference. In this episode of Behind the Village, we explore why avoiding what makes you unhappy only gets you to neutral, not fulfilled.

This is the introduction to our next podcast theme on hobbies and passions, where we break down one of the most important insights about happiness: you can spend your whole life removing sources of unhappiness, clearing your plate, avoiding discomfort, but at a certain point, there's nothing left to remove. You're just neutral. Real happiness requires actively pursuing something. It requires caring deeply about things outside of work, building communities around what you love, and making space for the hobbies and passions that give you something you can't get anywhere else.

You'll hear us discuss why hobbies aren't optional extras in a good life, how fear-based decisions keep you stuck, and why the people who light up when they talk about what they love are onto something essential. This episode sets the stage for conversations with people who've found belonging, purpose, and sometimes survival through the things they're passionate about, even when it's hard, even when it's inconvenient.

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVillagerCommunityNews/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevillagermagazine/

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

0:00 Introduction

0:14 How to Be Happy vs Reducing Unhappiness

4:49 Why Hobbies and Passions Are Important for Mental Health

7:44 Finding Community and Belonging Through Hobbies

11:28 What's Coming in This Series