Sticking to a regular workout routine is hard enough without all the barriers of wearing a mask, gyms constantly shutting down, crowded parks, and our favourite…the increasingly hot heatwave. It can be difficult to find the right balance between movement and resting, particularly when it seems as if some days a jog down the street may land you in the emergency room. Here’s a how-to guide on staying active and cool this summer to look after your mental and physical well-being. Re-Defining Health, Wellness and Movement After passing over a year of being in a pandemic, I think it’s safe to say that most of us have come to re-define exercise, movement, and overall health. While some have found value in slowing down – giving their body and minds more rest, others have found the value in daily movement and stimulation. Regardless, it seems as though we are generally pushing...
Written by Laura Osborne – Digital Marketing Program Coordinator An Appreciation of LGBTQ2S+ History and Community in Celebration of Pride The celebration of Pride in Canada is not only symbolic of LGBTQ2S+ allyship, but also an ode of recognition to queer movements of the past, present and future. From riots to celebrations, endless leaders and allies have stood in solidarity to achieve freedom, de-stigmatization and basic human rights. In honor of Pride this June, let’s take a look at some of the historical Canadian movements, queer terminology and current events in the LGBTQ2S+ community. Why June? Most famously associated with Pride is the Stonewall Riots of June 1969. Also known as the Stonewall Uprising, the event refers to the demonstrations by members of the LGBTQ2S+ community in response to a dangerous police raid at the Stonewall Inn, located in Greenwich Village, New York City. Following the raid were 6 consecutive...
Written by Martha Turner Osborne – Chief Marketing and Sales Officer One of the many reasons I joined Teachers Life is the authenticity of their 80+ year mission of giving back to its policyholders, known as Members. Giving back to Members through meaningful and tangible benefit programs is a fundamental part of being a fraternal insurer. Historically, this has taken the form of rebates, sponsorship programs, and scholarship and bursary awards for Members’ children and grandchildren. Although these benefits are fantastic, I wanted to ensure we were creating the greatest impact, not only for our Members, but the communities in which we operate and serve. When the Board gave me the green light to reimagine our Fraternal Benefits Program, I was more than excited to get started with the team. I saw the potential of our Fraternal Benefits Program and knew it was our best opportunity to truly make a...
Some of the best things in life are born out of necessity and a demand for certainty. It’s sometimes difficult to know what is or is not true these days and the fear and misunderstanding about COVID-19 is understandably prevalent. There are still some questions and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. But thanks to Lasya Vankayala, some of her classmates and a few subject matter experts, we now know more about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19, in terms the average person can understand. On March 20, 2020, Lasya, a 4th-year Biochemistry Honours student at the University of British Columbia, was working in a lab on a co-op when it shut down due to COVID-19. She noticed that there was some misinformation in the media and that her friends and family were asking her a lot of questions about the virus. The project started out as a google doc of information...
