Inception of People Talks

Canal Pursuit Productions presents “People Talks”

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll in a lot of ways, not least of which has been the mental health of us all, and especially those who were already facing their own challenges. Recognizing that each of us has a story, and that each of our stories has value, Canal Pursuit Productions is organizing a series of talks called People Talks, connected to mental health and fitness. The goals of People Talks: to give people the opportunity to share their stories, help people to know that they are not alone in their struggles, and to share a few self-care pointers.

Many of the people that we interact with every day have amazing stories of triumph over hardship, but we simply don’t know until we give them the opportunity to share. People Talks will give them a forum to tell their stories and even offer tools and tips gleaned from their hard earned personal victories. The speakers are not polished professional speakers with an agenda, they are our neighbors, coworkers and friends. There will also be a variety of people who work in the areas of mental health and health care.

The event organizers are three friends from the K-W area who met through their common interest in running. Clay Williams manages the engineering department with a Kitchener machinery manufacturer, and lives in Elmira with his wife of 40 years. He is an avid distance runner, mental health advocate and motorcycle enthusiast. Maria Michel manages two teams - one at a local life insurance company and the other at her home in Cambridge (two kids). She is a recreational athlete, dabbling in ultra running while fundraising for deserving charities along the way, and is an aspiring beekeeper and lover of fun. Deirdre Large lives in Waterloo and works at a locally owned bakery. She lives with her son Graydon, who has a disability, and they have been very involved over the years with community accessibility and disability awareness initiatives. An avid runner, she loves all things outdoors. Tree therapy is her mental health secret weapon.

The first few talks will be 20 to 40 minutes long and presented on Instagram Live @CanalPursuit on Sunday afternoons at 3:00 with viewers encouraged to submit questions for the Q&A time following each presentation. They will also be recorded and available for online viewing afterward. The first talk is scheduled for Sunday March 14th at 3:00 pm. Following a few introductory talks, there will be a survey to determine the best way to continue the program.

We invite anyone who is interested to tune in and grab a little inspiration as we explore topics that apply to our everyday lives. There is no charge for the talks, but listeners are encouraged to donate to the Mood Disorders Society’s Move for Mental Health campaign.