From the Editor - Mar./Apr. 2012
In February, I attended “Building Arts Communities in Kingston,” a seminar and public forum hosted by the Kingston Arts Council to connect local arts groups and promote discussion on the state of the arts in the city. It was a thought-provoking and inspiring event (you can read more about it at artskingston.com), and while I was there I happened to run into Catherine Lord. Although we’d never met previously, I felt as though I already knew Catherine personally through reading Lawrence Scanlan’s feature story, “Vibrant City,” in this issue.
Detailing her efforts to connect Kingstonians of varying ethnic backgrounds and celebrate multiculturalism in the city, Lawrence describes Catherine as someone “who facilitates, organizes, animates.” Upon meeting her, I quickly discovered that her vibrancy and enthusiasm are as evident in person as they are in the story.
Both meeting Catherine and reading about her reminded me that the most interesting stories are often those that offer insight into the people within our community and what motivates them. Of the basic journalistic questions — what, where, when, why — it’s asking “who” that can lead to the best reads, a theme that is particularly evident throughout this issue. Reading Josephine Matyas’s latest dining column, I was intrigued to discover that it was repeatedly hearing tourists request the local draught that inspired Bruce Davis to create his own beer from locally grown ingredients. Even a seemingly trivial detail of a person’s background can provide telling insight into the path they’ve chosen to pursue, as you’ll discover in Lindy Mechefske’s profile of Karen Dolan, the new executive director of the Kingston Arts Council.
Perhaps the most notable profile in this issue is of Leslee Thompson, President and CEO of Kingston General Hospital. In our cover story, Alec Ross uncovers how Leslee Thompson and the KGH organization as a whole eliminated a $24-million deficit and made significant changes to the way the hospital operates to offer better care to patients. Their work isn’t finished and I look forward to watching this story, and the team behind it, develop over the next few years. It is yet a further reminder of the incredible work being done by the unique people who make up our community.
Jane Deacon
write to Editor, Kingston Publications,
11 Princess Street, Suite 205,
Box 1352, Kingston, ON, K7L 5C6
p. 613.549.8442 e. editor@kingstonlife.ca
