A Soft Landing Place

Editorial by S. DiBiagio 

I was ready for the unexpected on my first day as an outreach worker at Elevate NWO. Elevate is a harm reduction organization responding to treatment and prevention of HIV and Hepatitis C in Thunder Bay and the wider region, but also finds itself responding to other emerging issues. In Thunder Bay, that often means advocating for our unhoused neighbours in the fight for housing, not tents.  

All this said, I was nevertheless surprised when all the talk of my first day was about birds! Two baby gulls, to be more specific. They were rescued from wandering busy Water Street by Michelle, Tim, and other folks living down by the water. Knowing the birds were too small to be out of the nest, this community worked together to raise these little feathered creatures, which so many other people would look away from.

Given the names Pebbles and BamBam, they were cared for day in and day out for 15 days by their new human parental figures, who fed them from their own food supply and with bait worms purchased with change. The gulls were undoubtedly among the best cared for orphan animals I’d ever seen. I learned that Michelle and Tim had some experience in this area when they fostered geese named Peanut Butter and Jelly, who they say still bring their goslings around every year. It’s not always advisable to take in wild birds, but being moved to act doesn’t always follow advice. 

Michelle told me this story over our Summer Feast, a dedicated time to get together at Elevate and spend time with community. To be served food and to have your choice in its selection is not something to be taken for granted here. Drumming, singing, and the smell of good food and sage smoke were accompanied by faces that alternated from thoughtful expressions to wide smiles. I could see myself reflected in everyone there, navigating complex interpersonal relationships and actively making room for joy and togetherness. Building community like this is an intentional act; it is sharing space and prioritizing those who need it most.

Making a difference looks different to each of us. I’m learning very quickly here that caring for those left behind is a way of life for our tenting neighbours, and also, sometimes life’s responsibilities land in our lap with no warning or preparation. There are those among us who have seen a lot of that. Pebbles and BamBam and Michelle and Tim are a poignant example that the things we care for come to us in surprising and unexpected ways. To me, it also shows that if we open ourselves to new perspectives, like seeing the baby animal in a seagull chick, we better understand what it means to be part of a community and to give others a chance.