This green oasis in the middle of Toronto draws muskrats, minks and more. But it didn't just happen naturally. Here's how volunteers made it happen
They're native vegetation, but they owe their presence here to Davies and her crew, who have been planting them for years. Davies' encyclopedic knowledge of the flora here comes from long-standing familiarity. In 1991, she — along with local naturalists Charles Sauriol and Dave Money — founded the preserve with the goal of rehabilitating the land and restoring some of its original plant communities.
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Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pope speaks about childhood and early mornings as an altar boy in unscripted visit with campers
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV spoke publicly about his childhood in Chicago for the first time as pontiff Thursday, recalling that from the age of six he used to get up early to serve as an altar boy at the 6:30 a.m. Mass before going to school. Leo shared the memories during an unscripted visit with the children of Vatican employees who are attending the Holy See's summer camp. They were joined by other children, including Ukrainian young people, who are attending summer programs run by Italy's Caritas charity. The visit, which was not announced in advance, took place in the Vatican's main audience hall, which was decked out with huge inflatable bouncy castles for the estimated 600 kids. One of the young campers, Giulia, asked Leo if he used to go to Mass as a child. The former Robert Prevost, who grew up the youngest of three brothers in the south Chicago suburb of Dolton, said the family always went to Mass on Sundays. 'But starting from when I was around 6 years old, I was also an altar boy in the parish. And so before going to school — it was a parochial school — there was Mass at 6:30 a.m.,' he said, emphasizing how early it was. 'And Mom would wake us up and say 'We're going to Mass!' Because serving Mass was something we liked because starting from when I was young, they taught us that Jesus was always close to us.' Leo, who was born in 1955, recalled that at the time, Mass was celebrated in Latin. He said he had to learn it to serve Mass even before he made his First Communion, one of the key sacraments in the church. 'It wasn't so much the language that it was celebrated in but the experience of getting to know other kids who served the Mass together, the friendship, and this closeness with Jesus in the church,' he said. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Leo's brother, John Prevost, has said his little brother knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a priest. Young Robert used to pretend to celebrate Mass using their mother's ironing board as an altar and Necco candies — a once-popular sweet — as Communion wafers. History's first American pope spoke in Italian, but he switched to English to address a group of Ukrainian children, some of whom held up Ukrainian flags and snagged Leo autographs. He spoke about the benefits of meeting people from different backgrounds, languages and lands. It was one of the first times Leo has spoken unscripted at length in public, responding to questions posed to him by the children. He has tended to stick to his prepared texts for his audiences so far in his young pontificate. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Toronto Star
5 days ago
- Toronto Star
This green oasis in the middle of Toronto draws muskrats, minks and more. But it didn't just happen naturally. Here's how volunteers made it happen
On a walk through the Todmorden Wildflower Preserve on a hot day in mid-June, chief steward Paula Davies points out a fern here, a flower there, and a variety of sedges by the pond, all with their common and Latin names. They're native vegetation, but they owe their presence here to Davies and her crew, who have been planting them for years. Davies' encyclopedic knowledge of the flora here comes from long-standing familiarity. In 1991, she — along with local naturalists Charles Sauriol and Dave Money — founded the preserve with the goal of rehabilitating the land and restoring some of its original plant communities.
Style Blueprint
10-06-2025
- Style Blueprint
Blame Reese Witherspoon? How Boy Names Go Girl (and Never Come Back)
Share with your friends! Pinterest LinkedIn Email Flipboard Reddit I've always been fascinated by names. Maybe it's because my name is one that has been passed down for hundreds of years on my mom's side of my family, and I love that. It connects me to the past in a tangible and emotional way. While thinking through the history of names, I've often wondered what happened to names more prevalent for men in my parents' generation that have all but disappeared, at least for men. Frances, Meredith, Stacey, and Ashley were all once exclusively male names! These names, which most of us now associate with our girlfriends, sisters, and daughters, once belonged solely to the boys' club. It's not just a random coincidence, either — it's part of a documented cultural pattern that's been happening for centuries. Here's the kicker: This gender shift almost always goes in one direction. A traditionally male name starts appearing on birth certificates for baby girls, thus beginning a slow migration. This name eventually becomes so 'feminized' that parents stop using it for boys altogether. Sociologists call this 'gender contamination' (harsh term, I know), suggesting that once a name gets feminine associations, parents of boys dismiss it. Beverly, Evelyn, Kelly, Leslie, Lindsay, Shannon, Whitney … all originally boy names! Take Ashley — a common female name for the past few decades. This name started as an Old English surname meaning 'ash tree clearing' and stayed firmly in the men's department until the 1960s. Remember Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind? It's classic male Ashley. Fast-forward to the 1980s, and Ashley was topping the charts for girls while virtually disappearing for boys. And Frances — originally from Latin for 'Frenchman' (ironic, right?). The feminine spelling gradually overtook the masculine, with boys more likely to go by Frank these days. Meredith meant 'great lord' in Welsh, while Stacey comes from Greek roots meaning 'resurrection.' The list goes on: Beverly, Evelyn, Kelly, Leslie, Lindsay, Shannon, Whitney — all originally boy names! This trend really took off in the 20th century as traditional gender roles started shifting. What's telling to me is how rarely names move in the opposite direction. In fact, I can't find one name that has gone from primarily being a 'female' name to a 'male' name. When's the last time you met a baby boy named Elizabeth or Charlotte? This one-way street reflects something deeper about how we value gender in our society — once something becomes associated with femininity, it often loses status in the eyes of many. Many may eye-roll at this: 'There goes another woman talking about how society is set up to diminish women. Blah, blah, blah.' But it's hard to argue this societal take on names. The name Reese is shifting in real time … Pin My middle daughter is named Reese. It's a family surname, and like I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I love connecting family names to past generations. I did not realize how trendy this name was becoming when we named her in 2001. But, when considering the name, I definitely had the thought, Reese Witherspoon has this name, and she's female. We aren't the first to do this.' But now I see the name Reese is predominantly given to girls. The overall name migration I'm talking about is happening here in real time. Reese was originally a Welsh surname (from 'Rhys' meaning 'enthusiasm'). It was given almost exclusively to boys until the 1990s. And yes, that famous 'Reese' seems to be the catalyst that changed everything. As Reese Witherspoon's star rose in Hollywood, so did the name's popularity for baby girls. The statistics tell the story dramatically: In 2000, about 650 baby boys in America were named Reese while fewer than 100 baby girls received the name. By 2010, the tables had turned, with approximately 850 girls to 550 boys. Fast-forward to 2023, and the ratio stands at nearly 5:1 in favor of girls (about 1,400 girls to 300 boys annually). In 2023, 'Reese' was the 168th most popular name for girls but had fallen to 811th for boys. And, this shift has happened over just two decades compared to the centuries-long migrations of names like Frances. The traditional Welsh spelling 'Rhys,' meanwhile, remains predominantly male, showing how even spelling variants can resist the feminization tide. Next time you're debating baby names (or just playing the name game over brunch with friends), remember that today's firmly feminine name might have been yesterday's decidedly masculine moniker. And who knows what changes the future might bring? ********** Enjoy a fun 'me moment' in your inbox each day – sign up for StyleBlueprint emails! About the Author Liza Graves As CEO of StyleBlueprint, Liza also regularly writes for SB. Most of her writing is now found in the recipe archives as cooking is her stress relief!
