Emily Zarevich

Jan 16, 2025 | thespec.com | Emily Zarevich

A concerned owner in the city of Burlington brought in a giraffe, missing two of its legs and its tail. They needed a healer, someone compassionate and qualified who could restore their poor injured animal, bring it back to life. The person they were looking for, and found, was Joan Ng. Using the skills and care honed over decades, Ng reattached the creature’s appendages, manufactured a functional tail, and made it stand tall and proud again. Nothing from the Toronto Zoo could compare.

Jan 11, 2025 | thespec.com | Emily Zarevich

“Stagestruck.” A centuries-old term. To be infatuated with the theatre, and passionate about being involved in show business in any way possible. The City of Burlington is only a century and a half old, but that doesn’t mean the term can’t apply here. There are plenty of stagestruck people within our population who daydream about the glittering, escapist world of the theatre as we shop for our groceries, fold our laundry, or wash our dishes.

Jan 8, 2025 | thespec.com | Emily Zarevich

During the last weeks of December, the energy at a food bank anywhere matches that of the North Pole. There is a highly motivated team of close-knit community members hurriedly hustling to ensure that the people of their city and beyond get the break they deserve, whatever holiday they observe. Every table in the region must be laden with good celebratory meals. Every fridge and cabinet must be stocked, regardless of the time, effort, and cost.

Jan 7, 2025 | thespec.com | Emily Zarevich

Reading is a great joy, one that can especially sustain us during the long winter months. With storms raging outside, and the sun setting earlier, we stay indoors, and rely on our tableside lamps and our own imaginations for light and entertainment. We like crime and mystery novels for the thrills and the illusion of action when the weather keeps us stranded. We like romances for the tension and the intrigue.

Dec 10, 2024 | thespec.com | Emily Zarevich

It’s a story everyone knows. The people of Burlington certainly know it. A cursed prince, transformed into a wretched, hideous beast, denied his place in the world unless he experiences the liberating purity of true love. A woman, a Beauty, an exceptionally kind young woman, who just might be the one to break the spell. This is Drury Lane Theatre’s choice this year for a Christmas pantomime show. This version is a little different than the Disney output that everyone first got on VHS.