Kemble & Stonechild Year in Review

Our Year in Review

As we approach the end of the year, it is time for reflection. We brought in 2021 with a winter walk in our community as a family. We followed this with a family skate at an outdoor rink, and then we installed a wall of pictures in Tibetha's home office. A place in which Tibetha would perform work for NorQuest and WFD Inc. and write her Ph.D. dissertation.

We settled into the 2021 style of dress shirts and business tops accompanied by comfy jeans, as it turned out to be another year of many things virtual.

Anxiety management and mental health and well-being were themes that spilled in from the year prior. We fully embraced the use of our newly acquired weighted blankets, including for the dog.

I enjoyed quick reads of "Tyranny of Merit" and "Justice; What's the Right Thing to Do?" both by Michael Sandel.

We would add art pieces in our home, all Indigenous and for this year, mainly of Norval Morriseau.

Before the end of January, we broke down. We adopted our Covid puppy, Smokey ("Smokey and Bandit"), the latest addition to our family.

In quarter one, our firm took our commitment to positive bais recruitment to another level. This was part of our journey, but current events undoubtedly influenced us. We, therefore, embraced an explicit focus on alleviating inequities of historically disadvantaged or colonized groups in our recruitment processes and outcomes.

I continued my personal work on post-traumatic stress recovery. Books like Richard Wagamese's "A Perfect Likeness" were such gifts along the journey.

In March, thieves stole our car out of our garage. This was unsettling in terms of the theft and more so of the intrusion into our safe haven. Together, as a family, we navigated that very well. Tibetha now has a new car, which she allows me to drive on the weekends if I am good.

As Easter approached, we were faced with rising pandemic case numbers. We ordered a steak dinner delivered to Larry in Calgary, timed it just right and shared a meal virtually over Zoom. It was a welcome and endearing moment of connection that just hit the spot. Even though we are separated, at times by many things, Nitanis and Uncle Larry have a special bond that is a pleasure to watch.

I ended up creating a Witness Credibility and Level of Discipline Human Resources App with a programmer and data scientist out of Toronto, in my spare time, as a hobby. Who does that? I guess I do.

Our family took every early opportunity to get vaccinated with each dose as soon as possible. Nitanis worked hard in advance to overcome her fear of needles and stepped up like a champ when the time was right. I remember a feeling of relief and a sense of hope when getting the second dose.

We noticed the general breakdown of mental health during the pandemic. We launched our #20percentchallenge campaign, which calls for people to dedicate 20% of their safety moments to mental health and well-being topics.

Our dogs would hit a combined weight of 240 pounds by mid-year, leaving little room on our bed for us. Whose idea was it to let them up on the bed anyway? We manage.

In the summer, Tibetha and Nitanis went on a mommy/daughter mini-vacation to Vancouver. I stayed home to take care of the dogs and start the basement renovations. The pandemic is rough on kids. I am so grateful that Tibetha always would try to find things to break up the routine for Nitanis.

I needed to start addressing my COVID 30 (sic). It became apparent that my love of cooking, and more directly, my love of eating, was starting to have a predictable effect. I started using the Noom App successfully, and the weight started to shed. As bargaining activity increased, I fell off the diet wagon, and the weight reversed direction once again. Sigh.

When Tibetha finished the bulk writing portion of her dissertation, she filled some of her newfound time with a new contract for WFD Inc. Also, she found time for some personal space for herself. She joined Orange Theory and crushed it. I would witness her getting stronger each week. Tibetha eventually convinced me to join. It is nice to mix things up and add another health-rich activity to our routine. With this and new habits from Noom, I am happy with my health and weight progress.

Soon after their return from the Vancouver trip, Nitanis and I would take a road trip to Strathmore to meet up with Valerie (and clan) and Auntie Sue for a special dinner and visit. It was a highlight of my summer.

Meanwhile, I ordered and then burned through Jody Wilson Raybould's book "An Indian in Cabinet." What an inspiration, and we have so much more work to do…

Our company would finally become ISNET and SECOR certified. It was at times a test of patience for the absurd, unnecessarily costly—to the point of being exclusionary, but we got it done.

I came across the book "The Meritocracy Trap" by Daniel Markovits and devoured it in a weekend.

We planned periodic outings and events with Tibetha's parents Bryce and Stella, throughout the year. One of which involved attending the Vincent van Gogh exhibit at the Expo Centre and then sharing a meal at the Creperie. What a wonderful and memorable evening.

As vaccination and public orders started to escalate, I found it hard to imagine a small employer having the wherewithal to navigate this complex area of employment policy and law. So I wrote and made available on a pay what you can basis an employers' proof of vaccination policy.

Marie Henein's book "Nothing but the Truth" exemplifies perseverance, strength and integrity. I enjoyed the book and found no reason for her to be on the "cancel culture" list. People need to get a grip and read a book—start with that one.

Nitanis and I got into the habit of sneaking off to Original Joe's for a daddy-daughter lunch date from time to time as a treat. We have an incredible person in her, and she still puts up with my dad-jokes.

On September 30th, Tibetha spoke to leaders of 50,000 Canadian workers on the truth of our colonial history and the need for reconciliation.

In October, we enjoyed quality time with Sara, Chris and Braden McLeod at our annual staff retreat in Jasper. It was the only time we saw each other face-to-face all year long as we are a virtual office. We are lucky to work with such fantastic, salt-of-the-earth people.

As part of our commitment to our environment and local farmers, we started to source more of our food from local farmers' markets, switched from dairy milk to oat milk, and now use a vegan ground beef alternative in our cooking at home.

Like most Edmontonians, we thoroughly enjoyed the extended time with the fall colours throughout September and October. This made for beautiful dog walks through our river valley.

I came across James Suzman's book "Work" and ate it up.

This year we passed the anniversary of Tibetha and Brad's land back moment. They applied part of their 60's scoop settlement money towards jointly purchasing a home where Brad lives today. The day Brad moved in was the most beautiful sibling survivance moment, a memory I will cherish for my whole lifetime.

This year I had the pleasure of relating to colleagues by mentoring human resource practitioners in one program and mentoring new immigrants settling into their occupations in another program. This brought needed variety and meaningfulness to my work weeks. I am grateful for these opportunities.

We managed to go on a family vacation to Maui and returned two days before Omicron started on the scene. It was a needed break and a fantastic experience.

Tibetha or I should say Dr. Tibetha Stonechild, successfully defended her over 340-page dissertation. It was accepted as a "straight pass" without revision, which is rare.

Nitanis is doing well in school and is proving to be a kind, compassionate and generous friend to her peers. Her art is fantastic and will take her wherever she wants to go.

I just received news that in 2022 I will serve as a director on the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce Board.

That's all for now. With the state of the pandemic, we will end the year quietly.

All the best to each of you and see you next year!

The Kembles / Stonechilds