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As a child, she witnessed brutal bullying. Now she’s teaching thousands of kids to stand up to tormentors

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CALGARY—Just before the start of a new school year, Lisa Dixon-Wells is standing in front of a group of teachers, as she does countless times, with a message.

As she opens her session in the small, cluttered classroom, she jokes that if she had her way, she would have two full days to discuss the issue of bullying. But given the busy pre-September prep time, a three-hour talk will have to do.

Despite the lighthearted tone, she’s not exaggerating: Dixon-Wells is a fountain of facts, figures and statistics about bullying and its impact, and she has big ideas about how to create change — far more than she can fit into just a few hours.

It’s not about changing the bullies, she explains, but creating communities where bullying behaviour is unacceptable.

Her organization, Dare to Care, has brought bullying prevention and education programs to more than 1,200 schools since the group was founded nearly 20 years ago. She and her team work with kids, parents and teachers in an effort to make sure everyone in a school community has the tools to identify and address bullying.

When Dare to Care was founded in 1999, the organization was a one-woman show. Dixon-Wells handled every aspect of the work under a single corporate sponsor until making the official transition to a non-profit organization in 2013. Now the group has a volunteer board of directors and four trained contract facilitators who run sessions at schools. Dixon-Wells is focused on bringing more people onto the team so she can reach even more kids.

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Dixon-Wells’ work focuses on children, but her message is about the insidious ways bullying can affect everyone. During her session at the school, she asks the teachers to think about the names and faces of people who were considered their school bullies growing up. “I’m sure even now you can remember,” she says, as many nod along.

Those little bullies often turn into big bullies and bring the same behaviour into their adult workplaces and relationships, Dixon-Wells says. And that’s a cycle that she aims to stop in its tracks.

Dare to Care’s message emphasizes creating safe communities by educating the people who witness bullying but don’t do anything to stop it — and Dixon-Wells says she counts herself among those who have been bystanders. Sometimes people assume her passion for the cause comes from experiences of being bullied herself, but it’s the thought of a boy she knew through all her school years that reminds her of how damaging bullying can be.

“In Grade 8, this boy was in my homeroom and I watched daily as he was threatened, pushed down the hall, shoved into lockers, glasses stepped on — just absolutely ruthlessly treated,” she says.

Years later, he showed up to her high school reunion and Dixon-Wells decided she had to say something.

“I remember going up to him and saying, ‘I’m so sorry for how we treated you.’ And he burst into tears and said, ‘Thank you. You’re the first person who’s ever acknowledged how tough things were for me.’

“His life, I happen to know, has never recovered from that.”

Former CFL player Randy Chevrier is now a workshop facilitator with Dare to Care, a bullying prevention organization. He says the program has had an immeasurable impact on the lives of the young people it reaches. Follow the Toronto Star on social media:

Taking on bullying prevention involved a few unexpected turns from her original career plans. Growing up in Calgary, Dixon-Wells, 56, knew from the time she was 12 that she wanted to be a physical education teacher. As a competitive swimmer, sport had been at the centre of her life and family from an early age.

After studying kinesiology and education at the University of Calgary, she took her first phys-ed teaching job in Portage la Prairie, Man. But just a year after she arrived, Dixon-Wells was asked if she’d be interested in filling an unexpected vacancy for a school counsellor. She agreed to apply, and got the job.

“It was the worst mistake I made in my life,” she tells the gathering of teachers, nearly 30 years later, adding, “And also the best mistake.”

That mistake was the first step on the way to founding Dare to Care.

“I worked harder my first two years as a school counsellor than I did in all of my university, because now it was real,” Dixon-Wells says. “These issues were real, these kids were real, and I didn’t want to let them down.”

Bullying was an issue that stood out right away. At first, Dixon-Wells focused on the kids identified as bullies and their targets, bringing them into separate groups and working on skills to try to stop the cycle. But she saw, time and time again, that any progress was reversed as soon as the children went back to their classrooms.

“In the safety of that little group, (the targets) seemed to be thriving, but you send them back to the classroom where nobody else stood up for them and they quickly reverted to being a target again.”

After a few years in Manitoba, Dixon-Wells took a new job as the district school counsellor for the Golden School Division in British Columbia. She thought the job would be a significant step up and a chance to lead a team of counsellors working at all the different schools. But she soon learned she was a team of one: the only counsellor serving all the elementary schools in what was, at the time, one of the largest school districts in Canada.

Soon she was spending two to three hours every day on the highway between Field, Golden and Revelstoke, B.C., instead of spending time working with kids.

“That was my wake-up call,” she says. “I said, I’m going to burn out here and this is not what I want to be doing.”

Despite her efforts, she wasn’t sure she was having a lasting impact on the kids who needed help. And while that frustration led her to quit, it wasn’t because she wanted to give up. She returned to the University of Calgary to do a master’s degree in education, focusing on educational psychology, in order to figure out how to effect concrete change in schools.

Today, the vast majority of schools that have gone through the Dare to Care program are in Alberta. But Dixon-Wells has also taken the sessions for students, teachers and parents across western Canada, as well as to a handful of schools elsewhere in the country and internationally. Last year, they began giving workshops to amateur sports teams as well, with Dixon-Wells pushing to keep expanding the organization’s work.

Randy Chevrier, a former CFL player who is now one of the Dare to Care workshop facilitators, says that relentless drive is one of Dixon-Wells’ defining characteristics.

“She’s tireless,” he says. “Basically, she wears every hat for Dare to Care and she’s been doing it for years.

“From Lisa I’ve learned that if you’re passionate about something, the opportunities will come.”

Dare to Care’s philosophy turns the old focus on bullies and their targets on its head. Instead, parents, teachers and students are taught that the “silent majority” of bystanders who witness the behaviour have to create a culture where bullying is unacceptable.

“We may not change the 2 per cent of kids in the school who really are the ringleaders, the bullies of the school,” Dixon-Wells says, “but we can darn well empower the 98 per cent to take a stand to the 2 per cent.”

Nimue Lacelle, a Grade 9 student at Calgary’s H.D. Cartwright School, went through the Dare to Care program earlier this year. She said the all-day session went beyond many of the messages she’s heard about bullying throughout her school life: the basics about what not to do and to always tell an adult if someone is being bullied.

“I feel like Dare to Care dove deeper into what all of that actually means,” she said.

“The presentation definitely opened up some options for if I see bullying going on,” she said. “It helped me understand what, exactly, I can do to help.”

Eryn Willis, a Grade 8 student who attended the Dare to Care program at St. Matthew School, agrees.

“Before I saw the presentation, I thought that if you became a target, you would always be a target, and there’s nothing else to do,” she said. “But I learned there’s always time to start fresh.”

Dixon-Wells is full of catchphrases that help illustrate how bullying works: “stinking thinking” from adults in a child’s home life can lead them to adopt bullying behaviour to get what they want in their own relationships. And a “bag of excuses” is what bullies pull out to deal with feelings of remorse about how they affect others, placing blame instead of taking responsibility for their behaviour.

It’s all part of helping people understand why bullying happens and how to intervene. Dixon-Wells maintains that bullying is a learned behaviour, and it can be unlearned, but early intervention is key. She also emphasizes that it’s important to define bullying properly as a repetitive, intentional pattern of targeting someone.

“I would like to say that Dare to Care was one of the first programs to start looking at the bystanders as the secret,” she says.

Story Behind the Story delivers insights into how the Star investigates, reports, and produces stories.

Dixon-Wells’ work in bullying prevention happened somewhat by accident, but she says it’s not entirely surprising. She was a “rescuer” as a child, something she continues in her adult life rescuing animals. At one point, she had four rescue animals living with her — three cats and a dog — but she’s now taking care of just two senior cats.

“I seem to attract people who need to talk,” she says. “I seem to be the one people come to.”

And she’s motivated to help people feel capable of intervening in a way she never did for the boy she still remembers.

At the time, she says, bullying was a kind of “rite of passage” for kids, and nobody was dealing with it. Even up until Dare to Care was created, the conversation about what bullying is and how it can hurt people was still just developing. Dixon-Wells wants to make sure that message keeps moving forward.

Dare to Care’s facilitators are in front of about 45,000 students every year, and Dixon-Wells says those presentations can be especially intense. For middle-school students, it’s a full day of learning that can quickly become emotional.

“We often find that toward the end of the day, those kids who have been identified as the bullies are actually going up and having heartfelt apologies,” she says.

“Tears — lots of tears and a lot of relief that these kids are finally owning what they’ve done and realizing the damage they’ve done and making those apologies.”

Chevrier says the impact of Dare to Care’s message is clear from watching those sessions that the message Dare to Care brings is having an impact. Ultimately, they’re trying to ensure that the cultural change they advocate is woven into the cultural fabric of as many schools as possible.

“You don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives, but that eight hours a day … that might be the time they get to escape what’s going on,” he says. “Hopefully, the place you’re existing in with them is not the place they’re trying to escape.”

Dare to Care proves that the solutions aren’t necessarily easy, but he says they are simple.

“It’s treating each other with respect and having an awareness that everyone has a story.”

It looks as if you appreciate our journalism. Our reporting changes lives, connects communities and effects change. But good journalism is expensive to produce, and advertiser revenue throughout the media industry is falling and unable to carry the cost. That means we need you, our readers. We need your help. If you appreciate deep local reporting, powerful investigations and reliable, responsible information, we hope you will support us through a subscription. Please click here to subscribe.

The Star is profiling 12 Canadians who are making our lives better. Next week we talk to Indigenous culture booster Sage Paul.

Madeline Smith is a reporter/photographer with StarMetro Calgary. Follow her on Twitter: @meksmith

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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