The Teenage Perspective on Downtown Simcoe in the Time of COVID-19

The Teenage Perspective on Downtown Simcoe in the Time of COVID-19

Hayden Miller-Cluckie
Norfolk County

This is an extraordinary time to write about cities and towns. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing everyone to reconsider how we use public spaces. There is so much uncertainty. Right now, the phrase ‘physical distancing’ has taken over, specifying the need to keep at least two metres away from others. For the immediate future, physical distancing is a necessity; if we are able to ‘flatten the curve’ of the pandemic, perhaps this will remain only as a guideline or recommendation. Life will be different, though. Post-pandemic, what will public spaces be like?

Ten Things That We Love (and Really Miss Right Now) in Downtown London

Ten Things That We Love (and Really Miss Right Now) in Downtown London

Andrew Gunn
London

Many of our favourite moments have happened in downtown London. Lovely nights at local restaurants. Discovering new shops. Random experiences at festivals and events. Thought-provoking and inspiring shows at galleries, concert halls, and theatres. We have really had a great time in the City! More than anything right now, though, we miss the people that we have met along the way, the familiar faces in the restaurants, cafés, and shops.

The Impact of COVID-19 on High School Students

The Impact of COVID-19 on High School Students

Maddie King
St Thomas, London

The past few weeks have been very confusing for students. One of the hardest parts of the COVID-19 outbreak has been the overwhelming sense of uncertainty. There are many questions: Will we be returning to school this year? Will we be starting online classes? For high school seniors, the biggest question is obvious: will we be graduating this year? If not, what happens to our post-secondary plans? We have been given no answers, and that is scary.

High School Derailed

High School Derailed

Isabelle Paradis
St Thomas, London

March 2020 was supposed to be a fun month for me. Starting off with celebrating my 18th birthday, I would follow that with a week-long vacation in Cozumel, a Billie Eilish concert in Detroit, and the chance to see a production of Hamilton: An American Musicalat the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto. All of those plans were quickly derailed within a few days. Postponed family celebrations, shortened trips and cancelled performances became my new reality.

What We've Learned About Downtown Simcoe & Norfolk County

What We've Learned About Downtown Simcoe & Norfolk County

Andrew Gunn
Norfolk County

Every downtown feels open or closed. This may be an abstract statement, but listen to the people who frequent the area or live nearby – the way that individuals talk about a downtown space will tell you right away whether the area is considered open or closed. In this context, we use ‘open’ to mean welcoming, inviting, surprising, attractive and distinctive; by contrast, the word ‘closed’ is short-hand for detached, cold, boring, run-down and unexceptional. 

How We Spent Our Summer in Ontario’s Southwest

How We Spent Our Summer in Ontario’s Southwest

Andrew Gunn
London, Norfolk County, St Thomas

Just like driving to a concert and feeling excited for the show, our team at young & free press has developed a way to travel to a community and imagine the whole setting as the performance. We call this life-art … the experience may contain music, paintings, theatre, sculptures, books, virtual reality, sports, businesses, video games, natural environments, culinary experiences, and roadside attractions, but we like to imagine the total picture.

Homeless in St. Thomas

Homeless in St. Thomas

Jenn Klassen
St Thomas

Recently Andrew Gunn and I met with Sandy Westaway, who runs the Inn Out of the Cold shelter in St. Thomas. Needless to say, I learned a lot about the homeless people in our small town and the details shocked me.

Exploring Ontario's Southwest

Exploring Ontario's Southwest

Andrew Gunn
London, Norfolk County, St Thomas

One thing that our young & free press team has learned since we started-up the business is that there are remarkable things happening every day in our communities … we just have to jump in and explore! Well, we now have the opportunity to take this spirit to a whole new level: beginning this spring, we will be collaborating with the Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation to present some fun new content on our Instagram page!

GROW Time!

GROW Time!

Andrew Gunn
St Thomas

Our team at young & free press loves to collaborate with community partners on fun, innovative projects. What’s next? Well, we are excited to help establish new ‘pop-up shops’ around southwestern Ontario, beginning with the first site in our home-base of St. Thomas!

Ten Songs to Check Out by JUNO-Nominated Artists

Ten Songs to Check Out by JUNO-Nominated Artists

Andrew Gunn
London

With the JUNO Awards coming to Budweiser Gardens in London on Sunday, March 17th, our team at young & free press have been busy listening to albums and songs by the artists nominated this year. We have a unique dynamic, of course, as our owner & editor Andrew Gunn is 40 years old, and all our journalists are teenagers!

Interview: Matt Mays

Interview: Matt Mays

Andrew Gunn

On February 8th, our young journalists Jenn Klassen and Emily Stage had a chance to chat with Matt Mays, well-known across Canada and beyond for his distinctive voice and lyrics, thunderous live shows and string of rock radio hits.

Social Media and Teens

Social Media and Teens

Jenn Klassen
St Thomas, Norfolk County, London

Adults don’t look at social media from the same perspective as teenagers. Sometimes adults don’t fully understand the apps. Teenagers use social media differently than most might think. They are more than aware of every picture they post and how those images will be received by

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