What is the Hidden Stories of York Region Podcast About?
Hidden Stories of York Region (HSYR) is a podcast about disrupting the dominant narratives about the region by sharing stories about lived realities, community issues, and innovative solutions. Each podcast episode features guest speakers living and/or working across the region in connection to the theme of the season. Our conversations tackle challenging community topics in order to arrive at ideas and solutions for change.
Who created the podcast, and what were their motivations and intentions?
The podcast was initially created by three community members, Yvonne Kelly, Herleen Arora, and Janine Berridge Paul in support of their work in the community and advocacy on issues impacting education, homelessness, employment, youth, civic engagement, and more. Rebecca Pacheco later joined the team to support content development and social media management. Below, each member shares what motivated them to create this podcast and what it has meant to them.
Yvonne:
There was a pivotal moment for me in 2011 when we were working on a social audit, collecting and sharing the stories of individuals on the margins in York Region. During a meeting with elected officials, one counsellor stood up and said that he didn’t need to be there because there wasn’t any poverty in his municipality. I remember being so struck by that comment and wondered if he actually believed that or just didn’t want to come to terms with it.
Since then, I’ve encountered the persistent narrative of the Region as an affluent place where no one lacks for anything. The problem with this single story is that the realities of those who are struggling remain untold, and as a result, we have lost ground on building the structures and supports to meet the needs of a growing number of people in the region who are part of a precarious workforce, who exist on low to moderate incomes, and who live with the ongoing stress of poverty and marginalization.
Janine:
What really struck me was the fact that York Region was perpetually showcased as a place of prosperity and wealth, however, for the clients I was working with, this was not the reality. I asked myself, why are their stories denied?
This also reflected my own personal experience growing up. My parents are from the Caribbean and for me, growing up in the Region, it really did not reflect the needs of Caribbean families. Challenges experienced included discrimination, not having access to culturally appropriate services, and lack of cultural activities, to name a few. This was not a story specific to me, and in fact it was the experience of many friends from different backgrounds. There wasn’t the space or opportunity to tell our story or express our needs. It was almost as if our experience was silenced or not welcomed.
By engaging in Hidden Stories of York Region, my hopes are that stories such as the ones I mentioned come to light. I hope that by sharing my own story and providing an empowering and connected platform others will come forward as well.
Herleen:
Growing up in a household with domestic violence for over 15 years, at a very young age, I witnessed my family interact and face multiple barriers with systems in the Region that were supposedly there to “serve/support us”. I saw the challenges my Punjabi mother faced accessing shelters, finding pro-bono legal support, and culturally relevant services – seeing York Region police on a monthly basis at our front doors – and not taking our family situation seriously, and watching my sister deal with many challenges related to the York Region District School Board teachers and the education system.
So for me, I believe this podcast has the opportunity to connect community stories and lived realities we don’t hear enough of and inform the inclusive design of communities for residents to survive and thrive in. I hope this podcast will shed light on the critical needs/realities that we collectively need to consider when designing inclusive policies and spaces.
Rebecca:
When I was approached to join the Hidden Stories team there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I wanted to support in any way I could. Seeing what these three amazing women were able to create was incredible – and getting to be a part of that is an honour. Hidden Stories has created a special space and opportunity to amplify the stories and lived realities of communities that otherwise may go untold.
I have lived in York Region for all of my life. I have experienced its beauty, but also its gaps and shortcomings. To me, this podcast is an important opportunity to connect communities and amplify voices, but also to advocate for essential social change and development. Storytelling is such a powerful tool in this work, and it is an honour to be a part of this incredible journey.
Stories that the podcast has focused on include…
Hidden Stories has highlighted stories that both impact individuals and communities. Our first season was devoted to introducing listeners to “our why” and highlighting common issues within the Region such as diversity, settlement, and youth needs. The second season highlighted stories of the amazing work happening across the Region and what a just recovery from COVID-19 would look like. Our most recent season looks at housing and the issues and triumphs across the Region.
Lessons we have learned along the way…
We are a small team that produces this podcast on a volunteer basis. While we think big and want to tackle as much as possible, we have learned that great things take time. We have also learned the benefit of forming partnerships. We have partnerships with Aurora Public Library and York University, and these relationships have allowed us to expand our reach and do more with our resources.
What you can expect next…
Season 3 of Hidden Stories of York Region launched on all platforms on August 8th, 2022. This season, we took a different approach and joined forces with Aurora Public Library. Season 3 focuses on a critical community issue that impacts us all – housing in York Region. Housing, affordable housing, and supportive housing has become top of mind for everyone with the Region of York declaring a housing crisis in early 2020.
York Region has one of the lowest vacancy levels across Ontario. A significant lack of rental units to begin with has resulted in bidding wars and landlords asking for months of rent in advance, creating an untenable situation for low- and middle-income earners. A sharp increase in illegal evictions and renovictions has also compounded the situation. We wanted to take this entire season to dive deeper into some of these issues.
As we think ahead, we want to share YOUR stories. If you have ideas, want to get involved, or be on an episode, please reach out to hiddenstoriesyr@gmail.com and/or co-founder Herleen Arora at herleen.arora@gmail.com
The podcast is available on iTunes and Spotify as well as The Aurora Public Library’s YouTube channel.