Bridging the Social Distance

Jenny Mitchell

A show that aims to give a platform for sharing ideas, perspectives and feelings in the wake of the Global COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews will feature local Guelphites as well as people living elsewhere around the world. bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

  1. 4d ago

    Ep 302 - Norm Shoemaker (The Village of Riverside Glen)

    For this episode I interview Norm Shoemaker, a resident at The Village of Riverside Glen. Norm is 96, and was born and raised in Guelph, so it may not come as huge surprise that we bonded over local history! I learned of some places that were new to me (including the Guelph Casket Factory) and got a wonderful glimpse into a Guelph many decades before my time. Norm is appreciative of the experiences he has had in his life, and has settled in to accept the days ahead, however many there may be. This was lovely and I’m so appreciative of Norm indulging my curiosity! This interview was originally recorded on May 28 2026 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

    46 min

  2. Jun 3

    Ep 301 - Bob Griffiths (The Village of Riverside Glen)

    For this episode my guest is Bob Griffiths, a resident living in Egerton (the assisted living neighbourhood) and The Village of Riverside Glen. Bob is very proud of his family, sharing about many of his children and grandchildren and their accomplishments, he’s a proud retiree from Hydro, and shares an interesting window to this career and his pathway that got him there. He is a passionate world traveler, and shares some of the highlights from his travels. And he’s also very open and honest about his life in the after math of recovering from having a stroke. There are many pieces of his stage of life that are likely relatable to his peers, and we appreciate him being so candid and being willing to connect. Thanks Bob! This interview was originally recorded on April 30th, 2026 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

    59 min

  3. May 26

    Ep 300 - Scotty Hertz (Down on the Corner), BTSD reflection episode

    This is the 300th episode!!! For this special episode I recruited longtime friend and radio host Scotty Hertz for a co-interview: He interviews me about the history of the show, its specific origins born out of covid, and the mobile community radio philosophies that led to it, and we talk about my ten+year mobile radio history at CFRU and what has been learned and expanded on along the way, in terms of creating radio opportunities for folks in our communities who may go underrepresented and/or experience barriers to access. And in turn I interview Scotty, because he has just started a project that is very much inspired by the same gaps and needs: “Down on the Corner”. Down on the Corner is a radio program, in the form of a radio show that airs Tuesdays at 1:30 on CFRU’s airways, but it is also a grassroots, hyper-local project aimed to get physical radios in the hands of our most vulnerable community members. They can listen to CFRU, and specifically Scotty’s show, to access crucial information about resources available in our community, to hear interviews radio docs on political issues, and/or to make requests and hear music they might enjoy - but they can also use the radios to listen to whatever they want. This episode was originally recorded on May 11, 2026 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

    1 hr

  4. May 19

    Ep 299 - Donald Bridges (The Village of Riverside Glen)

    For this episode my guest is Donald Bridges, a resident at The Village of Riverside Glen. We talk about his passions through his life (including skiing, sailing, and wood carving) and his fascinating career in corrugated cardboard - largely in the “new products division” which brought him through some very interesting situations! Thanks Don for sharing your story! This interview was originally recorded on April 23, 2026 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

    1h 2m

  5. May 14

    Ep 298 - Skip Redpath (The Village of Riverside Glen)

    For this episode I interview Skip Redpath, a resident at The Village of Riverside Glen. Skip moved in fairly recently, but he has settled right in, making close friendships and helping his fellow residents. He shares a window into the interesting way his brain works, counting through decades to place himself in time, a response to changes that he’s been experiencing in his memory, likely connected to a brain tumour. He talks about his past, his family, and how he’s learning his limits, balancing his desire to help, with what’s safe at this stage of life living in care. He’s a good spirit and I was thankful for him making the time to chat! Thanks Skip! This interview was originally recorded on April 16, 2026 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

    54 min

  6. May 12

    Ep 297 - Brent Fletcher (The Village of Riverside Glen)

    For this episode I interview Brent Fletcher, a resident at The Village of Riverside Glen. Brent is new to Riverside Glen in terms of living there, but he knew where he wanted to be for this stage of life, having spent five years visiting and supporting his wife as her illness brought her to long term care. Brent has a positive attitude on the other side of the loss - he shares about his many moves between England, Australia and Canada, his love of golf, his career as a pattern-maker, and how his love of dancing brought him to concerts of some of the most famous bands you can think of. Thanks Brent for sharing your story! This interview was originally recorded on April 2nd 2026 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

    56 min

  7. Apr 30

    Ep 296 - Great Aunt Ida

    For this episode I veer away from my normal format to interview an old friend, Ida Nilsen, known for her music project Great Aunt Ida, in advance of a few shows she was playing in the area. Great Aunt Ida has been making music under this name for over twenty years, starting in BC, moving to Toronto for a stretch, and then Detroit before returning to Vancouver. We talk a bit about this history, where her and I connected along the way, and her journey to and from music as she also navigated an undergrad and then PHD in architecture and landscape architecture. As her studies started crossing into soundscapes the worlds started at times to collide, and Ida has graduated, and returned to music with a whole new collection of songs. It’s wonderful to have her back, and I’m delighted to get to share the bill with her for a couple of her remaining shows on this Ontario tour. By the time this is posted the shows will have gone by, so please excuse all the details reminding you of upcoming shows. Hopefully she will return again before too long! This interview was originally recorded on April 9th, 2026 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

    57 min

  8. Apr 15

    Ep 295 - John Conibear (The Village of Riverside Glen)

    In this longer-than-normal episode I interview John Conibear, a resident at The Village of Riverside Glen. John lives in retirement, and his wife lives up in Emma's Neighbourhood, an area of Riverside Glen that focuses on memory-care. John opens up how hard it is to experience this separation, after 64 years of marriage - even if it's the same building, on another floor, being apart, and navigating his wife's memory decline, is a very heavy experience. I loved this conversation, and John really got me talking! He shared about his career as a customs officer, then working for the customs tribunal, which expanded into a philosophical conversation about observing human beings, and what can be learned from the absence of information, and how it important it is to pay attention to what we don't find, while searching. John gives insights into adjusting to this stage of life, to hearing loss, to sharing space, and to having to go a bit longer between games of golf. Thank you John for giving me a bit of extra time with you for this longer chat! This interview was originally recorded on March 26th, 2026 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

    1h 29m
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A show that aims to give a platform for sharing ideas, perspectives and feelings in the wake of the Global COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews will feature local Guelphites as well as people living elsewhere around the world. bridgingthesocialdistance.substack.com

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