As I walk towards the home of Pauline Christian and her family, I wave to the young boy sitting on the front steps. Oddly enough, he does not wave back. Moving closer, I see that it is actually a statue of a young boy. “A lot of people have said, ‘Why do you have him sit there so long in the sun?’” laughs Christian about the life-like statue. “But I like animated stuff. I used to have fish and back home when we were kids, we used to have dogs and cats.”

Jamaican-born Christian, her husband Harold Anthony, son D’Juvayne and daughter Harolyn (both in their 20s) were one of the first residents in their Ajax, Ont. neighbourhood when they moved in 23 years ago. “I built this house from scratch,” she says proudly of the home that evokes both a warmth and regal quality. “This is my decoration. Even the landscape, I did it myself.”

Like her home, Christian, the founder, owner, CEO and president of The Best Lifestyle Residence, a retirement home located in Coldwater, Ont., has built her career from the ground up.

She excelled in school, made her mark in corporate Canada and is the recipient of many awards that highlight her leadership and entrepreneurial qualities. Christian spent 30 years at Bell Canada moving her way up and eventually obtaining a top-level management position. But when her husband fell ill, her request to work from home was denied. With encouragement from her kids, Christian decided that it was time to take control of her destiny.

“Here I am, a business major, and it seems like I’m OK just because I’m doing well in corporate Canada,” explains Christian, who is also the president of The Black Business and Professional Association. “But what about when they get to a point when they don’t need me or they can pay two people what they pay me. I realized that owning your own business is the key.”

And if you had a key to the Christian household, it would unlock the door to an eclectic mix of classics crossed with multicultural accents. As a missionary, her world travels have taken Christian to places like Kenya, New Orleans, Mexico and Jamaica. Souvenir dolls from Mexico hang in the family room and an animal print theme — which includes a tiger print mat and zebra print curtains in the kitchen area — runs throughout the home. Meanwhile, a grandfather clock greets visitors in the foyer and there are princess telephones in the living room.

As the first room at the top of the staircase, Christian’s office is filled with all the necessities of a workspace, but with the comforts of a home. A cosy black leather couch contrasts nicely with the desk, chair and computers. Encyclopedias are found on one bookcase, while the awards Christian has received, such as the 2009 honour from the African Canadian Achievement Awards for her work in the community and business, sit on another.

So what feelings does Christian want visitors to take away from her home? “I want them to feel welcome,” she says. “For me, our home is our castle. You won’t find a lot of noise in this home because we believe that when things get rough outside, you should let your guard down when you come inside. This should be a place where you sense love and care.”

By Terri-Lynne Waldron

What is a young man to do when his father fails to see any future prospects in his creativity? If that young man is Canadian director and writer Sudz Sutherland, he sticks to his vision and pursues his dreams.

“My father considered writing to be lazy man’s work and not a stable career,” laughs the successful Scarborough-born filmmaker. With his wife, writer and producer Jennifer Holness, he created the production company Hungry Eyes Film & Television Inc. Its debut feature film, 2004’s Love, Sex & Eating the Bones won Best Canadian Feature at the Toronto International Film Festival (Perspective Canada) and Audience Award for Best Feature at the American Black Film Festival, just to name a couple. Some of the couple’s other collaborations include Doomstown, The Way the Ball Bounces, Speakers For The Dead, and My Father’s Hands, a story about Sutherland’s relationship with his father.

The couple and their three daughters, Rayne (9), Daeja (7), and Ciele (4), reside in a home accented with many personal touches. The house, located on a residential Toronto street, was purchased four years ago. Before they moved in, Holness had been taking the kids to a nearby park on a regular basis, and fell in love with the area. Her brother, a real estate agent who also has a window cleaning business, had spent time at the house, cleaning the windows for the previous owner. The house was up for sale, and the couple made the purchase with no hesitations.

Despite being drawn to the charming property, Holness and Sutherland learned that it had a bit of a dark and intriguing past. “The house was owned by a guy who was a doctor for the mob,” says Holness, whose latest collaboration with her husband is the VisionTV comedy series She’s the Mayor. “There’s a sauna downstairs that holds 20 people. He also built a panic room behind the library upstairs. He closed off one part of it so that you can go into the room, but never come out.”

Today, the home is much more welcoming, especially the spacious kitchen in which pale yellow cupboards are a striking contrast to the green tiled walls. The glass door in the kitchen looks out onto the backyard where the pool is located. This allows the couple to keep an eye on the kids.

But the kitchen looks nothing like it did before major renovations took place. “This was a big box,” says Holness of the kitchen area. “There was a garage door and that was it. Everything else was concrete, and all the fixtures that they put in were industrial. I wanted to have an eat-in kitchen and we had this dining room table, so I wanted to have a space that was just for the big table. It was about bringing light into the space.”

The kitchen isn’t the only part of the house that had a facelift. The rock garden, located at the side of the house, had previously been a deck. “Underneath the deck was asphalt and under the asphalt was concrete this big,” says Holness with outstretched arms. “We were thinking that we might find a dead body underneath.”

Stained glass windows can be found in many of the rooms and African art and family photos adorn some of the walls. The pastel colours of the kids’ bedrooms evoke the innocence of their youth. But the bed (big enough for five) in the master bedroom proves that the girls are welcome in their parents’ room as well.

With items sourced locally, in Jamaica and the U.S., the Sutherland-Holness home is a mixture of all of their influences, which was important for Holness. “Decor is a personal thing,” Holness says of their house filled with Caribbean and African accents. “I think that as filmmakers and creators we are always trying to have our voice out there and our home is a part of that.”

By Geena Lee

An image is worth 1,000 interpretations, and for photographer Michael Chambers, it’s also worth fighting for.

Described as the quintessential artist, Chambers is credited with redefining the perception of Black Canadian art. “I had to swim against the tide,” he says of his style. According to Chambers, this often meant challenging stereotypical symbols attached to the concept of Blackness. “In my images, I didn’t go for the upright fist, the barbed wire, etc. I chose to create my own symbols.”

One such example is Chambers’ infamous 1995 piece Watermelon, which depicts a watermelon precariously balanced on the nude buttocks of a Black woman. The image sparked a maelstrom of outrage and debate, with many deeming it offensive. “I knew that it would be controversial. Friends tried talking me out of it, but I just couldn’t walk away from it.”

While popular opinion at the time judged his use of the watermelon as derogatory, Chambers saw it as symbolic of redefining Blackness in the midst of balancing stereotypical images. “On one hand, we’re being told who we are, and on the other we already know who we are,” he says. “My point was that there was no way you could balance something round on something round. I was only able to get two shots before it crashed to the ground. The surface was a moving, living, breathing being.”

Watermelon had multiple layers of meaning that took years to be fully appreciated. For instance, Chambers shot the image from an angle to create a silhouette reminiscent of the African continent. “Many people didn’t get that until 10 years later,” he says.

Chambers grew as an artist during that tumultuous period in his early career. “I discovered myself at that time, and realized I had a tool I could use to tell stories and make statements that could empower people,” he says. As his work gained popularity and went on to be lauded and displayed worldwide, Chambers witnessed how various cultures had differing interpretations of his art. His piece The Boat received an interesting analysis in Japan. The image of an enslaved woman embarking on a transatlantic voyage by boat covered in what looked like white dust from an explosion, prompted Japanese audiences to recall Hiroshima’s bombing. This reading confirmed Chambers’ thoughts that “Black images are not specific to Black interpretation.”

A recent Harry Jerome Award recipient, Chambers is working with several magazines in Canada and overseas, and has expanded his creative range to include film when he took on the role of creative director and stills photographer for A Linc in Time and The Making of a Judge. He is also featured in the upcoming PBS film Through a Lens, Darkly. With his work exhibited at the Royal Ontario Museum, and a one-man show planned for the fall at the Savoy Wakefield Gallery, Chambers continues his contribution to the Canadian art world.

Reflecting on the current state of Black art in Canada, Chambers observes, “There’s less fear; with fear comes restraint, hesitation, sometimes denial and editing one’s thoughts and expression. There are a lot more Black Canadian artists now and I’m admiring just about everything I’m seeing from them.”

Cluttered and drab bedroom before purging and decorating. Image courtesy of W Network's "Save Us From Our House"

Gorgeous bedroom after! Image courtesy of W Networks' Save Us From Our House

By Eve Marshall

STEP 1 PURGING:

You have already established that you have great taste. Whether you are hitting the club, golf course, or PTA meeting you know how to work with your existing wardrobe to create that updated look.

Not so much with your home. You move in, get settled and as long as you are warm, comfy and all of your appliances are in working order you’re good. Then, when you get the itch, you head over to your local decor store and buy this or that picture or vase (which looks great in the store) but  once you get it home, you give your head a V-8 smack! You were hoping your bachelor pad would look like Donald Trump’s, but when you get home it looks like Donald’s dump!!

It’s always a great idea to get a registered Interior designer to come in and give you a consultation, but before you do that, you MUST purge. For some it might take a weekend and for others perhaps a month or two. If you need some serious motivation watch an episode or two of “hoarders”!

Why is purging such a wonderful thing? It’s a new beginning. You find treasures from your past that you completely forgot about. You will really see your space  now, without all of the clutter and you will give yourself the awesome opportunity to hand over your nearly new or completely unused items and give a blessing to someone in need.

3 Top reasons to purge

1-      It’s Spring!! Time to wash, ( or better yet throw away) those lace curtains.

2-     End of a relationship. Please refer to  Angela Basset in “ Waiting to Exhale”.

3-     Lost your last 10 pounds. [Or your first]

Don’t want to commit to a whole house Purge?  Try these 3 non-committal purging tips.

1-      Junk Drawer – Empty the entire drawer in a cardboard box. As you use each item, place it back in your drawer. After  1 month, give away everything  that’s left in the box, with the exception of seasonal items ( ie Turkey Baster). If you haven’t used it in a month, you probably don’t need it.

2-      Unmentionables- Each weekend empty 1 drawer, your sock drawer, your underwear drawer, your sexy underwear drawer. Get 2 baskets, one is the “You go girl” (or keep) basket and the other is the “what were you thinking” (or  throw away)  basket. It’s the easiest and quickest way to clean out your oldies-but-goodies. Please do not create a maybe pile. Keep it simple. Oiu, ou non!! Once that is done, get a sectional drawer organizer, ( from IKEA or Solutions). If you don’t want to fold your teddy and group your socks together you just stuff it in the sections and you have an automatic neat and tidy  drawer.

3-      Books, magazines, newspapers – Now this is a hard one for me. Being a designer I LOVE my mags!! But there are many other sources like, community centres, schools, art programs, nursing homes and women’s shelters  who would greatly value them.

Wak-in closet before purging. Image courtesy of W Networks' Save Us From Our House

Don't we all want a walk-in closet that looks like this? Image courtesy of W Networks' Save Us From This House

Eve Marshall is a registered Interior Designer and can be reached through her website.

Photo courtesy of The Toronto Star

By Robert Cribb

The outward signs of a man’s relationship status are most easily visible in his bedroom.

Witness there a bed covered in meticulously arranged throw pillows resting upon a satiny floral duvet that drapes elegantly downward to meet a frilly pleated skirt circling the bed frame and you may safely shed any doubt as to whether the male occupier is partnered.

Be equally sure he had absolutely nothing to do with any aspect of the bedding schematic detailed above.

Throw pillows are perhaps the most gender-specific consumer item ever invented.

And my poll of six male colleagues produced only one who had ever heard the phrase “bed skirt.”

Even he wasn’t quite sure what the item is intended to accomplish.

The man bed, in its natural state, is a spartan endeavour.

Until well into high school, I found repose upon sheets and blankets bearing the logos of NHL teams.

In university, I upgraded to faded orange and blue striped hand-me-down sheets paired with a radically conflicting red wool blanket with fraying ends.

Together, my bedding saw the inside of a washing machine every three months whether it needed it or not.

In short, I was a man pig sleeping in his own filth.

This made me the norm rather than the outlier.

Surveying the common household bed, most women see an artistic palate for aesthetic expression, a zen-inducing, end-of-day cocoon and a solemn space of intimate expression.

Men see a piece of low-maintenance, utilitarian sleep infrastructure.

At some level, we know our beds amount to an unwelcoming pile of unmade, uncleaned and unmatching offensiveness.

The point is, we don’t particularly care and assume everyone else shares our laissez-faire bedding philosophy.

Until, that is, the gorgeous woman we’ve been dating makes her first entrance into our bedroom and dry heaves before deciding she has an early meeting in the morning and better get going.

At this point, and only at this point, do we consider it time for a bed upgrade.

“It doesn’t look inviting,” says Zelda Lacob, a partner in the Toronto bed store A Touch of Brass (3428 Yonge St.) as she enters my bedroom and casts a skeptical gaze at my rumpled pile of white pillows and duvet.

“If you have white pillows they have to be crisp, clean and welcoming. I don’t want to put my head on that.”

She then offers a series of suggestions that include such strange terms as “scatter cushions.”

And “sham.”

This strangely candid noun says it all, no? And without the faintest hint of irony.

While my white duvet can stay, the rest needs work, she declares.

Two of the four white pillows are replaced with a decorative “toboggan”-style cover. The remaining two pillow covers are ironed crisp.

Between them, she recommends a single purposeless — although apparently attractive — grey pillow to “tie it all together.”

For the foot of the bed, she presents a Canadiana red blanket with emblazoned moose silhouettes.

Sure, we’re still talking a throw pillow, a decorative blanket I’ll never use for actual warmth and shams that render the pillows inside them unfit for actual sleeping purposes.

But the patterns and textures are distinctly masculine.

And, if pressed, one must concede the overall effect reduces the look of juvenile slobbery, general carelessness and off-putting anticipation of body odour, drool and pie crumbs.

Throwing just any combination of colours or patterns on your bed isn’t going to work, says Lacob.

Avoid, for example, the classic bachelor colour scheme: black and white.

“It’s the worst,” she deadpans. “It’s harsh. Go for creams and browns.”

And what about, I offer, a blue-and-white bedding pattern featuring large Toronto Maple Leaf logos throughout?

The very notion went over like a fart in church.

“Absolutely not,” she scolds.

It’s visually offensive.

“And anyway, they lose all the time.”

Consider this impeccable wisdom: If the male bed overhaul is ultimately about scoring, Leafs symbolism delivers precisely the wrong motivational message.

Originally published in The Star March 9, 2011

By Leroy Graham with notes from Jon Sarpong

When National Football League (NFL) superstar Keyshawn Johnson announced that he would be starring in a design show on A&E, surely there were a few snickers going on behind his back. What could an NFL wide receiver know about interior design? Quite a lot, actually, as viewers of the show came to realize. Suddenly, the athletic “dumb jock” profile gave way to the prospect that some athletes might actually be intelligent and sport interests of value outside the sports arena.

Former National Hockey League (NHL) goalie Kevin Weekes is one such athlete. Having made a quick and successful transition from athlete to analyst, it’s obvious that Weekes is not your average jock. But many people are surprised to find out that he’s as comfortable reading design magazines as he is on the ice.

“People have really only known me as a goalie,” says Weekes. “The interesting thing about that is that your mask is always on, so people don’t see the different sides of you the way they do with other players.  But I am actually very passionate about style, design and anything artistic.”

Weekes’ elegant style and well developed design sense is evident with a visit to his Toronto home, where he lives with his wife Stephanie, owner of Patrick Cassidy and Associates, a Toronto-based commercial design firm.

The couple has used its creative energy, skill and talent to design a living space that conjures up thoughts of South Beach, with a hint of the Caribbean. For Weekes, being able to bring a little southern comfort to Toronto is something that he has looked forward to for years.

“Between junior hockey and then the NHL, I’ve been away from Toronto for 17 years, excluding the off-season, which I would spend in the city,” he says. “But being back full time has been great, and coming home to the same place is really nice.”

Returning to Toronto has given Weekes more time to concentrate on the design of his 6,000-sq. ft. home. Taking ideas from his travels around the globe, he’s infused the house with elements from various hotels, restaurants and condos. “I take inspiration from anywhere,” says Weekes.

“Having travelled so much throughout my career, I’ve registered a lot of ideas. Whether it’s something I saw in a Chinese restaurant or in Europe, it doesn’t matter to me where the idea comes from, as long as it’s good. I also read a lot of home magazines. Plus, my wife is a professional designer. I’ll often ask her to bounce ideas off of me and use me as a sounding board, even though I’m not a professional.”

Although the look of the house is definitely important to Weekes, with his family and large network of friends and contacts, a relaxed and inviting home is the true goal for the former net minder. “What we did is give this place a warm Florida or California type of vibe with elements of the Caribbean and a modern twist,” he says. “It makes people feel welcome and relaxed. We have people over a lot for dinner or parties.

“For instance, with the holidays coming up, this place will be hangout central and I want everyone who comes here to feel  very comfortable.”

With his mask now off for good, Weekes is happy to let people know about his life outside the rink, and while he’s currently a much sought after hockey analyst, could there be another type of show in his future? “I would love to do a cooking show,” says Weekes. “I wouldn’t rule that out. I love food and I enjoy cooking. I usually have the Food Network on when I’m watching TV, either that or the NHL Network.

“But I also love designing and anything to do with home and garden … hmmm, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

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BY: Andrew Miller

Neatly nestled within Toronto’s classic downtown skyline, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former world-record holder Donovan Bailey‘s swank city pad reflects the culmination of a keen and long-term real estate vision. “We bought the building in 1995,” says Bailey. “This suite used to be my office, but we’ve changed things quite a bit from then, and now I call it home.” Bailey adds: “I had a vision of how I wanted the place to look, I’ve had some help with a few things but I’m glad the way everything has turned out.”

Since retiring from the world of track and field in 2001, Donovan Bailey has been a busy man. On any given day, Bailey wears the hats of father, businessman, philanthropist and sports analyst. However, it was his background in business that allowed him to make smart investments in real estate.

“This building is unique,” says Bailey. “I’m in the middle of everything, yet nobody knows I’m here. This building is used for filming for a lot of the movies and television shows that come into town. You’re not going to find a unit that’s over 5,000 square feet in downtown Toronto. You cannot build something like this.”

From the second the elevator doors slide open, the sheer size of this sprawling space seems overwhelming. Without even knowing it, you’ve entered Bailey’s home, a den of contemporary style bathed in chocolate hardwood floors in an open-concept living space. Beautiful pieces of art adorn the walls, giving contrast and warmth to this spacious and opulent environment.

“I started in real estate when I was about 20 years old,” says Bailey. “My father always said to me to invest in items that you can touch. You can always use property as leverage and investing in hard assets is smarter than stocks in this questionable economic time.”

With a great view and flooded with natural light, this residence is the perfect venue for entertaining. The extremely versatile space features a dining area, media space and gourmet kitchen, not to mention a full-size regulation pool table for any sharks that may want to indulge in a friendly game of billiards.

“I like natural colours, browns and beiges,” says Bailey. “My inspirations for this space were just based on things I enjoy, sunshine and freedom… . Growing up as a child in Jamaica I had to share a room with my four brothers,” says Bailey “so it’s very humbling to see growth.”

Already a legend in the sports world, Bailey aspires to be a mogul in the business world and credits his numerous business mentors with keeping him focused and inspired while sharing advice.

“Part of the problem, sometimes, with people who are in entertainment or sports is that they don’t plan for the future and don’t transition well into other fields after their careers are over. They chose to hang on to the spotlight too long and do not understand how crucial it is to plan ahead.”

With this in mind, Bailey created the Donovan Bailey Fund, in order to help assist talented amateur athletes achieve their athletic goals and plan for their future outside of sport.

Outside of his philanthropic fund, Bailey’s corporate venture, Bailey Inc., includes real estate holdings, an upcoming apparel line, and an exercise training program.

With all of this going on, one might think that stress would overwhelm this Canadian sports icon. But in this downtown oasis, Bailey also has a special place to relax.

“I enjoy a good glass of wine and the hot tub,” Bailey says with a smile. “That definitely releases any tension and puts my mind at ease.”

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Living in the heart of Toronto’s “Little Jamaica,” actress Kim Roberts has created her own island paradise. “I got this house at a really good time, just before the market went crazy,” says Roberts with a smile. “I love this neighbourhood; it’s very eclectic and every house on my street is a different nationality. I know this because I know all my neighbours by name. We’re all so very close.”

Born in Toronto, Roberts has helped create opportunities for other black Canadian actors through her groundbreaking performances. Having been a professional actor since 1991, Roberts has been involved in more than 100 projects, working with the likes of Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere and the late Heath Ledger in the Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There.

In decorating her space, Roberts was inspired by the vast range of personalities and places she has encountered through her work.

“I love colour, and I really just wanted to let my imagination flow, so I chose colours that I liked and the house sort of evolved from there,” she says. “For me, home is really my sanctuary; as an artist you don’t go to an office every day. I could be on location filming something and not be home for weeks. Home is stability; when I walk through the door I can just breathe and relax.”

Having a keen eye for interior design, Roberts picked up many different pieces of African and Caribbean art to add to the decor. With many wood elements within her home, Roberts enjoys the look and feel of the earthy qualities that connect her to her roots.

“The wood was all original when I bought the house. I like wood. I like things that reflect the earth and bring the outside elements indoors since we’re all so far removed from that.”

Situated in her dining room area is a beautiful hand-painted red armoire. Within its doors are many vintage teapots that she’s collected.

“They’re all interesting to me: teapots are functional yet very creative; that’s what makes them special. Teapots can be funky so you get some interesting ones.”

The backyard is a favourite element of her home. With various plants adorning her fences, Roberts’ backyard looks straight out of the pages of National Geographic, providing the perfect cover for privacy. With a shaded lounge area for her guests to relax in, out of reach of the sun’s rays, Kim’s backyard is a cool slice of comfort on a hot summer’s day.

“My home reflects my love for the Caribbean. I want people to come and be comfortable and at ease when they enter my home,” says Roberts. “I also want it to be pleasing to the eye.”

Being a Canadian actor in an American market is not without its downfalls. With last year being extremely difficult for a lot of actors due to a work stoppage, many have quit the profession to focus on providing for their families by any means necessary. Smart financial planning has helped Roberts stay afloat during the slow times, but she credits her love for the artform as the reason she’s stuck with her career.

“You have to love it. The last two years our industry has been hit with a writers’ strike, then an actors’ strike and a potential Screen Actors Guild strike,” she says. “All of these situations kept work from moving forward. There’ve been a lot of actors and crew members who have had to sell their homes or change careers. But all of that seems to go with the territory. ”

Having weathered the storm, Roberts is excited about her future, and will be adding to her already stellar resumŽ by starring in VisionTV’s new drama series SOUL.

“I love what I do and I get to do it for a living,” she says. “I’m extremely grateful and blessed.”

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By Leroy Graham

Zanana Akande has always liked the idea of being a groundbreaker. It’s one of the reasons she entered provincial politics, becoming the first Black woman to win a seat in Ontario’s provincial parliament. It’s also why, in 1975, she had no qualms about moving into Toronto’s exclusive Forest Hill neighbourhood.

“I was pregnant,” says Akande. “We either had to extend the house that we were in or find something larger. We looked at this house and the one next door. I like Tudor houses and I can always pick one out. I remember when I came in and went through the house, I liked the style and spaciousness of it.”

Akande and her late husband, Isaac, decided to purchase the home, located in the mostly Jewish enclave. Although the arrival of the family was generally well received by neighbours and the community, being one of the few Black residents in the area did come with its share of issues. First, the Black community questioned why the Akandes moved into the almost all-Jewish neighbourhood.

Secondly, Forest Hill homeowners wondered how a Black family might change the complexion of the area. The Akandes’ response to all of the back and forth was simple: “Let’s just say we moved in and didn’t really care,” she says with a laugh. “I wasn’t really looking for an experience and hadn’t anticipated one. However, there were comments. One day, a child came up to my son while he was playing on the driveway and said, ‘You can’t live here. Does your mother work here?’ I wondered if I was going to get any more of those comments when they went off to school.”

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Legend: Zanana Akande.  Akande reminisces with Sway about breaking through Canada’s political glass ceiling.

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Little did Akande know that a few negative experiences would galvanize her neighbours to advocate on behalf of her family, insisting that they be treated with the same courtesies afforded to any other Forest Hill resident. “I had mentioned what happened, in passing, to my gynaecologist, who lived in the area, as well as to a woman who worked at the school where I was a consultant. They didn’t like the sound of those comments and I don’t know what happened, but comments just stopped. The kids made friends, we made friends, and everyone was just fine,” she says.

The beautiful Tudor home that Akande fell in love with in 1975 has seen its share of tragedy and triumph. Events of the early 1990s are of particular note for Akande, who recalls her political gain and personal loss: “I remember winning the election. I was surprised because I didn’t think I would win.

But after being elected, I remember long nights working in the house. We would get the kids settled then my husband would do his work and I would do mine. We’d meet for coffee in the kitchen, sometimes at 2 a.m.,” she says. “Almost a year and three months after I was elected, my husband died. He died six weeks after cancer had been diagnosed. Three days before he died, there was a dinner for Isaac and I. There were hundreds of people there and they presented us with some of the beautiful pictures hanging in my home.”

Having navigated politics, personal loss and a successful professional career, Akande is now happy to spend her well-deserved free time enjoying life as a grandmother. “We’re city people. My children live nearby and are here quite often. I’m quite comfortable here, and I think I’ve earned the right to live in comfort,” she says with a laugh. “I hope that doesn’t sound arrogant or selfish, but that’s the way I feel. I don’t see any need to leave this house. Sometimes we’re more loyal to what we’ve said than to what we feel, so I reserve the right to change my mind. But at this point, I don’t think I will.”

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BY: Andrew Miller
PHOTOGRAPHY: Michael Chambers

On a lucky day, you’re likely to catch the Leacocks listening to music and baking cookies with their four-year-old son, Maxwell. Nikki Leacock’s vibrant paintings adorn the walls of this downtown condo in a trendy Toronto neighbourhood. Photos of friends and family add to this warm and well-designed space, where the family has enjoyed profound moments with relatives and their cache of close friends.

“Family is monumental with us,” says Richard. “One of the things that Nikki and I love about each other is that family has always played an important role in our lives.”

Having grown up in Vancouver, Richard moved to Toronto to star alongside Billy Ray Cyrus on the hit drama television series Doc. His wife, Nikki, grew up in Alberta and is an accomplished artist who has sold pieces all over the globe.

“In the West Indies, doing art or being an actor isn’t perceived as a job but as a hobby,” says Richard. “I’m thankful that our families have both been very supportive. With most West Indian families, you’re supposed to go to school, get a job and then work. My brother is in the [arts] business as well, and he’s one of my best friends. We support each other and that’s just the way it is.”

In the dining room area, Nikki displays two of her paintings that hang on the wall.

“These paintings were from a series called Vanity, a playful look at the online world that we’re living in right now, while most of the abstract portraits that I do are either of family or close friends,” says Nikki. Leading away from the living room, a long glass window lets in natural light while giving a wonderful view of the downtown core. This room plays multiple functions — as Max’s playroom, Nikki’s art studio and Richard’s home office.

“We love this room for its versatility and the great view,” says Richard. “Max has taken up an interest in art just like his mother, so it’s a great space for him to express himself and be creative.”

Inspiration can come from many sources and Barack Obama, who the couple met while in Chicago, has proved to be a huge force in motivating and inspiring people all over the world. Nikki has painted the words from one of his speeches on a canvas, while Richard is in the process of creating a documentary of Barack’s road to the White House.

“We got the opportunity to meet Barack Obama a couple years ago at the 2004 democratic convention. From the very first time I heard him speak, I knew he’d be doing big things,” says Richard. “I know a lot of black people are hopeful towards the future and him winning the election is a sign that anything can be achieved with hard work.”

For more info on Nikki’s paintings visit: rowenasart.com; to keep up with Richard’s career, visit: richardleacockonline.com.