Emma

About three weeks ago, Emma Frankford lost her battle with cancer. She was thirty years old.

Many of you who live in Toronto and hang out in the Annex, particularly Pauper's Pub, would have known Emma. She was a waitress at Pauper's, and one of the nicest people I've ever met in this city. Phil knew her a long time before I did - he and circle of friends used to be regulars at Momo's on Harbord Street, where she worked before Pauper's. But I knew Emma in her Pauper's days, pretty much from the first time I ever downed a pint there.

She was such a lovely person. She was genuine. She'd often sit with me for a few minutes and we'd catch up and exchange Annex news. We'd chat about great deals on apartments and school and plans for the future. One time, I brought my whole family to Pauper's for lunch, and I introduced them to her. Another time, Phil saw a friend of Emma's walking down a street in Prague. When he got back to Toronto, we went to Pauper's to tell her, and Emma said, "Really? I haven't been in touch with her for months!" And we laughed about what a small world it is.

Living in the city is tough. Even hip and happening neighbourhoods like the Annex can seem cold, unfriendly, and alienating at first. It's people like Emma - warm, friendly, open and generous - who help make these neighbourhoods feel like home. They do it in small, seemingly inconsequential ways: a smile, a happy "Hi! How are you? What's going on?", a wave as you pass by on the street. But the impact is so big. I hope she knew that.

I will really miss her.