That was the question posed to 114 people joining in person and online for TLPA’s first English-language program of the fall, The Stories We Carry.
Artist Anita Matušēvics and writer Lilita Tannis explored how family stories can be brought to life through art and writing – and how a single object or memory can suddenly open up an entire world.
Even nothing is something
Anita brought along her father’s suitcase, the one he carried when he came to Canada. One of the last questions she asked him was: “Dad, what was in your suitcase?”
“He started laughing,” Anita recalled. “He said – nothing.”
But even nothing is something.
For Anita, the empty suitcase became a key to understanding the past and “how we as a culture and community arrived where we are today.” It also reflects her own life between Canada and Latvia: “I’m always travelling between two cultures.”
Her Suitcase Stories project grew from research into Latvian refugee and immigrant life, from the postwar displaced persons camps in Europe to the Latvian community at Saulaine in Canada.
For Lilita, memory itself is the story. She read from her essay What I’ve Left Under a Rock, which recently received second place in the 2026 Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest.
Together, the two women sparked a conversation about memory, identity and belonging.
The father bought oranges and Mr. Christie’s cookies. The child remembered hoping that one day she would be able to afford an entire package of those cookies just for herself.
What would you put in the suitcase?
Then it was the audience’s turn.
One woman chose two handmade dolls dressed in ethnographically accurate Latvian folk costumes. Another chose her mother’s Latvian cookbook. There was a folk costume inherited from an aunt, a great-grandmother’s traditional Latvian crown – and even a jar of homemade peach jam.
One story took us back to Christmas Eve, 1949. A family arrived in Canada on December 24 and was given five dollars. The father bought oranges and Mr. Christie’s cookies. The child remembered hoping that one day she would be able to afford an entire package of those cookies just for herself.
First Thursdays at TLPA
The Stories We Carry was the first of four special English-language Thursday programs at TLPA this fall. Two First Thursdays remain this year, combining an English-language program with Chef Ingo’s full lunch.
They’re for anyone interested in good stories, conversation and community – whether you speak Latvian or not.
On November 5, Toronto photographer Vid Ingelevics will discuss his new book, How to Build a River: Toronto’s Port Lands and the Journey to Climate Resiliency, co-authored with Ryan Walker. The book documents the remarkable transformation of Toronto’s industrial waterfront – the Port Lands.
And on December 3, First Thursday returns with a special musical presentation – details to come.
Come for lunch. Stay for the program – and the conversation.
Join us
First Thursdays at TLPA
Toronto Latvian Centre, 4 Credit Union Drive, Toronto
Lunch at 11:50 a.m. | English-language program at 1 p.m.
Program details, lunch reservations and online access: latvianseniors.org
Mara Gulens, TLPA Marketing, Communications and Programming Lead
