'Our Jane': N.S. Austen fans celebrate her 250th birthday, and her Halifax connection

In the lobby of a grocery store in the Leaside neighbourhood of Toronto, a small group of perky women and one man are trying to thrust flyers into the hands of customers. Many shoppers, pushing carts and laden with bags, rush past them, assuming they’re soliciting donations or selling something. But others stop short and react with incredulous delight when they hear what Vyshnave Jeyabalan is offering. “Excuse me,” Ms. Jeyabalan asks shopper after shopper, “do you have a family doctor?”