September is often seen as the beginning of a new year, as the summer winds down and various activities begin for a new season. But August has kept us hopping! Haying in the 30s is an annual highlight on the Lakeland’s summer calendar, of course; that was followed this past weekend by Open Farm Days, […]
Congratulations to Stephanie McLean on being appointed Secretary of State for Seniors in the new federal cabinet. If she is passionate about her work and dedicated to serving older adults in Canada, I wish her luck—she’s going to need it. Political parties, including the federal Liberals, still haven’t seemed to grasp the threats and the […]
The colours, the lights, the music, the dance—Christmas is when the arts come alive. Or is it? Maybe it’s more accurate to say Christmas is when we open our eyes to all the ways art enhances our lives. Because art is always there. It surrounds us every day, in ways we may take for granted. […]
I can’t believe we’re doing this again. Or perhaps more accurately, that we’re doing it still. At the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, sickening horror stories emerged about how cruelly residents of some continuing care and long-term care facilities were being treated. When Canadian Armed Forces personnel were called in to rescue residents in the […]
In the 1980s a friend of mine from Ontario came to Winnipeg on an extended visit. He had never been out west before, and was impressed that the city was laid out with a system of back lanes behind every street. (I was raised in Winnipeg and was amazed to learn that every city didn’t […]
This didn’t really happen: Prior to passing the National Symbol of Canada Act in 1975, a parliamentary committee discussed the importance of the beaver to Canadian history and heraldry. All parties agreed that the beaver is a suitable emblem for Canada. It was raised in committee that the beaver does not have the majestic bearing […]
A lot of us can remember setting up a lemonade stand or a Kool-Aid stand as kids. I don’t know if anyone else ever made any money at it, but I know I didn’t. There wasn’t a lot of foot traffic on our out-of-the-way residential street, and not a lot of potential customers. But it […]
Upstairs, it’s beautiful finished pottery and paintings. Downstairs, there’s tools and equipment, unfinished pieces, freshly-thrown pots, and hard-working artists. The St. Paul Visual Arts Centre has occupied an old school building (which had also served as the county offices) since 1977, when it was established as the first rural art gallery in Alberta. Since 1983 […]
Another New Years Eve, and I’m not going dancing. Which is fine—I don’t like dancing. I don’t think there’s been half a dozen occasions where Sherry and I have gone to a big New Years do. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any. We usually stay home, snack all night while […]
It’s said that music is the universal language. This probably is true as far as it goes—like other languages, it is a way to communicate ideas and emotions using sounds and symbols. But nothing breaks down barriers like sharing food. We may invite a friendly neighbour over for a simple lunch, or connect with friends […]