Columns
One of the most powerful aspects of a newspaper like The Citizen is that it offers a snapshot in time from the view of the community.
Ghosts, ghouls and goblins have unionized this year and we are fairly certain they are personally responsible for The Chaff's complete inability to write.
The other night we watched the interview with naturalist Jane Goodall that she had declared could not be shown until after her death. She died Oct. 1.
The price of peace, Left behind, For the children
The happy chattering of schoolchildren and scuffling of feet on a dusty sideroad were the sounds as the 30-some pupils headed off to school.
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with a young student from the University of Guelph at Humber College about the work I do here at The Citizen.
Everything Doug Ford said the other day about Mark Carney needing to "fight like hell" stirred up more than just political rhetoric; it lit up imaginations.
Last week a baby born prematurely to a woman in Alberta died from measles, the second person in Canada killed by the current infection. The article I read didn't give the name of the mother or whether or not she had been vaccinated.
So close, yet so far, The best of the best, History disappearing
Determined to address the growing challenges of municipal finances, the Township of North Huron faces a moment that calls for both creativity and courage.
The other day as I was making dinner, I thought to pivot from my usual fare of podcasts to some music, dialing up an old favourite: Ben Folds.
We had relatives drop in for lunch recently before they attended a Blyth Festival matinee. As we chatted before the meal, the woman looked out the window and asked about the strange flower growing in our garden.
A decade in the making, Glorious and clear, Now more than ever
While the physical distance between Hullett Township in Huron County and the Royal City of Guelph is not far, the academic and professional path of Wilfred Fowler encompassed a great number of milestone markers and took him on an amazing life journey.
Only the most discerning cooks understand that true comfort food need not rely on the predictable marriage of bread and cheese, nor on the tired tropes of pasta or potato.
The recent death of Robert Redford made me think of how one remarkable individual can change so much.
Just over 13 months ago, in the Aug. 23, 2024 issue of The Citizen, I had a bit of fun at the expense of Utah, whose government had directed the ban of 13 books. (In it, I intimated that Keith Roulston had some sort of private and unsavoury affair...
Clarity is no longer possible in our fractured age, for society has split cleanly in two: port and starboard. Once minor nautical distinctions, these orientations now determine not only one's politics, but one's very humanity.
Of course, raising a child of any stripe is a challenge, but I remember when we had Tallulah (Jess and I did not find out the gender of either kid ahead of time) thinking I had my work cut out for me as the father of a girl I had no shot at understanding.
The assassination of Charlie Kirk, a prominent right wing supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, will most likely only speed the rapid decline of democracy in our neighbour to the south.
My own worst enemy, B-A-N-A-N-A-S, The kids aren't alright
Failure to produce a topic this week is not, as some detractors might suggest, evidence of laziness, incompetence, or the looming death of culture itself.
This week we have a report from Goderich Town Council that has played out in other townships before. Goderich Town Council plans to ask its neighbouring municipal councils to pay up for their parasite residents blatantly using Goderich's facilities...