Columns
The Second World War brought drastic changes in life in Canada starting with the enlistment and deployment of forces to fight in Europe.
As I sit here writing this column, I am very hungry.
There is a particular kind of morning in Bluevale where history briefly appears overqualified for its surroundings.
One of Canada's big problems these days is the lack of new homes - and the money needed to pay for the homes we have. Younger people are having trouble accumulating enough money to buy a home.
Saying thank you, I'ma let you finish, Lacking in every way
As this debate has raged, mostly to our global south, I have found myself at a crossroads, unsure of which way to turn.
Wingham has developed a habit of generating civic mythology the way a faulty radio generates static: constantly, loudly and with the unsettling feeling that something intelligible is trying to break through.
As U.S. President Donald Trump tries to impose his will on Iran, only elderly people today recall the lessons of how difficult that can be.
For those interested in the times and customs of the early days in Northern Huron County, no better resource can be found than in the writings of one Gavin Hamilton Green.
Road to nowhere, Qu'est-ce que c'est?, Life during wartime
For months now, The Chaff has pursued the proposed Betty White statue in Wingham with the grim determination of a Victorian lighthouse keeper battling waves, fog and increasingly pointed Facebook comments.
Making breakfast on a dull day last weekend, I reached over and flicked on the kitchen light. The room was suddenly made bright by the five-light chandelier in the middle of the kitchen ceiling.
Not so long ago - I was working this job at the time - it felt like the world of politics was a lot smaller and that we, regardless of political stripe, were closer to being on the same page than we might admit.
My son, right now, is car-obsessed. If you ever see him on the street or at home, he will always have at least one Hot Wheels in hand, sometimes one in each. We are also treated to a common refrain as we walk or drive anywhere or watch anything...
There is a particular kind of late-May fatigue that does not announce itself with drama or collapse. It arrives more politely than that, like a well-meaning neighbour who has wandered into the wrong garden party and decides...
In his recent column in the Globe and Mail, columnist Lawrence Martin took me by surprise when he mentioned that the average life expectancy for a Canadian was 82.2 years, while the life expectancy for the average American was only 78.4 years.
Avoidable waste, Sign of the Times, A new way of thinking
It can be seen all around; the custom of naming a park, hospital, arena or educational facility after a notable personage or someone (or their family) with enough money to donate to merit a name being honoured in perpetuity.
There are weeks when The Chaff arrives like a proud parade float, all glitter and conviction, rolling in with ideas honking from every direction.
As the editor of a newspaper, you are, at times, called to action in self-defence.
The visit of King Charles to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the naming, last week, of Louise Arbour to be Canada's next Governor General demonstrated the immense difference between our two side-by-side nations.
At what cost?, Change the conversation, The choice for the time