Columns
There's actually snow on the ground as I sit by the window typing this column, but there's warm weather in the forecast for this week, so who knows if it will be a white Christmas or not.
Santa - a test please, It ain't over 'til..., Time for municipal change
Last week, as I sat through a North Huron Township Council meeting during which the number of specific types of facilities across the municipality were being compared (and used as justification for suggesting getting rid of one), I was...
As humans, we always celebrate effort. Seeing someone give it their all, even if the results don't quite pan out, is always something that we appreciate. So, despite things not working out, you can know, at least, that you did everything you could.
Canada is in a rough spot. On one hand, we believe that even people in small minorities have a right to voice their opinions. On the other, minorities are trying to drive the agenda.
Another challenge, Glimpses of the past, We all have to eat
Though gone for many years, a small building located on the south side of King Street, just west of Queen Street had an arresting aspect.
In one of my parenting books, I remember reading about the importance of speaking to your kids, even if they're really young, in adult tones with adult words. If I remember correctly it's important for language development, rather than a heavy...
This week, Ontario's provincial government announced a partnership that will see electric vehicle (EV) chargers installed at the OnRoutes (rest stops, gas stations and food courts found on the 400-series highways), throughout Ontario over the next...
Living in the past, as I did in last week's column where I recalled the early success of the late actor David Fox, has its addictions, including memories of the early years of the Blyth Festival.
Not so fast, Getting it right, Big pieces of big pies
Mourning is a personal process - we all have our own way of missing, or, in some cases, communing with those we've lost, and no two ways are going to be the same.
While I don't think I've touched on it much recently, surely my readers don't come to this space for 600 weekly words espousing the work of the Pope. As a (severely?) lapsed Catholic who grew up in that school system...
Ah yes, memory isn't all it's cracked up to be. Even when you think you remember things clearly, you can be tripped up by written proof.
Another new normal?, It doesn't go without saying, Making economic sense
Last Wednesday evening, I was at the Brussels Four Winds Barn covering a special event. There, Ontario Liberal Party leader Steven Del Duca was on hand to help bolster support for Huron-Bruce Libreal candidate Shelley Blackmore.
Years and years ago, I was having a bit of trouble connecting with a friend. He was notoriously flaky and I could, pretty consistently, predict that he would not answer his phone when I called. So, I took...
One of the prime reasons for the placement of a settlement in the early days of our area was the proximity to a dependable stream or river. As people took up their farm lots, they had a need for the timber on their land to be sawn to make their...
Loud and clear, Face time with the big guys, A bird in the hand
You might think I'd get the week off from writing a column after writing two last week, but no. Here I am, back at it again. Biggest regret, just as a sidebar: not asking Dianne to flip one of my pictures so the two were looking at each other.
Sometimes municipal councils make decisions we don't agree with for the right reasons. However, sometimes, they just get bad information.
"The train is coming 'round the bend
To take you to your journey's end"
These are words that would ring out when drayman Richard Sellars heard the train coming from Londesborough, sounding its whistle at the boundary of Blyth.
Weighing the statistics, A strong foundation, Doing the right thing
For the 20 months those of us taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously may have felt like we're constantly moving back and forth between purgatory and limbo.... Or maybe that's just me.