Can you imagine what life would be like without computers? I wake up in the morning and my digital clock tells me what time it is. My coffee pot already is brewing a fresh pot when I wander downstairs for breakfast. I flip on an old radio and listen to […]
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The past week in Ottawa saw the long gun registry finally sealed as Bill C-19 passed its final hurdle in the House of Commons. I was happy to have been present for all of the votes on C-19, and to have voted in support the abolition of the long gun […]
After a couple of weeks on the road in warm and sunny Florida, I finally made it home last week and back to our winter weather. It’s nice to get home and see all my friends and family, and our weather was actually pretty nice so that wasn’t much of […]
Last year at this time (though, to be honest, it feels like 20 years ago at this point), I had my first-ever experience witnessing the annual exhibition battle between the Muskie boys’ hockey team and the International Falls Broncos. From the duelling chants and the throwing of pizza boxes onto […]
Recognize the name? Maybe not. Try Poplar, Trembling Aspen, Popple, Asp, and White Poplar. These are all common names for the same tree. The scientific name (Populus tremuloides) is the same all over the world. This poplar is one of four which can be found in Northern Ontario. Some of […]
This past week in Ottawa was a busy one, with continued uncertainty surrounding Harper’s plans to change Old Age Security (OAS), a key vote on the long-gun registry, and a meeting with my fellow New Democrat MPs from Northern Ontario to discuss the new riding redistribution scheme that’s coming to […]
The time slot for this column seems to appear out of nowhere, like the next guy’s electric bumper car in a race around the track at the fair. All of my time is spent trying to figure out what just happened, and then I look at the calendar and it […]
This week I am participating in a “Poverty Challenge,” organized by Making Kenora Home, a group that advocates on behalf of the homeless in Kenora. The purpose of the challenge is to raise awareness of the difficulties of living a balanced and healthy life on social assistance rates, and I […]
Darn that Jennifer Jones. If it wasn’t for her rink sneaking in through the back door in the Manitoba playdowns to make another appearance at this year’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts, which gets underway Saturday afternoon in Red Deer, Alta., this would have been arguably the most wide-open field in […]
One of the most important issues to me is consumer awareness of hydro and natural gas retailers. Energy retailers are privately-owned companies that buy electricity or natural gas and then resell it to homeowners at a profit. Unlike public utilities, where the price is regulated and based on the cost […]
This past week was not a good one for Stephen Harper’s government, but it was far worse for Canadians who take their citizenship and rights seriously and for seniors and “baby boomers” with lower-than-average incomes. The week began with revelations that the Harper government has hit new heights, or should […]
It would seem that “The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion now sits at the top of my read list, up 60 rows from where it sat below “The Complete Bartender” by Robyn M. Feller. Up until Jan. 19, I was entrenched in “The Sisters Brothers” by Patrick DeWitt, […]
