The book Braiding Sweetgrass sits on my shelf, always at the ready. I often pull it down and open it to randomly read any passage that appears on the page. It is that kind of book. I also have the audiobook version, on which Robin Wall Kimmerer’s voice calms any […]
Columnists
Is the daylily the perfect perennial? They can grow in a wide range of soil and light conditions, have few insect problems, can tolerate drier conditions, and come in hundreds of varieties. Daylilies can be planted in a variety of landscape settings – positioned to make wonderful background plantings, naturalized […]
The oldest living National Hockey League player (as I write this) is 103. He was born on Christmas Day in Fort William, Ont., as Steve Wojciechowski, which he shortened to Wochy (making life linguistically easier for hockey broadcasters, starting with the legendary Foster Hewitt). He has lived 71 years of […]
It is the day after International Women’s Day, and I am still celebrating all the amazing, strong women that I am surrounded with. Personally, I would owe my strength and determination (and maybe some of my stubbornness) all to Nanny. I have learned kindness and to never give up from […]
This war against Iran has demonstrated to Canadians that even though we produce more oil and gas than we can use, we are not immune to far-off conflicts and the international price fluctuations of those commodities. In fewer than 10 days, we have seen the price of a barrel of […]
Book Review
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
What does it mean to be human? This question has both puzzled and inspired writers, musicians, artists, philosophers, and thinkers throughout history. In Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, the first of a series of influential works, historian and public intellectual Yuval Noah Harari shines a bright light into humanity’s […]
A recent string of political violence in the United States has unsettled many—and understandably so. Attacks on political figures, commentators and protestors have served as a reminder that politics, even in our day, can turn lethal. Times like this reveal how fragile civics becomes when violence invades politics. Acknowledging past […]
A good gardener will use crop rotation for two reasons: to ensure good soil nutrient supply and for pest control. Crops such as peas and beans (legumes) put nutrients back in the soil as they grow because they have little nodes that take in nitrogen and then ‘fix’ it in […]
Did you know? Most drivers know the basics of highway prep, but it’s easy to underestimate how quickly low visibility, ice, and freezing temps can turn a routine trip into a crisis. Even if you’ve been behind the wheel for decades, winter conditions have a way of throwing a curveball […]
I am the first one to admit I am not a good traveller, certainly not a good air traveller and the reasons are many. I remember an adage from eons ago that went something like “time to spare – go by air” and that certainly is fitting today with the […]
Riddle me this. If a rez dog is walking around outdoors and no one is around to hear it, does Metallica’s “Wherever I May Roam” play loudly from the sky? Where do I begin? Skipper the Rez Dog did not belong to us. That’s the official line. Technically, he belonged […]
Time is certainly marching on! It doesn’t seem like Christmas was that long ago. We made it through another cold day or two and it looks like we are going to be trending warmer. There doesn’t seem to be a happy medium. It hasn’t been too bad for calving at […]








