I have written about doom and gloom and the issues facing councils across the district. To be sure, some of the financial issues facing councils this year are not pretty. This week, though, I would like to talk about what challenges municipal governments will face should both the mill here […]
Columnists
There is an old story about a writer who goes to his teacher and says, “Teacher, all the stories have already been told. There is no need for me to write. “Everything that needs to be said has already been written.” “It’s true that there are no new stories,” the […]
I hope everyone was able to get out and enjoy the summer-like days we experienced last week! They sure felt good! Unfortunately, things changed rather quickly come Sunday and we were reminded that fall is very much upon us. We are nearing the end of combining at the Emo Agricultural […]
This time of year is always a little bit depressing for those of us who love bass fishing and competing in tournaments around the region. Although I really enjoy the fall season and all the fun that comes with it, it’s always a little disappointing to know we won’t get […]
The gripping scene of Ben Hur as a galley slave is still vivid in my mind. After seeing that classic movie almost 50 years ago, the horrible inhumanity of man-to-man surfaced in both my nighttime dreams and daytime thinking. How could people do it? How could they make slaves of […]
This past Friday was a busy day in Ottawa for me as I delivered a member’s statement and also asked two questions of the government regarding life in Northern Ontario. My statement paid tribute to the Unifor #1075 workers at Bombardier in Thunder Bay who went on strike over the […]
Of all my addictions and there are a few, such as Kakuro, “Modern Family,” hurrying, diet Coke (though I almost have that one conquered), and wheat (which controls every cell of my being) just to name a few, pumpkin pie made this time of year is the hardest one for […]
Conditions were becoming quite pleasant regarding moisture by the end of last week—and then we had to have a blast of rain. It turned out to be quite a storm Friday night, with a beautiful light show! Not so good, though, if you are an owner of dog that is […]
In my lifetime, I have consumed more than my share of coffee. I come from a long line of coffee drinkers. My dad especially loved a good strong cup of brewed coffee. And my mother, in her later years, referred to weak coffee as “slop.” When I was an infant, […]
I have boat legs and the keyboard is sliding across the desk. I’ve just stepped off the “Morning Dove” after four glorious days of sailing on good old Rainy Lake during the annual fall cruise with the Rendezvous Yacht Club. And I cannot imagine a better way to welcome the […]
Last weekend was my annual fishing weekend with my brother-in-law, Tom Foster, and his son, Ben, here on Rainy Lake. My son, Brendan, who came in from Calgary, joined them. Tom and Ben live in Waterloo while Tom has a cottage on Healey Lake (near Parry Sound), which has more […]
I may have mentioned it six or 12 or 30 times before, but just in case you missed it, I am a freshly-new grandmother—just out of the oven. I am a new grandmother for the second time, a fact that still astounds me. The astounding part is the privilege of […]
