Duff, flats, galley, racks, hatches, bulkheads, killicks, GTs, PDEs, degaussing ranges, RHIBs, bridge wings, the dogs, the serpent or tail, wardroom, the XO, HODS, EO, FMF. The above terms, and more acronyms than I care to remember, were part of the four days I recently spent aboard the Canadian patrol […]
Columnists
A 20-month-old child from Quebec choked to death a week after an un-popped popcorn kernel got stuck in her throat. The kernel absorbed saliva and expanded to nine mm within seven days, growing large enough to completely block the trachea. Each year, young children in Canada are at some risk […]
You cannot spend much time in the north woods without becoming familiar with the Whisky-Jack.He will drift out of the trees in the coldest weather to share your lunch–stealing the beans from your plate and your sandwich while you reach for the coffee. This bird is one of the jay […]
It was my first year of high school teaching in a small parochial school with very high standards. I was intimidated and worked late in the night to prepare my lesson plans, and still was nervous when it came time to teach. More than anything, I wanted to make a […]
Quetico Centre
I think I’ll stop taking my own advice. For years, I taught and coached people in time management. Over those same years, it seems I had less and less time. I’ve had to remind myself often to practice what I preach–and I do. As a result, I really do get […]
As if our doctors don’t have enough to worry about already, consider for the moment what Alzheimer’s and blastomycosis are doing to their daily schedules. Although Alzheimer’s may have been always with us, there is fresh emphasis on this disease of the mind because of concentrations of seniors such as […]
My son is a master potter. He begins with an ugly lump of clay, puts the lump on his wheel, and then with deft hands spins the clay. From there, he fashions a small beautiful vase, an elegant teapot, or a Goliath-sized bottle–sometimes more than six feet tall. And it […]
In all fresh water, there is no other fish like it. Big, streamlined, and camouflaged, the muskie has a devilish grin–and a wicked set of teeth. Fishermen tell me you don’t expect to catch a muskie in an hour or two. Many people have spent days, even years, trying to […]
Outdoors Pro-Mo
Trolling has always been a way to find fish that are neutral or lethargic in the summer time. Trouble is, when the water gets hard and ice forms, it is really hard to go out and start trolling. Most ice augers even today do not cut a groove in the […]
Just Passing By
It was an evening of sheer magic when a crowd of oldtimers showed how Valentine’s Day should be celebrated. Look for it to happen again and again now that the local Volunteer Bureau, Seniors’ Coalition, and Good Neighbours Council have proved that love indeed can seem eternal. This was a […]
“Follow your dreams for they will always lead in the right direction.” I’m not sure where I found this quote, or exactly when. But it doesn’t matter because the rightness of it is eternal. Dreams must always be followed. Dreams of travel. Dreams of fun and laughter. Dreams of careers. […]
Just Passing By
Surely, Lady Frances Simpson deserves a leading role in any 2003 pageantry surrounding this town’s 100th birthday party. And yet . . . . ! While it’s been well-documented that Lady Frances gave her name to Fort Frances, there have been certain doubts expressed as to the legitimacy of her […]






