There’s nothing like a Raggedy Ann or Andy doll to bring a smile to my face. And just for today, I have three of them visiting my office. A big Raggedy Ann–more than two feet tall–smiles from her perch by my copy machine. And a pair, sitting close and snuggling […]
Columnists
Spring has arrived and it is time to spring into action. Start thinking about doing a clean-up and inspection of your home and yard. It also is time to look for any fire hazards. The Office of the Fire Marshal and Ministry of Natural Resources has an excellent pamphlet on […]
The sparrow family is the largest in the world. It includes grosbeaks, buntings, finches, and crossbills, as well as a host of real sparrows. There are 56 species of these birds in Canada. I suppose most people think of sparrows as those little brown birds which hang around the yard, […]
Lists have always been my weakness. For as long as I can remember, I’ve made lists in every conceivable manner. With pen and ink. On the typewriter. On the computer. On 3 x 5 cards. And 5 x 7 cards. On yellow paper. And pink paper. In my Day-Timer. And […]
Each year in Canada, people are injured and others are killed by accidents that could have been prevented. In fact, 90 percent of all accidents are predictable and, with proper education, largely preventable. Falling into an open manhole or sewer, being crushed by some heavy item, or injured because you […]
When we think of the birds of spring, we usually think of the robin or some other nice one. But actually, the bird which comes back to us really early is the crow. You usually can hear him long before the snow has gone. In almost any other situation, the […]
There are not too many people who are really fond of spiders. Spiders have a bad rap, for several reasons. For one thing, they walk funny, with a gait which we–and the movies–have associated with evil. We hear about poisonous spiders, and there are a few, but not really very […]
By Linda Wiens
Quetico Centre
Quetico Centre
The Trends Research Institute in Rhinebeck, N.Y., regularly examines over 300 trend categories. Each year, it picks the 10 biggest changes in social, economic, and political structures. This year’s group is: Several of these have moved up in rank from previous years; others are new. Personally, I would like to […]
It’s never happened before. But that really doesn’t matter because it’s happening now. The demographics of society are changing radically. As a nation and as a world, we’re growing significantly older. For tens of thousands of years, people expected to live short lives and life expectancy remained steady at less […]
In Sainte-Foy, Que., a 20-month-old 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 […]
A babysitter, or an older brother or sister, is often responsible for the care and safety of young children. Knowing what to do in the event of a poisoning, and following proper poisoning prevention behaviours, are an important part of that responsibility. Caregivers should know children who are poisoned by […]
In the midst of rampant concerns about our health care system, here is some good news experience. First, I’ve had a chance to facilitate planning for the Northwest Health Network, a regional association of care facilities’ boards and staff. They are working hard to ensure high-quality, “seamless” care in Northwestern […]
