This year’s Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual general meeting and conference attracted over 2,500 municipal leaders, government officials, civil servants as well as other interested stakeholders. Among those other stakeholders were a wide range of companies and organizations who are co
Columns
A classic interpretation of the post-modern world
Cruising back to Listowel from Fordwich in the Vibe the other weekend, I had the windows down and the radio turned up.
Caregivers are absolutely necessary
About a month ago Leah (my caregiver and wife) was invited to a friend’s (Her name is Dee) cottage up near Kincardine for three nights. My health had needed Lea’s full attention, 24/7, for the last two years and three months. She left me alone while she went to visit but had a PSW come to check up o
A run in with a flock of seagulls
Surely all of us can think of a time – or seven – where life has, for a lack of a better term, crapped on you.
We need more housing options, not just more housing
The furor over the Ontario government’s Greenbelt mess has generated a lot of news stories, and more than a few opinion pieces, most of which are offered from an expert’s point of view.
1850s: Starvation stalks Bruce County
The early settlements of Bruce County had limited resources to carry them through hard times. For example, so precarious was the economy of Southampton in 1851 that the loss of a single boatload of supplies meant that the hamlet had to be partially abandoned so that the rest might eat.
Are we finally listening to climate change warnings?
Most of us have been reacting with shock and horror at news and photos of the devastating forest fires in British Columbia and the North West Territories.
Greenbelt Dispatches Part III – Who is speaking for the soil?
Soil is not an easy thing to understand. It is poorly understood and the vast majority of us walk…
James Brine and the Martyrs of Tolpuddle
The obituary published in the Stratford Daily Beacon in August 1902 for James Brine, an “old and esteemed resident” of Blanshard Township (now part of Perth South) is typical for the time period.
The most frightening experience of my life
For some, it’s rollercoasters that scare them. For others, it’s a fear of falling from high places. Or it’s a fear of the unknown that keeps them awake at night. For me, it is spiders.
Look what you’ve done
In John 12:1-11, we find Jesus at the home of Lazarus for a meal just before Passover. The meal was…
A beacon in the storm
Friends, I was thinking back recently to when Campbell’s Soup closed in Listowel. When was that, around 2008? I remember at that time feeling as though a ripple of shock and anger flowed through the communities, with generations of family members fearful of what would lie ahead, now that this emplo
Remembering why minor sports are important
By the time you read this, I will have completed my first season as president of a minor sports organization.
The Greenbelt dispatches – Crown fails again
Last week’s introductory instalment used Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s report along with publicly-available data from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to show the land swaps were unnecessary to hit current housing targets, given there are 88,000 acres already in development plans
Pop is out of my diet – too much sugar
With all the heat that we have had, I have been drinking a lot of liquids.
