by Steve Galea If you live with an angler, you probably have a sense that the fishing season is drawing near. This is very likely fueled by the clues that you might see in and…
My foxy friend
by Jim Poling Sr. I’m opposed to feeding wild animals. They get to like human food, depend on it and stop foraging for their natural foods. However, I have a confession to make: I’ve been…
Carbon tax and tribalism
by Jim Poling Sr. Our federal government is running out of lipstick to put on the pig it calls its carbon pricing policy. But as the famous proverb notes – when you put lipstick on…
Ins and outs of ice
by Jim Poling Sr. Many of us got fooled with ice out predictions this year. The mild, almost non-existent winter, had many predicting ice off the lakes in March. There just wasn’t enough really cold…
Decriminalize possession and use of substances
by Thomas Smith Everyone has their vices, one way or another. Some people drink soda all day every day and have not had a glass of water in years. Some people eat a bowl of…
Politics and evangelicals
From Shaman’s Rock By Jim Poling Sr. What used to be a source of pride for me has become a source of shame. My father’s family had evangelical roots since coming to North America almost…
Libraries are lifesavers
by Thomas Smith Having fun isn’t hard, when you’ve got a library card. I love libraries. Ever since I was a kid, libraries have been a happy and welcoming space. Every time I enter, I…
A time for ad blockers
From Shaman’s Rock By Jim Poling Sr. It’s the curling bonspiel season and I’ve been watching a lot of the games on television. Exciting to watch, but too much time in front of the TV…
The bird warning us
From Shaman’s Rock By Jim Poling Sr. It’s been an odd winter and as it fades into spring it seems to be getting odder. One of this winter’s oddest things is the absence of birds.…
Whither goes the Frost Centre?
From Shaman's Rock by Jim Poling Sr. It was roughly one year ago that I wrote about the dark, worried feelings I had about the Frost Centre on St. Nora Lake just south of Dorset.…
Baby’s first Snowball
by Thomas Smith This weekend marked my first ever Dorset Snowball. I must say, I am thoroughly impressed. Mother Nature luckily cooperated for my first ever Snowball and provided said snow to make said balls.…
A Valentine’s Day pondering
by Thomas Smith I am a hopeless romantic. Some may call me a sucker that falls for clever marketing. Jewelry, chocolates, flowers, cards. Do I get one of everything, or will they want one of…
Ban dangerous hockey violence
From Shaman's Rock by Jim Poling Sr. The fighting in hockey debate is raging again, intensified by a recent ugly Pacific Junior Hockey League brawl. A player grabbed an opposing team’s goaltender in a guillotine…
See you soon
by Emily Stonehouse I’ve been keeping a secret.Well, as much of a secret as you can when you have a very public-facing job and are active on social media. So really, not much of a…
Will rainbows replace the snow?
From Shaman's Rock by Jim Poling Sr. If you think this winter and last were strange, you “ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”Our winters are going to get warmer and wetter, the wet becoming more rain as…
Good luck, millennials
By Emily Stonehouse Aging has been on my mind this week. Perhaps it’s the upcoming Aging Together as Community conference slated for this coming weekend. Or maybe it’s the multiple events that happened the past…
Buffalo story offers hope
From Shaman’s Rock By Jim Poling Sr. We live in an increasingly crazy world that some believe is on a fast track to extinction. Perhaps, but despite humanity’s destructive tendencies you have to believe the…
The importance of snow
From Shaman’s Rock By Jim Poling Sr. Many folks are cheering the recent arrival of snow that has been missing for most of this unusual winter. Lack of snow in October, November and December has…
Cuts and bruises
By Emily Stonehouse “It is literally impossible to be a woman.” And so begins the monologue delivered by America Ferrara in the movie Barbie, that graced theatres this past summer, and rattled hearts, bones, and…
Transparency
By Emily Stonehouse We’ve all seen them. Those word searches, plastered on the screens of social media, running rampant this time of year with promises that the first three words you spot will be the…
Our roadside shame
From Shaman’s Rock By Jim Poling Sr. The exceptionally late arrival of winter’s snow has covered up Canada’s dirty little secret: We are not holier than other countries when it comes to garbage. Especially the…