When my wife and I moved here to live full-time on our country property, my neighbour Hughie McKee, the farmer next door, came over to inspect the foundation that the backhoe had just dug to prepare … [Read more...]
We Need to Stay in Touch – But Can Community Newspapers Survive?
It’s getting harder than ever to know what’s happening around here. A couple of months ago, Metroland announced that 70 of its community newspapers in Ontario would be shutting down their print … [Read more...]
‘TRUE PASTRY GLOVES’ – STUMBLING THROUGH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
This past summer, an old friend of mine asked me to serve as an honorary citizenship judge for the annual Canada Day “reaffirmation” ceremony he supervises in my hometown. It took place on the main … [Read more...]
FINDING OUR WAY AROUND THIS NEW NEIGHBOURHOOD
I used to have to drive two hours to Toronto to feel like I wasn’t making enough money. Now I just have to drive into town. Something has happened over the last three years to transform this place. In … [Read more...]
The Reformation of the Township Dump
In the days of early settlement, towns like mine tried to deal with household waste by passing a bylaw demanding people remove garbage from their properties at least twice a year. The law was … [Read more...]