This past week social media lit up with three days about children: National Daughters Day, National Sons Day, and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The first two seem like new, commercial, greeting card occasions, and hopefully won’t distract from the third, which is where our focus should be right now in Canada. According to web searches, National Sons …
Old adage ‘every vote matters’ surely rings true in Sault
In this federal election, there were a half dozen ridings that were too close to call by the end of Monday night, including Sault Ste. Marie. This holds important wisdom for us as voters and for the candidates themselves. In a nutshell, every voter and vote matters; and every day’s work matters for candidates and elected officials. Here in Sault …
Wanted: Ways to help loosen the black cat’s grip
It’s that time of year again, where summer lovers start feeling blue. Whether you call it the black dog, like Winston Churchill did, or you call it seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or just plain old depression, there is something about September that seems to always get a hold of me. I cope with it in a variety of ways, but …
‘We did whatever we could for them’
On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, it’s a time to reflect on how all of our lives changed, to honour those who were lost, and to try to focus on the moments of beauty during a crisis. Who better to talk to then than someone who was part of the historic events, in reality and in pop fiction? While in Newfoundland in …
Learning to let a child go
Parenting is a series of moments of holding on tight and letting go. This week my baby girl left for the University of Toronto, and I’m reflecting on the rollercoaster of parenting that has led to this point. How do you hold on tight enough, but not too tight when you love someone more than you love yourself? They say …
Board’s course schedule doesn’t add up
As an educator in the post-secondary system, I am baffled by Algoma District School Board’s latest decision regarding its back-to-school plans for September. On Aug. 23, I received a communication with ADSB’s plans for high schools and had to read it three times to make sure I had read it properly. My heart goes out to the students and the …
Seeing new sights in Newfoundland
I’ve just returned from a vacation to Newfoundland. I usually travel internationally, but this, of all years, seemed like the time to stay in Canada for vacation, and I was not disappointed, because it had a foreign feel. COVID-19 wounded those of us who are afflicted with wanderlust. This trip allowed me to recharge my batteries with a lot of ‘new’ …
‘Respectful communication’ with children — not cursing — is damned good parenting advice
I was the guest on a podcast recently about parents who curse. This got me reflecting on how I dealt with cursing in my house, and what the message was that I was trying to get across to my kids. As a writer, corporate communications trainer, and keynote speaker (about the power of words and positive self-talk), I spend a …
‘I like flying through the air’: Sault teen shines at Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association’s World Series Championships
If you combine gymnastics, rock climbing, trapeze work, and physical problem-solving on a next level jungle gym with over one thousand competitors, you have the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association’s World Series Championships held in Las Vegas last weekend. Sault Ste. Marie teen Sylas Snider looked like a seasoned ninja as he swung like a monkey, soared through the air, balanced …
Something stinks about Algoma board’s lack of women
Back in 2015, Prime Minister Trudeau validated women when he presented a cabinet with gender parity, explaining his rationale unapologetically: “Because it’s 2015.” Yet, in July 2021, he offered Algoma Steel $420 million toward environmental improvements. Why is this a problem? According to its website, Algoma Steel has no women executives, and no women on the board. Perhaps it’s time …