Dad’s uniform
“I hated the night raids. If I was going to kill someone, I wanted to see their uniform and their weapons. I always had horrible dreams after a night flight. It was awful.” My Dad rarely had anything to say about his time as a Flight Sergeant during World War II. He was the kind […]
The ‘Toad Town’ Crossing
One morning in the spring of 1914 a mixed train made its regular stop at the place where I stand today. Two young men from Trenton stepped down and waved to the conductor as the train carried on its run to Picton. Arnold Campbell and Bruce Sutcliffe gathered their gunny sacks from the Carrying Place […]
Bills win big in Toronto
The GO Train leaving Union Station was packed with football fans heading east. Most of the party were satisfied with the game. The Bills had whitewashed the Washington Redskins 23- 0, handing Coach Shanahan the first shutout of his lengthy career. Brad Fisher had attended Sinclair Secondary School in Whitby. He was wearing an Acadia […]
Progress
Quite a nifty renovation they’ve done down at the local post office, don’t you think? Well, um, actually, no, not really. Why? Let’s start off with the exterior. The clock with a face but no hands is still there. Now I am assured— and this is a Times Exclusive—that it will regain its hands shortly. […]
Thee, thou and youse
“Do you ever run out of things to write about?” I get asked that question, a lot. I can’t say I’ve ever run out of topics, but some topics are best left out of the news, so to speak. And, “Have I got a story idea for you.” Well, as it turns out, most people […]
Crimean coast
As far back as 400 B.C., there is evidence of extensive wine cultivation in Ukraine, around the south coast of Crimea. Initially, there was trade with the civilizations surrounding the Black Sea and later on with the Greek and Roman Empires. Around 1780, Crimea became part of the Russian Empire making it a significant supplier […]
Rick Hansen: Man in Motion
Terry Fox lit a flame in this country in 1980 that still burns brightly today. In 1985, another resident of British Columbia decided that he would also lead the nation by embarking on a journey across Canada. He started his trip in B. C. and headed east. Rick Hansen had been paralyzed in a truck […]
“Hey, I know you!”
Have you ever been on the wrong side of one of those “hey, I know you!” moments? I have, and it was one of my worst. I was walking on a woodland trail just outside Sault Ste Marie. A fellow came along in the other direction. I instantly recognized his face. So I stopped him, […]
Lies my father told me
My already frizzy, stickieout hair stands on end whenever I hear the words, “Oh, you know me, I can’t lie.” Guess I don’t know people as well as they think I know them. How interesting would this world be if people really and truly couldn’t tell lies? What I like most about the folks who […]
Joy of quilting
If this past weekend’s weather didn’t make you feel like snuggling under a great big comfy quilt, I don’t know what would. I’d bet the only type of precipitation missing in “the local mix” might have been snow, although a lot of folks reported seeing hail. Close enough. The crazy and the brave faced the […]