American Standard Time
Fresh off the decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, a feeling-his-oats Donald Trump is now training his sights on another international order—one that settles the world’s time clock. “It’s just dumb to give China a 12-hour head start on America ” said a feisty president. “While Americans are sitting […]
Holding court
Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, are coming to Wellington. In a private and controlled event, the royal couple, their entourage and a handful of Canadian dignitaries, surrounded by security and a media scrum, will descend upon the parking lot of the Wellington United Church, shopping for local crafts and […]
The Politics of Standardized Testing
By Kate McNaughton I packed my grade three kid off to school last Monday with a healthy lunch, a healthy snack and a healthy dose of ambivalence. Her grade wrote the EQAO test for four days just like all grade threes and sixes in Ontario this month. There was sleep lost, a nervous tear shed […]
Never forget
When I was a little girl, I remember hearing stories from the Holocaust. They were gentle, relatively speaking. Not violent or gory. Just the lived experiences of my Jewish relatives as they survived (or didn’t) in a terrifying, confusing time that caused so many to question their understanding of humanity and religion. I was told, […]
Sixth times a charm
For the sixth time in the past eight years, Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto has won the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Tip O’Neill Award. The award goes to the Canadian player judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution, community and charitable endeavours, and support in fan voting. Scott Crawford, the […]
Mushrooms, Maple, Cherries and Royalty
Life has a strange way of imitating art. About five years ago, this column made the proposal that Prince Charles come and reside in the County. Now we learn he will be making an official visit to Wellington on June 30. Who knows, maybe if he likes what he sees, he will come back to […]
Appropriate dishes
Recently, two women in Portland, Oregon were forced to close their pop-up food cart amidst accusations of cultural appropriation and exploitation. What the H E double tortillas is wrong with us? Yeah, yeah, there’s been a lot of talk about cultural appropriation recently. But I’m not really sure I understand the process of culturally appropriating […]
The art of placemaking
There has been much written about urban planning and how t o make communities truly livable spaces. Jane Jacobs wrote the bible on the subject in 1961—The Death and Life of Great American Cities. When she chose Toronto over New York as her new home she moved into a neighborhood I would later live in. […]
Encroachment
I wonder if it’s the spring weather that’s making us feel feisty. Or perhaps it’s the rising water levels. Is there the sensation of feeling trapped, anxiety mingling into our lives now that a walk on the beach is not an option for unwinding? It could just be that the weird and wonderful social crutch […]
Dilemma
On the horns of a dilemma, I am. I want to say something about the private patio on public property. I have, however, worked for a County municipal department and the pressure to make a profit was very real. It was a very real pressure, every day, of the very short season for our museums. […]