An untold Canadian environmental success story

 New crop technologies, modern farm equipment and better farming practices have made a world of difference in long-term soil health. It's an untold Canadian success story that bodes well for the future of the environment and global food security. Pat Beaujot is a co-founder of Seed Hawk, a Canadian company

An Open Letter to Justin Trudeau on Tax Fairness

 By Jake Leguee Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A2 Dear Prime Minister, My name is Jake Leguee, and I am a farmer in Saskatchewan. I am writing this letter to express my grave concerns with your plan for what you

Anthony Cardozo Explores the Many Facets of the Flag

 It’s something that you see every day: most likely more than once, probably so much that it blends in with its surroundings and momentarily loses its meaning. It is the Canadian flag. With his art show, Interpretations: The Maple Leaf Flag, currently running at the Wild Oat Artisanal Café in

Luring Millenial Gamers: Lottery vs Jackpot Slots

 It has become quite apparent to gaming operators around the globe, that the millennial gamer is not overly interested in regular casino gambling activities such as table games and land-based slot machines. They don’t seem to be buying lottery tickets either, and this has left said gaming operators with the

A Trainload of Memories

 All photos by David Eisenstadt. Raised in Calgary, I visited Banff year ‘round, travelled by car through the Rogers Pass and saw much of BC’s interior. I never travelled there by train. That changed when my wife Rhoda and I discovered the Rocky Mountaineer and their various routes through the

From 12 to 20,000, The Hip Returns to Ottawa to Say Goodbye

 All photos by Andre Gagne ‘Til the men they couldn’t hang stepped to the mic and sang and their voices rang with that Aryan twang -The Tragically Hip (Bobcaygeon) On May 24 a collective gasp went out of a sucker punched nation. Gord Downie, frontman to The Tragically Hip, announced

An Imperfect Offering

 Some Rain Must Fall By Karl Ove Knausgaard Reviewed by Don MacLean Why has Karl Ove Knausgaard’s 5 volume autobiography made him an international literary sensation? Karl Ove Knausgaard begins the fifth volume of his autobiography Some Rain Must Fall with a surprising admission.  The volume will cover the part

A New School of Social Innovation is Coming

 As of September 2017, Saint Paul University will be the first Canadian university to have an entire school dedicated solely to the new and promising field of social innovation. Though this field of study is brand new in academia, it is centuries old in terms of our communities’ day-to-day lives.

A Familiar Bell Ringing

 Photo courtesy of stevebell.com. Steve Bell, the long-time Canadian musical sensation, is bringing his voice and his guitar to Arlington Woods Free Methodist Church on June 12. The singer-songwriter has long been considered a voice of hope and faith for his listeners worldwide, his Christian lyrics and pleasant melodies providing

Natalie MacLean App Takes the Guessing out of Wine

 Photos courtesy of Natalie MacLean. Staring at the row upon row of wine at pretty much any LCBO you’ll visit, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the options. Sometimes a clever label grabs your attention and you want to try it, but will it be good enough for your next

Belle Starr Packs Its Fiddles for Ottawa

 In the 1800s, Belle Starr was the name of a notorious American outlaw. Today the title has also come to represent a Canadian female trio, who similar to the rebel, defy categories. The band, consisting of Miranda Mulholland, Kendel Carson and Stephanie Cadman, hit the road this February on a

Blue Rodeo – Canada’s Band

 Photo By Dustin Rabin Canada’s Band is the only way I can describe Blue Rodeo. Since 1987, Blue Rodeo has been a fan favourite on the Ottawa (and Canadian) music scene.  They are as symbolic and important to Canada as the beaver, the maple leaf, poutine, the toque, hockey and

Why it’s time for a National Autism Strategy

 Over a year ago, I was invited to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day on Parliament Hill.  It was attended by a dozen or more Senators from both major parties, political staffers and invited guests mostly from autism non-profit organizations.  I expected a predictable ‘feel good’ event about how far we’ve

Five Ways We Can Reduce Suicides in Canada

 Why a suicide prevention strategy needs to include injury prevention Despite recent headlines, Canadian rates of suicide and attempted suicide have remained largely unchanged over the last several decades (11 per 100,000).  What has changed is that we’ve seen increasing rates of suicide in the Canadian military recently, after stable

Three Things the Federal Government Can Do to Improve the Registered Disability Savings Plan

 Many of us in the disability community were pleasantly surprised when the Liberal party promised to create a National Disabilities Act that would safeguard disability rights, reduce systemic barriers and establish a foundation of opportunity for those affected by disability.  Canada is an outlier among developed nations for not having

Five Things You Might Not Know About Food Insecurity in Canada.

 For many Canadians, food plays a central role in the holiday festivities. But for those experiencing food insecurity, a bountiful feast will not be in the cards this year. Over 4 million Canadians, including 1.15 million children experience some level of food insecurity. Food insecurity, also known as ‘food poverty,’

A Corporate Stay is a Cozy Stay

 Whether you're travelling for business or for pleasure, homesickness is out of the picture with Corporate Stays. With multiple options in every major Canadian city, as well as locations in NYC, Miami, Mexico, Europe and South America, a Corporate Stay’s executive apartment provides you and your family with a comfortable, luxuriously furnished and

5 Great places to have Christmas Dinner in Ottawa

 In households across Ottawa, the holiday season will be marked with tree decorating, present wrapping, and of course, plenty of good eating. For those of you who love a good Christmas dinner, but aren’t in the mood to cook, we’ve compiled a list of some great restaurants serving up festive

Dear Health Minister Philpott — We Need Leadership In Medicare Restored

 Dear Minister Philpott, It is fantastic news that as a family doctor you are our next federal health minister.  You will know very well that our healthcare system shows its age.  Born in the middle of the 20th century, its primary focus on doctors and hospitals is outmoded as technology

The Wonderful Works of Andrea Warren

 All photos courtesy of Andrea Warren Some artists create their work for fame and fortune, but some, like Ottawa-based visual artist Andrea Warren, create art for much more significant reasons. Warren’s art is unusual and enchanting. In some pieces, Warren combines multiple acrylic colours together to create an almost stained

The Heart of Wild Labrador: Adventure Canada Style

 All photos courtesy of Don MacLean. Once in his life a man ought to concentrate his mind upon the remembered earth. He ought to give himself up to a particular landscape in his experience; to look at it from as many angles as he can, to wonder upon it, to

Adventure, Canadian Style Part One

 All photos courtesy of Don MacLean. Echoes of Newfoundland’s Past “Go out to the deck,” we were told over the ship’s PA system. “Whales have been spotted off the port side.” I hurried outside, eager to catch a glimpse. It was July but the morning sea air was cool, invigorating.

Women and the World Wars

 Photo © Canadian War Museum The Canadian War Museum is celebrating Canadian women’s roles and contributions made during the First and Second World Wars in the museum’s new exhibit, World War Women. Dr. Stacey Barker is the Acting Historian, Art and War, at the Canadian War Museum. Barker has been working at the

Cory Carlick and the Undersigned

 A shoot from The Undersigned. Photo courtesy of  SKYCRON. Cory Carlick has been working in broadcasting since the age of 15. He started his career at CJOH-TV, now CTV Ottawa. Carlick was experimenting with shorts and visual effects when broadcast legend Max Keeping and producer Scott Hannant discovered him. Soon, Carlick

Do Canadians Spend Too Much on Taxes?

 Here’s why that’s the wrong question “There are lies, damned lies and statistics” is the well-worn phrase, but nothing better sums up the recent Fraser Institute scare mongering about taxes being the single largest budget item of Canadian households.  “Your family’s largest expense may surprise you,” the ideological-driven think tank