Premier Danielle Smith has announced changes to how Alberta educational institutions may accept research money from the federal government. “For too long, the Trudeau government has given research money based on left-wing, so-called ‘progressive’ ideology”, the premier said. “Only research designed to support Justin Trudeau’s view of the world is
Continue readingAuthor: Maurice Tougas
In This Corner: Saving the world one bag at a time
Before the federal government and The People’s Republic of Edmonton declared war on paper or plastic bags, stores would provide customers with bags, gratis, to tote away their purchases. Hey, it was the least they could do after we spent $200 on groceries. But now that bags are evil, we
Continue readingIn This Corner: I am now a grandfather. Congratulate me.
As of March 15th at about 1:45p.m. – the Ides of March, whatever that means – I crossed the last threshold into senior citizenship. I am now a grandfather, and, by extension, I am now married to a grandmother. My youngest son, with a little help from his wife, increased
Continue readingIn This Corner: Why Brian Mulroney looks so good today
Have I ever told you about the time I met Brian Mulroney? It was 1984, and Mulroney was running to replace the exhausted and deeply unpopular Pierre Trudeau/John Turner government. He stopped by Red Deer, and I decided to go see him. I stood in line just outside Red Deer
Continue readingIn This Corner: In search of valuable cardboard
Hockey cards are having a moment, aren’t they? Recently, an entire carton of unopened 1979-80 hockey cards, found in a Saskatoon basement (could this story be any more Canadian?) sold for $5 million. There could be 20 Wayne Gretzky rookie cards in the box, potentially worth many millions. Last week,
Continue readingIn This Corner: Oscar predictions from a guy who hasn’t seen most of the nominees
If Barbie wins the best picture Oscar on Monday, it will mark two years in a row that I didn’t finish the best picture winner. I stopped watching last year’s Everything Everywhere All At Once when I became hopelessly lost, intending to finish it later. Later has not arrived. And
Continue readingIn This Corner: You – yes, you – can be scammed
One day last week, I got a phone call from my mother-in-law. I know this sounds like the set-up for a joke, but it isn’t. “Where are you?” she practically shouted. A strange question, in that she phoned me at my home. Then she asked me, in an even more
Continue readingIn This Corner: The age-old question of … age
One of the biggest issues in the U.S. election isn’t the economy, or the border (southern, not northern), or various worldwide conflicts. It’s age. Specifically, old age. The only thing that can stop the rematch nobody wants between Joe Biden, 81, and Donald Trump, 77, is if one of them
Continue readingIn This Corner: Skip Valentine’s Day, save the world
How much have you, or are you, spending on Valentine’s Day? If the Retail Council of Canada can be trusted (have they ever lied to us before?), the answer is, not much. According to a survey by the council, 51% of Canadians who celebrate Valentine’s Day will spend less than
Continue readingIn This Corner: When The Beatles conquered America (and me)
I am reading a called ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’ a history of pop music. Naturally, there was a chapter on The Beatles and their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which was on Feb. 9, 1964. I thought, ‘Hey, that’s 60 years ago! What a great idea for a blog!’
Continue readingIn This Corner: Tim Hortons has become the ultimate symbol of Canada
Canada is not a great country for symbols. Sure, there’s the maple leaf, but how many times do you actually see a maple leaf tree in Western Canada? There’s the beaver, which became a symbol of the nation for its industriousness and our desire to kill them for fur coats.
Continue readingIn This Corner: Whither the Alberta NDP?
During the provincial election of 2015, Rachel Notley was everywhere. Literally. The party – which, going into the election, had just four seats – was desperate. Their candidates were so unknown, so unprepared, that election signs would have given you the impression that Rachel Notley was running in your constituency
Continue readingIn This Corner: My 2023 books worth reading (and one to avoid)
Happy New Year, readers. And since you are readers, I thought I would give you the New Year’s gift of a list of my favourite books of 2023. (You will notice that this list is composed entirely of non-fiction titles; the only fiction I read last year was The Catcher
Continue readingIn This Corner: The goodbye list of 2023
Welcome again to my annual list of the famous and infamous who left this mortal coil in 2023. In this list you will find famous names, people you thought were already dead, and people you’ve never heard of. Actors Raquel Welch in her prime. Not much of an actress, but
Continue readingIn This Corner: All I want for Christmas is …
“What do you want for Christmas?” I’ve heard those six words dozens of times since I was a child. As a kid, it was an invitation to go crazy. The list-making would begin right after Halloween. I would watch my after-school kids’ programs, make note of every boy’s toy advertised,
Continue readingIn This Corner: Your must not see films of 2023
As a lifelong fan and even, dare I say, a student of movies, at this time of year I like to peruse the ‘best of’ lists from movie critics, looking for something I’ve missed that I’d like to check out in the next year. There is, I know, a gap
Continue readingIn This Corner: Wait a second before you toss your cookies
In preparation for the inevitable snowfall, I was attempting to get my snow tires put on my car last week. I went to one of those drive-thru lube places, which seemed like the most convenient way to go. After waiting for more than an hour for the job in front
Continue readingIn This Corner: In the land where money has no value
Wouldn’t you like to live in a world where money has no value? Where you could spend any amount of money on anything you like? And I don’t mean Taylor Swift money; the poor lass only made a billion dollars this year. I’m talking about really big dough, the major
Continue readingIn This Corner: I want my Goodies
Canada’s population has been growing at an unprecedented rate – more than one million people in 2022, making it the fastest-growing country in the G7. But if we’re so hot, why is Kleenex ‘kleeing’ (sorry) out of Canada? Kleenex – one of those products whose brand name has become the
Continue readingIn This Corner: Hey, Danielle! Keep your hands off my pension
When the news broke about Danielle Smith’s scheme for an Alberta pension plan, an old expression came to mind – if it ain’t broke, don’t fit it. Admittedly, the English is terrible, but the point is laudable. Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party – essentially an English version of the Bloc
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