The Rankin Family
Sad morning in Canadian country/folk music as word spreads that Raylene Rankin of The Rankin Family has died of cancer at 52 . She passed away in hospital in Halifax.…
death
Canadians Put Politics Aside for Suicide Prevention Day
by Amelia Wood Whether you identify yourself as a conservative, liberal or something in between, there’s no denying the fact that you or someone you know has likely been affected…
Things I have learned about writing wills
One of the fun facts about my dad was that he was really thrifty. Crazy thrifty sometimes.
Open Possibilities
Fourteen years ago last night I was laying in a new bed, on my own as an adult in the wider world for the first time. Besides my worry and…
To the Moon and Back: Neil Armstrong RIP
Neil Armstrong has passed away, at 82 years of age. He was the first person to walk on the Moon. No one has set foot on the Moon since I…
Storyteller Gil
My Dad’s cousin, Gil Dumelie, passed away last weekend. I was at his funeral today, along with about 600 (or more) other family and friends. Gil was a memorable guy,…
House Republicans Attempt To Block Black Lung Protection Funding
black-lung.gif In what could possibly be a new low for one of the most anti-environment, pro-dirty energy industry Congresses in history, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are attempting…
I had a grandfather
My grandfather, Opa, would be celebrating his 104th birthday today if he hadn’t been killed by an irrational fear of surgery. He died in a hospital in Hollywood, Florida, as…
Next thing I knew, the duck was mine
Yesterday afternoon I walked right into an unfolding crisis on Fisher Avenue. The scene, as I approached, involved a man stopping rush-hour traffic while he retrieved an injured duck from…
Favourite Poems LVII: Death
The first two lines — “Because I could not stop for Death,/He kindly stopped for me” — must be among the greatest opening lines of any poem. Death Because I…
Coffee Drinkers Have a Lower Death Risk
I’m writing this as I sip my first coffee of the day and it makes me feel good to do both activities at once because coffee drinkers have a lower…
Andrew (Andy) Suknaski of Wood Mountain and Moose Jaw
Andy Suknaski, award winning poet and visual artist, has passed away at age 69. Andy was from my home town of Wood Mountain, and I have some memories of him…
Greenpeace Uncovers Shocking Photos Of Gulf Of Mexico Oil Disaster
More than two years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and BP's well spewed millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, Greenpeace has finally been…
Inheritance Tax on Rich Popular!
According to a new poll I wrote about some days ago the inheritance tax on the rich is apparently popular. that 69 per cent of Canadians support the introduction of…
Death of a humanist
It’s hard to process the idea that Kurt Vonnegut died last night. He wasn’t immortal — at least in the “not dying” sense — but it felt like the world…
Jack Layton: Canada’s Defrauded Prime Minister
Hindsight. It’s a bitch. It’s also bitter and hypothetical at times, so take these particular musings in that context. It’s a “what could’a been”. Jack Layton would have possibly been…
Lives Well Lived
The other day while I was out having a fantastic day meeting new people, my Great Aunt Inez had passed away. I learned about her death when I returned home,…
Dreamscapes: The Stars Go Out
In the dream, we know something is wrong when I notice the constellations have all disappeared. All that remains in the night sky is the deep black of space, and…
Why Actions Today Matter
“We’re destroying future generations for now, and forever.” – Jitesh, an Indian oilman. You won’t regret watching this video, the guy’s a very good storyteller.
On tragic stars…
… and award shows… First of all, let me be clear that I’m not and never have been a fan of award shows. I see absolutely no value in watching…