Columns | Sep 01
A thousand years ago, when knighthood was the highest calling and the slaying of dragons was a noble task, a code of chivalry emerged. Among its list of 20 or so virtuous obligations there was, according to the Encyclopedia Americana, ‘a lofty devotion to the female sex.’
That ideal was put...
Columns | Sep 01
What makes Muskoka special?
As we move towards the next election and experience the last weekend of the summer, one can easily reflect on what attributes make this community so very unique and engaging. What will we remember about the summer of 2010?
The ties that...
Columns | Aug 25
He wasn’t nostalgic for the ‘good old days.’
He was just miffed with the way some things had changed.
All the stuff that seemed to have replaced the ‘common sense’ that had guided him and others of previous generations.
“If I was as agile as I used to be,” he said. “I’d take a...
Columns | Aug 25
The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell
I’ve been going to bed Kurt Wallander this summer. I’m spending time on the dock with him as well, and in the porch; every minute I can get away from friends and family at the cottage. I’m not the only one, there are a lot of readers working their...
Columns | Aug 20
I have been told that one indication of advancing age is the tendency to look backwards – just a bit. So, I was searching through some old papers this morning and found the following. You who have visited the sanctuary will have met Mama Bear. This is how I wrote about her on June 5, 1996:
Two...
Columns | Aug 20
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Many people were surprised last month to find a new ‘eco fee’ line mysteriously appear on their receipts for some consumer products. Coming on the heels of the unpopular HST, but without any of the same publicity or explanation, this additional cost was immediately touted as an unfair tax...
Columns | Aug 18
Each rattlesnake season here on the Georgian Bay shore I’m reminded of one of my informants back in the days when I collected oral history from old-time lumberjacks.
This man had worked on the Magnetawan River sawlog drive, so I asked him if he’d had any experience with alligators.
“No, I...
Columns | Aug 18
There’s been a lot of media rumbling about why many Canadians are up in arms over the long form census. Why would Canadians bestir themselves in the height of the summer barbecue season to bother worrying about statistics? Some have even suggested that our obsession...
Columns | Aug 18
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We are facing an environmental crisis of biblical proportions right here in Ontario, and it’s not global warming, oil spills, or the news flavour of the day.
Let me explain. The country of India has a population of over 1.2 billion people. About 300 million of their population, worship the...
Columns | Aug 18
The Worst Thing She Ever Did by Alice Kuipers
Summer is the busiest time of the year at Parry Sound Books. Our reputation has been earned by our excellent customer service, the knowledge and efficiency of our staff, and the great selection of books that we offer to our customers.
Columns | Aug 18
The passengers in the back seats of the family mini-van were quiet. It had been a long trip and all four of them, ranging in age from 10 to teen, had finally found something to while away the time.
It was quiet until one of them said or, rather, exclaimed, “Look at that tree! The fall colours...
Columns | Aug 11
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He stood stark naked among a select congregation. He was a Lutheran pastor about to deliver his most memorable sermon. As he slowly walked to the altar, bare feet on cold stone, two ministrants followed closely, forcefully, behind.
He climbed the few steps of the raised platform where...
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