I Am Canada

I am Canada. I was conceived when the earliest settlers fell in love with the beauty of my landscape and the rugged profile of my mountains. Born July 1, 1867, I grew rapidly, becoming a strong and prosperous nation that welcomed people of all races, colours and religions to share the bounty of my rich

Proudly Canadian – for Jun. 30, 2011

The Maple Leaf forever Such pride those words arouse Head out to the fabric store Sew a true Canadian blouse. Wear it with your jeans or shorts Whichever you would like Walking down a country road Or riding on your bike. Smile and wave at everyone Sing “Oh, Canada.” Sing it loud Hang a flag


Thoughts On Canada Day – for Jun. 30, 2011

July 1 is marked on my calendar as a special day. It has been many years since I became a Canadian citizen. I studied the book, memorized the anthem and stood proudly in front of the officials pledging my allegiance to the Queen. To be a Canadian citizen brought along privileges, responsibilities and obligations. I



Land Donation Will Protect Local Water Supply

A rare remnant of river-bottom forest along the Dead Horse Creek in southern Manitoba donated this spring to the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation is a great example of how preserving habitat can have far-reaching benefits. A new conservation agreement signed between a southern Manitoba farm family and the MHHC will help protect the regional water

Recipe Swap – for Jun. 30, 2011

If you have a few minutes and access to the Internet, I think you’ll find a new web-based health and wellness assessment tool an interesting exercise. It’s maybe an eye-opener too. Last week the Manitoba government launched Health e-Plan, a secure interactive online site to help you get a better idea about your health status


Campaign Urges Province To “Put Communities First”

Municipalities plan a grassroots campaign this summer to make sure the needs of small towns and rural municipalities aren’t forgotten as candidates for the fall election start making election promises. All 197 local governments are asked to pass resolutions that lay out their specific infrastructure needs, with price tag attached and make other community groups

Recipe Swap – for Jun. 23, 2011

School’s out and summer’s in, which means a break in morning sandwich-making chores for those of us with kids. The smell of salmon evokes end-of-school- year memories for me. Mom always packed somethingreallyspecial in the lunch kit for that last day. Never mind that by noon, the bread was soggy and everything in the lunch


Planting For The Future

There are many things that gardeners do which do not reward them with immediate results. As one senior gentleman told me years ago, “We plant trees for the next generation.” Indeed, unless you are substantially younger than I am, any trees you plant will not reach full maturity in your lifetime. It takes a certain

Keep The Learning Going

Mom, what exciting things are we going to do this summer?” my seven-year-old daughter asked. “I thought we would relax and read,” I replied. I was tired from the week’s activities. “Relaxing and reading doesn’t sound very exciting,” she said. She told me all about her upcoming school activities. To mark the last week of