A week ago, one of Barrie’s premier technology companies drew its core customers and founding friends together and lit 40 candles on its birthday cake. Pavliks.com was born in 1969 as FPA Marketing Group, a fledgling advertising and marketing firm with two skilled entrepreneurs in the drivers seat. Flory and Wilma Pavlik founded FPA because…
There’s a potentially sad story about a Barrie daschund. Now this dog breed already has inherent difficulties just with its body shape but this three year old male was a sad sight. He had three herniated discs and his painful life included paralysis in his back end. He dragged himself across the floor. His owners,…
A month ago Corky Ayerst made a decision to leave this world under his own steam. Sidelined with kidney trouble and daily dialysis, marooned away from his darling wife of 61 years, about to have both of his legs amputated, he looked at his 80 years of living and decided to let nature take its…
When Maria Carolina Basco Datoon’s father came to Canada in the 60’s, it was to find a better life for his family. It took eight years before Carol (as we know her) could join her family and be sponsored to Canada. Eight years of frugal living, letters, paperwork and struggle. Carol was 14 when she…
The T4’s and T3’s are arriving. If we’re trying to live on Old Age Security and Canadian Pension Plan contributions, we wish there was more. We open the income tax returns AND the instruction book and moan. How do we possibly begin? Now, imagine if you’re new to Canada and English or French is not…
Jennifer is 42. Single mom. 2 kids. Pays attention to her health. Had a full medical in October. Including a breast exam. Because of her age, her doctor gave her a referral slip for the breast screening clinic. She booked her appointment… nearest date was end of March…five months later. By January, during her regular…
It was 12 years ago that Advance Editor Lori Martin called to suggest I try my hand at writing a regular column. Kid One was 18 years old and just heading out the door to begin his career in the ski industry; Kid Two, at age 13, was entering her last year of elementary school…
For more than 20 years I’ve been shopping at the delightful candle manufacturer in Innisfil. Nestled in thousands of square feet along Hwy 400 just north of Innisfil Beach Rd, Concord Candles has been like a mecca of delight as I stock up on supplies for the cottage, the home, or as gifts. I think…
Jo-Anne Richardson believes in the universal power of love energy. She believes in the healing power in the energy of touch. Through her training with Innisfil’s Suzanne Dobinson, Jo-Anne has embraced healing theories and offers the practice of Quantum-Touch, Reiki, and services like nutritional counselling, life coaching and general wellbeing. A new business owner, she’s…
Joanne Woodward, wife of the late Paul Newman, is first and foremost an actress. But right up there with her career on stage and screen is her passion for knitting. Colour, creativity, texture and the excitement of taking a long strand of textile and creating something eternal… this is the thrill for Joanne. In fact,…