She looks out her balcony window at Tollendale Village. There, nestled in the snow under glorious buds is a green street sign that says “Wendy’s Garden.” In her office/den perch artifacts from 50 years of bringing energy, wit, wisdom and humour to Barrie. Plaques of tribute. Photographs of achievements. Paintings of memory. When Wendy Hicks…
Sometimes when I’m in a place like Smitty’s Furniture, I just want to start all over again. The room groupings, the decor accents, it all seems so… well… nifty! Know what I mean? Then I come home and sit in the family room and put my feet up on the coffee table and it feels…
There was a huge discussion about knives last night. In fact, it turns out that just as professional skiers eye each other’s skis and mechanics look at each other’s tools, cooks actually turn green with envy over knives. Lesson Number One at Liaison College, Barrie’s newest professional and recreational activity centre. Last week Liaison opened…
It was a moment of magic. In fact there were hundreds of moments of magic this week as literally thousands of people have stepped outside themselves to extend a hand of friendship to someone else. It’s the trikes for tykes that sort of says it all… But, let’s go back to the beginning: Six years…
They call it ‘The Wing.’ RCAF 441 Huronia Wing Inc. It’s a modest building out on Highway 90 with a T33 jet (introduced in the last year of World War Two) balancing on a tall tower. The aircraft was decommissioned when Borden’s air base closed. It was delivered down the highway and put in place…
Kid Two came home this weekend, walked in the door, went to the fridge and had a melt-down! “What has happened around here? There’s NOTHING in this fridge, and NOTHING in the cupboard.” Kid One and his wonderful new wife came in a couple of weeks back; he went to the fridge and scolded… “Every…
Yolanda and Seamus (pronounced Shay-muss) Feeney are careful people. Like most parents, they paid regularly for life insurance policies. When Seamus was a Toronto policeman, their concern for safety was great. When he moved to Barrie to work in the City’s Provincial Offences Department as a prosecutor, the work seemed less dangerous, but the need…
Every so often, each year or year and a half, I do something stupid that flips a disk and puts my sciatic nerve into overdrive. It’s never very much… could be reaching to get my coat from the closet. Could be getting out of the car. I’m never sure what’s going to set it off,…
Sandy Berube is a take-charge kind of gal! A former CIBC corporate trainer, Sandy has found new purpose in life… and it’s not in Corporate Canada boardrooms. It’s in cages. Animal cages. That’s why she sprang into action when she heard that this fall’s Dinner and Auction for the SPCA was cancelled. Because of reduced…
“It’s who you know that makes the difference around here.” “Yeah, if you’re not part of the old boys’ network, you’re not going anywhere.” “Old boys. They’re a cozy compact of powerful people who shut everybody else out.” Interesting phrases to describe a group of people who exist in probably every community. Old Boys. Who…