How can physical activity have a positive effect on attitude? How can a group of girls come together, talk, share, play sports together, and get stronger as a result? Olympic athlete Molly Barker took a long hard look at that pivotal moment of change in her development as a person, and in 1996 decided that…

Column 133 Maybe it was her training as a nurse that made her so empathetic to those without a voice. Or maybe it was because life handed her a set of challenges that she met head on. Whatever, Marion Fell came up the dirt road that was Hwy 27, landing in Barrie in 1933 as…

Column 132   It’s an idea that got its start from a program called A Day in the Life… in Midland. Lin Wilson had attended this event and joined forces with Beth Foster to give Barrie its very own four-night event of sharing, learning, and stimulating conversation. Called Illuminating Conversations, this four-night opportunity got its…

Column 130   It’s so typical of Marshall Green to turn a tribute dinner for him into a fundraiser for three charities! In fact, it’s really been Marshall’s way since he moved to Barrie as a young man seeking employment in the legal field, and seeking family life with his bride, Susan. Along the way,…

Column 131   Ron Lynch 1932 – 1914 “One Hundred Percent!” Suffering horribly from recurring pneumonia and respiratory problems, when doctors and nurses entered his room at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, and asked Ron how he was doing, he’d smile and say “one hundred percent!” That was the mantra with which Ron lived his…

Column 129   If we’re going to open a cheese shop, where is the best location? Where will our customers come from? Will a destination location work, or should we choose a high traffic area? And how about cheese distributors and quotas? And what cheese will be popular? And might people want to stop by…

Column 128   Well, it’s back to school time. Four year olds are thrilled with new lunch bags. Grade 9 students are nervous about ths first step into high school. College kids are learning how to get around new communities and set up bank accounts. What about the older folks? The desire for information never…

Column 127   For those of us who’ve lived in Barrie a long time, the Snelgrove name is tied in with entrepreneurial effort and communications. Ralph Snelgrove started CKVR Television; his brother Bert managed CKBB and CKCB radio stations; the two families lived on Theresa St and the kids went to public and high school…

Column 126   When John Beecroft took over Dr Art Doidge’s medical practice at Wellington Medical Group in 1972, he stepped into the new world of family medicine. One of the first graduates in the family medicine specialty at Western’s Medical School, Dr John Beecroft was certified in the college of family practice, treating family…

Column 125   I was an awkward, unsure 12 year old the day my dad drove in with a canoe tied to the roof of his car. An on-the-road salesman for automotive parts, his territory included parts north of Orangeville, which made our Irish Lake cottage a handy overnight location and time with his busy…