Column 124   It could be your toddler at preschool. A major storm hits, traps kids in a burning building. It could be your parent, in a secured ward in a long term care facility. The building is threatened and the people are trapped. It could be a mentally ill gunman with death on his…

Column 123   Kelly Scaglione has a multi facetted view of the penal, system. She’s married to a soft spoken police officer. She’s served on the board of directors for the John Howard Society which helps men reintegrate when they finish a prison term. She helps out at the Salvation Army’s Bayside Mission, which is…

Column 122   Picture this. Your grandfather, or your father, or someone you care about is living alone. Not in the same city as you. He (or she) is unwell. They need regular medications and they get confused about whether they’ve taken their pills or even had breakfast or lunch. It happens. Picture this. You’ve…

Column 121   This afternoon (if you’re reading this on Thursday) scores of farmers, restauranteurs, foodies, and community builders are gathering to honour Sandra Trainor. This woman’s diligent activism has changed everything from seeds in the soil to food in our mouths in Simcoe County. Sandra Trainor is moving to Sault Ste Marie to join…

Column 120   For many of us Barrie ‘oldtimers’ the half block from Bayfield to Maple, from Ross towards Dunlop represents the Woolworths Department Store. In its heyday, it was the pre-mall shopping mecca and it truly carried everything, from men’s suits to goldfish! In later years it has held, simultaneously, a huge bar called…

Column 119   When Barry Peacock announced the merger of Kempenfelt Graphics with Cober Evolving Solutions out of Kitchener recently, it was exciting news for the printing industry. For Barry and son Chris, who is president of Kempenfelt Graphics, the move blends two families with similar community feelings and beliefs into one very high tech…

Column 118   “We bask in his energy, get annoyed with his exuberance, shake our heads at his boundlessness and treasure his genuineness” Those are the words on an award to Dr Rick Irvin from Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre. As I spoke with Rick Irvin about his commitment to life and living and dying…

Column 117   It was a really good idea. That should have worked. Last fall, my first husband and I decided to spend a winter week at our very simple, very remote cottage on Georgian Bay. When I say ‘simple’ I mean winter living means hauling buckets of water from a hole in the ice,…

Column 116   Licking. You know. You stick out your tongue, open the flap of an envelope, run your tongue along the gummy edge, hoping not to get a paper cut, and then stick down the flap. Licking. When Canada Post created its reactive hullabaloo before Christmas, saying some of us are losing our door…

Column 115   In this past year, 2013, Barrie has lost from its ‘old’ self a number of the people who were part of its big town/small city glory days. Bob Tuck was one of them. To try to capture Bob’s personality, his essential-ness is a great challenge. Too young to fight in World War…