By Emily Stonehouse As we watch the smoke drift into our backyards with wildfires ravaging the country, they passed Bill 5. A contentious topic, which will make immediate changes to the Endangered Species Act, the…
Changes
By Emily Stonehouse The other day, I was invited to sit in on a presentation to the Rotary Club by historian Steve Hill on the past stories of newspapers across the county. And while this…
Rural murals
By Emily Stonehouse Mural, mural, on the wall. Who is the fairest town of them all? I recently spent a weekend in Huntsville, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the effort…
Downtown draw
By Emily Stonehouse It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The May long weekend. We’re here. We made it. We’ve battled a particularly long winter, a highly damaging ice storm, and narrowly avoided a…
The ‘A’ word
By Emily Stonehouse It’s a dreaded term for many. Councillors and township staff shudder at the thought. The almighty ‘A’ word. The one that shall not be named. But for the sake of this editorial,…
River
By Emily Stonehouse In Minden, the Gull River weaves and winds throughout our downtown core. It’s what’s right in front of us. It’s what we see all the time. It tells us the seasons, the…
Photo ops
By Emily Stonehouse Whenever I see a photo posted on social media of a local politician, many are quick to quip “photo op!” A shortened term for “photo opportunity”; it is often seen as a…
Human
By Emily Stonehouse Sometimes it all feels too much. That weight of the world. Anger settles on the chests of the everyday person. We feel every taut and pull of conflict, so deeply in our…
Cut Connections
By Emily Stonehouse There are few feelings greater than the euphoria of your hydro being restored. It’s been a rough few days. For quite literally everyone in the county. Nearly everyone in the province. It…
Blankets
By Emily Stonehouse Many small pieces, all coming together to make something bigger. I was inspired by Minden’s Mary Trepanier this week. She and her group of dedicated volunteers have diligently worked for the past…
Open/Shut
By Emily Stonehouse As I sit and type this, I am sitting inside Minden’s new restaurant, Fork and Flour. The energy is good, the sun is shining, and it feels optimistic. I had just come…
Red, white, and grey
By Emily Stonehouse If Donald Trump is involved in something, in any capacity, you can be sure that it is not remotely reasonable and will be completely convoluted; rife with grey areas and questions and…
Loose change
By Emily Stonehouse It is estimated that the final price tag on this snap provincial election is $189 million. That amount is coming exclusively from taxpayers' pockets. We paid for this. We paid $189 million…
Showing up
By Emily Stonehouse One of my favourite things to do at those elementary school holiday concerts is to watch little faces scan the crowd. You can see them looking, looking, until they land on a…
A season
By Emily Stonehouse It’s not news. The need for younger individuals to sit in places of power. And in our community, those places of power look like municipal councils. They look like boards and service…
CT scanner cannot come soon enough
By Thomas Smith On Monday, my Dad woke up feeling off. There was a heaviness to his chest and something felt different to his breathing. He figured that his allergies were acting up, or perhaps…
Decriminalize possession and use of substances
By Thomas Smith Everyone has their vices, one way or another. Some people drink soda all day every day and have not had a glass of water in years. Some people eat a bowl of…
Libraries are lifesavers
By Thomas Smith Having fun isn’t hard, when you’ve got a library card. I love libraries. Ever since I was a kid, libraries have been a happy and welcoming space. Every time I enter, I…
The bird warning us
From Shaman’s Rock By Jim Poling Sr. It’s been an odd winter and as it fades into spring it seems to be getting odder. One of this winter’s oddest things is the absence of birds.…
Baby’s first Snowball
By Thomas Smith This weekend marked my first ever Dorset Snowball. I must say, I am thoroughly impressed. Mother Nature luckily cooperated for my first ever Snowball and provided said snow to make said balls.…
A Valentine’s Day pondering
By Thomas Smith I am a hopeless romantic. Some may call me a sucker that falls for clever marketing. Jewelry, chocolates, flowers, cards. Do I get one of everything, or will they want one of…