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…
Good luck, millennials
By Emily Stonehouse Aging has been on my mind this week. Perhaps it’s the upcoming Aging Together as Community conference slated for this coming weekend. Or maybe it’s the multiple events that happened the past…
Cuts and bruises
By Emily Stonehouse “It is literally impossible to be a woman.” And so begins the monologue delivered by America Ferrara in the movie Barbie, that graced theatres this past summer, and rattled hearts, bones, and…
Transparency
By Emily Stonehouse We’ve all seen them. Those word searches, plastered on the screens of social media, running rampant this time of year with promises that the first three words you spot will be the…
Hearts and bones
By Emily Stonehouse You’re not really supposed to write about seasonal things in an editorial. It’s usually supposed to be some sort of stance. And in writing editorials, it turns out that I have no…
A Christmas boost
By Emily Stonehouse We’re in that time of year where we all need a little boost. Energy is low, prices are high, and infections are steadily climbing. “‘Tis the season” we hear repeatedly. “It’s going…
Know better, do better
By Emily Stonehouse We’re all allowed to make mistakes. Allowed to not know everything that may traipse on toes and ruffle feathers along the way. But the way we raise our kids is that once…
That day the power went out
By Emily Stonehouse It started like a normal day; Cheerios in the morning, a second coffee after the kids caught the bus. That day the power went out, we all had plans. Meetings, phone calls,…
Those beautiful burgers
From Shaman’s RockBy Jim Poling Sr. Try as you might, it’s hard to ignore television commercials. Especially when you arewatching a lot of sports, as many of us were during the World Series and now…
Not the time to forget
By Emily Stonehouse I’ve been sitting with this document open all week. A Remembrance Day editorial. There should be lots to say. How we remember. How we honour the fallen soldiers who have bled out…
Head in the sand
By Emily Stonehouse I’m supposed to write about the things that happen in our community. But this week, as I kept my head down and dove into the happenings in our town, I felt the…
With bells on
By Emily Stonehouse I don’t usually struggle with words. Usually, they come fairly easy to me. I feel lucky in that sense. But this week, I hit a wall. It was a unique challenge I…
Why do sunflowers droop?
From Shaman’s Rock By Jim Poling Sr. I now know why sunflowers droop. It’s not because they lack water, or because their seed heads have become heavy. When you see sunflowers drooping, instead of standing…
A place on the map
By Emily Stonehouse This past weekend, Whitewater Ontario presented the 2023 Canadian National Whitewater Championships at the Whitewater Preserve on Horseshoe Lake Road. Now this isn’t just any race in the park. We’re talking literal…
Me too
By Emily Stonehouse Content warning: Please note that this editorial will discuss sexual assault, which may be triggering to some readers. If this is upsetting to you, please know that you are not alone. There…
Gone
By Emily Stonehouse We’ve vanished. For our loyal followers on social media, some may have noticed that our online presence has dwindled since last week. While the Minden Times and the Haliburton Echo are print…