Perth, Ontario (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth,_Ontario) is a lovely little town, if I must say so myself. Settled by veterans of the War of 1812, streets lined by classic limestone buildings, cafes, restaurants, and touristy places, Perth is in many ways a living museum of its colonial and largely Scottish heritage. (You should come out for the Kilt…
Brier Island is one of those remote and windswept places that seem like the farthest end of the world. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, silent, and even today, it’s four hours and a bit by car from Halifax, assuming you are lucky with both ferries. But in 1828, before the roads were built, there were only two…
Yes, it’s true. One of my best ever clients cost ten cents to acquire as a “forever” client, and in fact it wasn’t even my ten cents, it was his. Several other such clients cost a dollar or two, again of their own money. So, what’s the catch? There is no catch. And here’s what’s…
In an embarrassing turn of events, legal action by an American state has cast Canada as an environmental villain, upsetting our holier-than-thou view of our southern neighbour. The State of Michigan is attempting to shut down Line 5, an oil pipeline from Alberta to Central Canada. The Americans argue that the pipeline, which is seven…
If you listen carefully, you just might hear the first stages of a vowel shift in Canadian English, starting (of course) in Toronto. A vowel shift is a change in how, and where, a vowel is enunciated. Vowel shifts are the basis of the old “you say tomayto and I say tomahto” saw. And of…
This piece combines two of my favourite topics: Donald Trump and communication. If you’re a Trump fan, read no further– you won’t like it. Most everyone knows that last year, after some especially egregious tweets, the Donald was banned from Twitter. Now, that’s like telling a spoiled three year old to put away his favourite…
This is a story about an orange Canadian banknote, one of a kind. The summer I graduated high school I went looking for summer work at the then under-construction Mactaquac Dam in New Brunswick. Back in those days, of course, hitch-hiking was not only safe but normal, unless your Daddy was rich, which was not…
My dear old 1976 Case 480CK tractor weighs something in excess of six tons, loader and deadweight included. All of that makes for amazing traction, when all is going well. But when the old dear gets into deep, slimy, wet clay, all that weight can be counterproductive. The slightest miscalculation means that one of the…
My dear old dog Bob was a Baptist, through and through. His little brother Bennie, not so much, but more on that later. Bob the Border Collie was a rescue. I got him when he was around two years old. His puppyhood had not been a happy one. The farmer who rescued him described Bob…
Many people think that Michael is the most Irish of Irish names, but actually, the true Irish name is Mícheál (note the letter reversal). And to be truthful, Michael is actually of Hebrew origin, the name of one of the highest angels, and means either “who is like God?” or “gift from God”. Jews, Christians,…