There was a time, about 120 years ago, when almost everyone in Canada could read and write well, could do the math calculations needed in their daily life and work, often without pencil and paper, knew a good bit about world history and understood how governments worked. It is not that way today. It is … Continue reading Public Schools: mediocrity is the goal
Stories from my life
The head or the heart?
The year is 1620, we are on board the Mayflower, anchored at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Several ladies are sitting on the deck beside their possessions, waiting to disembark. Suddenly there is an intrusion from the 20th century, several young girls dressed in the manner of young girls in 1990. The ladies gasp in shock, “Were you … Continue reading The head or the heart?
Why I am a flatlander
Some folks drive through the prairies on the Trans-Canada Highway and say there is nothing to see. I, on the other hand, have driven for hours and days through the forests and rocks of northern Ontario, or Michigan Wisconsin and Minnesota, and found it depressing. Then the trees disappear behind me, the vista of open … Continue reading Why I am a flatlander
Problematic behaviours in children and adolescents – Our family’s experience
I listened with bemused interest as my daughter described racing the Moose Jaw city bus to the end of the block. There was a bus stop in front of the second house on our block and she would wait there on the sidewalk with her trike until the bus left the stop and then pump … Continue reading Problematic behaviours in children and adolescents – Our family’s experience
Memories of Clarence
I hadn’t seen Clarence for several years, but I recognized his voice as soon as I stepped into the room. I could tell from the cadence of his sonorous voice that Clarence was in full storytelling mode. Clarence was a fixture at our family gatherings. He was my Aunt Lottie’s son, thus my cousin, though … Continue reading Memories of Clarence
The best Christmas gift
We had our family Christmas gathering on Boxing Day. There was grandpa, grandma, daughter, son-in-law, two grandsons and two granddaughters. In the afternoon the table was laden with various snacks and we were all working away at reducing the quantities. Evan, our youngest grandson, two years and one month old, picked up a big handful … Continue reading The best Christmas gift
Memories of Christmases past
December 24, 1955. At 11:15 PM my parents and I got into our old GMC half ton and drove into town and through it to the little white Anglican church on the north side. I was driving, even though I was only thirteen, almost fourteen. An RCMP constable attended this church, too, but he carefully … Continue reading Memories of Christmases past
Still missing Penny
Penny was the only dog I ever really loved. He was the family dog of my childhood, an old-fashioned shaggy farm collie, not a narrow-headed, pointy-nosed mutant like today’s purebreds. He was black in colour, with a white collar and chest, and a white stripe down his face, very mild-mannered in disposition, not at all … Continue reading Still missing Penny
Business and Church
I grew up on the edge of a small Saskatchewan town. There were four grocery stores and three churches. One store was owned by a cousin quite a few years older than myself, another by an old friend of my family, another was owned by a Catholic family and the fourth was the local Co-op. … Continue reading Business and Church
Missing Fathers
Twenty years ago, Québec psychologist Guy Corneau published a book entitled père manquant, fils manqué. The title is a French play on words that is untranslatable, but means that there is something lacking in the development of a son when the father is missing. Mr. Corneau explained that he did not only mean fathers who … Continue reading Missing Fathers
