By Diane Johnston Speaker Reporter Emergency Preparedness Week has come and gone.Now, it doesn’t rank up there on my personal priority list with, say, the income tax filing deadline.But recent events – flooding in the Ottawa area and beyond, and the anniversary of the Fort McMurray wildfires

Steven Larocque Speaker Editor The Ontario budget was introduced recently in the provincial legislature.Supporters of the government loved it. Or tolerated it.Opponents hated it.Budget patterns are always the same – the tough austerity measures come in the first couple of years of a mandate, things ease up a bit in the middle

By Steven Larocque Speaker Editor Traditions – personal, familial, societal – take place throughout the year. A holiday like Christmas springs to mind immediately and with it the traditions people create and observe – erecting a real tree, specific decorations for specific places, the turkey cooked to maximum

There are some key steps that are needed to help the North reverse its decline and move forward into a changing global economy.A recent FedNor announcement to assist infrastructure projects in the region is good news, particularly in its support of the local dairy industry’s development.The Timiskaming

By Darlene WroeWhile tensions mount on a global scale, it is easy to lose heart.But such times are really a test of our personal strength to stay balanced.A positive outlook has been proven to be an important part of health.As adults, we particularly have to work

This past weekend was Earth Day (April 22), a day set aside to bring awareness to the way we are negatively impacting our planet because of our consumer driven lifestyles.Certainly, acknowledging the planet’s protection one day a year isn’t going to change much.But each of us

Northern Ontarians have nearly double the level of cardiovascular risk of people living in the Greater Toronto Area.A new study published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal shows a sharp divide between health outcomes of Northerners and people living in the rest of the province.This

There’s an app for that.It’s a phrase that made some people rich as the use of mobile devices expanded across the globe and developers created applications for use on cellphones and tablets.Everyone seems to have a cellphone now. Heck, even I do. It was given to

Over the past several years, people frequently state the need for more volunteers to step forward.People committed to the community are aging, and younger people seem to have increasingly busy lives and commitments in areas other than traditional volunteer activities.And yet, a group of 26 Lions Club members in Earlton,

by Diane JohnstonThere’s a Canada 150 tulip, a dance routine that’s supposed to embody “Canada’s diversity and artistic identity,” and a commemorative ten dollar bill.Over the coming months, there will be quilting bees and art installations, symposiums and fireworks, parades and runs, and music fests, beer fests, film fests and