By Diane Johnston Random thoughts, from a COVID-addled brain: • It took a pandemic to demonstrate that some of the poorest paid jobs – in retail, for example, and nursing …

This pandemic has been a transformative event for many reasons – lives changed and lives lost prime among them. Comparisons to war-like conditions are overheated and ill-advised, but there is …

Some people are finding it is easier on their mental health if they avoid the news, but some of us are reading it constantly in an effort to try to …

By Steven Larocque Last Thursday in the office we talked briefly about the ice on Lake Temiskaming and how, hopefully, we’d soon have to watch for its official breakup. An …

A lot of smart ideas are being put forth to help cope with and battle the COVID-19 pandemic. • An email received at The Speaker last week from the Ontario …

By Darlene Wroe We just had the most unusual celebration of a birthday party. My daughter passed one of her milestones. She works at the University of Waterloo and for …

People are doing a good job of putting distance between themselves, and of shopping responsibly and mindfully. There are always some who won’t comply, but we have no choice but …