Columns
Brandon Sun, July 3, 2010: Every two weeks for the last three
years, Yann Martel has sent a book – with an accompanying letter – to
Stephen Harper.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, June 12, 2010: Take a stroll along our city
streets and become acquainted with some ghosts – spirits and memories
of Brandon’s past. Here is a three-kilometre walking tour of Brandon
real-life dramas:
Start at the corner of . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, May 8, 2010: You might think that your
income tax return is just a way to report your income and figure out
the taxes you owe. Or – better yet – calculate the size of your refund.
But a tax return tells a lot more . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, April 24, 2010: Two recent books
illuminate the historical backdrops, current issues, and future
questions about food. There is plenty here for us to digest as
consumers, cooks, and citizens.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, March 13, 2010: Despite the gains made in
advancing women’s rights, many cultural and religious customs haven’t
caught up with . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, February 13, 2010: Should we care what
happens to Afghan detainees? After all, weren’t these Taliban fighters
just recently trying to kill Canadian soldiers? And isn’t criticizing
the Afghan mission showing a lack of support for our troops?
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the full column
Brandon Sun, January 16, 2010: Who wants to pay more
taxes? No one, of course. But some tax changes are good. Like the HST
(harmonized sales tax) for Manitoba. But both the NDP and Conservatives
are against . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, December 29, 2009: Evolution? Creation?
There have been interesting letters to the editor in response to my
last column about the evolution / creation . . .
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the full column
Read
the letters to the editor
Brandon Sun, November 14, 2009: “Evolution is a theory.
Creation is a fact.”
So said a bumper sticker on a car in front of me on Rosser Avenue
recently . . .
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the full column
Read
the letters to the editor
Brandon Sun, November 7, 2009: (Part Two of Two.)
Any day, not just Remembrance Day, is a time to notice again
the
war memorials in our communities. These often-overlooked links to our
past invite reflection on citizenship, war, and peace.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, October 17, 2009: (Part One of Two.)
What happens when a
great world event slams into the lives of ordinary citizens? One answer
can be discovered by visiting our community war memorials.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, September 19, 2009: Fred
McGuinness is the consummate storyteller. And he encourages others to
tell their stories, too.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, August 22, 2009: Ever since Barack Obama
burst onto the American political scene, a question has been: Could we
have a leader like that in Canada – a Prime Minster Barack
Obama?
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the full column
Brandon Sun, July 25, 2009: Can just six words sum up a life?
That is the premise of an Internet challenge that resulted in thousands
of submissions and recently the publication of a book . .
.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, June 27, 2009: The recent General Motors bailout
got
me thinking again about the dearth of good ideas in our
Parliament . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, May 30, 2009: It's great to see that the Brandon
school board is planning a handout describing different religions. The
descriptions would be distributed to each Grade 5 student, along with
a . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, May 2, 2009: Why are some people much more
successful than others? This is the question Malcolm Gladwell explores
in his new bestselling book
Outliers: The Story of Success
. . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, April 4, 2009: Deaths of our soldiers in
Afghanistan remind us of the serious nature of Canada’s mission there.
We don’t pay enough attention, however, to the fact our Afghan mission
is entangled with the global “War on Drugs” . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, March 7, 2009: International Women's Day
is tomorrow, so this is an ideal time to review the new biography
Nellie
McClung. Written by Charlotte Gray, it reminds us again of
the
importance of McClung, whose roots were in Westman . .
.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, February 21, 2009: With the release of the huge
federal budget deficit, I see two familiar trends as the Conservatives
and Liberals square off against each other. I also have one .
.
.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, February 7, 2009: “My fellow citizens,” begins
the
new U.S. President, Barack Obama. His inaugural address marks not only
his new job, but also a new level of discourse about . .
.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, January 10, 2009: Recent news items about
restrictions on
shopping for liquor in Manitoba reveal yet again our society’s
hypocrisy about alcohol and drug use. Plus the failure of our "War on
Drugs" . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, December 13, 2008: Don’t read this column. At
least not right away . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, November 15, 2008: “Buy Nothing Day” challenges us to stop
spending for one day.
Stepping
Lightly: Simplicity for People and the Planet, a new book
by Manitoba author Mark Burch, invites us to consider living more
simply all the time.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, October 4, 2008: Is it responsible to vote for a
“fringe” party? This time in Brandon-Souris, the question is especially
appropriate, for two reasons. One . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, September 20, 2008: How delicious to have
elections going on in the U.S. and Canada at the same time! A great
time to compare and contrast not only electoral processes, but also
. .
.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, August 23, 2008: Money now being contributed to
Canada’s political parties shows a huge shift underway. As well, new
rules invite ordinary citizens to get more . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, July 26, 2008: A recent trip to England and
France left my wife and me with many wonderful memories. Plus thoughts
about citizenship, technology, and . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, June 14, 2008: Three great resources bring to
life the stories buried in our
local cemeteries.
Gossip
in the Graveyard,
What Lies Beneath,
and
Every Stone
a Story all
inform, inspire, and invite us to . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, May 31, 2008: Brandon City Council recently
adopted a new recycling program. But why was not one word said about
the existing blue bag program – which the City had claimed
would save
money, reduce pollution, and lower greenhouse gases?
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the full column
Brandon Sun, May 3, 2008:
Wikinomics
derives
its name and inspiration from “wiki,” which is open source software
that anyone can . . .
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the full column
April 7, 2008: Well, what did we learn from the recent
plebiscite? Yes, I’m going to take another kick at . .
.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, March 8, 2008: I can’t resist getting into the
casino debate. Call it an urge, a curiosity, a desire to take a risk.
Just don’t call it an . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, February 9, 2008: This time of year, many of us
are thinking more about money . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, January 12, 2008: Regardless of who is elected
American President this November, their current political
campaign offers a fascinating glimpse into the future. And not just the
future for the U.S., but for . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, December 15, 2007: I thought I would end this
year’s columns with some reflections on the future. Reflections
prompted by looking back at the birth of Brandon 125 years
ago . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, November 17, 2007: Do you ever look at the
Brandon Crime Stoppers feature in the Sunday Brandon Sun? The crimes
profiled – from armed robbery to vandalism – make for
uncomfortable . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, October 14, 2007: Participating in three events
in the last few weeks was enjoyable and meaningful for me. It was also
a reminder of . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, September 29, 2007: . . . The life
story of Harold Gray is one of 42 obituaries of everyday people in a
new book by Colorado newspaper reporter Jim Sheeler.
Obit:
Inspiring Stories of Ordinary People Who Led Extraordinary
Lives is a . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, August 26, 2007: “Ask not what your country can
do for you,” U.S. President John F. Kennedy famously said in 1961, “ask
what you can do for your country.” Nowadays, somewhat regrettably, we
are more likely to ask . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, July 12, 2007: (Part Three of Three.)
. . . Another concern 150 years ago was environmental. . .
. John Palliser and his company observed the countryside at
close hand as they travelled by canoe, foot, horseback, snowshoe, and
dog sled . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, July 5, 2007: (Part Two of Three.) .
. . Globalization was already a major dynamic for the
Prairies 150 years ago. The fur trade had brought Europeans to the
Prairies and also drawn the First Nations people into the global
economy . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, June 28, 2007: (Part One of Three.) .
. . John Palliser led
an Expedition that travelled through the Prairies 150 years ago. To
mark this sesquicentennial . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, June 29, 2007: Begin in 1882 as a tiny
settlement - mostly of tents. Reach 2007 as a bustling contemporary
city. Quite the journey for Brandon! Yet even in the earliest
years, the inhabitants of Brandon were surprisingly impacted
by . . .
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Brandon Sun, June 10, 2007: Once Upon A
Time: It all started one Sunday when my wife noticed an item
in the Brandon Sun: there was going to be an open casting call for a
movie . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, June 3, 2007: Apples, beets, carrots . . .
radishes, squash, tomatoes . . . zucchini. This is an alphabet sampling
of the delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables that are
available to the Community Shared Agriculture participants .
. .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, May 3, 2007: The time is last Thursday evening.
I am enjoying a coffee break at Scarlatti’s Cappuccino Bar on Rosser
Avenue. The coffee is delicious and . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, April 8, 2007: I recently had an anti-theft
immobilizer installed in our vehicle. So naturally I read with interest
the news reports from Winnipeg about stolen cars being used there to
run down . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, March 15, 2007: Two recent books provide
fascinating reading about how the Internet is changing our world. These
are
The Long Tail
and
Wikinomics.
The author of
The Long
Tail:
Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More
is Chris
Anderson, the . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, January 7, 2007: Volunteering is important to
the vitality and sustainability of many community efforts: from
hospitals and other large institutions to the smallest programs.
Overall, in Canada . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, December 31, 2006: (Part Two of Two.)
According to a recent Statistics Canada survey, almost
everyone gives to a non-profit program or group during the year. Here
are some tips on getting the most of your donations at income tax time.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, December 28, 2006: (Part One of Two.)
The vast majority of Canadians donate money to the 160,000
charitable and other non-profit organizations in the country. Totaling
about $9 billion, these donations . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, November 23, 2006: What? Spend an entire day
buying nothing? The very idea challenges us, shocks us even, especially
at this time of year. Buy Nothing Day was started in 1992 by Adbusters,
a . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, November 5, 2006: (Part Two of Two.)
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the full column
Brandon Sun, November 2, 2006: (Part One of Two.)
The way that income taxes are collected provides an
interesting snapshot of how our society works and changes.
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the full column
October 31, 2006: The municipal
elections last week showed a few things about where we are at as a
city. We got national publicity, but what else happened?
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Brandon Sun, October 8, 2006: October features a number of
events that remind us of sustainability issues. There are opportunities
for insight, information, and involvement.
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the full column
Brandon Sun, August 31, 2006: (Part Two of Two.)
Electronic sources, especially the Internet, deliver much
more news to us than we used to get. Are we getting better news? Are we
"getting" the news we do receive?
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the full column
Brandon Sun, July 30, 2006: (Part One of Two.) How
we get the news has a lot to do with sustainable communities: what we
know about what's happening, diversity of viewpoints, and ideas of
options for the future. Of course . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, June 25, 2006: My wife and I recently spent a
few days visiting friends in Calgary. Calgary is remarkable not only
for the hustle and bustle, but also for the numbers of Westman youth
there. I returned to Brandon thinking . . .
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the full column
Brandon Sun, May 25, 2006.
Brandon Sun, April 23, 2006. (Part Two of Two.)
Brandon Sun, April 20, 2006. (Part One of Two.)
Brandon Sun, March 26, 2006.
Brandon Sun, February 23, 2006.
Brandon Sun, January 26, 2006.
Brandon Sun, December 15, 2005.
Brandon Sun, September 29, 2005. (Part Two
of Two.)
Brandon Sun, September 15, 2005. (Part One
of Two.)
Brandon Sun, August 18, 2005.
Brandon Sun, April 14, 2005.
Brandon Sun, October 7, 2004.
Brandon Sun, May 13, 2004.
Brandon Sun, February 5, 2004.
