Reasonable Resignations
Allowing our failures to walk among us. Is it reasonable to ask leaders to resign? I’ve been mulling this over since I was invited to sign an open letter to the Pillar Nonprofit Network’s Board of Directors, asking for its members to resign and support a transition to new leadership. Upon first reading, I […]
Field Report: St. John’s, Newfoundland
This field report documents my observations, feelings, insights, and questions from my recent trip to St. John’s, Newfoundland in support of Choices For Youth. My trip was framed by my work with Choices For Youth, but the contents of this report are to be taken as a reflection on my entire experience, not just the […]
Please Replace Our Ship
Last night, I attended the SS Ethie Dinner Theatre at the Nurse Myra Bennett for the Performing Arts-Fortis Theatre in Cow Head, Newfoundland. I left the theatre thinking about the modern manifestation of, please, can you replace our ship with something that works?
Totally Watching Television
I’m on the couch, on a Friday morning. British and Irish accents mix with the sound of cars outside the window. Tiger Woods is putting for birdie on the 15th hole. The Open Championship is at St. Andrews this year. After waking, I made cranberry-chocolate-chip waffles. Ralph, the goldendoodle, slept on his bed in the […]
Sharing the 2021 Worga Foundation Annual Report
I have the great privilege of working with the Worga Foundation. The organization partners with a global community of Mabaan learners and leaders to support their efforts to create more love, justice, and equality in their communities. To be Mabaan is to be from an Indigenous tribe that lives primarily in Maban County, a northeastern […]
My Procrastination Habit…
I’m reading Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Show How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind by Dr. Judson Brewer. I love reading it. It’s written in a simple, chatty, and example-laden way and it works well with the way that I learn. I’m savouring the last couple of chapters. I […]
This Is How You Lose The Time War
Aside from being an evocative phrase, “This Is How You Lose The Time War” is a book. It became this week’s reading material on recommendation from a friend with readerly and writerly practices and aspirations similar to mine. I read it in two ways: The way that I read when I was a kid on […]
Something For My Friends To Read
This morning I read this week’s edition of Notes From A Small Press, a regular newsletter from Anne Trubek, the founder and owner of Belt Publishing. I love what Anne does with this newsletter. It brings me into the world of publishing, invites me to discover new writers, and encourages me to pursue my own […]
Surprise Us With Grace
This morning I read You Are Not A Server: Nor Are You Finalizable by Alan Jacobs, in the Hedgehog Review. The article invited me to: Challenge the simile, “my brain is like a computer” and question its (the simile’s) usefulness. Expand my options and consider the third response. Imagine alternative relationships with social media. Read […]
A Tired Day in the Neigbourhood
I’m sitting in front of the sink, back against a cabinet, on the floor of my kitchen. Over the top of my computer screen I see Ralph, a nine week old doodle, fast asleep. He yawns, stretches out, sits up, takes two steps, and squats. “NO!!!” screams my sleep-deprived brain. I launch myself into action, […]
The Beaver on Land is Like a Chicken Nugget
Today’s award for smile-inducing descriptive phrasing goes to Emily Fairfax, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Resource Management at California State University and Channel Islands. In an article in the Sacramento Bee, Professor Fairfax said, “The beaver on land is like a chicken nugget walking through the landscape for predators…They’re fat and they’re slow and […]
I’m Here Reacting | #OurLondonFamily
Trigger Warning: This post contains discussion of the recent terrorist attack in London, Ontario and documents my experience of hearing the news. I was sitting in a warehouse in Halifax, waiting to be called to set, when I found out about the terrorist attack in London, Ontario. I heard the news from my dad, in […]
Chi Chi DeVayne’s Lip Sync To Remember
My partner Kelsey introduced me to RuPaul’s Drag Race. My journey into relatively devout fandom started pre-pandemic, but the extra time at home has allowed for a deeper dive than might have otherwise happened. We’ve watched a random collection of seasons so far — I’m not going to try to name the seasons because to […]
I Didn’t Need Google For That
I learned something about mangoes yesterday. It isn’t anything overly profound, but it was useful to learn. Although, when I say that I learned something, I feel like I’m stretching the boundaries of the word; giving Google too much credit. What I think I mean is that my instincts were confirmed by a Google search. […]
Love You Forever
I can’t even read about reading Love You Forever without crying. I read this article, by Yasmine Abbasakoor, sitting on my couch in Halifax, and feel like driving home to see my mom and dad. I mean, why not? Right? I could get in the car and be home by, well, it’d be like this […]
Could I Live On A Farm With Friends?
I gather the first moments of the day through an uncovered bedroom window. The field sits in the foreground, full of plants that I never thought I’d understand, and a stand of trees paints upwards along the horizon. A blue pickup turns towards the road, exhaust floating over the corn stalks that frame the driveway. […]
Learning About Vision from A Blueprint for Dramatic Change
Riche’s article reminds me of the importance of visioning, a practice known elsewhere and otherwise as imagining or dreaming. Riche does these things in this article and I’m going to bet that he can do it, in part, because he practices storytelling and creating.
Introspection
On Boxing Day in Newfoundland. I start without ceremony or expectation, all wet sticks, newspaper bits, and saw cuts. I am lethargy and intention, watching broad swaths of sun coat the backs of mountains. I sit roughly, collapsed against black metal, smoking furtively, beckoning commitment not yet mustered. Around me, anxious possibilities swirl, whispering sweater […]
A Smile: “The Bag is Ready, The Bag is Ready”
TLDR — The really nice guy at MEC fixed my running vest for free and called me over the intercom when it was ready. It was nice. I went to MEC today to get my running vest fixed. The most wonderful technician fixed it, for free. The technician came to the front of the store, […]
A Smile: Wearing Double Shoes
I run back and forth to work most days. I wake up, eat breakfast, listen to a podcast, have a cup of tea, and jog into work. In the evenings, at the end of the day, my routine is less defined. When I’m ready to run home I set aside my emails, find my running […]
A Smile: iPhone to Computer Sound
I started my morning at work, alone in the office, listening to my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist. The Spotify app on my desktop always takes a few minutes to start, so I began my listening on my iPhone. There’s something liberating about playing music out loud in the office, without headphones, before anyone else arrives. […]
We Don’t Have a Clue What School is Like
I always look out for the word “our” when I’m listening to institutions speak. I pay particular attention when institutions are speaking about young people. The word “our” comes up a lot in the world of children, youth, and student work. I regularly notice it when myself and others say things like, “our young people, […]
We Blew It
BEFORE “His face, like, blew up!” That’s what I hear at the intersection of the restaurant and the staircase that leads to the bathroom. I pause for a minute, to consider how it would feel to have a face that “like, blew up.” I’m caught in my contemplation, “You alright?” says a vaguely concerned looking […]
Reports from Sarah and Saleem
BEFORE There’s just enough time to meet Sinead, before the show starts. Sinead and Nina are in the Film Society together. I’m not taking any notes. I’ll take the chance. I’m breaking my own rule, not anyone else’s. I’ll let it slide. I wonder if I’ll remember any of this conversation when I write? (I […]
Birthmarked
BEFORE A ponytail, beard, and Aussie hat greet me in the morning frenzy at Pálás. He knows that I already have tickets. He appears to be tilting his head away from the top-secret earpiece in his right ear as he says, “I saw you yesterday.” I’m pleased, maybe one day I’ll be a volunteer with […]
World Shorts
BEFORE I was sitting in the café at Town Hall Theatre until I got hungry. That Dawes song, with the lyrics that I wrote down, was a weight: When I was younger, I was serious, now everything’s a joke, But my friends detect a sadness, at the end of every laugh It’s raining, for […]
Killing Jesus
Before I’m a little bit drunk; Whiplash IPA works fast on an empty stomach. The back of the bar at Pálás isn’t really the back of the bar. The mirror is clean, the candles unlit and un-melted. Journey is playing, “Do they have more than one song?” To my right there’s a crumpled bag of […]
Around Here
I like being the visitor. Away from the home crowd, I’m testing out new labels, sinking into new identities.
We (Wij)
Before The sausage looks like bacon, but it’s fresher than the pepperoni. I carry my slice along the Galway cobblestone and nibble while I walk. Plate in hand, I negotiate the crowds of people. Patio-bound patrons lounge, gazing around edges of pint glasses, and taking comfort in the esteem of people-watching. We are the great […]
Behold My Heart
I arrive in Eyre Square, I’m thinking about high school, about my version of football fields, tents, and frightened hands. Do I want more of them? Will they be different now? I’ve had better moments, I think.
Ferrugem (Rust)
If you’re a loyal reader, you’ll notice that my format has changed for this post. I’ve decided that a freer-flowing post, devoid of too many categories, is a better format. To be honest, the categories were starting to feel a little bit contrived and I was faced with the reality that I couldn’t publish immediately […]
Men Don’t Cry
Men Don’t Cry (Muškarci ne placu) was the first film in my Galway Film Festival experience. I saw it this morning at Pálás Cinema in Galway. This post is the first in my series of blogs from the festival, called Before & After. Men Don’t Cry dramatizes a reconciliation gathering of former soldiers from the Yugoslav Wars. The film confronts its audience with questions about the nature of truth, humanity, identity, and forgiveness. Here is how I experienced it.
Deer Hunter [Before & After Preview]
As I wrote about earlier, I’ve given myself a writing assignment for the next four days. I’ll be writing a medium-length post after each film that I see at the Galway Film Fleadh. I’ve decided to call this series of blogs, Before & After. I’ll tell you what I’m experiencing, feeling, and thinking before and […]
Before & After, A Writing Assignment
I’m in Galway, Ireland looking at a sculpture of a rooster that stands in the middle of the window to the backyard. I’m here, alongside the rooster, for the next six nights, to experience the Galway Film Fleadh. I’m nearing the end of a month in Ireland, a return to Scotland for six nights (and […]
I Don’t Like Our Stories
We celebrate Vancouver in Belfast, play hockey in Derry, yet I don’t like our stories. We vote Trudeau in Donegal, speak French in Galway, yet I don’t like our stories. We wear Blue Jays in Limerick, wave flags in Dingle, yet I don’t like our stories. We fund health care in Listowel, drink Canadian in […]
Stupid Love
For the last few weeks I’ve been writing and trying to write. I’m not sure what my writerly voice is, but I do know that I have a tendency to edit as I type. I sit in my chair, uncertain about the tone that I want to strike and then I start to work the […]
Aesthetic or Ethical? Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Listen here: https://longform.org/posts/longform-podcast-297-elif-batuman Today I walked around with Elif Batuman’s thoughts running through my head. Yesterday I shivered, chuckled, and smiled my way through Elif’s interview on the Longform Podcast (subscribe, really, you won’t regret it) and today I walked around thinking about the blurry boundaries between two perpendicular concepts, fiction and non-fiction and aesthetic and ethical. […]
Yachts, Zippers, and French Kissing
This morning I started my day off reading Allison Arieff’s July 9th op-ed entitled ‘Solving All the Wrong Problems’. The article came to me via an experience, last month, at a Social Innovation Residency called Getting to Maybe. It was shared by a member of the faculty team as, what I took as, a sort of […]
For Robert Kennedy
A reflection is a nice way to start the morning. It’s a way of bringing the mind into the day in a way that isn’t influenced by lists, emails, or reason. I’m not sure how often I’ll post my morning reflections because let’s be honest, somedays I won’t want to share and somedays I just […]
Don’t Be Afraid of A Good Idea
Tonight I needed a distraction, so I went to the movies. Tonight, I needed a guilty pleasure, so I went to a Michael Moore film. I was one of eight people in the theatre for tonight’s 9:10 showing of Where to Invade Next, the latest in Michael Moore’s catalogue of cheeky documentaries about our southern neighbour’s flaws, […]
More Than a Court
Eyes catch leather as the ball floats through the air. Sidelines melt under crowded feet, headlights break the darkness, and blacktop scratches the silence. The ball hits the floor, the beat takes over, and the game begins. If you spend enough time around the last generation of White Oaks Park basketball players you’ll hear them […]
Is Canada prepared for what a missing women inquiry might reveal?
Is Canada prepared for what a missing women inquiry might reveal? “Given half a chance, the lawyers in the Justice department will write the most restrictive terms of reference for the inquiry. They’ll spend months drafting and redrafting a lengthy document larded with legalese that will confound the public and limit the inquiry’s scope.” Not […]
People are Interesting
This is sure to last all of about 1 day, but welcome to my attempt to write a little bit more frequently. There’s a cliché out there that says that writing is like a muscle, the more you exercise it the easier it is to do. I’m not entirely sure that this is necessarily true, but if […]
In The End, Stories Are All That We Have
Today I had the pleasure of addressing the graduates at Medix College in London, Ontario. It was a truly powerful experience to be part of this particular graduation ceremony. Thank you to Gerry Slattery at Medix for the opportunity and to the graduates, friends and family who permitted me to take up 15 minutes of their […]
Also, we should all have a flowerpot person on our front lawn…
Stopped along the road from Walden to my Motel in Bedford because this was just too awesome not to get a picture of.
A Walk at Walden
[I assure you that I hand wrote this in a journal beside the pond] It’s almost surreal sitting at the edge of Walden Pond. Walden is the site of Henry David Thoreau’s reflective work of the same name. Today, Walden is part of the Massachusetts Park system. Almost every English student comes across Thoreau at […]
There ain’t muc…
There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer. Honus Wagner was a really good baseball player; so good that he was part of the inaugural induction class when the Baseball Hall of Fame was officially opened in Cooperstown, NY. As I walked through the Hall of Fame today I was overwhelmed by the poetry and artistry […]
Beavers in Cooperstown
I went for a run tonight just outside of Cooperstown, NY. It was more for exploration purposes than for intense cardio. Running and observing seem to be part of how I try to take in, process and begin to understand new places. I like my roaming runs because they allow me to see places that […]
THE GREAT STUDENT DILEMMA | FINDING ‘SCHOLA’
As students at universities around the country fight through the last few weeks of exams and assignments I felt the urge to write something. Universities are increasingly becoming aware of the impacts of student stress, but I still find myself frustrated with the willing acceptance of ‘stress’ as a necessary part of the university experience. […]
Living My Imagination Out Loud: What ‘Gypsy’ Meant to Me
It’s hard to know what to write about my experience with MTP’s production of Gypsy. For those of you who don’t know, I spent a portion of the last few months rehearsing for a part in the show and just finished a seven show run at the Palace Theatre. I find myself struggling to articulate […]
Mismanaging Alleged Mismanagement: Big Island Lake Cree Nation
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/12/17/first-nation-chief-council-accused-of-spending-bands-social-assistance-money-on-personal-items-face-audit/ This article is a little bit old, but I wanted to take a moment to draw attention to something that has bothered me since I read it for the first time. The issue outlined in the article is framed as one of political corruption, financial mismanagement and loss of public trust. If you haven’t […]
I’ll Follow You
Yesterday I wrote about the importance of listening to full albums and drew your attention to Ben Rector’s “Thank God I Miss You.” I didn’t have to dig quite as deeply to find today’s track but it is probably one that you could overlook it you aren’t paying attention. The reason that I almost missed […]
Thank God I Miss You
I’m still one of those people who buys full albums. Many people have moved towards buying ‘singles’ and I guess that I can understand why. Some of the huge pop records that get churned out of the major labels these days seem to feature a couple of radio-ready hits and then not a whole lot […]
What the Candidates Can’t Say
I remember what this time of year was like for me. A year ago my team was starting its journey through a hacker-extended month of USC election campaigning.The experience is somewhat surreal in the first couple of days because you can’t quite believe that the campaign is finally happening or that you’re a candidate. Running […]
#idlenomore
What is the #idlenomore movement? Better still, have you even heard of #idlenomore? I’m hoping that by now news of this movement has made its way into the consciousness of at least a quiet majority of people, but I know that like many other grassroots movements, the Canadian mainstream will be hesitant to recognize its […]
Let the Fear In
We live in a world where people are often pulled apart by difficult situations. When the going gets tough we all have a tendency to retreat towards what we know best. For some this means finding a safe place, for others it means mentally withdrawing and for others still it means taking a step back […]
Tonight Matters
One year ago I wrote a blog post about the One Love Rally. I talked about how, inexplicably perhaps, I felt like something had shifted about the culture at Western. Today, having experienced a second Orientation Week with the One Love Rally, I am still somewhat tentative to proclaim Western to be a fully accepting […]
Smile with Your Eyes
I’m having one of those moments right now where all I can do is sit quietly and think. For those of you who don’t know me you might not know that this is a fairly common occurrence, but for those that do you can probably image the look on my face right now. The fact […]
Somewhere Not Far From Here
Three years ago a man named Harry Papah told me that no matter where I was in the world Fort Hope would always be somewhere not far from here. At the time I didn’t understand what he meant. I had just finished a two month stint as a literacy camp councillor on the fly-in-only reserve of Eabametoong […]
A Strong Voice
Western has another President of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA). On Wednesday the USC’s VP UA Alysha Li was elected to be the President of OUSA for the 2012/13 year. Alysha’s Presidency will provide OUSA with a passionate leader with a vision for stable, consistent and effective advocacy efforts. Alysha’s belief in the importance […]
“Don’t Be Afraid to Fall in Love” – Incoming Speech to the USC
Before I say anything I want to say thank you to Andrew and to the members of the 2011/12 USC Executive. I have learned a lot from the strength you showed as a team and from the example that you have set this year. I can honestly say that I believe in your collective passion […]
Showtime.
How a group of people reacts under pressure says a lot about its collective character, motivation and spirit. If you want to see the true colours of each team in the USC election I challenge you to examine each one’s reaction to the news of the election invalidation. After dealing with the initial annoyance of […]
Thanks for the Dress Rehearsal. Get Ready for Showtime.
For those of you who don’t know, the University’s elections infrastructure was hacked on Tuesday night. It could not be confirmed that vote counts were not tampered with so the University made the decision to invalidate the election. Aside from the fact that I’m sure we’d like this to be over now, I think this […]
Perspective
There are moments in life when you realize that there is a bigger picture than the one you are seeing. For the past two weeks I have been running to be President of the University Students’ Council at Western and have admittedly been caught up in the process. I don’t think that there is necessarily anything […]
Try
Sometimes there is a song that speaks to you. It comes into your life just when you need it and for some reason it stays with you. Some might argue that a great song is a great song and that there is nothing more to it. However, I submit that it takes far more than […]
A Campus that Cares
There is something decidedly different about Western this year. I say this with some degree of caution because it is impossible for me to know whether this sense of difference is related to a change in Western or merely the result of a change in who I am. I think there is something universal about […]
A Few Thoughts on Jack
I don’t profess to be an expert on the topic of Jack Layton and would never attempt to provide definitive commentary on his passing. However, I do want to share a few things that Mr. Layton (Jack) made me think about. It strikes me that Jack Layton would have appreciated knowing that he made us […]
The Politics of Division
As of today there are 14 days left until Canadians take to the polls on May 2nd to elect its next federal parliament. The campaign has had its share of excitement by political standards. From Michael Ignatieff’s “Rise Up” speech to Jack Layton’s ‘hashtag fail’ and the Vote Mobs making waves across University campuses the […]
Windermere Cafe Set List
Weighty Ghost – Wintersleep Old Apartment – Barenaked Ladies Ordinary Day – Great Big Sea One Week – Barenaked Ladies California – Wave Wonderwall – Oasis Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty Let Her Cry – Hootie and the Blowfish Save Tonight – Eagle Eye Cheery Semi Charmed Life – Third Eye Blind 500 Miles – […]
Windermere Cafe Gig Renewed for November
Tom McIntosh and I will continue to play our Friday night gig at Windermere Cafe through the months of October and November. Join us every Friday night for live music from 5pm-9pm. Let us know if you have any song requests!
Engagement: More Than a Buzz Word
Okay, so last issue I got the formal welcome thing out of the way. From now on I’m not going to give you some sort of generic Students’ Council missive. In fact, what I want to do is give you a window into some of the things that I’m passionate about. Ultimately, you probably don’t […]
Welcome to Huron
Welcome to, or welcome back to Huron University College for the 2010/11 year. I know that the start of the year is kind of a crazy time for everyone and that there are a million people and organizations competing for your attention, but I wanted to make sure that you heard from your Students’ Council. […]
Back to the Field
So now that I’m back from Belgium I get to go back to all of the exciting things in my regular Canadian life. One of those exciting things is being the coach of a Byron Under 16 boys soccer team. Armed with a Europe inspired passion for the World Cup I’m ready to get back […]
Canada
Well, it has been a pretty epic day. In my mind I have met the criteria for ‘epic’ and I’m still not quite home yet. Today marked the beginning of my trek back across the ocean to Canada. I suppose it’s a bit of a misnomer to refer to it as a trek (as most […]
The Last Day
Well, today was the last day in Leuven. I’m going to miss being able to wake up on a Saturday morning to go cruise the market for fresh baked goods and fruit like I did this morning. I had fantastic apple cake, strawberries and cherries all for under 5 euro. We did a brief program […]
Antwerp
Today was the last officially scheduled day of our trip to Belgium. Tomorrow we do a program evaluation and debriefing, but have a free day otherwise. I think I am going to need it if I want to be packed and ready to go by Sunday morning! On the docket for today was a trip […]
The Last Day in Brussels
Look at this! I am definitely back on track now! Consecutive posts, I think that I’m back into the rhythm just in time for the trip to come to a close. I don’t want to be too preemptive in saying that because there are still two full days left here in Belgium, however things really […]
A Lot of Ground to Cover
Alright, this is going to be a little bit lengthy because I have been such a failure at blogging the last little while. I actually find myself feeling guilty during the day when I don’t blog…I suppose the main reason I feel that way is because I know that my mom and grandma are reading […]
Blog Failure…
So many of you might have noticed that I haven’t posted a blog in the last two days! I can assure you that catching up is of top priority, however, I’m going to need a little more time. The absence of a posting for the last two days is pretty much directly attributable to what […]
The Battle of Waterloo
Today was another ‘cultural’ day for the group. We woke up nice and early and headed to the site of the Battle of Waterloo to watch a reenactment. This reenactment is only done once every 3 years and drew a crowd of approximately 55,000 people. This was my first experience riding in a car in […]
Grand Béguinage
Yesterday was our first free day in Belgium. Everyone took the opportunity to sleep in, however, I think that most people woke up at a reasonable hour for fear of sleeping away an entire day. Myself, I got up around 10am and hit the road for a run. At this point in my ‘getting back […]
Worlds Collide
A round of applause please…I am now officially back on correct blogging schedule. I started writing this draft at about 4:10pm your time (on Friday) which amounts to about 25 minutes after I posted details about Thursday’s activities. I got distracted in the middle of writing this post and have ended up holding this one […]
Just Keep Running…
Alright, so I’m still a day behind on my blogs. I really wanted to be productive yesterday, so I made sure that I did one blog and then enjoyed some good quality time in Leuven. So, what happened yesterday you ask. Well, let’s just say that for most people it was a day to just […]
NATO is Kind of Cool…Just Saying…
As you may have noticed, I fell off the ‘posting’ every night band wagon yesterday. Well, I am back on the wagon and will do my best to update you on the goings on of the last two days. Yesterday started out bright and early once again. Luckily for us, the weather has been absolutely […]
Rockstar, Journalist, Politician?
Today was Day #3 in Belgium. I can’t believe that it is only the end of our third day. In a good sort of way it feels like we’ve been here for forever. I think that it may have something to do with the fact that we are squeezing every possible hour out of our […]
The Briefings Begin (We’re Kind of Like Jason Bourne)…
Day #2 – Briefings Begin (Brussels) Today was the true start of our Belgium Study Abroad program. Things got underway at the hour of 7am with a wakeup call from our fearless team leader Yasmeen. Surprisingly, everyone in our room was pretty well awake by the time she arrived to give us the ‘get the […]
I’m Back! Belgium Study Abroad Course!
On Saturday evening at 8:35pm I flew out of a very foggy and wet Pearson Airport for Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. The reason for my cross Atlantic voyage is a study abroad course in Belgium focusing on the public policy of the European Union, NATO and International Criminal Court of Justice. The […]
Vampire vs. Zombies
The FORT HOPE Video These are the links to the videos we made in Fort Hope with the kids! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9InpbMz05A&feature=fvsr http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEMsJ7EYGCs&feature=related
The Residence Life Begins
Despite only being back in London for a grand total of 6.5 days, I am now officially back at Huron University College. This week I am being trained to be a member of the 2009/2010 residence life staff. The next seven days will take me through the finer points of what it takes to be […]
Last Day in Thunder Bay & Back to London…
Day #62 Well, I shouldn’t be awake right now. I should be sleeping because I fly out of Thunder Bay at 8:50am. I have to be coherent enough to negotiate my way to Wasaya baggage claim to get my guitar and then on to Air Canada baggage check-in. My flight from Toronto to London is […]
Back to Reality…
Day #61 I’m back to reality. I’m sitting in my Lakehead University dorm room awaiting the start of my final day away from home. I won’t even begin to describe the feelings I had today, because at this moment I cannot put them into words. I am happy as anything to be only one day […]
The Last Day
Day #60 Well, there you have it folks. Camp is officially over here in Fort Hope. I’m exhausted, but pleased. The day was crazy. Some things went according to plan, and some didn’t. People came to our party. People enjoyed our party. The Chief and I had another amazing talk. Have I mentioned that I’m […]
Blueberry Hunting…
Day #59 In the words of 5 year old Aaron, today we went ‘blueberry hunting.’ Today was our final day of camp, so we took a large group of kids out to pick blueberries. Aaron decided that this excursion amounted to a serious blueberry hunting trip. We piled into the school bus and a couple […]
This Morning I Burnt the Bannock
Day #58 I woke up this morning and attempted to boil water…I have boiled water successfully every morning since arriving in Fort Hope. Well, I failed this morning. Instead of boiling the water, I accidentally burned the bannock. I turned on the wrong heat element on the stove. Our house is currently de-smoking. I am […]
The Fast, Slow Day
Day #57 Before I really launch into this I should say that it rained again in Fort Hope…Nothing new, just something that I thought I should update you on…Okay, and also, one more thing…Why is it that the number of people visiting my blog randomly spiked today? I feel very flattered by this, but I […]
Move It!
Day #56 Today was a crazy day. We were evicted, twice. First we were informed that we needed to move out of our house in order to let the cleaning staff in to clean. At first we were told that we would move sometime on Thursday, then suddenly things changed and we were to move […]
Raining on Sunday…
Day #55 In the famous words of Keith Urban it was ‘raining on Sunday’ in Fort Hope. Now, Keith’s words were tinged with country/religious heartbreak, designed to sell records, so I suppose that they’re not the most applicable to my day, but still, I like the reference. August 16, 2009 was one of those lazy, […]
House Party…
Day #54 We have spent much of the last two months living in a fantasy world. Our lives in Fort Hope have taken place within a bubble, without intrusion from the outside world. Today we were reminded that a world does in fact function outside of Fort Hope. For the past two months we have […]
Hooray! They’re Alive!
Day #53 The big decision to start the day was whether or not to attend the funeral service in the community. On the one hand we wanted to pay our respects, but on the other, we didn’t want to intrude. Our final decision was to remain home and not attend the funeral. I had some […]
In Passing…
Day #52 It has been an interesting 48 hours here in Fort Hope. In that space of time, one community elder passed away at a hospital in Thunder Bay, another passed away here in the community and another is expected to leave us within the next few days. As a result, the town has gone […]
Adam Fearnall 