I’m paddling gently through a shallow creek that runs off the south branch of the Muskoka River on a perfect, early summer’s day in Bracebridge. I hear the call of unfamiliar birds echoing through the trees as I skim along the surface of the creek in my brilliant orange kayak. Off to my left, an iridescent, small, blue and black dragonfly comes to rest on a brilliant yellow pond lily. A few feet away, I spot a small turtle sunning itself on a log on a 22 Celsius morning. My wife and I ease our kayaks back out into the Read more
July 2020
My old Toronto Star friend Josh Rubin has a great story in today’s Star Business section about how some folks in the Canadian travel and tourism biz are suggesting that Canada partially open its borders to try to rescue the summer season. Rubin writes that the head of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, Beth Potter, believes that, even if the U.S. border doesn’t open, Canada should still be allowing visitors from other countries. Rubin notes that the European Union this week announced it was opening borders to visitors from 15 countries, including Canada, but not the U.S., Brazil or Read more
Since we’re not celebrating the way we would like, here’s a look at my first and only visit to Ottawa for Canada Day, four years ago to the day. Happy Canada Day! I’ve been lucky enough to call Canada home for 35 years now. But yesterday marked my first Canada Day in our nation’s capital. Go figure. It was, from start to finish, an absolute blast. The city was alive with people and colour and music and awash in red-and-white; Canada flag umbrella hats, red reindeer (I think) foam horns and plenty of prideful bits such as “Canada: Kicking Butt Read more
