Random thoughts on Lasting Change

Many people come to me looking to make changes to their lifestyle and improve their fitness. It’s one thing to make a change, but quite another to stick with it for the long haul! Below are some tips and random thoughts that might be worth considering if you’re embarking on your own health and fitness transformation. Focus on the process,...

Q&A on exercise

Q&A on exercise Here are some of the common questions I’m often asked regarding exercise after age 50: Q: Will lifting weights make me big and bulky?  A: No! Strength training is absolutely essential to healthy living as we get older. We’re not talking about bodybuilding. Trust us: It takes a TON of concentrated effort over a long period of...

A Windfall of Science on Apples

We write about natural remedies we believe are good for human health. Why this focus? It’s not to encourage avoidance of pharmaceutical drugs when medical care is an imperative. To the contrary, Canadians and Americans have the luxury of the world’s best doctors, medicinal drugs, and healthcare facilities. But health systems are overwhelmed. To ease the crush, people who are...

Feds facing the consequences of the costly carbon tax

Ottawa unveiled an unorthodox carbon tax communications strategy in Saskatchewan: threats. Saskatchewan minister responsible for SaskEnergy, Dustin Duncan, announced in October that Saskatchewan would stop collecting the federal carbon tax on home heating in the province. The provincial government estimates this will save the average family who uses natural gas to heat their home $400 this year. That’s enough to...

Why is everyone shouting? I can’t hear myself think

How long has society been whipping itself into frenzies? The answer could well be “forever,” but in my lifetime, I’ve never seen anything quite like the discourse presently afflicting North America as well as much of the rest of the world. We’ve always had passionate debates around political issues. It’s the language and the volume and a growing shift to...

Garden lore from days of yore

Winter is a wonderful time to reflect. And what better topic to reflect upon than gardening! Gardening is an inexact science which has been surrounded by habits, traditions, folklore, and superstition. However, if you look closely, you will see much wisdom intertwined throughout the lore. This year is a Leap Year, which gives us one extra day for gardening gain....

2024 Brier was one of the best ever

The recently completed 2024 Brier was my favourite since 1980. That was the one when Rick Folk of Saskatoon won at the old Calgary Corral. I was fortunate enough to be there as a wet-behind-the-ears — whatever that means — member of the StarPhoenix sports department. I was given the wonderful opportunity to cover the Brier. Rick Folk, the late...

Persephone Theatre ready for a golden season

Fifty years. Four main venues. More than 360 shows. According to Persephone Theatre’s artistic director Heather Cant, the surviving founder of Persephone Theatre did not see that kind of longevity coming back in 1974. That would be director Brian Richmond, who created Persephone with actors Susan and Janet Wright (you may remember the latter as Emma in Corner Gas). “Talking...

Will wearing green be lucky for McEwen?

It’s the month for St. Patrick’s Day, so perhaps wearing Saskatchewan green and the luck of the Irish will mean a Brier championship for Mike O’McEwen. He’s changed provinces regularly, so why can’t he change his name, too? — from McEwen to O’McEwen, just to heighten his chances of expanding his luck quotient to win the biggest prize in Canadian...

Book Review: The Legend of Sarah

by Leslie Gadallah Published by Shadowpaw Press Review by Toby A. Welch   $24.95 ISBN 9781989398494 The Legend of Sarah was first published in 1988 under the title Lore Master. It has now been republished in this third edition by Shadowpaw Press Reprise based in Regina. Those who grab a copy of this book will be grateful that it has been chosen for...