Columnists Archives — Page 2 of 13

The active transportation alternative: 10 great benefits

Published on November 23, 2018 in Columnists/Community/Health by Jamie Morris

So, if we can agree that, as argued in an earlier column, Lindsay is a car-first community, what would be the benefits to us as individuals and as a community of giving pedestrians and cyclists priority — of promoting “active transportation?”

Here are 10 benefits to consider, beginning with health and the environment then moving on to economic and social benefits (the four areas covered by City of Kawartha Lakes Director of Development Services Chris Marshall in a presentation to Council on active transportation– which you can access here).

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Ten clues that Lindsay is a car-first town

Published on November 12, 2018 in Around Town/Columnists/Community/Health by Jamie Morris

Lindsay has some well-loved trails that provide recreational opportunities for walkers and bicyclists. But when it comes to getting around town, cars — well, cars, pick-up trucks, SUVs, vans and motorcycles — rule.

While many Ontario communities are embracing pedestrian-first practices and creating infrastructure for cycling, the town of Lindsay remains car-centric, designed for and dominated by vehicles.

Not convinced?

Consider these 10 facts:

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The Great War’s legacy in Kawartha Lakes

Published on November 10, 2018 in Columnists/Just in Time by Ian McKechnie

At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month of the year, Canadians from coast to coast will pause for two minutes’ silence to remember those who died during the First and Second World Wars; the Korean conflict; and various peacekeeping operations in which Her Majesty’s armoured, naval, and air forces have been involved over the course of the 20^th and 21^st Centuries.

The statistics are staggering: nearly 70,000 Canadians died during the First World War (1914-1918); nearly 50,000 gave their lives during the Second World War (1939-1945); 516 died during the Korean War; and over 1,800 have paid the supreme sacrifice in various operations at home and abroad over the course of the last 70 years.

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Dorothea Weise and the symphony of colour

Published on November 9, 2018 in Columnists/Community/The Arts by Jamie Morris

For close to 15 years Dorothea and her husband, Karl, lived two doors down from us. Quieter, more considerate neighbours you couldn’t find. And kind-hearted: The feral marmalade cat we chased from our backyard invariably found a warm welcome at their back door.

We didn’t really get to know Dorothea or Karl. We did know that at some point they had emigrated from Germany, and that Karl had been a writer and that Dorothea was an accomplished and well-respected artist. We’d hear of shows she was mounting. At Art on Kent we saw some of her work and LCVI art teacher and Kawartha Arts Network co-founder Anders Widjedal told us how much he admired Dorothea for her adventurous spirit, the way she took artistic chances with her work.

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The case for a living wage — a social contract and moral imperative

Published on November 8, 2018 in Columnists/Community/Poverty Reduction by Judy Paul

This is Living Wage Week, part of a campaign to encourage employers to pay a wage that is significantly higher than the legal minimum. Recently I highlighted the negative impact of inequality. One of the ways to increase equality is through reducing income difference before tax by increasing minimum wages or through a ‘living wage.’

Recently, the provincial government announced that the minimum wage would remain at $14 for the next two years. While expected, this announcement is not good news for the people working at jobs that typically pay a minimum wage; jobs in the retail, food services, and hospitality sectors.

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Your own network might be your best friend for job seeking

Published on November 8, 2018 in Columnists/Community by Carol Timlin

So, your resume is done, you have a realistic job goal and you are ready to begin your job search. Now what do you do? Many people start by checking online job boards and newspaper ads.

It may be a good start but not always the most effective or time efficient. Remember that the more time you spend on your job search the more successful you will be.

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Let’s have ranked ballots in time for next election

Published on November 7, 2018 in Columnists/Community by Trevor Hutchinson

Talking about the next municipal election right after the most recent one is like talking about alcohol the day after a big party: For some people, even the mere mention brings discomfort.

But I would argue now is the exact time that we as citizens — with and through our elected officials — should be talking about it. Let’s face it — the most recent election raised a couple important issues: how we vote in the first place, and how we can get consensus in our wards.

How do we want to vote?

Most citizens who bothered to vote (or perhaps tried to vote, in our case) are aware that, like 48 other municipalities, the City of Kawartha Lakes’ election had to be extended an additional 24 hours because of technical problems with the company hired to administer our online-and-phone-only election, Dominion Voting. (Dominion Voting originally reported the problem affected 51 municipalities but has since reduced that number to 49).

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Basic Income gave recipients the chance to plan ahead

Published on November 5, 2018 in Columnists/Community/Poverty Reduction/Seniors by Mike Puffer

There’s certainly been a large amount of attention paid to the Province’s decision to end the Basic Income Pilot program early next year, rather than seeing the plan through fully to its original three-year time period. As one of three Ontario communities selected for the program, the City of Kawartha Lakes has hundreds of residents currently receiving the guaranteed income payments.

Recently, members of Community Care’s health care team met with two clients who are Basic Income recipients. We heard their stories of how the program was making a bit of a positive difference for them and their families. Their willingness to share their stories was appreciated.

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City developing Balsam Lake ‘Dry Stone Wall’ experience to promote cultural tourism

Published on November 4, 2018 in Around Town/Columnists/Community by Jamie Morris

The invitation: To participate in a trial run of a Kawartha Lakes Arts & Heritage Trail “Experience.” Over the course of a weekend participants are to be introduced to the art of dry stone walling. They will restore a section of the roughly 150-year-old Laidlaw wall that lines a stretch of Balsam Lake Drive.

The invitee: An Advocate columnist with minimal manual dexterity, little aptitude, and the soft hands of a scribe.

The Experience: Orientation

It’s a chilly Saturday morning in late October when we meet in the warmth of the Days Inn lobby: a writer, a museum volunteer, an economic development officer, a travel agent, and a dry stone mason.

Not hard to identify the mason, our instructor. John Shaw-Rimmington is lanky and weathered looking, with a white beard and untrimmed hair. His handshake is strong, and the hand that wraps around mine is roughened, reddened, one fingernail black.

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Literacy in the library — it’s about more than just books

Published on November 2, 2018 in Around Town/Columnists/Community/Education by Lyndsay Bowen

When you consider the word ‘literacy,’ you mostly likely think about reading, but did you know that literacy encompasses so much more than that? There is digital literacy, financial literacy, community literacy…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Schools are designed to teach students all sorts of literacy as they progress through the grades – preparing children for the ‘real world.’

Can you think of another institution that has similar goals? If you guessed the local library, then you are absolutely correct.

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