So far away

As Nancy unpacks her own suitcases, she muses on the unsettling nature of settling in somewhere new.

By Nancy Cater | May 24, 2013

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It all looks so familiar – packing my life into two suitcases, having “goodbye” suppers, showing up bleary eyed in an airport (or two), and wondering what I’m doing there. Yes, I have moved once again in hopes of gaining some space on my career ladder of choice. And just as it’s been every time since the first, the unfamiliar is somehow the only thing that remains familiar. In the first few weeks when there are only new faces, a confused sense of the city, and a laundry list of concerns to sort out before the first paycheck rolls in,...

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Wood ya believe...

Muskrat Falls does not give me wood.

By Brandon Pardy | May 23, 2013

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So I was cruising around the ol' interweb, trying to keep abreast of Labrador and Newfoundland issues. Last week I noticed a blip of a story buried in the business section of The Labradorian on a topic that I’ve been quite interested in for a number of years: forestry, timber, and wood in Labrador. Mind you, back in the day (2001) I may or may not have been involved in this little event aimed at earning local people a say in the management of their forest resources, on their own lands (Which they won [opens as PDF file]). One of the proble...

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Much ado about being Mi’kmaq

As the Indian status of about 70,000 people hinges on the outcome of negotiations between the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Grand Chief and Government o...

By Hans Rollmann | May 21, 2013

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A recent headline in the Toronto Star perhaps said it best: “In Newfoundland, too many want recognition as Mi’kmaq Indians, federal government says”. The situation is one we in Newfoundland and Labrador are probably already much more familiar with than the national press, which is newly a-Twitter over it. Or perhaps not. The establishment of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band was recognized in an agreement with the federal government in 2011. This will be separate from the Mi'kmaq band in Conne River, and the convoluted process whi...

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You are the Story

Beyond active and passive travelling.

By Peter Duchemin | May 17, 2013

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A Tree changed my life. I told you that before. I’ve visited several great trees in my travels but the Fortingall Yew is special. It’s like a pivot, or a gate, that my life is hinged on. They speak of a “world tree” or an “axis mundi” – a central channel that holds all things together. The Yew is like that, in my life. Last month we were discussing active and passive travel, and I spoke of how just going to this place brought me into contact with people who became friends for life. I’m going to explain how it all comes ‘rou...

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Tentalizing meals on the trail

It's spring and many things are growing. So too should our knowledge of local food and foraging.

By Genevieve Brouillette | May 14, 2013

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After moaning for weeks about how long winter lasts, spring is finally here! We've had a few warm days and I find my mind drifting to the woods. We're lucky to have so much wilderness around us, so that an overnight trip can happen on a whim without too much planning. As long as your gear is set to go, so are you. I've heard a lot of disparaging remarks about camping food over the years, but I for one always thoroughly enjoyed mine. It may be true that "hunger is the best sauce," and any meal would be welcome after a day of hiking or canoein...

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Sleeping through trade agreements, waking up ...

May 11 is World Fair Trade Day, a time to talk about trade injustice and Canada's waning control over its own sovereignty.

By Marilyn Reid | May 11, 2013

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In the old days, back in the 20th Century, most discussions on unfair trade focused on how World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and corporate  monopolies placed Third World countries and their people at a severe and unfair disadvantage. It was assumed the bad guys, those who profited, were us, via our governments. After all, those big corporations making enormous profits at the expense of poor and hungry people in the Global South all had their head offices in rich countries - and so must be ours. But they really aren’t, are they? Whether...

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Leaving it behind

Leaving home is about looking ahead, not worrying about what you leave behind

By Nancy Cater | May 10, 2013

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Spring has finally arrived on our fair shores, and has brought with it the promise of something new. We should never be too quick in tossing the winter coats into storage, as bizarre weather patterns are one of our many calling cards. But if I may be so bold, I think winter is behind us for another year and we can all start worrying about getting our beach bodies back. Spring is here to wipe clean the horrors of winter, and to promise change and growth. I find that mood very helpful as I look around my home that is in shambles. No, I haven’t ...

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