-
Bon Echo: Natural Inspirations (and Aspirations)
My foothold is tenon’d and mortised in granite/I laugh at what you call dissolution/And I know the amplitude of time. – WALT WHITMAN, 1819-1919, carved on a rock face at Bon Echo Provincial Park, Mazinaw (Massanoga), Ontario I am intrigued by, and not a little envious of, the concept of an artists’ retreat anchored deep…
-
Prairie Love
My father’s 80th birthday and a 2,200 kilometre drive brought us to a family reunion in the middle of Canada. We’ve tooted around the province and Winnipeg marks the finale. Another day of relentless blue skies and the city continues to surprise me with its ubiquitous public art, wealth of classic architecture, and intriguing tapestry…
-
Cottage Dreams
This province always deceives. We drive and drive, the hours pass and the odometer spins but we are in a time warp on the northern route above Lake Superior. We call the number from Nipigon, as we’re advised to do, and arrive at the cottage as dark closes in. Half the occupants are abed and…
-
Parks (By and) For the People
New Ruralism is as applicable as New Urbanism for creating usable, meaningful public spaces and associated public life which suit a variety of purposes for people at varying stages of their life. It is not an ‘and/or’ proposition, but about enrichment for everyone.
-
And So the Bounty Begins
Feeling our European roots on this steaming summer day, Husband and I sat down to a very civilized midday meal. Pesto penne. Baby eggplant fritters. Parboiled green, yellow and purple beans. Mixed greens with cherry tomatoes and broccoli. A glass of red wine and a baguette. The grapes, apples and melons are ripening beautifully, the…
-
Picture Perfect
Patricia McCarney and I are related and unrelated at the same time. Three summers ago she knocked on my front door. “I’m Patricia McCarney,” she said. “This house was in my family for more than fifty years.” “I know,” I replied, inviting her in. “I’ve been expecting you.” She told me that she woke that…
-
Birthing an Opus, One Stone at a Time
I love this article from The New York Times on Clark Sanders, a former veterinarian and longtime builder in the Catskills of New York. He builds gorgeous strawbale homes and buildings and hand-built his personal residence, which resembles a fairy-tale cottage, stone by stone from materials found on his land. I challenge you not to…
-
The Rising Tide of Inequality
Check out Armine Yalnizyan’s summary on the Conference Board of Canada’s report on rising economic inequality in Canada. Yalnizyan, a Senior Economist with the left-of-centre Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, emphasizes the significance of the report being funded by heavy hitters within the business community vs. the usual suspects of academics, journalists and social think…
-
Your Personal Stash of Grass
Extended dry spells? Annoying water restrictions? Foreclosed house on the market? Living in a desert? It has become more difficult than ever to keep up with the Jones’. But you need never worry about maintaining a lush, green lawn with fussy fertilizers and overseeding when you can spray paint it and be the envy of…
-
Companies We Keep: Employee Ownership and the Business of Community and Place
In terms of time invested and ease of creation, this has been the most difficult entry I’ve written to date. I’ve wracked my brains to figure out why and concluded early this morning that it’s because a number of ideas in John Abrams’ book Companies We Keep simply scare the pants off me. I find…