Life

Invest Medicine Hat and the City of Medicine Hat are now accepting applications for the 2021 development incentive program. The City of Medicine Hat encourages development and redevelopment in the City and incentives are an effective way to stimulate investment and support desirable economic growth that would have not otherwise occurred. City council approved a [...] Read More »

2020 was a challenging year. In Alberta, the initial shock of the global pandemic was amplified by an oil price war, resulting in an unprecedented recession that hit Alberta especially hard. It was, in the words of Alberta’s finance minister, Travis Toews, a “triple black swan event”. Through it all, Invest Medicine Hat rose to [...] Read More »

Back in March when the educational world moved online, many thought trades would not be able to make the transition. With its blend of theory and hands-on training, it seemed like an insurmountable task to join the rest of academia in the great educational pivot. Many also worried that students who pursued a career in [...] Read More »

In Canada, we have a graduated income tax system, which means that taxpayers who earn more income are subject to progressively higher rates of tax on incremental dollars earned. To minimize the overall tax liability for a couple, spouses may elect to split their pension income by allocating certain pension income from a higher-income spouse [...] Read More »

This past week, a relative asked my family and I to go on a walk in a local park. This seemed like a safe activity given the pandemic protocols recently introduced in Alberta. Well, as we were driving there, my wife and I realized that we were not 100 per cent sure of the protocols [...] Read More »

March is Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is More Than Food. Dietitians across the country want Canadians to know that healthy eating goes way beyond just food. It extends to eating together, cooking delicious home made meals, generational cooking skills and mindful eating. Dietitians love food and the science behind it. We are passionate [...] Read More »

Not only is February the lucky month to host Valentines Day, it’s also the designated month for Heart Health Awareness. This is an extremely important area of our health to keep on top of. That old saying is true, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Both diet and exercise play key [...] Read More »

Friday is Valentine’s Day and the red, pink, hearts and Cupids are in full force. There are also a little extra chocolate treats to tempt tastebuds throughout many stores. Chocolate is a deliciously decadent treat that, like many foods, does actually have a healthy component as well as less healthy ingredients. I might mention moderation [...] Read More »

I know this is a food column but I’m going to share a little story with you that is not so appetizing. In fact, here’s a warning: This column may contain content some might find culinarily offensive. A few years ago I was out at a local restaurant. My succulent Caesar salad topped with grilled [...] Read More »

The most popular New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. This goal often comes along with that nasty word associated with dieting – deprivation. Losing weight should be about wanting to be permanently healthier. It means finding positive lifestyle changes you can live with forever. It should not be temporary. It should not eliminate entire [...] Read More »

December is usually a very busy month for me, but this year was probably the craziest yet! The fact that I have been working from home for nine months meant a lot of changes. My dining room table has become my office centre and each chair has specific filing bins with forms that I use. [...] Read More »

Why is it that some people eat to their heart’s content and never gain a pound, while others gain weight with a glance at the plate? As Bill Gates said, “Life is not fair. Get used to it.” But fair or unfair, is there a complex, unseen system that plays a role in weight management [...] Read More »

Are you overweight or obese? Easy way to find out is by measuring your height and girth. Your girth should be half the size of your height. Studies have shown obesity is a significant factor for critical illness during COVID-19. Obesity was also an important factor for mortality in patients with COVID-19. This is most [...] Read More »

Winston Churchill, Great Britain’s wartime Prime Minister, once remarked that, “he had gotten more out of alcohol than alcohol had taken out of him.” During the Nazi bombing of London perhaps an alcoholic drink eased his tension. But recent reports from Tufts University in Boston and the University of California, question the increased use of [...] Read More »

October is Occupant Restraint Month, and with many sports such as hockey returning this season, safety guidelines have been developed to help prevent the risk of COVID-19 transmission. To save time, space, and be prepared, some parents may be dressing their children in their gear at home ahead of time. Although this may seem like [...] Read More »

Do not forget, Earth Day 2021 is April 22. This day is marked as the largest civic event in the world. Many of us are hopeful that we can raise awareness about environmental issues this day; including climate change and even global warming. We only have one Earth, so hopefully my article this week will [...] Read More »

The past few weeks I have taken great joy in the fact that I can open my bedroom window and patio door! There’s nothing like the wonderful breeze that floats into my condo bringing with it the change of seasons. I hear the chirping of baby birds and the sound of boats attempting their first [...] Read More »

King Henry VIII of England offers an excellent example of how too much wine, rich food and obesity trigger the agony of gout. But why did Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, and Benjamin Franklin, to name a few, develop this excruciating disease? And how can you decrease the risk? More than nine million North [...] Read More »

Volunteering … … a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labour for community service. National Volunteer Week is April 18 – 24 this year and once again we are unable to celebrate with our volunteers due to COVID. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful team of volunteers, most of whom [...] Read More »

Participate in the 8th Annual Move for Mental Health Fun Run/Walk! Community Coming Together is hosting their annual Move for Mental Health Fun Run/Walk online! Due to COVID-19, CCT is unable to hold the event in the same way they have previously, but the event will still be held online. You can “attend” anytime between [...] Read More »

The Bajan Queen partied too hard. And now she’s at rest on the bottom of the Caribbean Sea. But, all is good. This 45-metre tugboat, which toiled for years at the port in Bridgetown, Barbados and finished out her above-water life as a tourist-party boat, was sunk deliberately in Carlisle Bay in 2001. Now, in [...] Read More »

Now is the time for Indigenous tourism in Canada. The Canadian public seems to have suddenly cultivated an appetite for Indigenous tourism and the industry is initiating programmes and itineraries highlighting different aspects of Indigenous tourism. The Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria has been fortunate to hire a First Nation Cultural Liaison Officer who has [...] Read More »

At first, the rain is barely a mist on my face. Feather-soft and refreshing, the tiny droplets have somehow navigated their way through the thick canopy of trees, massive ferns and vines. Before long, the precipitation is a steady drizzle, which quickly morphs into a savage downpour. I pull up the hood on my rain [...] Read More »

Santorini (Santa Irena, Saint Irene) is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful landscapes on Earth. It is the southerly-most island of the Cyclades Islands of Greece in the Ionian Sea. The island is roughly the shape of a reverse C, the remnant of an enormous volcanic eruption in the mid-16th century BC. The Minoan Eruption [...] Read More »

As we emerge from the urban, palm tree forest, there it is. The 17,500-seat SAP Centre, a silver-sided edifice better known as the Shark Tank, is the home rink of the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks. This is definitely going to be NHL hockey, California-style. Me and my son, Alex, have walked three blocks [...] Read More »