Life

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 »

[...] Read More »

As a leader in the health field, I’ve learned that partnerships are an effective way to serve Albertans and increase the sustainability of education. The Medicine Hat College will be using this business model again in the near future to benefit the province as a whole, and our region. I’m happy to say that rural [...] Read More »

I think we have all heard he phrase, “Don’t Shoot Yourself in the Foot”. In simple terms, it means, don’t say or do something that will come back and cause you problems in the future. Well, this got me thinking about insurance and how people need to be cautious when applying for insurance. Especially when [...] 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 »

“Even though you’re fed up, you gotta keep your head up.” – Tupac This was the quote that we posted in our window at Westminster United when the church first closed because of the Covid 19 virus. We thought we could put up some inspirational messages to the people in our community. That was in [...] Read More »

As an ex-entrepreneur, if there really is such a thing, I lived through some tough times. I understand the angst that is brought on by economic downturns, recessions, and low commodity prices. The absolute despair that can overtake the toughest, savviest and even most successful business owner when there is a crisis, is something that [...] Read More »

Many creative ideas have come as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. Companies large and small have had to act quickly to change the way they do business in a now isolated world. This new business environment has forced many to come up with solution based ideas and act on them quickly. When business [...] Read More »

“Epidemics are like fires. When fuel is plentiful, they rage uncontrollably, and when it is scarce, they smolder slowly.” – Justin Lessler, an associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University, wrote in the Washington Post in March. The problem is we do not know how much fuel COVID-19 virus is left with. This question [...] Read More »

We are living in a world that can be scary and full of unknowns. Never before has there been anything exactly like the COVID-19 pandemic that has been terrorizing the world. Governments have followed recommendations of researchers and health experts in ways that have changed our entire lifestyles. At the same time, however, I have [...] 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 »