This past month, I was happy to attend two Pow Wows I hadn't been to in years. I attended the Mattagami First Nation Pow Wow and the Matachewan First Nation...
I was happy to see my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast announce the opening of the new St Francis Xavier Parish Church on August 25....
A trio of eagles in flight greeted the Seventh Annual Mattagami First Nation Pow Wow, which took place on August 19 and 20 in the community. Elder Mike Naveau, pointed out that the three eagles had been over the community leading up to the annual gathering. Locals took it as a sign of good fortune as the eagle symbolizes strength and vision. They visit every year.
The Wabun Youth Gathering celebrated its 11th year with venues at Laurentian University in Sudbury for seniors and the wilderness lake side resort setting of Horwood Lake Lodge, west of Timmins for juniors. More than 36 senior youth participated in the educational focused event July 24 to 28 at Laurentian University while 56 Wabun junior youth attended the event at the wilderness gathering July 17 to 21. The event was sponsored by Wabun Tribal Council Health Services based in Timmins and Health Canada.
My night in Paris started with myself and my friend standing on Boulevard Henri IV, a little lost while looking for the Bastille. From our pause on the corner we were looking at a map in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Parisians making their way along the busy street at the end of the day. All of a sudden a hand reached up out of the crowd of passersby and touched my shoulder. I turned with the touch and came face to face with a very old gentleman who looked a little like Peter O'Toole and he asked in perfect Londoner English, “Can I be of some service?
It is that season again and we have to deal with snow, icy roads, freezing rain and sometimes blizzards. I love the north and I enjoy all that winter offers, no matter what the weather might be. However, I realize also just how deadly the roads and highways can be this time of the year.
I am aware that more and more people I know from up the James Bay coast are coming south and renting vehicles or purchasing them to drive during their vacation time. I don't think people realize how dangerous travelling on the roads can be during the winter.
I was getting ready one evening to head out to visit friends. Before leaving the house I turned the lights off. I paused in the kitchen to think if I had forgotten anything.
Suddenly, I realized a soft blue light had surrounded me. The sun had gone down but there was still an hour or two of a blue twilight left. This is that mysterious and magical time of the day that most of us miss.
I stood quietly in the kitchen looking out at the maple trees silhouetted in the dimming light. I could hear the birds chirping noisily getting ready for the night.
I like old garages where I am able work in a familiar space I created, for better or for worse. I don't have a neatly organized or functional workshop in my garage. In fact, when I start working on a project, my space quickly becomes a disorganized mess of wood, tools, sawdust and assorted equipment. That's the way I like it. I enjoy being surrounded by the clutter of all types of tools and machinery. This is a more relaxed and laid back workspace where I can just escape to from time to time.
It has been very cold here in the Timmins area since the beginning of January.
I prefer the clean, fresh nature of winter but I have to admit that this -30 C weather is not much fun anymore. I am not on the land much these days and I am at the computer working a lot so I am in the house most of the time.
I guess I have gotten away from really enjoying what winter has to offer us up here in northern Ontario. When I was a teenager back home in Attawapiskat, I spent very little time in the house.
It’s raining outside and the temperature is hovering around ten degrees. The clouds are hanging low and there is a steady stream of cold droplets falling from the sky.
To most, it could be described as a very miserable summer day.
It is one of those unsettling days when everything blends together and morning, noon and night are merely different shades of grey. Days like this are rooted deep in my memory.
I was shocked recently while at the cottage when I discovered a tragic sight near the entrance to the garage. The overturned remains of a nest sat next to three tiny chicks on the ground. It was a nest made by 'Pepeshchel' – the Robin. It was a sad sight to see the three tiny creatures fighting for life. They had landed next to an ant hill and the insects were crawling over the vulnerable little intruders. My friend Mike and I decided to take matters into our own hands and we rounded up the surviving chicks.
I love this time of the year. It is the middle of summer and I have a great selection of fruits and vegetables to choose from here in Ontario. It is great to be able to dine on fresh salads with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, green, red and yellow peppers; onions, broccoli and cauliflower. This is the only time of the year that I have easy access to all this fresh produce grown locally or just a few hours to the south.
This past month, I was happy to attend two Pow Wows I hadn't been to in years. I attended the Mattagami First Nation Pow Wow and the Matachewan First Nation...
I was happy to see my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast announce the opening of the new St Francis Xavier Parish Church on August 25....