Xavier Kataquapit

I sat down with a friend the other night on a lawn swing after working around the yard. We watched the sun fall behind the pine trees on this cool fall evening. The weather was barely warm enough for us to linger on happily swinging. The swing had two opposing benches and a small table for drinks. The model we were using was a type I see in northern Quebec more often. Instead of the overhead swinging mechanism, the benches sat on two rollers set on grooved rails under the swing.

A presenter at the annual Diabetes Expo in Timmins Oct. 1 and 2 had some dire warnings for students attending his workshop.
“This is the first generation of Canadian children that will not outlive their parents,” said Chris Johnson, who also has diabetes. “This is the first time in history that this will happen and part of it is due to an inactive lifestyle.”
To counter diabetes, he said it’s important to make sure kids are active.
“We have to work like hell to get kids up and off their butts and to be physically active.”

I took the telescope out a few weeks ago to view Jupiter as our two worlds passed close to each other. The close orbit of this large planet was all over the news and I took time out that evening to see if I could actually view anything. I didn't think much of it at the time because a full moon obscured the night sky with a blue glow which normally meant that it is difficult to see any distant object in space. I set up my telescope and pointed it at a bright light that I had determined was Jupiter, the giant gas planet overhead.

In November 1993, a group of eight students from my high school English class in Attawapiskat agreed to collaborate on a Christmas play. We wrote our own script which we presented at a combined elementary school / high school Christmas concert at the JR Nakogee Elementary school gymnasium. Our group of eight students from Vezina Secondary School of differing age groups and grades were excited to take part. The project was led by our English teacher Rhonda McKay, a bright young woman who started out her teaching career in Attawapiskat.

An early winter storm has subsided and I am on my way to the local outdoor hockey rink. The bitter breeze is still pushing from the north and grainy wisps of snow dance around my heavy boots. It is the winter of 1992 here in Attawapiskat and I am bored on a grey overcast Saturday morning looking for something to do. I have my favourite hockey stick with me and a plan of practising my slap shot. There are few people out and I am looking forward to spending my time alone at the rink. A powerful wind has blown falling snow into huge drifts all around the community.