As we come up on the one year anniversary of Covid, I thought I would share some of things I have learned and observed during all this.  1.    Nothing good comes after the sentence - "out of an abundance of caution.... " 2.     My opinion of Teacher Unions has been confirmed.  They still …

Getting caught off guard is never a good feeling. Even nice surprises can take a moment to process.  When something bad happens, we may be stuck in reaction mode awhile before we start to contemplate if we could have seen it coming.  At the start this pandemic my anxiety like many was hig…

I am an unapologetic American, for now. When my country of birth voted for Trump in 2016, I will admit surprise, but not shock. Democracies don't always get it right, but to fall for the same con twice -the Canadian side of my citizenship would make me apologize for that.  Back in 2016,  the me…

Update - I am an dual citizen and have discovered I have an American mindset, so I stand by my prediction, as it has come true in  the U.S. and many parts of the world, but sadly not in Canada.  Limited capacity in our healthcare system, little risk tolerance and the power of the collective…

Why Everyone Wants to Work In Your Department Administration/Front Office: The office does control the world. Our world at least. We have democratic processes and committees, but honestly, if anyone in the office wants to make an announcement, call a meeting, cancel a meeting, rin…

Been so much discussion about the merits of various reopening plans that I thought a change of topic was in order. I want to go back to March when everyone put politics aside and dug in to support one another. With that spirit in mind, I wanted to share my back to school tips for in class teachers.…

Like many people not shy to share their opinions I have been on social media  specifically twitter a lot more during this pandemic.  While it can be enlightening to gain perspective from different points of view, it is not without peril.  Social media like many indulgences is fine in mo…

Been certainly enough speculation from concerned parties about what is going to happen in Ontario Schools this fall. Since I have more than a little skin in the game, I wanted to share my thoughts on the matter.  Knowing first hand as an educator and parent the vital role teachers play in the devel…

So 2020 has been a bad year for a lot of people, including public sector unions. The one exception of course being nurses. Thank goodness for us that their allegiance to their professional oath trumps that of their union.  First it was the Ontario teachers' unions and their strike actions, coup…

The plight of Guelph's lack of news coverage was a  focus last week when local police did not publicize liberal MP's arrest.  Globe columnist @JohnIbbitson  even took to twitter to sound off on the dangers of disappearing local news.  Said much of the same and more when the axe fell on ou…

Wrote this back in 2010 well before others, including Macleans  got into the act.  One of the tougher decisions my wife and I had to make as parents was to decide whether to send our kids into French Immersion (FI).  Our school board offers the program at the Junior Kindergarten level and therefore…

Originally published, in the Guelph Mercury Feb. 25, 2011 The water conservation rebate program here in Guelph represents just one more example where City Hall has extended itself beyond its mandate and spent beyond its means. Under normal circumstances when a business has less demand for its produ…