Grand Ideas

At times I may feel worriedWill I remember each new ruleMy teacher’s voice will ease my fearsI am safe at school ~excerpt from ‘When We Go Back To School’ by Jennifer Ohrling Schools were shut down for six months due to COVID-19, and they’re just opening up now. During this time away, Jennifer Ohrling, a Grade 2 teacher at Brigadoon Public School in Kitchener, wrote a children’s book about coping with COVID-19 and going back to school, and had her students illustrate it. “I was trying to capture feelings, things students were missing most,” says Jennifer. “I wanted to give hope that when we go back...

As we approach Father’s Day this weekend, my thoughts naturally go to my Dad, a hero in my eyes. A letter carrier for 30 years, he would walk more than 20 km each day delivering mail. His route locally for probably a decade was off Connaught, north of Fairview mall. With all that time spent in the sun, he developed skin cancer. It started with one lesion on his face and they have for years. His treatment was second to none, and I am so grateful they have been able to treat the lesions and keep my Dad in good...

Thank you to our nurses!  Our nurses work so hard all year, and lately they’ve been under tremendous pressure as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic has placed unprecedented demand on the people who work at our hospital, especially our nurses. One way we can show our appreciation is through celebrating National Nurses Week.  Held this year from May 11 to 17, National Nurses Week was our chance to recognize nurses from every area of the hospital for the professionalism and care they provide to patients. Our nurses are an essential part of our health care team and we are...

In my world of fundraising it’s the stories about everyday people who step forward to do remarkable things that make what I do every day never feel like work.  Like the story of Bruce Martin and his family that I’d like to share with you today.  In 1974, Bruce’s Dad took his passion for gardening and grew it into  Green Acre RV Park - a  project that started as a hobby to get people together and out of their apartments. It’s become a beautiful spot that provides 265 RV enthusiasts a place to settle when they return from the south,...