Holiday message from the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario This year as I reflect on the holiday season, I turn to the traditional messages of our late Sovereign. Somehow she always found just the right words of comfort and joy. Her last holiday message began by saying: “Christmas […]
150,000 Ontario students ready to cast ballots in municipal elections Even though they are under the voting age, nearly 150,000 elementary and high school students from throughout Ontario will have an opportunity to consider the future of their community and vote for candidates running in their municipal and school board […]
With so many crises in the world right now, we are all looking for reasons to be optimistic—and for ways that we can help. I will always cherish the hope and community spirit I have experienced at volunteer aid-packing events run by GlobalMedic at its base in Etobicoke. Rahul Singh, […]
TORONTO, ON – [Monday, March 14, 2022] – The Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) and their member newspapers are very proud to celebrate the final recipients of the 2021 Ontario Junior Citizen Awards. These outstanding young individuals, aged nine to 17, are making a difference in their communities. Not only […]
Celebrating stories of Ontarians: Ilse Treurnicht, Member of the Order of Ontario The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, for which events are being held throughout March, is “Break the Bias.” We are asked to imagine a gender-equal world, free of stereotypes and discrimination. Such a world can seem […]
Celebrating stories of Ontarians: Rosemary Sadlier, Member of the Order of Ontario For more than 30 years, Rosemary Sadlier has advocated for the recognition of Canada’s Black history, and she remains as tenacious as ever. Having led successful national campaigns for commemorations, published seven books about the subject, and received the Order […]
Lory MacDonald Productions is taking Artfest online Artfest is going online, and it’s going national. Lory MacDonald has produced the art show series in Ontario for years, introducing artists, artisans and crafters to buyers who appreciate high-quality handmade creations. Show cancellations during the pandemic have left both sides of the […]
Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell Presents Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers to Recipient Major (Retired) Kanwal Sethi From his early years in rural Kenya in the 1940s and ‘50s, living in villages without plumbing or electricity, Kanwal Sethi came to know the value of volunteering. “When you grow up recognizing that you’re […]
Former Premier Bill Davis once said: “the real promise of Ontario is still very much ahead of us,” and I agree. His recent passing is but one reminder that 2021 was a year of hardship and sorrow for many. So, this holiday season, I am thinking, first, of those who need […]
Whenever André Levesque walks by the National War Memorial in his native Ottawa, he lays his hands on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. “My body feels warm and glowing,” he says, “like I’m going through something very emotional. It’s amazing.” Levesque’s deep personal connection to the monument was sparked when he […]
You don’t need the name on the cover to identify a book by Barbara Reid. It isn’t just that the children’s author and illustrator has such a distinctively vibrant visual style; it’s also the wonderfully unusual medium she uses: plasticine. A competition Reid entered in the late 1970s, while she […]
Nine years after she had moved to Canada as a refugee, Adeena Niazi had herself smuggled back into Afghanistan. It was 1997, and the Taliban had banned girls’ education; the former lecturer at Kabul University was determined to help. She set up underground home-based schools for girls, funding them with […]
For some, the decision of what path to take in life comes easy. It requires life-changing moments of realization for others: That was certainly the case for Dwayne de Rosario. For the teenager living in Scarborough in the mid-90s, the near-death experience of being shot in the eye with a […]
Celebrating stories of Ontarians: Alis B. Kennedy, Member of the Order of Ontario If there is one theme running through the life and remarkably varied cv of Order of Ontario member Alis B. Kennedy, it is that of discovery. “I love adventure,” says the Montréal native, who now lives in Woodbridge. […]
The Lieutenant Governor and Maryka Omatsu at the Order of Ontario Investiture Ceremony, February 2015 This month is Canada’s 20th annual Asian Heritage Month—an occasion to celebrate the culture and contributions of the Asian-Canadian community, and also to reflect. As Judge Maryka Omatsu reminds us, this year there is a special […]
The theme of this year’s Earth Day, on April 22, is “Restore Our Earth.” It’s a call for action to bring our environment back to health. We will accomplish this only with innovative thinking and new perspectives, driven by science and by the urgent need for climate action. These are […]
For over a century, in countries around the world, people have gathered at rallies, marches, and celebrations every March to mark International Women’s Day. This year, the pandemic has stopped us from meeting in person, but we continue to connect in solidarity to share stories of challenges and success in […]
A still from Historica Canada’s newly released Heritage Minute celebrating renowned jazz musician Oscar Peterson. When Oscar Peterson quit high school in the early 1940s to be a full-time jazz pianist, his father gave his blessing on one condition: that his son would “be the best.” Peterson rose to this […]