Traditionally, in this season of Thanksgiving, we share moments of gratefulness for our lives, for our country, it's relative freedoms in our communities, and the overriding desire to have peace on earth good will toward all. All this is due to the souls who came before us, the ones who chose to view our lives as significantly worth the risk to, and the ultimate sacrifice of, some of theirs for ours. These are our veterans. If you are a young adult today, it is easy to get a

by Lauren Walker When you're leaving the grocery store, they often put the chocolate bars right at the check out. These are impulse buys. Notice how, when you're cashing out, they seem to call your name? With their brightly wrapped labels and cheap prices, most people pick them up. Why? It's obvious and in your face, so you buy it and eat it. Your impulse is satisfied instantly. Bad habits are like the candy at the grocery store, because they are easy to pick up and will sati

by Shawn Lackie If I have heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times in the crazy world of Real Estate. “Your first offer is usually your best offer.” That’s not always true, but as a rule, I would say it is at least 80% of the time usually because the buyer is all jazzed and ready to go. Obviously, the current economic climate and buy/sell situation vary. Like the pandemic, for example, when you barely had a chance to look at your first offer, and when you did, it was ins

by Tina Y. Gerber - McCurley A quiet, enduring wonder lives in everyday life. Those moments which help ground you and make ordinary days into a beautiful life. God breaks us down so He can build us back up. He cleans away the cob webs of our lives before revealing His plan. Why do we rush? Nothing changes, but everything feels different. We know the earth still turns, and the sun shines even when we feel struck, whether it's from loneliness, stress, or illness. What have you

by Shawn Lackie I just finished reading an article on the thriving real estate market in Monaco. Yes, that would be the one on the southern coast of France. It's the second smallest country in the world behind Vatican City. As they say, though – small but mighty. Check out the prices of some of the homes there, and you’ll get a quick look at how the other half lives. Except, they would be more like the upper, upper, upper scale elites. There are more millionaires AND billiona

by Lauren Walker As some of you know, I am a local visual artist. I've never really spoken about my other passion... writing! While it may be apparent in my weekly articles, I started writing when I was a kid. My first poem was written in grade five and over the years I've published online and have spent many years writing for the The Standard News. My next adventure allows me to marry two things I love the most. I look forward to sharing my journey to writing and illustratin

by Shawn Lackie We live in a democratic society, fought for by generations past. People gave their lives to ensure we could express ourselves, both in word and in how we vote. I know, what does THIS have to do with Real Estate. Well, it could be significant. Over the past few years, Scugog has been exposed to one proposal for development after another. None of these addressed what the area really needs. That would be, affordable housing for young families, seniors and all tho

by Lauren Walker It's pretty sad when people cannot even cross the street without looking at their phone. I've been listening to an audiobook, on Spotify, regarding, how to “stop people pleasing and set boundaries" by Marieme Seck. It is about setting priorities, achieving goals and how to become more focused in life. In an age where we are so connected with everything else, we are terribly disconnected with ourselves. You Are the Product Social media is designed to keep you

by Tina Y. Gerber – McCurley I was blessed to do palliative care and hospice care, within the community, and in Long-Term-Care. Even the most unexpected encounters can change our lives in profound ways. Family, marriage, means you’ve accumulated years of history, like those inside jokes, shared responsibilities, raising a family together and saying goodbyes to a loved one. We know death is an inevitable part of living and the death of a spouse is one of the hardest and most p

By Shawn Lackie I get asked that question a lot. While there is no simple explanation (much like life itself) there are a number of contributing factors. Top of the list would be unreal expectations from sellers. Many believe they should be getting what a neighbour got, just down the street, for the sale of their home, in 2026. Except, the other home sold in 2020, or around that time when the feeding frenzy was at its peak, and actually out of control. So, comparing these two

by Shawn Lackie The Bank of Canada has resisted raising interest rates, over a number of announcements, in the last year or so, with good reason. I am not an expert on exactly how this impacts buyers, but I know someone who does. Brad Vokins, from Dominion Lending Centres, has been in the business for over 20 years and has accumulated a wealth of knowledge along the way. I have always deferred to the experts in this business, so I’m not going to stop now. Especially with a to

by Shawn Lackie You know the saying, yes? “The more they stay the same.” In 1988, I decided I needed a change from the Toronto rat race, especially in the television field. I was running Communications for CBC Sports and really wasn’t looking forward to spending 6 weeks in Korea, for the Olympic Games. So I packed it in and came back to Port, to hook up with my Father-In-Law in his business. That was around the time the economy was doing a bit of a dive (tank?), so it was fr

It was a warm summer day at a family picnic table near the shore of the Bay of Quinte. Uncle Earl “Sonny” Green sat with three enthusiastic children, their eager faces turned toward him as he recalled moments from a life which had known both extraordinary sorrow and exuberant joy. At eighty-seven, his face was etched with time, but his eyes still carried a remarkable spark. His memories reached back to his early years at the Brantford Mohawk Residential School and forward to

by Geoffrey Carpentier In my last two columns, I spoke about the mechanics of migration – how do birds migrate? What tools do they have to make these perilous journeys? What can go wrong when they lose those tools or use them improperly? Today let’s finish the story and see how the environment itself can cause catastrophic challenges. I mentioned last time that small errors in the chosen migration route will be magnified each time the bird deviates from course. Gradually, the

by Shawn Lackie Many years ago, when we first started our home-owning journey, we looked in a number of areas in Toronto. For us at the time, the main criterion was: could we afford this? Even if it meant living in what would now be called a scuzzy neighbourhood (is scuzzy even a word?). At any rate, we looked everywhere and settled on a place we could afford. That was the main thing. We could afford to buy the place, and that was all that mattered. Well, it seems that’s not

By Shawn Lackie Lately, I have been seeing more and more of AI (Artificial Intelligence) articles being posted. Note, I didn’t say written, as these travesties are far from written pieces of work. They are computer-driven cliched pieces of junk, with absolutely no soul and definitely no feel for the topic being discussed. Here’s a sample: “Allowing Canadians to reflect on the diverse and vibrant nation they call home. With its stunning array of four seasons and rich cultural.

by Lauren Walker While this is a slight deviation from my usual subject matter, I feel compelled to write about a few valuable insights I have learned from my ninety-seven-year-old friend. These are gentle reminders about finding joy in the simple moments and I'd like to share them with you. Enjoy the Moment Who knew a little bit of ice cream could make someone's day? Well, that may be an overstatement, as it isn't much but it is something to enjoy in the moment. Every day we

by Tina Y. Gerber-McCurley It's certainly been a challenging year for my husband and I. We both look forward to a fresh start with hope and anticipation. Consequently, as believers, we focus our eyes on Jesus. Many people see an older person as broken, and they somehow need to be fixed! I will admit our bodies do change, sometimes suffer, and their parts no longer work like they once did! Most seniors seem to begin to disappear into the background, and this is a growing probl

by Jonathan van Bilsen September has always been one of my favourite months. The heat of summer begins to disappear, jackets make their annual return, and leaves slowly transform into brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow. There is a freshness to September, a feeling of change and anticipation. At least there used to be. Twenty-five years ago, on September 11th, 2001, that changed forever. It is difficult to believe a quarter of a century has passed since that terrible m

by Geoffrey Carpentier Last time we talked about migration and how birds and some insects use a variety of tools to safely move from their summering to wintering grounds and back again. However, what if things don’t go as planned? There are many factors which can and frequently do occur which can offset the positive migratory adventure our birds face. Setting aside things like predators, wires, buildings, hunters, pesticides and disappearing habitats (which usually lead to th