There has been a continual decline in journalism over the last 20 years—the number of outlets and publications, the number of people employed, and the number of stories published. This decline began in the lead-up […]
Eskilstuna is a city of 70,000 people an hour west of Stockholm, Sweden. Like many cities, Eskilstuna had high demand for rental housing. Instead of building urban sprawl, a different housing project took place through […]
Ontario’s colleges and universities have been in the news lately, announcing cutbacks, program cancellations, and even some campus closures. These institutions cite the reduction in international student visas by the federal government for their financial […]
Welcome to the 2025 provincial election period. Many speculated since last fall that we were heading towards an Ontario provincial election. The signs have all been there for the last six months. The increase in […]
I was on a mission Saturday – a mission for socks. Having larger feet, getting well-fitting socks at a good price is difficult. Many stores sell socks here in Canada, but a size 6-12 sock […]
The political looney season is upon us. This will intensify once the calendar hits January 20. The election of Donald Trump in November fuels the looney season like nothing that could be imagined. Some may […]
It’s the new year. It’s time to start afresh. Resolutions to change the things we don’t like about ourselves, or to do new things. Maybe you want to lose a few pounds – who doesn’t? […]
A change is happening in youth hockey in Canada – one that I believe is better for the sport and for families. The Ontario Hockey Federation, which governs hockey for all Ontario except parts of […]
As regular readers may recall, I am a fan of Christmas stories. Some of my favourites are the perennial classics like Dickens’ A Christmas Carol or O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi. Both stories […]
I have never considered myself a pet person. I grew up with pets at home. At its peak, my parents had two dogs, four cats, a couple of doves, a budgie, and a bunch of […]
©2026 – Phillip Blancher