Opinion

Somehow, as of Dec. 29, our family has managed to make it through the Christmas season without a sniffly nose, hardly a cough, and no stomach flus. The gifts have been unwrapped, and enjoyed, and overall it’s been a great holiday.

Any glimmer of hope the economy is turning around is better than no hope at all, even if it is tempered by the fact we’re still looking at $10.3 billion deficit this budget year in Alberta.

Usually, I’m the type of person who can’t wait to set up the Christmas decorations, spread holiday cheer throughout the house with knickknacks that have been bought over the years, and bake sweets until everyone is sick of it.

Thirty years ago, Mothers Against Drinking and Driving (MADD) Canada launched Project Red Ribbon to raise awareness about impaired driving and to remember the thousands of victims of impaired driving injured or killed.

When I first came to work at the St. Paul Journal, I was a young journalist, not necessarily looking to make my mark on the world, but more interested at that time to start earning some money.

Every child deserves the right to be safe, to live with dignity and respect and have the opportunity to reach their full potential – this was the message of National Child Day, celebrated yesterday in Canada.

It’s taken nearly 15 years to happen, but I think I’ve come to the point where I’ve realized that simply being exposed to something on a daily basis has made me unknowingly knowledgeable about a certain topic, and maybe even a bit of a fan.

A voice for change was clear in the results of municipal elections in the Town of St. Paul, as nearly all of the previous council was voted out, in favour of a new mayor and new councillors.

All good things must come to an end, and now, so does our time in St. Paul. After 10 years, this will be my final edition of Around the Bend.

When the Town of St. Paul first announced that it would host a meeting on systemic racism, perhaps there were a few concerns about what the discussion might bring and how such an explosive talk could be facilitated in a productive, meaningful way.