Riding the Insomnia Express I have suffered from insomnia since the age of about four years old, when the minister of our local United Church convinced me that all my cursing and swearing would lead me straight to hell, where unimaginable torment awaited. Going To Hell – Robert McBryde I am now a wretched,..
Avis de L’OTTIAQ dans L’Antenne English translation to follow https://ottiaq.org/app/uploads/2026/06/en-memoire-danne-schlenker-.pdf https://mailchi.mp/f63e405a4f90/antenne-25-juin-2026-12849184 À la mémoire de l’une de nos membres 🕊️ L’OTTIAQ a le regret de vous annoncer le décès d’Anne Schlenker (McBryde), traductrice agréée et membre de l’Ordre depuis 27 ans. Nous adressons nos plus sincères condoléances à sa..
The Presence Of Absence In an interview, the great writer Christian Bobin said the following, which resonates during this time of coming to terms with absence, when love remains alive: “What remains of a loved one is a very subtle, immaterial substance that we used to call—for lack of a better term—their presence. A unique..
OC Transpo inaction has real life consequences: Letter to the editor of the Ottawa Citizen Dear Editor, I am writing in response to the June 24, 2026 article by Randall Denley: https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/i-worry-about-the-competence-of-people-running-oc-transpo-opinion As a carless senior, I have to rely on the OC Transpo public transit system. My wife and I have lived in a..
All things bright and beautiful: The Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and Anne The Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit organization located on 460 acres of natural habitat in Rosseau, Ontario. It is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured, sick, and orphaned Ontario wildlife, while also providing permanent homes to animals that cannot..
Haiga creation in the midst of grief-driven foreboding Haiga is a Japanese concept describing a refined visual art of combining brush painting, haiku, and calligraphy. A traditional haiga requires all three of these elements. Like the poetic form it accompanies, haiga is based on simple, yet often profound, observations of the everyday world. https://thehaikufoundation.org/juxta/juxta-5-1/juxta-5-1-haiga/..
Losing My Marbles 1957, Chapel Street Public School, Georgetown, Ontario, kindergarten with Mrs. Smith. If you misbehaved, “behind the piano” was your place of penance. We kids lived for recess, when we could “play marbles,” or allies, as we also called them. (Mrs., Smith was neither a big fan of marbles nor of the word..
A Hole in my Heart In the small town of my childhood, the 1950s spoke in lowered voices: electrocution, harelip, stillbirth, a baby born with a hole in her heart. My parents carried these sorrows home as if misfortune were weather, settling over porches, kitchens, beds. I was but a fragile nestling, but already knew..
The Annual Brain Tumour Walk: Ottawa, Ontario, June 6, 2026 Yesterday I was blessed with the opportunity to walk in solidarity with the brain tumour community as part of the annual Brain Tumour Walk organized by the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. #BrainTumourWalk @BrainTumourFDN It was so important to be among survivors, caregivers, supporters, impacted..
A worthy goal: Brendan Gallagher and family fundraising for brain cancer research A mini controversy has been brewing in Montreal concerning – what else? – hockey, more specifically the recent elimination of Les Canadiens. A fan favourite, the 14-year veteran Brendan Gallagher, was a “healthy scratch” (which sounds like an oxymoron from the..