Category Archives: Lifestyle

I Remember So I Never Have to Know

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By Jason Menard

I wear a poppy and participate in Remembrance Day not as a celebration of war, but as a reminder to learn from its lessons and, hopefully, never repeat them.

I celebrate and memorialize our history so that I never have to know war in reality.

Sadly, our society often forgets those lessons in a rush to fetishise war. We misguidedly conscript military terminology to use in our day-to-day efforts. There are various “Armies,” “Corps,” and “Regiments.”

The organizations will claim they’re fighting for someone; but what’s missing from that statement is the fact that it means they’re in combat against another group. It means we haven’t learned our lessons from war. And in trying to claim these words for our own, we muddle their meaning. Continue reading →

Why I Wear the Red Poppy

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By Jason Menard

I wear a red poppy because at this time of year the symbol is not about me. It’s about those who have served and, in some cases, died fighting for this country.

The red poppy has become increasingly politicized over the years. There are those who choose to wear a white poppy to show their opposition to any armed conflict. The white poppy is used as an alternative emblem to show one’s preference for peace.

I respect that. And I share those ideals and beliefs, as I am staunchly anti-gun and see little need for war.

But I will always wear the red poppy. Continue reading →

Performing Arts Centre Shouldn’t be Built on a Field of Dreams

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By Jason Menard

A proposed performing arts centre in London must be built upon a foundation of more than wishes and dreams.

The London Free Press ran an article stating that a committee examining both proposals for a performing arts centre were lacking. What people should be most concerned about is not that the proposals were merely found deficient, but that neither proposal bothered to concern themselves too much about developing a sound business plan.

I’d be shocked, if I hadn’t been exposed to the centre’s proponents’ main argument — a Field of Dreams attitude that states if you build it, they will come. Continue reading →

Vigilante Justice, Vigilante Politics

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By Jason Menard

Earlier today, local radio station AM 980 asked why are “some so quick to embrace vigilante justice?” It’s for the same reason we embrace vigilante politics. We want the quick fix. We want the satisfaction of having our needs met. And, most insidiously, we think we know everything.

Vigilante justice is immediate, visceral retribution for a crime. Often it’s a crime so heinous that we’re willing to dispense with long-developed traditions. We’re not willing to wait.

Some treat politics the same way. They don’t like the status quo, so it’s time for a visceral response. Unhappy until the bloodletting begins, it’s all about sacrificing process at the altar of action. Continue reading →

Millennials? They’re Just Like Us — Wait and See

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By Jason Menard

The focus on London’s urban planning seems to revolve around attracting and retaining the cherished millennial demographic: a young, tech-savvy, generation that’s eschewing cars, embracing public transportation, looking to live downtown, and focused on consolidating its living, entertainment, and dining options into a three-block radius.

Millennials: the name has changed, but the song remains the same.

In short, they’re me 20 years ago. Or my parents 40+ years ago. Or my grandparents 60+ years ago. And, chances are, they’re likely the same as you, your parents, and your grandparents were. Continue reading →