Category Archives: Lifestyle

Je Me Souviens/I Remember

By Jason Menard,

On December 6th, 1989, we lost 14 women at the École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, QC.

Unfortunately, too many people remember the name of the gunman; not enough remember the names of the women we lost. You will not see the gunman’s name here. Continue reading

My Promise to the City of London

By Jay Menard

I’ve lived in London more than I haven’t. This, I feel, is a good thing. Obviously, having lived here for over half my life, I’ve seen a lot and have experienced the best and worst this city has to offer. And having lived elsewhere (Montreal) for almost half my life, I’ve had the advantage of stepping out of this bubble and seeing things from a new perspective.

I moved to this city in my youth and spend my teen years here. I left this city in my early 20s, like many others my age, leaving behind a London that we felt offered nothing to people of my age. I returned a few years later, older, hopefully wiser, and more appreciative of what the Forest City had to offer. Continue reading

Obnoxious Sports, Pretentious Arts Enthusiasts Two Sides of Same Coin

By Jason Menard

To quote one of Canada’s finest bands, Sloan, “it’s not the band I hate, it’s their fans.” And though you’ll likely never get them to agree to it, supporters of sports and the arts are often two sides of the same obnoxious coin.

First, an admission of guilt. I was once an arts’ snob: I judged certain music, literature, and art forms as somehow less worthy than others. I was at the same time an obnoxious sporto, judging people by the teams they supported.

All that to say that I’m now reformed (almost. I still think you Toronto Maple Leafs’ fans need to go get help). Continue reading

A Crisis of Consensus — Lest We Forget

By Jason Menard

On this day, we remember those who came before us and fought for our way of life — our right to exist as Canadians. It is one day that, regardless of one’s political stripe, we come together as a nation under a common belief — to support our veterans.

And it’s an increasingly rare occurrence in this great nation of ours. Continue reading

I’ll Ignore the Boys Crying Wolf and Err on the Side of Our Children

By Jason Menard

The immediacy and exponential reach of social networks can be a valuable tool when it comes to child abductions. However, false reports, whether posted out of benign ignorance or malicious intent, may put a virtual twist on the Boy Who Cried Wolf story – potentially with tragic results.

Many of us were caught in that web last night when the report of an abducted child began circulating on Facebook and Twitter. St. Thomas, ON police now say the reports were false and, in an interview posted on AM 980’s Web site, Constable Cam Constable decided to chastise social media users for their efforts. Continue reading