Originally Published Feb 17, 2021 Gliding through the forest following the ski instructor, as we cross from the mountain shadows into a burst of sunlight and open slopes, brings a vivid spark of joy. This is winter at Marmot Basin ski resort, just outside the town of Jasper in Jasper
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Originally published February 10, 2021 I have early memories of my parents strapping BOB Skates onto my bulky winter boots, and letting me shuffle around with my siblings on a natural lake in Southern Alberta. The sense of wonder and freedom I felt at the wide-open space still remains with
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In our household, Niagara Falls had always been a family destination — for waterparks, mini-golf, a wax museum, ziplining and of course, a boat tour aboard Niagara City Cruises. But with our kids now in their late teens, my partner and I decided to visit Niagara Falls in a whole
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Flying through the air, higher than any agility dog clearing an obstacle, were two male orcas. They were killing a Dall’s porpoise! Bludgeoning it with their body weight so it would be defenceless when they moved in for the final attack. When I’d signed up for a visit to Farewell
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We stood in front of the cedar pole carving while the drumbeat began, strong and in time with the earth’s heartbeat. Qawam Redmond Andrews, our cultural ambassador, closed his eyes as he lifted his voice and joined his drum to begin the same song his ancestors used to call the
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When I headed to British Columbia’s Fraser River Valley for fall bird watching, camping spots were as scarce as a long-billed dowitcher (rare). Fortunately, a fellow horse-lover rents out the most basic of accommodation on Airbnb – a safe place to park – next to some horses and a short
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We are walking with nature in a sun-dappled forest as we learn about Indigenous healing traditions with Painted Warriors, an Indigenous-owned business near Sundre in the Alberta foothills. Our guide, George, points out a native plant with feathery grey-green leaves, carefully breaking off a small leaf, crushing it to release
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Every year, around my birthday in the Fall, I give myself a night off at a hotel in town. Once a year is all I take off as a parent and this year, I decided to give myself two nights away, in another city!  I spent my Mom-Cation in another
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On a snowy day in December 2019, Elder Cy Standing of the Wahpeton Dakota Nation welcomed eleven plains bison to their ancestral home at Wanuskewin Heritage Park near Saskatoon. A sprawling expanse of rolling yellow hills dusted with sparse patches of snow, on this momentous day Wanuskewin is the portrait
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At the annual Chore Horse Competition at Bar U Ranch National Historic Site in September, skilled teamsters (people who drive horses on long reins) harnessed up tons of horseflesh to recreate ranching work of bygone eras. For one afternoon I could sink into the historical connections between steed and horseman,
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