When wedding guests raise glasses to toast the happy couple, everyone wants what is in the glass to be pleasant. We also want the wines not to break the bank. Both can be achieved without much complexity or stress.

The word “crisis” is often used to refer to an extreme situation—for example, to describe conflicts that just fall short of being called wars. I suspect this is why we use it to refer to the current “meth crisis,” as the media has so recently done. There are other drugs involved in the crisis, but the focus has been on meth (methamphetamines) for a few reasons. Not only is it the new drug of choice in Manitoba, but it’s also one of the most dangerous due to its low cost, ease of transport and use, instantly addictive properties, and the unpredictable behaviour of those under its influence.

Another year is now behind us, and as 2018 comes to a close I find that it’s a good time for reflection—an opportunity to refocus.

It seems like every few months, social media users find a new and creative way to deploy their platforms beyond what the creators intended. When Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook to serve as a social hub for college students, he didn’t envision that it would morph into what we see today. 

With municipal and school board elections coming up on October 24, voters are looking to a slate of candidates and judging them based on their ideas and platforms. This is the fourth and final article in an ongoing column by Clarence Braun, former mayor of Niverville, about the qualities of leadership we should look for in those who seek to lead us.

The month of September is the ultimate paradox. Summer days fade unhappily into the early sunsets, and the beautiful changing leaves hint at the impending winter.