I smiled as I recalled the long ago memory of my brother enacting the Boy Scouts motto—"be prepared"—while pressing two fingers to his forehead in the accompanying salute. 

As the dawn of a new year arrives, reflections on the past year swirl in our heads and we peer into 2018. With history being the best indicator of the future, it would be easy to look at the past 12 months and worry about the upcoming year. But when we ask ourselves what this new year will bring, we may find a good indicator in another question: will this year be positive for the marginalized and challenged individuals in our society?

Of all the seasons of the year, Christmas brings out the most emotion. For some, it’s simply a holiday from normal life. For others, it’s a time to party. But many find this to be the loneliest time of year.

Canadians are the giddy but scared riders on the federal government’s fast-moving train headed towards cannabis legalization. Yes, Station 420 is only months away and the conductor and staff are trying to learn how to drive without slowing down.

The early 1970s found me entering Junior High and a new pilot program whereby all the classroom’s desks had been removed and replaced by a large circular table and chairs. Even the teacher’s desk was non-existent. He, too, was required to sit at the table with us.

I am an environmentalist. That is, I’m someone who believes in sustainable sustainability—prudent environmentalism that makes sense and is in harmony with a person’s lifestyle and economics. I suspect that most of us fit this description with only a few outliers on the ends of the spectrum.