“Welcome to 1816.” Magdelaine La Framboise’s spirit greeted our arrival to the island she had loved. The Odawa-French fur trader, who had fascinated me for years, invited my husband, Bob, and me to stay at the Harbour View Inn. In its prior life, the current B&B had been her home. Its construction was overseen by her son-in-law, Captain Benjamin Pierce, brother to future President Franklin Pierce. The gentle breezes whispered Magdelaine's words, “I apologize that I can’t spend more time with you.

OO ROO, ULURU
The Australian saying "see ya later" is often "Oo Roo."

Midsummer celebrations take place across Canada in the time surrounding Canada Day on the first of July. How about music to go along? Canada has poured forth a wealth of singers and songwriters, from legendary folk poet in song Gordon Lightfoot to million selling country musician Shania Twain. For this year’s Canada Day, here are four artists who make their homes in Canada’s west.

Do you have a place nearby you’ve been meaning to go to but never quite get around to it?

In 1926, America celebrated the 150th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence. To mark the occasion, citizens of Poland – more than 5.5 million of them – signed a unique birthday card, The Polish Declarations of Admiration and Friendship. Now, all 111 volumes containing more than 30,000 pages – many beautifully illustrated or accompanied by photographs – are digitized and accessible on the Library of Congress website.

Once I realized that With Grace was turning out to be a fairytale, I did not resist it...but I did do my best to subvert the tropes of the genre.

Irish music has a way of touching emotions and reaching hearts across time and place and language.