September 29, 2009

Imagine the person standing in front of you in line at the coffee shop turning around and handing you the coffee they’ve just bought. It’s a tiny act of kindness, but one that would surely brighten your day.

September 28, 2009

When Ronnie Garcia dropped to one knee to propose to girlfriend Therese Tongco after yesterday’s Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the song blaring over the finish line speakers was Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust.

September 14, 2009

Today I find myself contemplating one of the great truths of existence. The only real constant in life is this: everything changes.

September 01, 2009

The unpaved road is littered with heavy machines, dust is swirling past storefronts and a mountain of sand blocks the view of the downtown district.

August 31, 2009

Today I came face to face with the truth about my own maturity level. In some 30 years of being an adult, the only thing I’ve grown out of is my jeans.

August 24, 2009

Aug. 24. Across the land  begins an annual event of monumental proportion, stretching back almost to the dawn of time. Schoolgirls are choosing their outfit for the first day of class.

August 10, 2009

Last time, this column was about my friend Rob’s new romance. After it ran, a concerned reader sent this tweet:

July 27, 2009

On a recent morning I hit on a great truth about love. Romantic relationships call into play the two most powerful and overwhelming forces known to human kind. Hope and hormones.

July 13, 2009

With many people rethinking their employment options, it’s possible some might be considering whether taking up writing may be the way to go.

July 06, 2009

Proving that people can make the biggest impact of all, one company is shutting down its business for an entire day to let its employees make a difference in their own communities.

July 06, 2009

A sea of people pass by in all directions. Some glance over and smile, others stop to stare in fascination before lifting their cameras to capture the bronzed cowboy, which, at first glance appears to be a statue, until a sudden robotic movement reveals it is, in fact, a person.

July 06, 2009

Today, I’m marking another birthday. Actually the big day isn’t until August but leaving it until the last minute doesn’t allow for important birthday activities such as reflection, goal-setting and making out a really good gift list. If “it’s better to give than receive,” I wouldn’t dream of leaving my friends and family out of the good part.

June 26, 2009

It’s like clockwork. If you’ve ever walked along the south side of Rogers Centre before a weekend Blue Jays game, you’ll understand.

June 25, 2009

A Japanese study suggests the greying process of hair may provide cancer protection.

June 24, 2009

Ahmed Bakhtiar is about to have one of his life’s dreams come true. An avid cricketer who has represented Canada in international competition, Bakhtiar is now getting the chance to visit the place he considers to be the home of the sport — England.

June 22, 2009

When Masad Yusuf left war-torn Somalia in 1981 for a better life in Canada, little did the then-teenager know he would end up devoting his life’s work to helping thousands of other people just like him, arriving as scared refugees, not knowing a word of English.

June 22, 2009

Despite the ominous skies and rain, they came in droves — 950 young girls, that is, in Grades 3 to 8, from 31 schools around Simcoe County. After all, come rain or shine, this past Saturday was a day for these girls to celebrate themselves.

June 19, 2009

More than 24,700 — and counting. For a high school with just 550 students, the number of books borrowed from the library at Sir Robert L. Borden Business and Technical Institute is the highest in the Toronto board, higher than secondary schools four times its size.

June 16, 2009

Business cards from the company that laid you off are like love letters from an ex; they hold bitter memories of better days, but what are you supposed to do with them?

June 16, 2009

Last month, thousands of students from all over the world submitted their photographs to iGoogle, hoping for a shot at winning $7,500 US and having their images selected by the website as its new visual theme.

June 16, 2009

I have “sex” as one of my personalized Google news searches in order to help find topics for this column.

June 15, 2009

Rhonda Teitel-Payne loves fresh, organic food. She has also devoted her life to ensuring that everyone has access to it — something that is often not the case, especially in urban centres.

June 15, 2009

Lately, I’ve had that old familiar feeling again. My heart is fluttering, my pulse is racing, I feel like I’m walking on air. Only one thing can turn a mature adult into a grinning idiot like this. You guessed it. I’m on allergy medication.

June 12, 2009

A lot of publishers would happily surrender a hefty advance for the right to publish a new book by Robert Munsch. Taya Kendall, a Grade 3 pupil in Guelph, Ont., was granted that privilege for free.

June 11, 2009

One year ago, Karyn Stowe decided to leave her kids at home and get dressed up for a night out with girlfriends. It ultimately saved her life.

June 11, 2009

When Marnie Warman noticed there was furniture her store’s clients wanted that she couldn’t find, she decided there was only one thing to do: Design it herself.

June 10, 2009

In my ceaseless quest to contribute to Metro’s SunnySide initiative (a quest hampered only by my disposition, which is on the cloudy side), I would like to remind you that we celebrated Tax Freedom Day June 6, three days earlier than last year!

June 09, 2009

Call it the Summer of the Mermaid. Glimmering aqua eyes, silver nails and soft mouths are all the rage this season.

June 08, 2009

The other day I heard an appalling statistic. Brace yourself. Fewer Canadians regularly read poetry than regularly dust their ceiling fans. I was shocked. I had no idea we were supposed to dust ceiling fans. I thought they just turned around and the dust fell off.

June 08, 2009

We asked you to tell us what about Toronto makes you happy. Your No. 1 choice: High Park, widely considered to be the jewel of Toronto’s vast park system because of its sheer size and variety of offerings.

June 08, 2009

Every so often, Toronto’s kids receive a cup of kindness. It comes in the form of pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, loonies and toonies found on the ground by Dr. Jaanus Marley and his wife, Reet, during evening constitutionals in their Beach neighbourhood.

June 05, 2009

These men and women put themselves on the line 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, and on Thursday night, amid pomp and ceremony, one of Toronto’s “best in blue” took home the top prize at the 42nd annual Police Officer of the Year Awards.

June 04, 2009

Fewer Canadians anticipate a worsening domestic economy in the coming year, suggests a Harris-Decima poll that found consumer confidence at its highest level in 15 months.

June 04, 2009

It was something he’d always wanted to do and seven years ago, when he turned 30, he became a big brother to two young boys who had lost their father.

June 04, 2009

From story-planning “tea parties” to new hi-tech “wikis” — websites kids work on together — Peel public schools use an array of tactics to help students who fail the Grade 6 reading test.

June 03, 2009

The school was under threat; with less than 100 students from kindergarten to Grade 8, it was too small and everyone expected the board to close it.

June 03, 2009

My story is opposite compared to the woman who threw her coffee in Michael Beline’s face.

June 03, 2009

In a neighbourhood home to the once notorious Galloway Boys gang, expanding a child and youth centre could be a key to steering youth away from crime.

June 03, 2009

Emily Turner is handing out pre-stamped, empty envelopes this week in Paris as part of her brainchild - the Best Moment of Your Life Project.

June 02, 2009

Canada can already design net zero-energy homes, and now the federal government is looking to take the next step towards sustainable, and energy-efficient cities.

June 02, 2009

Although the downturn has proven tough for workers, those who are still employed say they’re gaining more from the experience than just managing to keep their jobs.

June 02, 2009

Food for Life is launching a new initiative today: Lunch Money Tuesday. To honour National Hunger Awareness Day, Food for Life asks that people donate their “lunch money.”

June 01, 2009

Every community has them; they’re the people, places, events and local wonders you can’t find anywhere else that make us smile and feel a bit more proud about where we live.

June 01, 2009

While there are numerous initiatives in Toronto aimed at improving our quality of life, one local firm is doing so in a unique way.

June 01, 2009

Recently, this column ran a contest to help me find a new hobby. Due to overwhelming reader demand (someone wrote in who I am not related to) I’m pleased to provide this update.

May 29, 2009

Amanda’s Lemonade Stand is no ordinary side-of-the road, spontaneous way of killing an hour or two on a hot day.