OF LAMBS AND LIONS
“In like a lion, out like a lamb” is probably the adage most often used to describe the month of March here in Canada, although nowadays the opposite is just as likely to be true weather-wise. Perhaps we had that saying rolling around in our collective subconscious as we were selecting content, because, as it turns out, we touch upon both ends of that particular spectrum in this issue, and several points in between.
For example, on pages 24 though to 27, you’ll encounter everything from roaring snowmobiles in full competition mode to gently flowing sap and a newcomer to Canada’s very first “sugaring off ” experience, one that ended up changing his life.
We also have a pair of stories about two amazing Canadian animal breeds (sorry, no actual lambs or lions). On page 16, Liz Chafe of Cappahayden, N.L., tells us about her efforts to help sustain the viability of the Newfoundland pony, the province’s only designated heritage animal, which is listed as critically endangered. In Showcase on page 42, Kim Han of Ottawa gives us an insider’s look at the Canadian Inuit dog and the book she wrote on the subject. Diligently researched, Kim’s book is inspired by and dedicated to her now deceased daughter, Siu-ling, a wildlife biologist and avid sled rider who bred Canadian Inuit dogs from her home base in Nunavut.
And on page 28, you’ll find a moving story about the passing of a beloved friend from the animal kingdom. “Skookum Cat” was much more than a horse in the eyes of contributor J.F. Dickinson of Cranbrook, B.C. “Cat” was a family member, a riding companion, a prankster, a confidante and a guardian who embodied the heart of a lion and the gentleness of a lamb.
All that and more awaits you inside—enjoy!