Editor’s Letter

With all the splendour of autumn awaiting us—the colours, the crisp air, the aroma of summer harvests coming to fruition and that glorious sense of freedom wafting through the forests while you’re out in the great outdoors—well, suffice to say that the thought of brighter days ahead is hard to shake. And it’s an actual possibility! So, you can expect to see variations on the theme popping up throughout the issue.

One story in particular sparked that general feeling of “brighter days ahead” in me. Oddly enough, it has nothing to do with the great outdoors, the opposite in fact—it’s about mysterious inner doors of a mind that is systematically battling dementia. It’s moving, upsetting, funny and surprisingly uplifting; flip to Cause for Applause on page 18, “Learning to Laugh Again” by author Maggie Hardy of Campbell River, B.C., and you’ll see what I mean.

With summer vacations wrapping up, parents returning to work (in person and remotely) and students getting back to class (ditto), people with a few spare hours on our hands seem to also enjoy fall as a time to reminisce. Thankfully, many of you thoughtful folks have found the time during the pandemic to jot down your most cherished memories and send them along to us to share with your fellow readers.

Among the several wonderful stories within that just might inspire you to write one of your own, I’ll point out our Showcase selection on page 38, “The Singing Barman” by Roland Brazeau of Glouster, Ont., who tells the tale of his cousin “Gate” Lepine’s rise from childhood poverty in Quebec to gold-record status across the country with Canadian music legend, Stompin’ Tom Connors. And, especially if you are of a certain age, you won’t want to miss “The Life & Times of a Travelling Saleman” on page 28, a more entertaining The Way It Was selection will be hard to come by. Or, maybe, you’ll send one in?