Elaine Shein

Some people may call it a pity. The Queen’s English is becoming rather common. The British have been tittering about a scientific study that came out recently that examined Queen Elizabeth’s accent over four decades. The study, by Macquarie University researchers in Sydney, Australia, examined the subtle change in her vowels in broadcasts from the […] Read more

Farmers who live north of Saskatoon would have been bemused by the sight. A charter bus pulled off a highway and emptied its passengers. While some welcomed the stop as a smoke break, others trekked a few hundred feet down a connecting grid road and gazed into the heavens. A national conference had drawn people […] Read more

When I visited a glasses store recently (sorry, I mean an ophthalmic dispenser), I could see the choices have expanded greatly since I first began wearing glasses in the second week of Grade 1. I was the first child in my class to be fondly called “four-eyes.” Actually, I didn’t see the choices very well. […] Read more

Old schools and memories A column about old schools led readers to share their ideas. Elaine Sloan, from Windsor, Ont., researched her school (Glengariff School District No. 1987) near Kelvington, Sask., and wrote a book about it. It was published in 1997 after a five-year labor of love. Proceeds from the book and donations provided […] Read more

A column by Jeanne Hunter In a letter to the Producer, Jeanne Hunter, from Corning, Sask., shared her sentiments for Canada Day: “… As Canada’s 133rd birthday approaches, there are some definite moments when I have felt my heartbeat increase, stood taller at attention, and felt oh-so-safe and oh-so-proud. There is no prioritizing of these […] Read more

Magic moments at the Brier No matter where you sit at the Labatt Brier in Saskatoon, the moment is magical. In Section 9, Row 16, the seats are so high that the big TV screen vanishes. You’re winded from climbing the endless stairs and the ceiling rafters are even with your vantage point, but you […] Read more

Some players choose full belly over fat wallet Instead of paying high salaries for sports players who handle pucks and pigskins, why not offer them ducks and pigs? Wheat and meat for avoiding defeat? Flax for quarterback sacks? This would spark a new market, and which European country would dare block agricultural goods when its […] Read more

TV show causes hot debate over smoke detectors A television program has sparked a debate about smoke alarms. According to CTV’s W5, certain smoke detectors may not be as dependable in detecting fires as first thought by consumers and fire officials. This led to calls from house owners to stores that stock the detectors, and […] Read more

Striking a cord with foreigners To separate tough canucks from the rest of the world, just mention two words at this time of year: block heaters. While we’ve had unseasonably warm temperatures for most of this fall and winter, we are never too far away from extension cords that serve almost as umbilical cords for […] Read more