The Business, Science & Technology Department of North York Central Library compiles a monthly calendar of free science and applied science events in Toronto. Applied science includes health, gardening, pets and food – all subjects found in the department's collection. Here is the April calendar (PDF).
In December I often post about the best popular science books of the year (see the lists for 2013 and 2015). I look for books that appear again and again as I check lists of the best non-fiction published in the past year. Here, better late than never, is my list for 2016. The […]
I've just finished reading Teva Harrison's memoir In-Between Days, and I understand now why it has been so widely praised. Her book is often sad, sometimes funny and always honest. It's a window into the world of someone living with a life-threatening disease, in the space between wellness and illness, between hope and fear, […]
I'm sad to report that the creepy clown viral phenomenon has come to Canada. People dressed as menacing clowns are being spotted, in particular, around schools. I sympathize with paren’ts who have to comfort children frightened by one of these imposters (of course they're not real clowns, and they are giving all clowns a bad name). […]
Male firefly in flight, hoping to attract a female by sending out a light signal. Photo by Terry Priest. Used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license. Many children are fascinated by bugs. I remember my children's curiosity about the ladybugs and earthworms in our garden and the beautiful dragonflies at the cottage. My […]
Tiny Houses, Hatteras, North Carolina. Image by Bill Dickinson; shared via Creative Commons license You can't open a newspaper these days without seeing articles about the Canadian housing market. Pointing out the growing gap between incomes and house prices, predicting the inevitable correction, or perhaps a soft landing, they can make for pretty confusing reading. So […]
If you're a regular visitor to the North York Central Library you've probably noticed some recent changes. The Library is undergoing a major renovation, a project that will be completed over the next few years. One change which has already taken place is the merger of the Business Department with the Science and Technology Department. The new […]
From food trucks to patios, a sure sign that summer has arrived in the city is the return of outdoor dining. So during this first weekend of summer, may I put in a good word for my favourite outdoor meal – the picnic? I have fond memories of childhood picnics. There were no wicker baskets, […]
Image courtesy Maciej A. Czyzewski via Wikimedia Commons Could we have had a more perfect long weekend than the one that just ended with Victoria Day? If you weren't at a cottage or campground, you may have spent time in your backyard, as I did, working in the garden. My husband and I […]
Image: pexels.com, licensed under CC0 I've never been one to make New Year's resolutions. January 1, falling during the coldest and darkest time of the year, just doesn't feel like the right time for new beginnings. In the spring, signs of new growth and new life are all around, so it has always been my […]