Saturday marks the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, one of my favourite times of the year. That momentary turning point in time means that even as we descend into hibernation mode, the light is returning. This schedule governs all …
Listening to History to Create Our Shared Future Read more »
Three years ago, while hiking on the Bruce Trail, I chanced across this shallow body of water in a small clearing. Rich in plant and animal life, the mature, mixed forest I’d been walking through surrounded it. The primordial soup …
To remember who we are taps us into our strengths. My gaze has often been drawn to this Klassen family photo taken in September 1925 since I became aware of it several years ago. My focus is captivated by my …
Look around! Wherever our gaze lands in our natural world, the beings with whom we share this planet teach us about adaptation, resilience, and flexibility. But often we can’t see the forest for the trees. It turns out ants have …
Take three disparate cultures, each with their own history, languages, perspectives, and beliefs, bring them together in southern Alberta in the 1920s and 30s, and what do you get? Wisdom from intercultural and ecological relationships that remains relevant a century …
Cultivating Intergenerational, Intercultural and Ecological Relationships Read more »
Connecting with Kin Connecting with a woman I’ve never met, but with whom I share great-grandparents feels ethereal. Our Klassen grandfathers were brothers. Both of our fathers carried the same names. Our life journeys have been quantum leaps apart, but …
Stories Across Time and Space: Ancestral Journeys Read more »
My search to understand stories of the land has so far raised more questions than revealed answers. My interest lies in the farmland of Namaka, southern Alberta, which became home to a young Mennonite boy between 1930 to 1937. two …
2022 was a landmark year. After fifty-two years of riding, the time came to call it quits and free up space to explore untapped interests and aptitudes. Graduate studies have more than filled that. They have also exemplified what I’ve …
The Universal Law of Success: Eyes Up! Throttle On! Read more »
Five years ago today, my father passed away. It was fitting that he, a farmer, a man of the land his entire life, should pass on the Harvest Moon. My studies into how my ancestors related to the lands they …
Last month I described the sensation of timelessness as I walked on rocks formed hundreds of millions of years ago. This month, it’s back to the books! (Read Newfoundland: Keeper of Stories in Stone) This time, I’ve landed in an …
Back to the Books: Ukrainian Steppe to Alberta Prairies Read more »