Opinion

DIDSBURY – Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year as the song goes. It's a time to gather with friends and family for socializing and big meals. Each family has its own different traditions.

Albertans got some welcome economic news recently, when ATB Financial suggested that the worst of the oil price downturn is over and that prices would continue to increase in 2017.

All Canadians have a carbon shadow. It follows us everywhere. It's with us when we stick our keys into the ignition, when we turn up our thermostats and when the fridge light comes on. It's in the clothes we wear and the food we eat.

Some people bemoan foreign workers' tendency to send money home to support their struggling families. “That money should be spent in Canada to bolster our sputtering economy, not leaked out to other economies!” the tired old argument goes.

With snow on the ground and a swift chill in the air, we're reminded that winter is once again upon us. We've installed our winter tires, shovelled our sidewalks, and braced for the cold months that lie ahead.

Just under two years ago I found myself at a small-town Christmas concert in southern Alberta speaking with a despondent constituent.

I am a frequent visitor to Innisfail, where I have many close friends. Some of those people are feeling a little uneasy, and given the political climate there at the moment, it's not surprising.

The Drowsy Chaperone…I had no idea what I was in for. Boy was I surprised. This year's Olds High School play is an amazing collection of talent, entertainment and beauty.

Most of us gamble from time to time – whether at cards, bingo, casinos or the lottery. And it's not a problem, unless we become compulsive gamblers and lose so much that it ruins our lives.

With the bite of early winter nipping here and there it's time for the scribbler to look a bit harder at the finer points of the season.