North Bay Centennials power forward Shawn Antoski battles North Bay product Todd Gleason of the Hamilton Dukes for the puck at Memorial Gardens during the 1989-90 season. I was working for the North Bay Independent weekly newspaper as the sports editor at the time....
Grocery Ninja
Everyone is good at certain things and lousy at others. That’s the way society works. We don’t expect our doctors to also be chefs. The best mechanic in your town likely doesn’t also do gymnastics. Maybe your local florist isn’t a competitive lumberjack. But all...
Still waiting …
“My name is Brad, and I’ll be your waiter.” No, I’m not bringing you coffee and pie. That’s your server. I’m the guy waiting patiently. I’ve been waiting for years. Two marriages, three kids, now one grandchild. He’s gonna make me wait at some point. He can’t help it....
Fall edition roaring into North Bay
Take a ride on the North Bay Museum's 1928 Bickle Fire Engine while turning the pages of Back in the Bay's Fall Edition, which hits the streets of North Bay and area Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 15. There are 4,000 copies being delivered by Canada Post to various...
Win a Pet Portrait Painting
Enter our free contest to win a painting of your special pet by North Bay artist Joe Cundari. All it takes is a photo and story about why your pet is a special part of your family. Living and remembered pet entries welcome. Open to residents of Nipissing District or...
Complicated election choice beats undemocratic options
We have all heard about declining voter participation and the reasons why we should be voting in an election, but really, the cycling in and out of the two major parties over the past decades wears a little thin. The reality of how fragile a political promise can be...
Demarco’s legacy lives on
A familiar air of positive energy greeted Tony DeMarco as he rolled into the North Bay Regional Health Centre’s cafeteria Aug. 16, 2019. Cheers and applause filled the room as his daughter, Lisa, brought his wheelchair to rest and a wave of loving respect washed over...
Hard data needed to assess, address road safety
East Ferris residents want township officials to put the brakes on irresponsible driving. Concerned citizens have made presentations to council and posts to social media sites raising the alarm about speeding vehicles that endanger pedestrians and cyclists navigating...
Voices that level with me
I was thinking today of a man I knew far too briefly. I met him in Galway Ireland two years ago, shared drinks and visited him at his home the next day. A few short weeks later he was gone, felled in his mid 50s by a sudden heart attack. This was not a random meeting....
Computers can’t write columns, can they?
There’s probably a way to automate the writing of a weekly column. We already have artificial intelligence programs to cover news events. Take an issue, insert trending posts via an algorithm of sources and ‘presto’ you’ve got a reaction piece. Same basic approach...










