Why the Calgary Stampede Is Still My Favourite Time of Year (The 2026 Deep Dive)
The Calgary Stampede, cherished by the author, showcases a vibrant community spirit through unique traditions like free pancake breakfasts, lively music events, and diverse activities. Scheduled for July 3-12, 2026, it merges rodeo excitement with festive nightlife. The experience…
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Reinventing Yourself: Why Pressing Pause Might Be the Best Way to Hit Play Again
If you’ve ever felt like you were living life on a treadmill, cranked up to a speed that’s just a little too fast girl, you are not alone. For years, I thought the answer to feeling stuck was to sprint…
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The Boys of Summer, the Power of Friendship, and Why the Blue Jays Won Anyway
A love letter to baseball, friendship, and finding joy again There’s something about baseball that feels a little bit like falling in love. The slow build, the anticipation, the heartbreak, the hope that maybe this season will be the one.…
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Between Calgary and Toronto: A Love Letter to My Two Homes (and All the People I’ve Collected Along the Way)
Growing up, I thought I’d find my forever home by the time I hit my mid-twenties. But here I am, 34, and if my life were a travel map, it’d look like a game of hopscotch. I spent my first…
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Love, Career, and the Art of Multi-Tasking: How Finding a Job and Finding a Partner Are Weirdly Similar
If you’d told me a few years ago that navigating my career and my love life would end up looking eerily similar, I probably would have laughed. Or, let’s be real, I would have rolled my eyes so hard I’d…
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Grieving with Burgers, Long Walks, and Rituals from Around the World
Grief is a strange, winding road—sometimes, it’s an intense cry-fest in the car, and other times, it’s laughing at that one ridiculous inside joke you had with your loved one. Five years ago, I lost my little brother, Phillip, and…
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Mental Health in the Workplace
May is Mental Health Awareness month, so I thought it would be fitting to talk about Mental health in the workplace – it’s a subject that’s often avoided or hushed up. But with 1 in 5 adults in Canada experiencing…
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About the Equipped Program: Everyone Has Mental Health
In September 2022, the Canadian Mental Health Association – Calgary Region launched EQUIPPED. The EQUIPPED program came to be, thanks to an anonymous donation that was provided to CMHA Calgary in memory of my younger brother, Phillip Thomas. Phillip passed away on…
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Why the Calgary Stampede is my favourite time of year.
As a born and raised Calgarian, at times I have perhaps taken this annual event for granted. Now that I have spent the last few years living in Toronto, I realize how much the Stampede has impacted the person I…
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Black History Month: Films to Watch
In honour of Black History Month, I have shared a carefully curated list of films, series and clips to shed light on Black history and experience in Canada and throughout the rest of the world. There is something for everyone…
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Wearmouth Thomas Memorial Open
Mental illness, especially suicide, has been devastating to youth all over the world and continues to wreak havoc on this segment of the population. Josie Wearmouth and Phillip Thomas were two young adult members from our tennis club who ended…
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World Mental Health Day: Honouring my Brother
On September 12th, 2019, my brother and I were discussing the fact that one of my exes was still using our family’s Netflix account and he decided to change the password to kick him off. It was a random conversation,…
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Why Brunch is my Absolute Favourite Meal
brunch/brən(t)SH/noun1. a late morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch. As a child, I have the fondest memories of brunch filled with beautifully set tablescapes with extravagant spreads of pancakes, fresh fruit and eggs benedict whipped up by my…
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Vanessa Mariah 