Features
Miriam Jacobson: She may have left Winnipeg years ago – but she keeps coming back
By GERRY POSNER
With all of the many people who have left Winnipeg, there is a large core of them (me included) who still have lingering thoughts of the city and the happy life which we had there. But while we might be willing enthusiastic advocates for Winnipeg and even broadcast the virtues of the city to anyone we meet and greet, no one goes further in her support of and affection for Winnipeg than Miriam Jacobson.
Miriam does not just talk the talk, but she walks the walk. In fact, she might be a contender in the Manitoba Marathon.
Born in 1956 to the late Max and Janey Jacobson, Miriam began her life in the north end of Winnipeg on Bannerman Avenue, but within a year or two she was living south. She attended Ramah Hebrew Day School where she says her Jewish roots and love for the State of Israel were developed and with that was a love of music, particularly singing. From Ramah, Miriam went to Grant Park Collegiate for her Junior High and later the University of Winnipeg and Argyle Free School for High School. For most of this time, Miriam was a student of ballet, theatre school and a member of the Shaarey Zedek Junior Choir, and later the Adult Choir with both Sammie Tzur and then Archie Stone. She was into the arts for certain at an early age and that facet of Miriam’s life has continued to this day. Miriam is a regular as a choir member at the Lodzer Shul in Toronto and has sung in synagogue choirs for many years.
Her summers were spent as a camper and later as a councillor at BB Camp and even as the camp nurse from 1995- 2000. Miriam falls into that small category ( but not as small as one might think) of people who can say that she and her children (Mia and Hannah) were both campers and staff at BB Camp. In fact, Miriam points out that her daughter Mia met her future husband, Jared Cantor, at camp. This was one summer romance that went beyond the end of camp.
Given her passion for Israel, it was not much of a jump for Miriam to settle there first on a kibbutz, then in Jerusalem, and finally Nueba, in the Sinai, from 1974-76. Upon her return to Canada, Miriam, who had graduated as an RN at the School of Nursing in Winnipeg, worked for a year in Winnipeg, then moved to Toronto for what ended up as a permanent stop. She had a full 18-year career at the Mount Sinai Hospital in the Labour Delivery room. During that time Jacobson also completed a course in massage therapy in 1982. That was a wise step as Miriam has continued to run a private massage practice in Toronto and indeed in Manitoba as well to this day. How does that come about, you ask?
Miriam Jacobson made it a regular part of her yearly activities to come to Winnipeg in the summer to see her mother. Not only did she use those trips to reconnect with her family and friends, she also introduced her daughters to Winnipeg, Winnipeg Beach and BB Camp.
In 2003, Miriam went so far as to buy a cottage at Winnipeg Beach and that cottage became her home for many summers. That ended recently when Miriam turned it over to her daughter, Hannah, but that transfer did not end Miriam’s affection for cottage life on Lake Winnipeg – far from it. She immediately purchased a year-round lake front cottage in South Beach in Gimli. It is there that Miriam operates a massage practice in the summer months. And she uses her Gimli residence to assemble her family, which includes a grandchild now. This connection to Winnipeg Beach and Gimli only continues her relationship to the area as Miriam grew up going to Winnipeg Beach to a family owned cabin.
Miriam Jacobson is crystal clear as to her love for the prairies with the expansive blue sky and of course all her memories there. She likes to say, “I live in Toronto, but I’m from Winnipeg.” With her background in the delivery room she adds, “It’s the umbilical cord that has never severed.” She likes to refer to Winnipeg as “Mesopotamia” – the birthplace of civilization. In fact, she is already anticipating her 24 hour drive there in May.
Now that is not just talking the talk, or even walking the walk: It is driving the drive.
Features
Why Fitness Routines Fall Apart — and How to Rebuild Yours
Every spring, gyms see a flood of hopeful faces. New shoes, fresh playlists, unwavering intentions, by mid-summer? Half of them vanish into the fog of abandoned routines. The story repeats year after year until it starts to feel almost scripted. Why does enthusiasm evaporate? The easy answer involves willpower but that explanation misses the point. Habits don’t fail because people are weak. Life stress, boredom, and monotony ruin routines. Timely lever pulls can change narratives. The hardest part is persevering when motivation wanes.
Mistaking Motivation for Momentum
Most chase that opening surge, the lightning strike of motivation, but then stop searching once enthusiasm fizzles. A scroll through sites like PUR Pharma (pur-pharma.is/) or a glimpse of an influencer’s progress triggers a burst of action: new workout gear ordered, plans scribbled in planners destined for dusty drawers. Yet momentum fades when small setbacks pop up (a late meeting here, rainy weather there). Real progress comes from building systems stronger than any fleeting pep talk. Those who frame fitness as something owed to motivation end up back at square one every time life interrupts, which it always does.
Overcomplicating Everything
It’s tempting to turn wellness into a science fair project with spreadsheets and specialized equipment lined up on day one. This is the allure of complexity disguised as seriousness, a new diet paired with seven types of supplements and four color-coded bottles. Simplicity gets lost in the noise almost instantly. Most successful routines rely on two principles: keep it simple and keep showing up even when everything else is chaos outside those gym walls. Anyone insisting that perfection is required before taking step one has already constructed an excuse not to begin at all.
Forgetting Fun Completely
Who decided exercise must hurt or look like punishment? Somewhere along the line, fun got swapped out for grind culture and “no pain, no gain.” That isn’t just unappealing, it’s unsustainable over months or years. If sessions feel like torture devices borrowed from medieval times, nobody should be surprised when commitment falters fast. Seek activities that actually spark some joy or curiosity, a dance class instead of yet another treadmill session, maybe, or play a pickup game rather than slogging through solo circuits again and again.
Ignoring Recovery (and Reality)
Sleep deprivation, disguised as discipline, fools anyone, except perhaps uncritical Instagram followers. Ignoring recovery turns ambition into tiredness faster than any missed session. Because bodies break without rest, routines must breathe with owners. Cycling, real leisure, and honest self-checks regarding weekly goals build endurance, not continual pushing.
Conclusion
Change rarely arrives by force alone but usually grows quietly from patterns repeated imperfectly over time, even if last month looked nothing like this week so far. Drop the hunt for nonstop inspiration. Instead of breaking behaviors at the first hint of stress or boredom, build habits that last. People who rebuild methodically after every stumble or detour make progress, not those who peak and then fall.
Features
How DIY Auto Repairs Can Help You Cut Costs—Safely
Regular maintenance and minor repairs are the greatest approach for many car drivers to save money without sacrificing dependability. DIY repairs can save you a lot of money over the life of your car since most of the expense is in the labour. DIY helps you learn how things work and notice tiny issues before they become costly ones. Every work requires planning, patience, and safety.
Test Your Talents with Safe Limits
DIY solutions succeed when one is honest about their talents. Wiper blades, air filters, and occupant filters are beginner-friendly. With the correct equipment, intermediate owners can replace brake pads, spark plugs, coolant, and brake fluid. Pressurized fuel, high-voltage hybrids, airbags, and timing components are risky. Only professionals should manage them. Limitations protect you and your car. Drivers trust sources like Parts Avenue to find, install, and schedule manufacturer-approved work.
Set Up a Reliable Workspace and Tools
Good tools pay for themselves quickly. Ratchets, torque wrenches, combination wrenches, heavy jack stands, and wheel chocks are essential. It is advisable to engage specialists for specific tasks. A clean, flat, well-lit, and open space is essential. Please take your time. While working, keep a charged phone nearby to read repair instructions or write torque patterns.
Find the Problem before Replacing the Parts
It may cost more to replace something without diagnosing it. Instead of ideas, start with symptoms. OBD-II readers detect leaks, sounds, and DTCs. Simple tests like voltage, smoke indicating vacuum leaks, pad thickness, and rotor runout might reveal failure. A good analysis saves components, protects surrounding parts, and fosters future trust.
Maintenance That Pays off is Most Crucial
Jobs compensate for time and tools differently. Prioritize returns and maintenance. Change the oil and filter, rotate the tires, evaluate the air pressure, replace low brake fluid, clean the coolant with the right chemicals, and replace belts and filters before they fail. These items extend automotive life, stabilize fuel efficiency, and reduce roadside towing issues that can take months to resolve.
Do as Instructed, Utilize Quality Parts, and Follow Torque Requirements
Understand the service. Set the jacking points, tighten the screws in the appropriate order, and use threadlocker or anti-seize as suggested by the maker. Rotor wear can cause leaks, distortions, or broken threads. Choose components that meet or exceed OEM requirements and fit your car’s VIN, engine code, and manufacturing date. Cheap parts that break easily cost extra.
Test, Record, and Discard Carefully
Safely test the system before patching. Check under the car for drops, bleed the brakes again, and check fluid levels after a short drive. Note torques, parts, miles, and repair date. Photo and document storage for car sales. Properly dispose of oil, filters, coolant, and brake fluid. Controlling hazards protects your community and workplace.
Know When to Seek Professional Help
Self-employed individuals recognize their constraints. If a task is challenging, requires special instruments, or involves safety, consult an expert. Collaboration makes cars safer, cheaper, and more efficient. Selecting, planning, and implementing processes properly improves performance, lowers costs, and ensures safety.
Features
What It Means for Ontario to Be the Most Open iGaming Market in Canada
Ontario is the most open commercial iGaming market in Canada, having been the first province to open up to commercial actors in the online casino and betting space since 2022.
Since gambling laws in Canada are managed on a provincial level, each province has its own legislation.
Before April 4th, 2022, Ontario was similar to any other Canadian province in the iGaming space. The only gaming site regulated in the province was run by government-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, also known as OLG. However, when the market opened up, numerous high-quality gambling companies established themselves in the province, quickly generating substantial revenue. As the largest online gambling market in Canada, it’s now, three years later, also one of the biggest in North America.
The fully regulated commercial market is run under iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. These licensed casinos and online sportsbooks are thus fully legal and safe for players to play at, while at the same time, the open market allows companies to compete and offer different products and platforms as long as they all fit within the requirements set up by the state of Ontario.
This means that Ontarians have a wide choice of licensed sites, whether they’re interested in sports betting, live dealer games, or slots – all with strict consumer-protection rules that keep them safe while exploring the many options. (Source: https://esportsinsider.com/ca/gambling/online-casinos-canada)
There are many benefits to online gaming, especially in a country that’s as sparsely populated as Canada, leaving physical venues often few and far between for those living outside the biggest cities.
Even before Ontario launched its own gambling sites, online gambling had been common among Ontarians. Regulating the market and offering alternatives regulated by the province has often added safer and more controlled options.
Since 85% of Ontarians now play at regulated sites, the initiative of opening up the market seems a clear win in more than one way.
Despite the huge success of the Ontario market, most provinces in Canada haven’t changed much in the iGaming sector in the past few years. Some provinces keep Crown-run monopolies, while others limit activity to a single government-run platform. This often leads Canadians to seek offshore alternatives instead, since the options are so few in their own province.
But 2025 marks an important change. The provinces seem to have noticed that Ontario picked a winning strategy, and Alberta has clearly been taking notes.
While the province of Alberta has previously opted for controlled gambling through one government website, the province is now opening up the commercial online gambling market. The Alberta iGaming Corporation will be in charge of licensing and inspecting actors that operate in the province. This will mean many more options for players, coupled with consumer protection and a high level of safety.
Meanwhile, the Ontario iGaming market continues to prosper, grow, and develop. Now that a second province is following in its footsteps, it seems more likely that other provinces will also start following the trend.