Busy busy busy

When I get together with my fellow retirees, the conversation almost always starts with, "How awesome is the life we're living?", then transitions to, "How's the family?", and inevitably ends up with, "Can you believe how busy retirement life is?" The end of those conversations is usually punctuated with the statement, "Yeah, it's definitely busy, but now it's all the stuff we LIKE to do, rather than the stuff we're TOLD to do!" There's some REAL truth to that statement, but never was it on full display as much as the past couple of weeks!

Until you retire, you'll never truly understand the decision making that leads to that.

As Life always goes, the good stuff seems to coagulate into a small window of time. Case in point, I volunteered to assist with organizing my 40th reunion for my Queen's PHE class of 1986, starting the initial phases over a year ago, the obvious intention to have it coincide with the 2026 Queen's Homecoming celebrations. All was good to go until March when we came to the understanding that our nephew's wedding to his longtime girlfriend was the same weekend, but I rationalized that I could still make the trip to Kingston on the Friday night, carouse, imbibe, then stay over before heading home in time for the late afternoon wedding. That would have been an amazing compromise, even with the understanding that I would choose to miss the football game (WHAT??), but it came to light in early September that one of the largest girl's basketball tournaments was planned for the very same weekend! 

Oh well, I could always simply book the weekend off, right?

Nope! Around the same timeframe, the question was floated if I was interested in applying to participate in the OFSAA "AAA" Girls Basketball Championships to be held in Barrie late November, and despite the multiple times I've enjoyed all that is awesome at an OFSAA tournament, it's always been on the other side of the whistle, never having officiated at one. I was eager to give it a go, and applied to be selected, but it was decided that all of those interested would be a part of an evaluation opportunity using that same big tournament, meaning that I felt the unspoken pressure to make room to referee.

In the end, the result was a whirlwind of activity that punched both my sleep patterns and my wallet straight in the throat, albeit 100% a conscious voluntary decision. Starting at 7:00 am Friday and following through to 3:00 pm on Sunday, I refereed 4 games, spent nearly 10 hours driving, hoisted a reasonable number of adult beverages, rekindled some old friendships, smiled proudly at my nephew's teary eyed profession to the world of his adoration as he mimicked Borat, "Thaaat's a my wiiiiiife!", and capped off the craziness when Sunday morning presented itself brilliant sunshine that beckoned me outside for a 60 km spin around Da Beach, Stayner, and Da Wood.

That's retiring with a flair! Some might claim, "That's just one busy stretch, isn't it?"

Friends, I was not yet through with "sucking the marrow out of life", as the Dead Poets Society taught us.

With October's end looming, the girl's basketball regular season is coming to a close, playoffs and association championships looming, so the week was filled with offers to officiate. Given that Mother Nature has gifted us all with an amazing fall of sunshine and slightly warmer than normal temperatures, the week obviously must include some splorin' on the two-wheeled stallion as well. The week after trying to do everything, my Thursday morning was planned as a big bike ride with some Men's League later that night, but as I arrived home after 80 km in the saddle, still glistening with endorphins from the ride, a panicked call from our assigner to fill in at CW's OLB catholic school because wires were crossed revealed they had two teams ready to go but no officials. My brain reasoned that I was still a young buck and my desire to help was far more powerful than my will to preserve my joints, so I accepted racing to CW, did the two games, raced back to WB, met my partner at his place, and raced into Barrie to do the three Men's games. I will admit that the drive back to WB at 11:00 pm was a far more leisurely affair but the first steps getting out of the car quickly reminded me of the day's activity level.

Friday morning my body told me, in no uncertain terms, that I had reached a critical mass of activity, and it was collectively going on strike, so I had better shut up, sit down, grab a cuppa, and simply relax.

Who was I to argue? 

I overachieved in that regard for the morning until I got a text from a friend about helping with a Friday afternoon supply gig. Why not! Plus, I could ride to Elmvale and back saving some CO2 emissions at the same time!

Life is Good ... and Retirement is Better!

A pretty awesome night!

I made the trip down the concessions to Barrie on Wednesday October 7th for the 2026 version of the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, partially to celebrate a chum Roger Gillespie, the John Crawley Lifetime Achievement Award, but also to celebrate the newest inductees. As a member of the Hall myself, I feel honour bound to celebrate the incoming members in a show of support and welcoming. The BSHOF has changed their venue from Allandale Rec Centre to the Gen John Hayter Southshore Community Centre along with modifying it's ceremony format, all in an effort to improve the attendee experience. I was thrilled to find that my fellow Hall inductees Ron Andrews and Paul Hopper were of the same mind, and a catch up was accomplished. 

Congratulations to the 2026 BSHOF celebrants:

Roger Gillespie

John Crawley Lifetime Achievement Award for decades as a referee/umpire and coach

Bert Logan

Jean McCann Unsung Hero Award for his role in the Barrie Christian Pond Hockey

Jeff Pratt

Officiant of the Year for his decades as a hockey referee

Wayne Kennedy

Coach of the Year for his efforts in Girls Fastball

Jadyn Keeler

Amateur Athlete of the Year for her international achievements on the world stage

Alyssa Kucherawy + Maddie Martnyshyn

Honoured team for their OFSAA gold in tennis

Bruce Macnicol

Inductee in the Builder Category for his role in the Barrie Colts organization

Ariel Amaral

Inductee in the Athlete Category for her achievements in Stand Up Paddleboard

Chanelle Corbeil

Inductee in the Athlete Category for her achievements in Special Olympic skiing

The 2026 BSHOF line up: Gillie is the taller gentleman in blue; Bert isn't pictured

Roger Gillespie, aka "Gillie" to hundreds of ex-students, former colleagues, and friends, has a resume that not very many can offer, his decades of service as an umpire in Slo-Pitch Baseball, a referee in both Volleyball and Flag Football, and coaching accolades that include the Barrie Baycats and OFSAA Coach of the Year as testament to his passions for doing things for others.

Whew! Good on ya Gillie!

I have had the pleasure of calling Gillie a friend for dozens of years, and a nicer person you'll never meet. Any encounters with him are punctuated with his beaming smile, his razor sharp wit, and his genuine affection. If his 30+ year iconic career in education was not enough, his tireless efforts in the community ensuring that generations could enjoy activities like baseball, flag football, and volleyball are the thick icing atop the cake. If you've never met Gillie, find a way to arrange it ... you won't be disappointed!

In a neat twist, I also took the opportunity to shake the hand of Bert Logan, the Jean McCann Unsung Hero Award winner for 2026. Bert and his wife Betty Ann have been friends of ours for around 25 years thanks to the friendship of their youngest lad Bobby and our son Keaton, former classmates at Steele St PS. Bobby and Keaton were bestest chums, and along with Nick Thomson and Ryan Lewis, were inseparable in elementary school. 

During his off-the-ice life as a Police Officer, Bert gifted countless hours to growing the sport of hockey, and has been the President of the Barrie Christian Hockey League (BCHL) since he founded it in 1998. The league is composed of 36 teams playing non-contact hockey for kids of all ages, from 6 to 21 years,  allowing players to play at a skill level that best suits their ability. Teams are made up of boys and girls, and the focus of this league is all about the fun of the game. The BCHL also welcomes underprivileged kids who may not be able to participate otherwise. If that weren't enough, Bert has also spent time behind the bench, coaching the Penetang Kings of the Junior C Hockey League from 2010-12, as well as Barrie AA & AAA teams from 2003-10, winning 3 OMHA championships and 1 OHF championship during that span.

Here's a personal standing ovation Bert!

Of course, the personal highlight of the night was spending some time with my chum Ron, a privilege not afforded as often as we would like these days thanks to retirement activities and busy schedules. Our conversation was centered around the award winners and inductees, but it eventually came round to a looming accolade that has us both Uber excited. In mid November, Ron will be inducted into the Rugby Ontario Hall of Fame for his unrivalled impact of the sport at the high school, provincial, and national levels. 

I've written about Ron in the past, but in the event you don't know ...

As head coach of Barrie Central's Sr Boys, a program that won 19 OFSAA medals (9 Gold, 5 Silver, and 5 Bronze), Ron's passion helped create an unmatched exemplar of excellence, and made Barrie Central an internationally known program. As a coach at the provincial and national level, he steered the development dozens of young lads toward lengthy careers that included World Cup appearances and professional contracts. His credibility is rarely questioned, but an entertaining story emerged recently when he was in Portugal as a consultant with a rugby-focused travel company, and offered assistance to an Ontario high school coach who was touring with his charges. Unsure of who this friendly, grey-haired face was, this coach's query was humbly greeted with Ron's recounting of his eye-raising resume, the "door" swinging wide open in acceptance of some input and help, 

"Yeah, you can run a few drills for me then." was the reply. Holy understatement Batman!

An old friend, Gene Pereira, called me recently, inquiring about the Rugby Ontario announcement, and we shared a wonderful trip down Memory Lane, recalling events, accomplishments, and of course, appreciation of Ron. Gene wrote the following article and I thank him for deftly capturing the feelings and emotions surrounding Ron's induction.

Barrie360 article 

I won't belabour the point, but admitting all bias, Ron's a guy that I would choose to form a friendship with 1000% of the time, and we have grown a bond with fond appreciation, gratitude, and bromance. I couldn't be prouder for him to be recognized formally for all the incredibleness so selflessly gifted to so many youngsters that realized their dreams and honed their characters thanks to their shared time with Ron.

Here's to you my friend!

There aren't many like you!

You get an apple, we all get an apple!

Warning: This is going to rub some people wrong and is largely opinion based ... albeit informed.

Another fall is upon us and, unfortunately, this one brings the latest versions of TV and radio advertisements surrounding issues brought about by the PC government's negotiations with the education workers of Ontario, each side occupying a polar opposite opinion of the state of schools. As a retired educator, I hold a very biased, yet informed, opinion of the state of classrooms thanks to regularly helping out my former colleagues as an occasional supply, and although acknowledging that I lean right of center toward the teachers and EA's, I truly pray that some common sense infuses the pending negotiations because job action means that nobody wins, least of all the kids.

Ford Nation would have Ontario believe that they are pumping more money than ever into education, refocusing on the three R's and testing performance, pointing a crooked finger at the Federations for being greedy, lazy, uncooperative thorns. OECTA, ETFO, and OSSTF would have Ontario believe that the PC's have short changed the system by over 6 billion during its time at Queen's Park, of manufacturing a state crisis in classrooms, and being completely unreasonable in demands. 

I have to admit that the spin doctors are gamefully employed these days.

Some unarguable facts need to be brought to the table, not the least of which is that schools have quietly become the place where society sends problems it doesn't know how to solve. The family unit has become increasingly disjointed, exacerbated by over scheduling lest "the Jones" look better at parenting, and the family dinner classroom is rarely in session. Combine all of this with a growing willingness to attack, demean, and disparage teachers for "not doing their job", a position often based on media perception rather than first hand experience.

Parents openly criticize both the system and their children's teachers because ...

Parents need childcare programs before or after work because both are employed to fund their lifestyle.
Solution? Schools are tasked with establishing affordable, or better yet free, programs.
Parents send kids to school hungry, the reasons are multiple and varied.
Solution? Schools are tasked with finding a way to feed them ... again, free to parents.
Parents struggling mentally are looking for schools to help their kids who struggle with mental health.
Solution? Schools are tasked to teach strategies, coping lessons, and provide counselling ... at no cost.
Parents criticize schools aren't adequately preparing their kids for the workforce.
Solution? Schools need more career programs and co-op opportunities ... you guessed it, at no cost.
Parents criticize schools for not teaching their kids to understand money while never saying NO.
Solution? Schools are tasked with teaching financial literacy, parenting skills, and life strategies.
Parents criticize schools because their kids are overweight and inactive.
Solution? Schools are tasked with teaching healthy habits, structuring opportunities to move into the day.

Society, and by extension governments, continue adding responsibilities to schools because they're one of the few institutions it has that can actually reach almost every kid, then turn around and ask why schools aren't doing a better job at their "main" job.

The students in today's classrooms bring a host of baggage with them each morning, obstacles that make learning, let alone living, significantly more challenging ...

Kids are vaping or have drug problems, some modelled on parent usage, or through ease of access.
The complaint? Schools have failed to educate students properly about unhealthy choices.
Kids are being bullied, sometimes online at 11:00 at night as kids lie in bed with their cellphone.
The complaint? Schools fail students by allowing bullying despite it being online and outside of school.
Kids are chronically absent, more often than not, absences known to parents.
The complaint? Schools need tighter policies and enforcement officers, but don't dare tie it to marks.
Kids are spending too much time using technology in school ... they can all they want at home.
The complaint? Schools must police the new "NO Phones" policy but allow parents to call when desired.

For clarity, in the school I supply at kids are cooperating with the phone ban, but I suspect that's not the same across the system. Case in point, while refereeing at another school, I queried the students doing the table, and they confessed that their school was not really enforcing the Ministry's new edict. As I have declared on many occasions, the students at my little country school are really awesome and the main reason I still choose to supply there exclusively.

I think possibly some of the answer to all of the above is that Society hasn't allowed schools to focus on their "main" job in a very long time, despite publicly crowing that the system and education workers aren't perfect. Increasingly, schools have become the place society sends those problems that nobody outside of the system knows what to do with, yet is vociferously critical when it can't solve them, and then begrudgingly admits that some problems are too complicated.

"Between a rock and a hard place" comes to mind.

In a small way, education workers have themselves to blame because for the sake of the children, those that stay in the career are the type that will so often make things work out,  even if it results in increased stress and expense. Frustratingly, if someone chooses to not go above and beyond, they are vilified, chastised, and in extreme cases, fired for not fulfilling the contract. It really is a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't."

Look, I don't have solutions, at least not easy ones. What I do have is great empathy for those friends still choosing the system as a career, and I make sure to loudly and publicly announce that at each and every opportunity. 

I dream of an Ontario where we support, not condemn, our teachers / EA's for doing the best they can, whatever their best might look like. 

I also dream of an Ontario whose elected officials, despite their party, show respect for those who willingly accept one of a society's most challenging and important vocations. Helping our young people find their way in an ever changing and ever challenging world has become significantly more complicated and difficult.

Here's the ask ... go visit your child's teacher or EA and sincerely offer your thanks for the effort they extend in their role of assisting you in raising your child. 

They deserve that at the very least.