ARTICLES BY Sonny Orr

Tax? What’s that?

I was perusing through the many or should I say, thousands upon thousands of comments on Chief Spence’s hunger strike and the Idle No More movement, and most comments I could see were made by people who really have no idea of what this whole thing is about. One of the ... read more ››

Festive food delights

The best thing about Christmas is all the great food that everyone produces at this time of the year. I have great respect for those who choose to cook for their family and friends for special occasions, like the festive Christmas holiday season. This year, I decided to take on ... read more ››

IT cold turkey

Recently, the weather has been acting up and in some cases, the weather was so bad it cut out the power in certain regions and communities. Power outages seem to be the new social enemy as many people depend on the merits of electricity. But where does it come from, ... read more ››

Being human these days…

For a long time, some of my heroes were star athletes who, of course, were in incredible shape and were often world-record holders. Since those days, many of their records were broken and some stars slowly turned off, their twinkle never to be seen again. Some athletes, however, went on ... read more ››

On the eve of all hallows

Once a year, around this time, the sun’s rays start to struggle their way through often-clouded days, telling us that winter is just around the bend. Other seasonal indicators tell me that moose heads will rest on truck hoods everywhere (for those who don’t practice the art of sport hunting), ... read more ››

The ATM refused me

I put my card in the ATM, and it said to me, this card is no good. And I said, what kind of crap is this? My money is good everywhere. Then I discover that our own bank is on a mission to liberate our money from the grasps of ... read more ››

Pencil sharp

The school bus honks its horn, the first sign that school is about to start the first day. I look out and scan the neighbourhood, the little kids anxiously waiting to get to the first class of the year. Lucky kids, I think, getting on a real school bus. Back ... read more ››

Fests galore

The mini rollercoaster zooms by with screaming people, the other cries come from far above on another wild ride… yes, it’s summer time folks. Time to relax, sit back and enjoy what the southerners like to call amusement parks. The screams debate, just for a minute, then climb into the ... read more ››

Vote for me (if you want to live)

Remember when the once buff Arnold, as the Terminator, extended his hand to a distraught woman, asking her to come with him to escape a barrage of bullets and the wrath of another human robot bent on destroying any chance of humanity for the future? Well expect the same act ... read more ››

Beach blanket boogie

Once in a hot while, the thought of hitting the beach seems to be just the solution for cooling down anyone from north of 52. Just a thought, though, as I am one of those unfortunate few who just can’t stay afloat or flounder about enough to keep breathing. I ... read more ››

The gambling man

  One of my first exposures to gambling involved a lot of risk and small stakes (little wooden stakes were inserted into the ground). A coin toss would ensue and the art of coin throwing was a simple yet elegant precision casting and being sure-footed helped a lot. The object was ... read more ››

Firestorm

  Recently, on a great day on the coast of Hudson’s Bay, everyone in town was out picnicking, enjoying the final days of spring. As I ran about town picking up forgotten items like insect repellant and marshmallows and other essential items, I bumped into several friends of mine who had ... read more ››

Uranium or bust

  After listening to the talk shows and long discussions on the issue of uranium mining in Eeyou Istchee, I wondered if anyone really did any background check on the uses of uranium. What I discovered is rather interesting. Named after the planet Uranus, which was discovered barely eight years earlier ... read more ››

Commodes throughout the ages

  There are a few things that mankind cannot avoid and must deal with – yes, it’s about what to do with all that human waste we pump out from our innards on a daily basis. Back in the day, going about your personal business and hygiene wasn’t really that personal, ... read more ››

2012? What happens next?

  Well, the people who made a lot of predictions that the end nigh, might have to hang on just a little longer. It seems that the now-famous Mayan Long Count calendar will end on the next winter’s equinox – which is either the shortest or longest day of the year, ... read more ››

Hard drive

  The other day, I had a computer shut down on me, leaving me up in the air with a gazillion things to get done. Actually signing on to my email accounts instead of letting my organizer –one piece of software I cannot do without – do all the signing on ... read more ››

There’s life out there

By the time you read this, you will notice that there aren’t very many occupied seats on the plane you are sitting on. That is simply due to one reason – yes, GOOSEBREAK!! You will also notice that there will hardly be anyone at the airport terminal, why? The same ... read more ››

Rivers on the rocks

I recently bumped into some old friends who lamented about the changes in their normal winter and spring hunting schedules. This winter – if I may call it that – we experienced fierce winter temperatures, from super subzero to semi-tropical climes. Arrggg…what to wear? Should I look chic or heavy ... read more ››

Planet North

As you look back into our history, let’s say, several hundred years, you’ll see a change of interest of the North in general. The North was always important to the world in those years, when crossing the Atlantic Ocean meant reaching India from the other side. The world was a ... read more ››

Spring delicacies

The goose fat drips on the hot rocks surrounding the lazy fire. The goose, impressively fat, gets flipped over deftly by googum. This makes my eyes focus on the little chip of wood twirling around on the string that holds my favourite meal in just the right range from the ... read more ››

What’s our rating?

I once heard a lawyer mention off-hand that if there was a heap of Indians, the Cree would be on top of that heap. Now, why would anyone say something like that? The comment made me wonder if he was serious and I looked at him, very seriously, and asked ... read more ››

Patience for patients

One of the most dreaded things we don’t look forward to in life is a visit to the doctor. The probing and poking, prodding and questioning by a doctor or nurse can be frightening or calming to the nerves. This, of course, depends on what type of personality you have. ... read more ››

The IT wars

  A cell phone rings in the busy meeting room. People constantly arguing or agreeing with each other stop and search frantically to find the insistent phone. Finally, someone answers and disappears from the room. Another phone vibrates on the large polished-wood conference table, resonating and quietly demanding to be answered. After ... read more ››

Keeping busy in the cold

How did we ever get here? According to traditional business models, we did everything wrong. Our first issues were sent to the communities we wanted to serve with a few prayers and a lot of hope that they would actually arrive. One community member questioned whether we would be able ... read more ››

A cure for all seasons

  One nice thing about winter is that it signals the beginning of the flu and cold season, which, if left alone to develop, can turn your schedule upside down. Hacking out one’s lungs in the middle of an intense snowstorm with flash cold temperatures in the minus 40s should do ... read more ››

Losing resolutions

I’ve been slaving over hot cooked turkey and slobbering over luscious cakes lately and somehow I still managed to lose a few ounces of the fat I have painstakingly gained over the last two decades. I think I lost it during the heavy sweating that happens when you bend over ... read more ››