Jim Cumming - From the Publisher's Pen

After this past week, I can’t help but believe global warming is impacting us.

I would never have expected rain in the second week of January. Instead, I would have expected frigid temperatures—the kind that takes your breath away just stepping outside.

I shouldn’t complain about milder weather and its effects. But after shovelling water-logged snow for the second time this winter, I am convinced that light, fluffy snow is much preferred.

That light, fluffy snow produces higher piles but at least you can lift and shovel it.

We are in the age of opportunity. It seems like a strange thing to be saying in this new year, but I believe it to be true.

The “Idle No more” protest that has sprung up across Canada has more people talking about the differences between First Nations’ and non-aboriginal peoples of Canada. We also are talking about the differences between rural communities and urban centres.

We all have traditions that we enjoy and look forward to each year. But what happens when the traditions that were part of your life change because you move to a country with different one.

How easily could you embrace the changes?

My future daughter-in-law, who grew up in Seoul, Korea, just experienced her first Canadian Christmas.

It is estimated that 30 percent of Koreans are Christians and Christmas has become a holiday in that country. Yet the celebration is mostly religious, with Koreans attending worship services on Christmas Day.

It is Christmas letter-writing season again.

Both local MP John Rafferty and MPP Sarah Campbell have sent out letters to all of their constituents, wishing them a wonderful holiday season and showing how active they have been in their ridings.

They also have addressed another letter to Santa, with both looking for Santa’s intervention on behalf of the Resolute mill here in Fort Frances.

Losing more than 200 jobs on your watch is not an enviable record to run again on and Sarah already is feeling the heat of a looming provincial election in 2013.

For the first time in more than three years, the Cumming family, with all the cousins, will be together for Christmas dinner.

The family has expanded, and with the expansion new traditions likely will be established. A grandchild will be the centre of attention.

We will, in our separate families, maintain most of our common traditions. But instead of the Christmas dinner taking place at my mother’s home, Don and Mags will host the family gathering this year.

“He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows if you’ve been bad or good.

“Oh, you better watch out, you better watch out, Santa’s coming to town.”

It’s a great Christmas song—one that parents have been using on their children for years to try and reduce the excitement that builds for Christmas.

This coming weekend, the jolly old elf will be making appearances in both International Falls and Fort Frances, and the streets will fill with young families all anxious to catch a glimpse of that symbol of Father Christmas.

Two weeks ago, I noticed that the Carlsons had put their Christmas lights up on their home.

Wasn’t that rushing the season a bit? But then I looked at the flyers with Thursday’s newspaper immediately after Hallowe’en and all were promoting Christmas.

We hadn’t even gotten to Remembrance Day, which used to be the day when the community went to the cenotaph and then in the afternoon, the merchants and their staffs converted their stores to Christmas.

Today, that changeover occurs earlier on the calendar.

Canadian troops in Afghanistan remain out of sight and away from the conflict, but they should not remain out of our minds.

Almost three weeks ago, the first group of soldiers from the Quebec region left for an eight-month rotation to provide training and professional development to the National Security Forces of Afghanistan.

It is the role the Canadian government chose when our combat troops left that country.

It is Canada’s commitment to NATO and to Afghanistan. Today Canada continues to provide the second-largest contingent of men and women in that country.

We all are counting down the days to Nov. 6—Election Day in the United States.

It can’t quick enough, though I already realize that within a matter of a few months, the election season will be refreshed for the House and Senate races coming up in 2014.

We know the presidential candidates have been well-fortified with political donations. Just for the presidential elections this year, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney each have raised $1 billion.

If you are in the television or commercial creation business, this has been a windfall year.

Fifty years have now passed since the Cuban missile crisis.

In some ways, I feel that it couldn’t have been that long ago. It still plays in my mind that the world almost found itself in a full nuclear war—and that it would have affected everyone.

Our home had only a black-and-white television at the time. Yet almost daily, NBC, with Chet Huntley and David Brinkley in their report, and Walter Cronkite on CBS, we watched in fascination as the United States and Russia seemed to be inching their way to war.