Letter from the Editor I quite enjoy winter, but I don’t like ice. Ice and I don’t see eye to eye. Once, when I was in elementary school I slipped on some ice, broke my leg and dislocated my ankle – that hurt. Fast forward 33 years and eight days, and I was walking to take the perfect shot for the front cover of this magazine and whammo, the ice reintroduced itself to me. While this time, nothing
to cover a story, I learned about a man named John Kenneth Galbraith who was an economist and diplomat, who served with FDR, JFK and Johnson and was the U.S. ambassador to India for a short time – oh, and he was from Iona Station with ties to Dutton. The man worked with two of my three favourite U.S. Presidents and he was from 15 minutes away. I believe we have a strong issue out of the gate for 2024. In addition to our usual group of talented columnists, we invited the County Warden and Mayor of Bayhem, Ed Ketchabaw to offer his thoughts on the year that was and what we have to look forward as a county. We once again dive into a new play by Len Cuthbert being premiered in Southwold, this time featuring our local bombing and gunnery school in Fingal. We share a story on how you can connect with your local health, a local author and his book on the Talbotville Ford Plant, and more! While I complain about the effects of getting old, I am reminded of words Staci often told me: Never complain about getting old, it is a privilege denied to many. Enjoy, and we will see you in May for our Fifth Anniversary issue! Geoff
was broken, I am 33 years older and so now everything hurts. Part of it is my fault; on my slip and slide down, I rolled so I didn’t land directly onto my camera, which tweaked my back, and my knee slammed down into the sheet of ice first, so that hurts the most. So, to recap, I love winter; ice has a personal vendetta against me for some reason, and getting old stinks. I am very excited for the year ahead. Our May issue of REAL Living will mark the magazine’s fifth anniversary. To me, this is a big deal, as when we initially launched the magazine, it was a bit of a challenge, as I had never sold to many rural businesses. I grew up in London, lived in Toronto, and have now lived in St. Thomas for 18 years, so I have always (except for three years in Toronto) been rural-adjacent. REAL Living offered Staci and I an opportunity to go out, learn more about our community and expand our horizons. Expand they have; what a wonderful community Elgin is, filled with pockets of amazing smaller communities, each with their own identities, histories and treasures. For example, while out on a recent assignment Time to accessorize your truck? • Tonneau Covers • Running Boards • Truck Racks • Hood Protectors • Moulded Splash Guards and more
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Page 2 Real Living • Winter 2024
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