Miles Willing puts the finishing touches on a leprechaun trap ahead of last St. Patrick's Day. Photo Credit Jon Willing

You can teach your kid about perseverance: Can’t stop, won’t stop

Broken bone? It’ll heal. Struggle to learn the guitar? It’ll come. Impossible puzzle? Someone’s done it before. Our Dad’s Dispatch columnist turns everyday challenges into valuable life lessons for his son Editor’s Note: This story was a part of the […]

Jon Willing, pictured here chatting during a podcast, received his first taste of broadcasting as a volunteer more than 25 years ago at a community TV station. Photo Credit Nicole Willing

The gift of opportunity: Take a chance on me

Editor’s Note: This story is a part of our series, The Gift, which appeared in the March 2026 issue. Many organizations across the Ottawa region offer invaluable volunteer opportunities to eager trainees     I remember standing at the hatch […]

The author, his wife Nicole Willing and their son Miles enjoyed a trip to Prince Edward Island this summer, where the entire family played nice with others. Photo Credit Jon Willing

Jonny be good

More than two decades later, a professor’s life advice still lives rent-free in the Dad’s Dispatch columnist’s mind   The best advice I’ve heard came from an instructor in journalism school at Western University. “Don’t be a jerk,” the instructor […]

Miles Willing is currently enjoying his first year as a T-ball player. Photo Credit Jon Willing

Glove at first sight

Like parents, like son — what happens when a young boy takes up the sport where mom and dad first met?  It was inevitable. At some point in the first seven summers of his life, Miles would be on a […]

In a brief reversal, Miles Willing reads the Saturday newspaper while his dad, Jon, plays video games on a lazy weekend morning. Photo Credit Nicole Willing

Morning magic

The weekend warriors can keep their laundry lists of elaborate plans. Our Dad’s Dispatch columnist prefers to ease into his days off I admire families that can leave their homes before 9 a.m. on the weekend. As I look out my […]

Miles Willing, the writer's son, climbs on a giant beetle at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Photo Credit Jon Willing

History, repeated

It’s easy to overstuff yourself at the buffet of Ottawa’s museum offerings   Never forget we live in the capital of the country. What a ridiculous statement, right? How can we possibly forget? Federal buildings are plastered with the government’s official […]

Nicole Willing and son Miles read a real book at home...without the help of artificial intelligence. Photo Credit Jon Willing

Storybooks in seconds

Artificial intelligence can create personalized tales with the click of a button. Our Dad’s Dispatch columnist discovers it’s no substitute for the real thing     It felt icky the first night I turned storytime over to the robot. Shelves […]

Miles Willing eyes the finish line with mom Nicole cheering him on in the Hintonburg 1k race in July. Miles, who loves to run, is primed for one day joining a school cross-country running club. Photo Credit Jon Willing

After the bell

A robust school extracurricular program has much to offer children and their families   If kids are gloomy about being back in the classroom this fall, hopefully they find joy in the school’s extracurricular activities. We should urge our children […]

Nicole, Miles and Jon Willing during their first family "glamping" trip at Lac Philippe in 2020. Photo Courtesy Jon Willing

Just around the corner

Jon Willing’s most memorable family getaway? Good ol’ Gatineau Park The quality of family adventures should never be measured by distance travelled. Some of our best summer vacations with our son have been camping about 45 kilometres from our home. […]