Recently, I went to see my doctor for the first time in about four years or so. I normally avoid doctors like the plague, if only because people with the plague are more apt to be found at a doctor’s […]
Chris Hunt
The allowance debate: Pro
“In order to appreciate the true value of money, you have to start with a little something instead of nothing.” — Chris Hunt Last year, my 11-year-old son Riley asked his mother and I if he could have an […]
Winter of discontent
Batten the hatches! You don’t need weather to experience a cold front—just a child in his pre-preteen years Winter is coming. In fact, it’s been festering within my walls since the summer. One of the subtle truths I’ve learned about […]
From the editor
I enjoyed winters in Ottawa long before I became a resident. My dad and my uncle Andy spent their early adult years here, attending the University of Ottawa and Carleton University respectively. My parents were married here in 1977. After […]
Confessions of an experienced dad
The ‘tutoring incident’ showed this dad columnist where his son gets his sense of humour I am not a good parent. This is essential information required to fully appreciate the events leading up to and directly following what has become […]
From the editor
As much as we’ve been enjoying summer, heading back to school has been a major topic of discussion in our house for weeks now, and for very good reason. Not only are the kids back in class—older daughter Millie is […]
Ugh, dad!
Embarrassing your kid is practically a rite of passage This column was meant to be completely different. It was supposed to be a delightful and amusing narrative describing my son’s infatuation with spending his summers with his grandparents. Specifically, it […]
You’ll get there, champ
It took some tough love from his son to get this dad on the path to good health The world is often a place of harsh truths. Like many parents, I do my utmost to cushion the hard times in my […]
Gimme a break
March Break holds special charms for Chris Hunt. Here’s why it ranks over Christmas and New Year’s When I was a boy, I didn’t appreciate March Break for what it really was. Being your typical self-absorbed adolescent, I was grateful […]
The ruins
Nudists, caterpillars and blisters, oh, my! It’s all in a day’s hike for this columnist When asked where my favourite place to hike around Ottawa is, I’ll usually lie and say Hogsback. Don’t get me wrong, I love Hogsback. There’s […]