Non-fiction

While I love to write fiction, most of my writing is non-fiction. I’ve blogged for Ontario Parks and contributed to the Canadian Encyclopedia. Over the years, I’ve written hundreds of feature stories for national and regional magazines and newspapers, like the Toronto Sun and Canadian Architecture and Design.

The coolest thing about being a freelance journalist is getting the inside scoop on fascinating topics. Here are a few of my keenest interests:

  • conservation, nature and wildlife
  • environmental issues
  • travel and tourism
  • history and heritage

LesPlan current event publication descriptions
These publications are like a lesson plan in a box.

LesPlan

I especially enjoy writing news stories for Currents4Kids, What in the World and The Canadian Reader. These terrific graded reading level curriculum resources are published by LesPlan, a Canadian company based in British Columbia.

I write the news that kids want to learn about. Sunken treasure, tsunamis, and Star Wars. Cool kids, climate change, and cloning dinosaurs. From sports to science and everything in between.


Travel writing

Travel-writing is pretty fun, too. It lets me live my journeys twice. Once in the moment, and again when I share the experience with readers. Here are teasers from a few of my travel stories:

Inspired by Quetico (Ontario Parks blog)

I hear the first loon call the moment my foot touches the path.

It’s magical, the sound of the loon. One part greeting, one part grief. This GTA girl, far from home, is grateful for the welcome.

I hurry to the water’s edge, scanning the surface, but I’m too late. Its spell cast, the loon has vanished.

Behind me, not two canoe lengths from the shore, a secluded cabin overlooks the lake. This is Quetico’s art studio, and for the next two weeks, I am its artist-in-residence…


Our Capital with Kids (Durham Parent)

School’s out, the kids are bored and you all need a vacation. Instead of dropping $300 on a day trip to Canada’s Wonderland, enjoy a true getaway in our nation’s capital. Just a four-hour drive east of Durham Region, Ottawa is a budget-friendly destination for families travelling on a shoestring.

A family of four can spend three days sightseeing in Ottawa for under $400 by booking a Family Discovery package with Ottawa Tourism. The package includes a stay in one of 22 fine hotels and three family passes to popular attractions like the Museum of Civilization…


There’s More to Stratford Than Justin Bieber (Durham Parent)

Stratford, Ontario. It’s a city synonymous with arts and culture. But the picture it conjures is radically different for parents and their kids. Adults associate it with the famous Shakespeare Festival; the younger set knows it better as Justin Bieber’s hometown.

How can today’s families plan a cultural itinerary that satisfies everyone? It’s easier than you think. Stratford abounds with family-friendly choices. There’s even a map that guides Beliebers through the pop idol’s stomping grounds …


Theatre, Tea and the Time to Enjoy It (East of the City)

Tickets? Booked.
Reservations? Confirmed.
Bags packed? Absolutely.

Friday morning, bright and early, the car is gassed and ready for an overnight pilgrimage to the town of Stratford. We’re gassed and ready, too. One historic inn, two plays, and three tea destinations await us …


Walking Through Time: A Historic Walking Tour of Halifax (Durham Parent)

Looking for a family vacation with an edutainment twist? Visit historic downtown Halifax. Just a two-hour flight from Pearson International Airport, Halifax is close enough for a quickie weekend getaway, but historically rich enough for a week’s vacation. No need to rent a car. The attractions are all a short walk from each other.

Forts and ports and garrisons—The Halifax Citadel

From its perch atop a high drumlin, the Halifax Citadel overlooks a modern-day harbour. But inside its high walls, history walks off the page. Kilt-clad soldiers and sharply creased artillerymen guard the fortress with a skirl of bagpipes and a blast of rifle fire. They re-enact the period just after Confederation when the 78th Highland Regiment and the Royal Artillery were stationed here …