Dan Needles
Author and playwright Dan Needles is a recipient of the Leacock Medal for Humour and the Order of Canada. He lives on a small farm in Nottawa.
Pop’s Recipe for Well-Being: Swiss Chalet, Vodka Tonics and Good Company
Dan Needles on how eating together and enjoying life’s simple pleasures helped his father live to the ripe old age of 97.
On a Short Leash
Slowing down doesn’t come naturally for active sheepdogs, or their reluctantly aging owners.
The Appliance Guy
Back when things were built to last, a little know-how went a long way when it came to fixing things.
A Bad Connection
After many mishaps with mobiles, landlines often prove to be a good defense against dropped calls.
Staying Useful and Relevant
Experts agree the best defence against aging is to maintain a sense of purpose after retirement.
Home Sweet Home Office
People often ask me what I do for a living out here on the farm, and for the last four months the answer has been ‘I blow snow’.
A Rough Neighbourhood
Rural living means coming together to help each other – even if you’re from the so-called ‘rough’ side of town.
Things Are Getting Better
Is a cut in interest rates coming? Will house prices come down? Only the chicken knows for sure, and he isn’t talking.
I Don’t Know What Happened…
Rural living often presents various technological challenges – but sometimes getting disconnected is just what you need.
The Money Pit
Maintaning a home – especially a country home – is no easy feat for owners or their wallets.
We Need to Stay in Touch – But Can Community Newspapers Survive?
Veteran writer Dan Needles laments the loss of printed news while pondering the future of journalism.
‘True Pastry Gloves’ – Stumbling Through the National Anthem
Dan Needles reflects on how Canadians seem to be the only people who stumble over the words of their national anthem.
Finding Our Way Around This New Neighbourhood
Author Dan Needles reflects on the sudden growth of small towns as urbanites adjust to village life
The Reformation of the Township Dump
No longer reminiscent of a Mad Max movie set, the township dump has become something of a pleasant, well-managed place, finds Dan Needles.
Taking the Learning Curve Too Fast
Safely navigating the narrow, snow covered hills of Headwaters is no walk in the park, as many long-time residents attest and new arrivals quickly learn.
Suddenly There Came a Tapping
I live in a haunted house. It’s been haunted for at least a century by all accounts, that is, by the neighbours’ accounts.
Animal Rights in the Laundry Room
Two hundred years ago, my ancestors were tossed off the land during the clearances in Scotland and replaced by sheep, who ate less and could be sheared more often.
