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The day I met hockey legend Jean Beliveau


Hockey great Jean Beliveau passed away earlier this week. His reputation on the ice was of a player who was respected by fans, teammates and opponents alike. Off the ice, he had a reputation as a classy gentleman who was always willing to take the time to make the people he would meet happy.

Beliveau

Me and Jean Beliveau

I had the pleasure of meeting him once. In 1998, I was playing goal for the Eicon Technology hockey team and Mr. Beliveau came out and coached our team during a charity game we were playing. In the brief moments when I spoke with him, he certainly lived up to his reputation. In the two hours or so that he coached our team, he made me, and I’m sure my teammates, feel like we were important to him.

I left the arena that night feeling grateful for having met the 10-time Stanley Cup champion. Plus, I was happy to show my Dad, who was a huge Canadiens fan, the picture you see on this post.

Oh, by the way, we won the game… 3-2. 🙂

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Dealing with frozen shoulder


About five months ago, I noticed that I’d get a sharp but manageable pain in my left shoulder when I put on a coat or pulled a knapsack from the back over my shoulders. I didn’t think much of it at the time; I figured it was a minor injury that would heal itself in a week or two.

Around the same time, we had a pool installed in our backyard. To finish the landscaping, I order a couple of tonnes of river stones to place around the pool. I installed the river stones myself, meaning I had to shovel them into a wheelbarrow and then shovel them out of the wheelbarrow to place around the pool. As I shoveled, I’d lead into the rock pile with my left shoulder. I had some pain, but again, I thought nothing of it, after all, I’m relatively young at 47 and I’ve never had any serious injuries.

A few weeks later, I went on vacation; driving 15 hours each way to our destination and back. While on vacation, I noticed the pain in my shoulder had become more constant. I started having trouble sleeping too. When I returned from vacation, the shoulder pain became more and more intense. I would wake up a couple of times at night feeling like someone had stabbed a knife into my shoulder. By then, I had also lost my range of motion. I could no longer lift my arm above my shoulder. Reaching for something in my back pocket became impossible too. I realized that there was something seriously wrong with my shoulder.

I knew after I researched it on the web, but both a physiotherapist and a chiropractor confirmed it; I had frozen shoulder. Continue reading →

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RDSPs are a great savings choice for Canadians with autsim or other disabilities


I’m a father of child who has autism, and my wife and I have often wondered about his future. How will he be as an adult? What will he do? Where will he live? Will he be able to support himself?

I’m sure these questions are asked by all parents, but particularly parents of children with special needs.

Late last year, I found information on what appears to be a little known federal government-sponsored plan that has eased some of our concerns for our son’s financial well-being. The plan is called the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). Continue reading →

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It’s time for prevention; not more guns


In the wake of last week’s tragic mass murder of 20 innocent children and 6 of their teachers in Newtown, Connecticut, I’ve been following the conversation in the United States revolving around gun control and care for the mentally ill.

As a Canadian, a Christian, and an all-around peaceful person, I must admit that I’ve never held a gun. I’ve never had the desire to hold a gun and don’t expect I ever will. So, I really don’t understand why many of my American neighbours feel that it is necessary, or even desirable, to ‘bear arms’. Continue reading →