Editorials - April 11, 2025

As the world churns around us, many are turning to “granny hobbies” as a form of escape. Traditionally cozy pastimes like crocheting, knitting, gardening and baking are making a comeback and scientists say that these activities can boost your mental health and foster social connections, and even help with cognitive growth.

 

Researchers say that, in addition to the escape from daily pressures that these hobbies provide, the real boost is that challenging hobbies promote neuroplasticity, the ability to grow new neural connections, which can stave off dementia and cognitive decline as you age.

 

It has been suggested by clinical psychologists that knitting is therapeutic because it uses bilateral movements (stimulates both sides of the brain), helping the crafter to process traumatic experiences.

 

Engaging in our favourite activities also helps us to build resilience by allowing us to engage fully in a task at hand, focusing on the present moment rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.

 

So, turn off CNN and pick up a crochet hook, a paintbrush or even a pair of birdwatching binoculars. – DS

The National Hockey League (NHL) has a new all-time greatest goal scorer. On Sunday, Alexander Ovechkin scored his 895th goal, surpassing Wayne Gretzky - The Great One - to sit atop one of sports’ most prestigious perches. Gretzky was in attendance that night in New York and Ovechkin’s accomplishment has been widely celebrated.

 

Gretzky’s goal-scoring record really sat in the upper echelon of sporting achievements that many thought would stand the test of time - akin to Cal Ripken Jr.’s 2,632-game “Iron Man” streak, Nolan Ryan’s career strikeouts, Jerry Rice’s receiving yards record, Emmitt Smith’s career rushing yards and just about anything Wilt Chamberlain did on (and off) a basketball court - then came Ovechkin. And while Gretzky’s goal-scoring record has fallen, speaking of seemingly-unbreakable records, his 2,857 career points (including 1,963 assists; for a bit of perspective, Ovechkin has 724) record is sure to stand the test of time.

 

At a time when Canadians’ relationship to The Great One is on thin ice - Gretzky and Ovechkin, in addition to being great goal scorers, also share a penchant for friendships with ruthless autocratic leaders - our country is no longer home to hockey’s greatest goal scorer. Yet, while Ovechkin is 39 years old, ripping such a coveted record from the dusty pages of history books and making it a present-day conversation can’t help but be a positive development for hockey and all of its young fans. Many will have watched Ovechkin play, maybe even live and in person, whereas they would have had to hear stories of Gretzky from their parents and grandparents, having to take their word for it or seeing for themselves in cloudy television footage now on YouTube.

 

Now, with five games left in the regular season, it’s possible hockey could see its first-ever 900-goal scorer. Furthermore, Ovechkin has not indicated that he plans to retire, despite the fact that he’ll turn 40 this September, just a few weeks before the 2025/2026 season begins. So, what the future holds, we don’t know, but hockey has a new king. – SL 

Donald Trump may imagine himself the eye of every storm; the centre of attention; the dealer of chaos; the one who bends the world to his will. But if recent events have shown us anything, it’s this: nature doesn’t care about trade wars or political posturing. Ice storms hit when they hit, power lines fall where they fall and recovery is measured not in tariffs, but in hours without heat, in nights spent in the dark and in the quiet courage of those who step in to help.

 

That’s what makes the actions of utility crews from Sault Ste. Marie worthy of recognition. While Canada remains locked in a trade dispute, PUC Services sent its powerline technicians across the border to Michigan, answering the call for help in the aftermath of a brutal storm. The same crews then turned around and raced south again to offer the same support to Ontarians struggling in the wake of another blast of ice and wind. These technicians didn’t examine passports before restoring electricity. They didn’t ask how someone voted or whether their town had backed the right administration. They grabbed their gear and went to work.

 

In a world in which politicians so often try to divide, it’s heartening to see the people who do the real work showing what unity looks like. Mutual aid, neighbourliness and resilience are values lived every day by those who understand that community doesn’t stop at the border.

 

If anything, this should be a reminder: nature is the most chaotic force on Earth. No human strongman can outshout an ice storm or bully the jet stream.

 

We don’t need to beat nature, we just need to meet it with compassion, competence and the kind of international spirit that shows who we truly are when the lights go out. – SBS