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  • Canada booms with music festivals from spring to fall, and they range from the comparatively tiny to the nation’s largest — that being either Ottawa Bluesfest, in the nation’s capital, or the Festival d'été de Québec, in the Quebec capital, depending on who’s doing the answering.

  • Cocktails, like many things, are seasonal, so, in the elbow’s up spirit of our current Canadian patriotic moment, we set out to ask independent, Canadian distilleries for recipes built around their craft spirits.

  • Wildfire smoke is eerie on the landscape when, like fog, it makes distant buildings disappear before your eyes. But it’s also potentially lethal, especially for those with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and pulmonary disease.

  • Pre-pandemic, Canada’s snowbirds flocked by the millions to warmer climes in the United States, especially Florida, Arizona and California. Then stormed in Donald Trump 2.0 with his 51st state rhetoric and trade war. 

Explore

 

Summer songs from coast to coast

Sage60 looks at cool festivals in a variety of genres, from chamber music to roots. 

Summer sippin’

In our continuing ode to Canada, we reached out to five distilleries and one cocktail bar to ask for their favourite summer cocktail. 
 

The dangers of wildfire smoke

Experts are advising monitoring symptoms and erring on the side of caution, especially if you have pre-existing conditions. 

U.S. bound?

From registration requirements to concerns about social media scrutiny, Canadian snowbirds are facing new realities under Trump’s second term.

A toast to Canada’s tastes

In an ode to this great land, Sage60 asks the experts to pick one ingredient from each of the 10 provinces and three territories that’s worth celebrating. 

Uber active retirees

A study has shown that 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week can reduce all-cause mortality by 31 per cent compared with no physical activity.

Down with doomscrolling

There are many good reasons to escape the thrall of your smartphone, including avoiding “suffering from retirement.”  

Tattoos after 60? Yes, indeed.

Just as younger generations are getting more ink, so are baby boomers and older retirees. 

Dancing the night away

Getting your dancing shoes on can help you cognitively and socially. It’s also just plain fun. 

Cannabis edibles pros and cons

Cannabis products that can be eaten instead of smoked have benefits and risks. It’s best to speak to your medical practitioner about both before you try any. 

The problem with pension surplus plans

The federal government will move approximately $1.9 billion of a pension surplus to general revenues. There were other, fairer, options at its disposal. 

Greener globetrotting

Travel and tourism now generate eight per cent of the planet’s environmentally damaging emissions, but it’s possible to make changes that will result in a smaller footprint. 

Free (er) spirits

More and more people are opting to replace at least some of their alcohol consumption with no-alcohol options. 

Life-long learning helps the brain and overall health

Activities that involve thinking, learning and remembering can prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s or other aging-related dementia, studies find.

Exercise for the brain

Mind games and puzzles can contribute to a healthy brain and stimulating the brain is one way to prevent dementia, according to current medical thinking. 

Lower-income Ontarians less likely to access cataract surgery

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal made this finding.

The good, the bad and the potential

Artificial intelligence tools are already being used by government. We look at the challenges and opportunities they offer. 

You're never too old to play

Learning to make music later in life is a not only doable, it has many potential advantages, including increasing mobility, improving breathing and creating community. 

Death: A fact of life

But for survivors who lose a long-time spouse, there are ways to cope, and they start with good planning. 

Do I have dementia?

We all forget the odd name or misplace items from time to time, but if you’re concerned you have Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, seeing your doctor sooner rather than later is always advis

A guide to your new e-ride

Sales of e-bikes, which offer a little help on the hills but can still be solely people-powered for exercise, have surged since 2020. 

On my way out

Coming out later in life can be challenging, but if you manage it well, it can also be rewarding. 

The great house swap

Offering your house as an exchange with someone in a country you want to visit is one way to minimize accommodation costs.  

Caregiving’s unsung heroes

As many as one in four Canadians will be unpaid caregivers to a friend or loved one over the course of their lives. The federal government does very little for them. 

The facts on fasting

The concept of intermittent fasting is everywhere, but is it sensible? Sage60 talks to the founder of this kind of fasting about how and why it works.

Securing the future

There are a number of resources and strategies for aging parents who have children with disabilities whose futures they want to ensure are safe and positive.

A founding father of Federal Retirees

Claude Edwards was elected to the job of president three times and leaves a lasting legacy for retirees through his significant on-the-job victories.

Post-retirement purpose

Seniors are increasingly turning to spirituality, either through mindfulness or religion, to give meaning to their lives.