Michele Sponagle

Butters and spreads are enjoying a renaissance, thanks to diet trends and product ingenuity
Butter is hot these days, you’d think it might melt from being in the spotlight so much. Whether traditional dairy butters, plant-based alternatives or nut/seed spreads, ingenious new offerings in the category have fuelled its current popularity, along with diet preferences and a collective change of heart about the fat content of food. In fact, it’s such a popular trend that Whole Foods Market include...

When it comes to frozen fish and seafood, health-conscious consumers are reeled in by innovation and sustainability
Surf or turf? As many busy Canadians look to cut back on red meat and reap the purported health benefits of seafood, frozen fish and seafood are pushing further into the spotlight.
Demand for frozen seafood steadily increased in the five-year period between 2012 and 2017, according to MarketResearch.com. And recent Nielsen data shows sales for this category grew by 1.5% to more ...

As I’m driving along rural highways lined with tiny fishing villages in Nova Scotia, breathing in the salty air of the Atlantic Ocean, I feel right at home. Though I’ve never lived here, I spent many summers visiting my grandparents in the Annapolis Valley—a fertile agricultural region on the shores of the Bay of Fundy, famous for having the world’s highest tides—where they operated a commercial dairy farm and grew apples.
I have fond memories of sitting in the dining room of my grandparents’...

While the coronavirus and the Zika virus have grabbed the majority of news headlines over the past few years, there are other threats to traveler health that shouldn’t be forgotten—particularly mosquito-borne diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls mosquitoes “one of the deadliest animals in the world” due to their ability to spread disease—more than 20 types of disease, to be exact.
Mosquito-borne diseases kill millions of people each year. If you’re planning to visit destination...

Ever tried to navigate your way through a new city without using Google Maps? You'll likely end up lost. The same applies to navigating your finances: you need a route to get to from where you are now to where you want to be later. Surprisingly though, most Canadians don’t map out their financial futures. A recent CIBC study showed that almost 50% of Canadians don’t have a financial plan, and other studies indicate that many are unclear about what financial planning is, often confusing it wit...

An innovative surgery helped Eric Furtado-Rodrigues (above) achieve his goal of becoming a member of Canada’s wheelchair rugby team. Photography by Doug Nicholson
There was no question about what was at stake for Eric Furtado-Rodrigues. He became a quadriplegic after a 2009 snowboarding accident in Spain where, following the accident, surgeons there implanted a titanium plate to repair his spine. He returned to Canada, but with time the plate shifted, causing a three-by-two-centimetre hole be...

Profile on gingerbread artist Beatriz Muller

Hamilton is enjoying its time in the spotlight with a steady flow of TV and movie shoots coming to film here.
Producers and directors say they love our friendliness and mix of urban and green spaces. Significant historic architecture - unique in the region - alongside beautiful natural areas within minutes of our downtown, have helped make Hamilton the second busiest location for filming in Ontario.
And the record number of film permits being issued shows no signs of slowing down.
The recent ...

Banking has undergone a major transformation as Canadians seek online providers to invest and manage their money. You no longer have to wait in line to make RRSP contributions, open an account, or get expert advice.
Being able to do banking and make investments on your terms is a key benefit of digital banking. As an added plus, the lack of expensive brick-and-mortar branches means savings can be passed along to clients. More than 2.3 million Canadians have looked to Tangerine Bank, the leadi...

Bar Sazerac, photograph courtesy of Tourism Hamilton.
Once known as Steeltown, this city has evolved over the past decade to become a flourishing arts and music hub. Hamilton’s renaissance extends to its dining scene. It is widely believed that during a three-month period in 2018, 77 new eateries opened in the city. With the level of culinary creativity on display, the city’s food culture looks like it could soon rival nearby Toronto.
2 Must-try Restaurants
Paper Crane
This cozy downtown spot...

Fresh, abundant and brightly coloured, Ontario tomatoes taste like sunshine and summer in every flavour-filled bite. Here, a primer on how to enjoy them, from choosing your favourite varieties to wine pairing, plus lots of tasty recipes
With more than 400 different chemical properities at play, a tomato’s flavour profile is complex, opening up a world of wine-pairing options. We asked Langdon Hall Executive Chef, Jason Bangerter to share his tips for pairing wine with tomatoes.

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Canada’s massive size, stretching over 9,984,670 square miles, is the perfect breeding ground for food diversity. Couple that with the country’s propensity to do things a bit differently and you’ve got an abundance of enticing food and drink options that are truly unique and often downright strange.
For hungry and thirsty adventurers, these 10 highlights are well worth a spot on your culinary bucket list:
Sourtoe Cocktail
In Dawson City, Yukon, Canada's far northern reaches, since 1973 visito...

Canadians swap “fly and fry” holidays for healthier pursuits
Many Canadians in their teens and 20s travel as a rite of passage between finishing school and getting serious about career, family or both. Later in life, the motivation changes. Having been there and done that, mature globetrotters are moved to explore by a bigger purpose, whether it’s to learn, to volunteer or to pursue newfound passions.
For Anita Draycott, 67, from Stouffville, ON, travel means hitting the links: “I took up gol...

One size does not fit all when it comes to traveling and exploring the world. For plus-size globetrotters, that presents some challenges along the way, whether it’s too-snug airplane seats or spa robes meant for someone of more diminutive stature. Take heart, though—the problems are surmountable. Where there is a desire to take a journey, there are workable solutions to ensure grand experiences.
Here are tips geared to fellow voyagers of size, gleaned from my own travels as a Rubenesque gal w...