February started much the same as January ended, with a historic winter still in sight. Lots of snow with colder temperatures, but for us curlers, it also included the end of the Scotties (women’s National championships) right here in Mississauga. This was a huge success, thanks in part to the 400+ volunteers from the curling community.
Good news though, on the 2nd of February, Wiarton Willie did not see his shadow, suggesting an early spring. While Punxsutawney Phil disagrees, I doubt this will be the last disagreement with our southern neighbours. Six weeks still looks a long way off given the snow we still have.
For those who stayed inside, there were two weeks of Winter Olympics coverage from Italy. Marlene and I certainly enjoyed the various sports, particularly the hockey and curling finals, despite the hockey results. Again, aided by volunteers, 18,000 people contributed their time to make the Games a success. And of course, the Probus events continued — another great way to enjoy the winter in Canada. Indoor golf was in full swing thanks to Les Mayer (yes, pun intended), Bob Martin mentioned that the turnout for the Pub Lunch was well attended despite the holiday, and Doug Johnston mentioned the walking group braved the weather but missed one outing due to a severe storm. Other in-person and online events continued as usual.
Now the page has turned to March, and we can all feel spring and longer days approaching. For the March meeting we have Nadeem Esmail from the Fraser Institute speaking about healthcare reform in Canada. Nadeem is in Alberta, where it was recently announced that doctors will be allowed to work in both the public and private systems.
Our membership-recruiting efforts are paying off: three new inductees in February, along with one new member and four guests — all referred by existing members. The past month also saw volunteers step forward for the Events Committee, the Speakers Committee, and one position on the Management Committee. Like the Scotties and the Olympics, Applewood Probus runs on volunteers; while we don’t hand out medals or swag, the contributions are greatly appreciated.
For those diehard Leafs fans, regardless of whether Willie saw his shadow or not, it looks like we are in for about six more weeks of lousy, disappointing hockey.
