From Troublemaker to Playmaker

“If somebody had told me five years ago that I’d be a part of The Salvation Army in British Columbia promoting Christianity, I’d have beat the heck out of him,” declares Billy Smith. “God’s taken me someplace I never knew I was equipped for.” A Life of Addiction “I was born in Saskatoon,... 

The Goal of a Lifetime

Hockey may be a sport invented by frozen people willing to do just about anything to warm up. But ever since I was knee-high to a referee, I’ve been in love with that glorious game. I wanted nothing more than to play in the Olympics, to score a goal no one would forget. By Grade 10, I had spent a zillion... 

Not Just a Pipe Dream

Kelly Clark was at the top of the world. The youngest member of the U.S. Olympic team, she’d won gold in the women’s halfpipe at the 2002 Winter Olympics at the age of 18. She thought she’d find fulfilment in obtaining the highest award for her sport but that wasn’t the case. “I felt like I... 

Reason to Believe

The secret to being Canada’s most-decorated Olympian? Believe in yourself and trust in God. At 18, after failing to make the 1998 Olympic women’s hockey team, Cindy Klassen refused to be deterred. She decided to try another sport to reach the Olympics and replaced her hockey skates with speed skates. “You... 

The Truth Isn’t Sexy

Many people see human trafficking as something that happens to other people, to women and children in faraway countries. And, yes, it does happen to poor and uneducated victims in the developing world. However, human trafficking also occurs much closer to home and in much more subtle ways. Many Canadians... 

A Better Life

The Salvation Army has developed programs in more than 25 countries, from Mexico to Sri Lanka, making a difference in the lives of those most vulnerable. Here are some success stories. A Life in Darkness Laboni was born into the sex trade. Raised in a Jessore, Bangladesh, brothel and vulnerable to exploitation,... 

Two Worlds Collide

What if you could live in another person’s skin? What if you could eliminate your human frailties and start afresh? But what if your new self threatened an entire planet with destruction? Director James Cameron pushes scientific and moral boundaries to the limit in the futuristic fantasy Avatar, his... 

Ark of Wonders

“I’m blessed to be where I am,” says Matt Rawlins, a staff member at L’Arche, a home for people with intellectual disabilities in Toronto. “I went to L’Arche to help people but I’ve been the one who has been helped. I’ve learned to be gracious and grateful—to be humble, slow down... 

Lost and Found

“Eric, we have a problem,” I told my sleeping husband as I not-so-gently poked him in the back. He sat up quickly and looked around. “What’s wrong?” he said with a panicked is-the-house-on-fire look. “I can’t find my thumb drive.” He rubbed his eyes. “Your what?” “My thumb drive.... 

Hope at Pier 21

Every year, I try to donate whatever I can to The Salvation Army. With the times being what they are, I’m glad that I can help the less fortunate. Another reason I give generously to The Salvation Army is that the good works they do are especially close to my heart. Here’s why: December 24, 1949,... 

Next Page »