Community Press

•   • Getty Images /Getty Images/iStockphoto When summer finally arrives, Canadians happily move their kitchens to their decks and backyards to take advantage of the short but sweet season, grilling everything that can be grilled, and probably a few things that shouldn’t. The combination of smoke and flames does more than create flavour; it touches a deep-seated ancestral remnant of when humankind discovered fire, changing life on this planet in a profound way.

This is a salad worth putting back on your summer pot luck roster. Author of the article: •  Special to Postmedia News •   • Cabbage Ramen Salad with Shrimp at Jill’s Table in London, Ont. on Friday June 12, 2026. (Geoff Robins/The London Free Press) I’ve been making more than my share of salads this summer with the particularly hot temperatures and salad-making just keeps getting better as more and more fabulous local produce becomes available.

Volunteers report fewer misplaced treasures and faster reunions, but say thefts are up this year. •   • Volunteer manager of lost and found Kathryn Carruthers poses for a portrait on the sidelines of Bluesfest at LeBreton Flats on Friday, July 17, 2026. /POSTMEDIA Ottawa Bluesfest lost and found resembled a textbook hangover last summer. The collection held a single cowboy boot and — memorably, regrettably — a zippered bag of vomit.

• Sarah Thomas, a student at Brockville Collegiate Institute, is the winner of the St. Lawrence Writers Festival youth fiction contest. SUBMITTED PHOTO The St. Lawrence Writers Festival recently invited local youth to take part in a writing contest for students in Grades 10 to 12. Today, we are publishing the first place winner, by Sarah Thomas. Sarah Thomas is a Grade 11 student at Brockville Collegiate Institute, who has had a love of reading since she was very young.

Advertisement oop Skip to Content Laurentian University mining engineering student Caitlin Baier says the competition has helped her overcome years of body-image struggles •   • Laurentian University mining engineering student Caitlin Baier, 18, is looking for support as she tries to claim the Maxim Cover Girl title.

Black is one of the easiest colours to dress up or down, taking you seamlessly to every occasion •   • We independently select everything we recommend. Buying through us may earn us a commission, which supports our work. Black might not be the first colour that comes to mind for summer — crisp whites and tropical brights normally hold that position — but it’s a smart style choice that always looks chic.

Advertisement oop Skip to Content Here’s what you need to know about the new Canada Shops online marketplace •   • Canada post has launched a new online marketplace called Canada Shops. In recent years, Canadian shopping behaviour has changed – according to a new Abacus Data survey, more than half of Canadians (53 per cent) say they often or almost always go out of their way to choose a Canadian product over a non-Canadian one.

•   • Jerome LeBlanc is the “go-to guy” when it comes to playing Top Gun’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. The Quebec City-born actor makes a living playing one of Tom Cruise’s biggest big-screen roles. Courtesy California Tom Cruise Quebec City-born Jerome LeBlanc plays Top Gun’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell for a living, creating a thrill-seeking Tom Cruise persona so authentic, the movie star himself might do a double take.

Author of the article: •  for Postmedia News •   • Walk down the dairy aisle and you’ll find an overwhelming selection of yogurts — plain and flavoured, regular and Greek, low-fat and fat-free, drinkable varieties, and even Icelandic-style skyr. With so many options, it can be challenging to know which one best fits your health goals. The good news? Yogurt is a nutritious food made from milk fermented with beneficial bacteria. It provides protein, calcium and other important nutrients.

• It’s not my fault the first warm spell has me eyeing a patio and a glass of rosé. And my bike with newly pumped tires reminds me there are trails I’ve been meaning to ride. It starts innocently enough, then comes the list. Every summer, I make one. My summer bucket list usually includes a mix of ambitious plans and easy wins. I’ve learned “paddleboard more” isn’t specific enough and “have a perfect family holiday at a warm lake” is too much so.