Lisa McLean

Inside my cousin Jim’s fishing store, special dates are recorded in permanent marker on white walls. The time his daughter won a prestigious scholarship, and the birth dates of his great-nieces. Details about significant storms or catches, and who was there. It’s telling, what details are important enough to mark on a wall — and also an indication of how much time Jim must spend in his shed when something noteworthy occurs.
Jim knows I’ll never pass up a chance to get out on the water, and th...

It’s 5am in July on the south coast of Newfoundland, and there’s light spilling from my cousin Jim’s fishing store. His is the one with the faded colours of the old pink, white, and green flag on the door. He’s pouring over a worktable with clipboards and paper packages when I arrive, but he stops what he’s doing to welcome me in.
“One of the tubs of trawl we’re setting today used to belong to your Dad,” he says, indicating two plastic bins of baited fishing gear. Jim knows I’m sentimental fo...

Lisa McLean has made the 2017 CBC Nonfiction Prize longlist for "Uncle Ray's Thumb".

About Lisa

Lisa McLean's short stories have been published in the Antigonish Review, Room, This and Riddle Fence. Much of her creative work is based on, or inspired by, her family's roots in a small community off of Newfoundland's south coast, where she lived as a child. Origi...

As remarks go, it was decidedly crude, so even though it was some years ago now that she first heard it, the memory still rankles Beth, especially because she’s so much more aware now how it fit into a pattern.
The day had been a workday like any other in any professional agricultural office. There were back-to-back meetings and deadlines, and Beth had also managed to connect with a business contact who had information that was essential to a project she was working to complete.
On the call, ...

Ottawa – If you’ve visited or lived in a remote community in Canada, chances are you weren’t there for the salad.
In many regions that are far from traditional food production systems, fresh vegetables are inconsistent and costly due to the distance and effort required to get them there.
Now, an Ottawa-based company with a focus on food access is helping remote communities grow fresh vegetables 365 days a year, thanks to Containerized Growing Systems.
Corey Ellis, chief executive officer and ...

What’s in a cider?
Vineland – Ontario consumers are thirsty for more hard apple cider, and the province’s apple sector is poised to deliver. But first, researchers are profiling consumer preference to be sure the industry serves up cider that hits the spot.
The project developed in response to research needs identified in the 2016 Cider Research and Innovation Strategy is a partnership with the Ontario Craft Cider Association and the Ontario Apple Growers. The strategy aims to see seven milli...

If you had asked Brandon five years ago whether he’d

make a life on the farm, he would have said you were

crazy. He was having the time of his life at a university out

of province and had his sights set on a business career.

After graduation, he got a job with a Canadian corporation

and enjoyed plenty of perks such as free tickets to

sporting events and big-budget promotions.

“I was on top of the world,” he says. “Then the stress

started.”