Observer Columnists

Scott Arnold is a graphic designer and cartoonist and former member of the Observer staff. A graduate of the University of Toronto and Sheridan College, he brings a diverse background to his cartooning - something reflected in the atypical art style used for his longest running project - The View From Here.

Though spending his days as a designer for the high-tech sector, Scott has a continual stream of projects on the go - from CD covers to t-shirt design and a recently started long-form comic book project working with a writer from Harvard University. He is also a regular contributor to Trot magazine and has done spot illustrations and comic work for publications ranging from Echo Weekly to Vending Machine trade publications.
More work can be seen at www.industri-studios.com and his blog for auto-biographical comics can be found at industri.livejournal.com.

Whether neck deep in bog or hopelessly lost, Steve Galea's writings take outdoorsmen to places where they've probably been but don't care to admit. A popular columnist for Ontario Out of Doors magazine and severalnewspapers, Galea's brand of humour has also appeared in Buckmaster’s, Retriever Journal, Today's Parent, the Globe and Mail as well as other unwitting publications.

An award-winning magazine and newspaper columnist, Steve lives with his imaginary friends in the Haliburton Highlands. It is his responsibility to make sure we don't take ourselves too seriously. Steve is also an avid hunter and angler and hones his skills throughout the seasons, anywhere from a few steps out his backdoor to all points around the province.

Gwynne Dyer has worked as a freelance journalist, columnist, broadcaster and lecturer on international affairs for more than 20 years, but he was originally trained as an historian. Born in Newfoundland, he received degrees from Canadian, American and British universities, finishing with a Ph.D. in military and Middle Eastern history from the University of London. He served in three navies and held academic appointments at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Oxford University before launching his column on international affairs, which is published by more than 175 papers in some 45 countries.

His first television series, the seven-part documentary “War,” was aired in 45 countries in the mid-80s. One episode, 'The Profession of Arms,' was nominated for an Academy Award. His more recent works include the 1994 series 'The Human Race', and 'Protection Force', a three-part series on peacekeepers in Bosnia, both of which won Gemini awards. His award-winning radio documentaries include 'The Gorbachev Revolution', a seven-part series based on Dyer's experiences in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in 1987-90, and 'Millenium', a six-hour series on the emerging global culture.

His current projects include a book and a television documentary on the looming strategic confrontation in Asia and a radio series on the long-range political and demographic implications of extreme climate change.

Owen Roberts teaches agricultural communications at the Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, and is the director of research communications for the University. He holds an undergraduate degree in communication from the University of Windsor, a Master’s of Science in Rural Extension Studies from the University of Guelph, and is pursuing his doctorate in agricultural education from Texas A and M University and Texas Tech University.

At Guelph, he is the academic coordinator for the new graduate-level diploma in agricultural communications (www.agcommunications.ca). A student research-writing program he created called SPARK – Students Promoting Awareness of Research Knowledge – has been adapted as a national prototype by 20 other Canadian universities.Owen has been involved in journalism for three decades, and was named one of Ontario’s top columnists by the Ontario Community Newspapers’ Association. Owen is a past-president of the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation and is currently the vice-president for professional development and education for theInternational Federation of Agricultural Journalists

Rafe Mair is a former lawyer, cabinet minister and scratch golfer who went into honest work and became a broadcaster and writer on public affairs. During his public career Mair was the British Columbia minister responsible for constitutional affairs leading up to the patriation of the Canadian Constitution, and through 1980 attended all the critical meetingsas the premier’s representative or adviser. He has a unique insight and training into political and constitutional matters having travelled extensively researching these matters. Included in this research were trips to Germany to evaluate their bicameral federal system, Switzerland to learn about their federation with its theme of participatory democracy and the United States, courtesy of the State Department, for an indepth study of the inter-relationship of the White House and Congress as well as relations between state governments and Washington.

Rafe hardly confines his efforts to politics. In his editorials he often talks about sports, his slow, unsteady return to his Anglican roots, fly-fishing and travel.

Basically, though, Mair is a political junkie and, because he's been there, a highly skeptical one who combines gut reaction with pungent reaction punctuated with what has been called his "wicked sense of humour." Rafe is 39 years old, though he steadfastly refuses to explain how he has a 46-year-old son and a 22-year-old grandson. He is married to his beloved Wendy, has seven grandchildren and a chocolate Labrador pup named Chauncey. If nothing else, Rafe Mair will make you think – about B.C. politics, federal politics, U.S. and overseas politics – and lots of other stuff too.

A lifelong resident of the area, Uncle Bob worked hard, fought for freedom and democracy, raised a family, and contributed far too much money to lazy politicians and stupid government programs. He writes the column to try to rectify some of the long list of wrongs he sees in the world … and maybe to shame the politicos into giving back some of the money they regularly steal from decent people. Not that he’s holding his breath.

A self-confessed curmudgeon, Uncle Bob is a man of many opinions, all of them “100 per cent right.” His column, he maintains, reflects the views of the silent majority who aren’t Toronto lefties who work in the media.

As for the name on the column, Uncle Bob says he’s happy to toil in relative anonymity. Actually, what he said was: “I don’t really want anyone knowing too much about me, least of all where to find me at home. Letters and calls are okay – as long as they go to the paper.”

Bill Sones is a freelance journalist whose writings have appeared in Reader's Digest, Discover, Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, Boys' Life and many others. For six years he coauthored the popular column "The Numbers Game," with Case Western Reserve University probabilities guru John McGervey. Some of Sones' work has been distributed by the New York Times Syndicate and Los Angeles Times Syndicate. Rich Sones, Bill's brother, holds a doctorate in physics (1994) from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. His writings have been published in professional journals and the popular press. He is holder or co-holder of a dozen patents.The idea for "Strange But True" grew out of weekly chat sessions with friends at a local pub. The column runs now in some 60 publications on six continents.