Whether it's a world-famous tennis star, or a house party that's one person over the limit, people are quick to point out the ones not following the rules. And hopefully we'll all be able to find normal soon and this will all be a memory.

As challenging as it's been for all of us since the start of the pandemic, there's evidence for optimism. Vaccines are working even with an increase in people being hospitalized right now.

The ways we consume our media may be changing. But it's still important to inform and to speak truth to power. And we saw that happen this week over a racially charged hockey story from PEI.

Quebec is the first province to enact a health surcharge for citizens who refuse the vaccine and end up in hospital with COVID. It's a move supported by a majority of Canadians according to a recent opinion poll. Is this really the way to motivate the hesitant?

Imagine being in a tent overnight trying to keep warm during minus 15 degree temperatures. It seems like all levels of government want to get credit for addressing homelessness, but none wants to take direct responsibility for fixing the problem.

In the early days of the pandemic, our case numbers in Nova Scotia were so low, there were people saying it must be a hoax because no one knew anyone with COVID. With this latest variant, that's changing in a big way.

In this age of social media, everyone has a platform to share their thoughts with the world. But not all opinions are created equal.

Expect a lot of news coverage on the anniversary of the incident on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. And for me, the violent event set the tone for the rest of 2021 and the pandemic protesters.

Pierre Trudeau had his infamous "Walk in the snow". Iain Rankin apparently had his quiet Christmas with his wife and new daughter. And sometimes the truest sign of strong leadership, is knowing when to step aside.

Even with record case counts of the latest viral infections, there's a space for optimism in the year ahead. And hopefully, it's one where the conversation about a pandemic isn't drowning everything else out.