I left my job. I’m still getting used to saying that out loud. After nearly two and a half years as the first Executive Director of a new provincial association, I stepped away. I stepped back from nonprofit leadership. Not because I stopped believing in the mission — but because I couldn’t keep doing the … Read more
To: Premier Tim Houston, Minister of Finance John Lohr, and Members of the Legislative Assembly From: Trish McCourt, RSW Former Executive Director, Social Worker, Non-Profit Consultant, Arts Volunteer Date: March 5, 2026 I have wrestled with whether to speak publicly about the 2026-27 provincial budget tabled on February 24th. Having just left my role as … Read more
We don’t talk enough about the hard things. There are fractures in life that don’t make a sound when they happen. They start as small hairline cracks and then they grow. Sometimes you think you can repair them. Sometimes you try harder, or longer, than you should. And sometimes, despite everything, the break becomes permanent. … Read more
I’ve been thinking a lot about why we have to stop avoiding hard things – especially hard feelings. I’m not sure at what point in the evolution of society that hard emotions became equated with “bad”. Feeling emotion and allowing ourselves to move through them will not kill us, but we avoid them as if … Read more
I can see how it becomes harder for parents to make friends as their children get older, especially once they children are adults themselves. We often connect with parents of their friends as we drive to a sit in the audience of events, practises, competitions, etc. Then suddenly, those “forced” interactions are no longer. Sometimes … Read more
Making social connections while traveling is one of my favourite parts of travel. Whether it be re-connecting with old friends or family, making stronger connections with newer friends, or meeting new social connections entirely. As I prepared for my combination work-pleasure trip to our nation’s capital – Ottawa – I was exhausted after a lengthy … Read more