Barbara Lehtiniemi is a writer and photographer from Ontario. She’s a graduate of Athabasca University, having completed her Bachelor of General Studies degree in 2018.
A regular contributor to The Voice Magazine since 2013, Barbara has also contributed to other publications including Chicken Soup for the Soul and Maclean’s. Barbara writes in several genres, including non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. She’s grateful to The Voice Magazine for providing the opportunity to explore an array of topics and writing styles, and she remains dreadfully sorry for those awful haikus.
Barbara has a fondness for travel, used bookstores, everyday absurdities, and oversized wine glasses. Originally from urban Southwestern Ontario, she now lives on a windswept rural road in Eastern Ontario with her indulgent and supportive husband, Leo.
You can follow Barbara on Twitter @theregoesbarb, or contact her at theregoesbarb@gmail.com.
I don’t know how the rest of Canada views Ontario, but I have an idea how the rest of Ontario views Toronto. We refer to Toronto as the “Centre of the Universe.” This is not meant kindly. Torontonians, to many of those beyond the fringe of the GTA, are self-important and Toronto-centric. The world revolves… Read more »
Last week’s article reviewed where AU has buried information about undergraduate transfer credits on their website. Like many university websites, finding the information you need takes a bit of digging, but It’s (usually) all there. In the case of transfer credits, the effort is worth it if you think you have even one course that… Read more »
The experience of searching for information on a website is sometimes like wading through seaweed: the way is murky and there is a danger of getting bogged down with every step. University websites are saturated with important information and finding what you need can turn into an arduous adventure. AU’s website can be a bit… Read more »
I need help “getting” laid. Seriously, the past tense of “lie” and “lay” have always baffled me. I just don’t get it. Every time I use one of these troublesome verbs, I have to look it up. Christina Frey, in her Writer’s Toolbox article in The Voice Magazine last November, covered this very topic. The… Read more »
What is your brain doing this summer? While many students continue their studies through the summer, others follow the traditional school year and take the summer off. And why not? Summer is an inviting time to get outdoors and away from studies for while. A summer break need not be an all-or-nothing concept. For students… Read more »
Have you ever committed yourself to a course of action in order to force yourself to take on a challenge? Last year, I e-mailed the then-new editor of The Voice Magazine and said I’d like to write for the magazine. I pressed “send” quickly, before I could manufacture reasons why not to. Six months and… Read more »
If You’re a geek, you probably already know that May 25 is “Geek Pride Day.” This is the day for geeks worldwide to come out of their bedrooms and demonstrate pride in their geekiness. I’m not a geek (not that there’s anything wrong with being geek) but I have friends who are geeks. If you… Read more »
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of .. a dinner companion? According to this recent CBC News article, rich men and women are available to take young students out to dinner. That’s right, students can dine like royalty and get paid for… Read more »
David Suzuki can’t tell me what to do. His foundation is promoting its third annual “30×30 Challenge” this month. The challenge is a call to action for individuals to spend 30 minutes in nature for 30 days. Whether It’s a local park, a nature trail, a beach, or a backyard, the point is to get… Read more »
What do you do if your exam is lost in the mail? The relief I feel after writing an exam is tempered by anxiety. It’s a long journey by post from Ontario to Athabasca in Alberta. What if my exam gets lost? A lost exam is probably rare but must occasionally happen. As a university… Read more »