Editorial
Volume 32 Issue 3 — Fall 2026
by Melva Armstrong

Welcome to the autumn/fall edition of WHOLifE! It’s a very beautiful time of year! I believe we have a lot to be grateful for in our part of the world. There are so many unusual events going on globally, that I feel comfortable and peaceful living in our province. I was born and grew up here, and although I have travelled and lived away, Saskatchewan has always felt like a safe, friendly, and welcoming place.

Our spring took a long time to arrive and then our summer had its ups and downs weather-wise. We had the big rainfall across an extensive land area on June 30, and our home was not spared when the water coming down was so great, that it had no where to go but into basements. Hundreds of homes and business buildings had flood water damage. Our home basement is very slowly being rebuilt and yet it’s still quite a long process, due to an insufficient number of builders and rebuiders in the huge area that was damaged. I would say it has been a stressful time, with our routine home life turned upside-down. On the other hand, this could be a way to help us clear some of our clutter. I believe there’s always something good in everything that happens to us.

In the meantime, I’ve been working on getting the material together for this autumn issue, and it is looking fabulous with Cheryl McDougall’s amazing graphic design work, along with a fine and outstanding quality of articles and advertisers who have contributed to it. It’s now coming to harvest time of year, which is when we joyfully get to reap what we have sown. Being an avid gardener, Stacey Tress has been inspired to tell us about The Science Behind the Sweetness – Gardening in Cold Climates (p. 8). According to Stacey, “We are definitely classified as a cold climate, and can use this in our favour, when it comes to many vegetables. Essentially, the cool weather unlocks a hidden superpower in root vegetables. Their secret weapon? Sugar.” She explains the science behind how the plants are protecting themselves from the cold temperatures, and in the process they generate sugar, which makes them sweeter than when they are harvested in warm weather. May you enjoy your fresh garden veggies!

September 21st, 2026, is World Peace Day. In honour of this day, Nancy Tam has written an article called Planting Seeds of Peace with the Patterson Garden Arboretum (p. 16). Nancy created the Positive Peace Umbrella Project in 2024, which involves planting special seeds from the sacred trees that survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on August 6 and 9 in 1945. Her article tells the story of how she’s been working with the Patterson Garden Arboretum, along with the seed-keepers in Japan, to arrange for some seeds to be sent from Japan to Saskatoon to be planted in the Arboretum. Iti’s been a very unique and fascinating journey that Nancy has take herself on, and the like-minded heart people she meets along the way. Nancy explains that, “These sacred trees carry the double message of cautioning about the horrors of nuclear weapons and radioactive waste, while also inspiring us about the enduring power of the human spirit and the resilence of nature.” You can attend the Seeds of Peace Blessing and Fall Tour of the Arboretum, Sept. 21 from 7 to 830 pm, space is limited, so reserve your spot at positivepeaceup@gmail.com by Sept. 14. And please read the article. I feel this is a divinely guided project to help bring peace on earth, as well as in our hearts.

If you find yourself having trouble getting back into september routine, then Pam Fichtner’s article offers a variety of great ideas: Support for Autumn, Getting Back to Routine After Summer—September 2026 (p. 12). She creates some hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly routines to begin with, and to help set some priorities. It can involve creative visualization and some journalling to get the ideas flowing, and to spark your energy. Another important routine is looking after your health, which is where Nicole Landahl’s article Nourishing Yourself During the Grocery Crunch (p. 22) comes in and is important to incorporate your healthy eating plans back into your daily routine. Your health care is of major importance. That’s why we have also included another of Dr. Louise Gagne’s s integrative medicine lectures—this time it’s, The Important Role of Phytonutrients and Dietary Fibres for Overall Health (p. 14). Eat fruits and vegetables to get your daily phytonutrients.

There’s much more goodness to discover, so be sure to read on!

I love you!

Namaste
(The spirit in me honours the spirit in you)