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Now or Never

Five stories that will inspire you to check an item off your bucket list

Jump in with people who are dreaming big and determined to cross items off their bucket lists.

From making the most of a dog's final days to learning Swedish, hear how people are reaching for life goals

CBC Radio ·
A triptych of photos. On left, a husky sits in the grass. On the upper right, a rugby athlete smiles at the camera. On the bottom right, a couple smiles at the camera.
Bucket list items can be big or small: whether it's dreaming of world-class rugby competitions or simply making a husky happy. (Aimee Fortier, Shannon Pakulis, Janice Klage)
Now or Never50:33Five stories that will inspire you to check an item off your bucket list

A "bucket list" is more than just a poorly-reviewed 2007 film starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. 

Whether it's written down or not, many of us have dreams we hope to achieve in our lifetimes: things we'll be disappointed if we don't do before we die. On this Now or Never, meet people who are finding the courage to take on life goals big and small.

When host Trevor Dineen was struggling with his mental health, he created a "list to get my life back" — small, achievable things that could help him find purpose, energy and a much-needed sense of accomplishment.

According to family lore, Antonia Reed's first words were in Swedish... but the language didn't stick. Now, at 46, she's determined to finally become fluent in order to connect with her heritage, understand her past, and decipher a stack of mysterious letters written by her late mother.

Trevor the 10-year-old husky is in the twilight months of his life — and his owner Aimee Fortier is determined to make the time he has left the best it can be. So, the duo is working through a bucket list that includes "ride in the jeep with the top down", "sleep outside together with Aimee" and "steal a piece of meat".

Ben Skinner's bucket list is full of rugby related goals because the sport helped them accept themselves, love the body they're in, and claim space as a transgender Filipino and Mi'kmaq player. 

Janice Klages's husband of 42 years was diagnosed with dementia in 2020, and John recently moved into long-term care. Last month, the care home fulfilled his lifelong dream of ripping around a race car track at top speed. As happy as Janet is for him, she is only 60 and one of her bucket list items — to grow old in her home with her husband — has to be re-written.

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