Do you count your blessings? Is being a Canadian one of those? Are you content with your life? Humanity in the most materially-developed societies (such as Canada) is both blessed and cursed, for we have the physical health and leisure to be altruistic and informed, but we’re trapped in materially-dominated lives that make ...

I was privileged to attend the 41st General Council Meeting of the United Church of Canada, held in Ottawa in mid August of 2012. We dotted the “i”s and crossed the “t”s of years of work carried out by task groups and committees, congregations, and conferences. Responding to requests for assistance and change that came to us...

They failed the first time, but that hasn't deterred the B.C. government from trying yet again to put a sock in the mouths of community organizations, chambers of commerce, unions and other groups by attempting to impose tough spending restrictions on third parties which – if they get their way – would apply before an election...

A good friend of mine just had her 40th birthday. Her birthday request – for a small group of friends to go on a three-day hiking excursion up Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. The kind of adventure where you pack EVERYTHING you will need to survive in the wilderness for several days into a ginormous 30-pound backpack and...

Recent comments by Coun. Cary Fisher and Coun. Jill Spearn—regarding Brenda Trenholme's appeal to subdivide her Happy Valley property—taste like a slice of logical swiss cheese on a slab of imagination tofu. And you'll need a pinch of salt for the cracker too. Sure, sure, everyone's in favour of local agriculture. Just not ...

Sometimes, when I stand in front of others and relate my journey, I begin with my family and the communities I've lived in, and I recount a partial history of the jobs I've held. Sometimes I relive relationships I've had. Once in a long while I'll tell the story of the time I was buried alive up in Pass Creek in '98. Despite...

As we approach 2014 Canada will be preparing to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.  However, at the request of the US Pentagon, the Prime Minister has opened the door to leaving behind a contingent of Canadian Special Forces beyond the NATO withdrawal date to assist with Afghan Commando training. Our Special Forces have ...

The battle lines are being drawn--maybe even purposefully manipulated--to give the Liberals at least some hope of retaining power in  BC’s next provincial election. It would have seemed implausible and statistically impossible only a few weeks ago for the Liberals to have a chance, given every poll over the past year. However...

MP Alex Atamanenko and his wife Ann joined more than 20 Rosslanders for a potluck on Tuesday evening to discuss Canada under the current Conservative leadership and the strategies concerned Canadians can use to turn our nation in a different (i.e. better, brighter) direction. Andy Morel's house was abuzz with moose burgers,...

It's time to give B.C.'s Auditor General the necessary financial resources and tools to do the job, according to figures released by IntegrityBC today which compared the budget of B.C.'s Auditor General with that of his counterpart in Alberta For the fiscal year 2012-13, B.C.'s Auditor General has an annual budget of $15.75...