We’ve all read about Bitcoin.  Blockchain transactions such as those used by Bitcoin are touted for their security – the term “Blockchain” refers to a chain of “blocks” of data designed to be tamper-proof, partly because each block is identified by a “hash” which is like a digital fingerprint; it’s unique, and if anything...

There’s an old saying:  follow the money.  In the case of the upcoming referendum on whether or not BC should change our voting system from First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) to a form of Proportional Representation (ProRep), those most vocally opposed to a change seem to have one thing in common: they are people who think they would...

A mind in movement across space and time:  Part III Traveller Chaos, Column Coherence This month’s column is about travel, time, and identity. I have just returned from a four-week trip by car across the nation to Ontario and back. It is not the first such trip of my life; I have logged tens of thousands of miles since my...

Government! Government! Government! Despite your initial reaction, government is not a four letter word. Too often, we criticize it and complain about it as if it were the enemy. Federal and provincial partisan governments get lumped in with local government often leaving a sour taste in people’s mouth. But your local government is different. It […]

Last week I spent three days in Spokane at the Pacific Northwest Economic Region meetings.  Over 600 legislators, business people, and other interested folks from BC, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Yukon and Northwest Territories gathered to talk about issues important to this region....

As much of the world burns, with deadly wildfires raging in Greece, and significant fires devouring portions of California, Oregon, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Australia, Portugal, Siberia, Western Russia, and Finland -  not to mention BC’s Okanagan – and as the summer moves into hotter and drier days, some...

The Rossland Council for Arts and Culture (RCAC) will be presenting Celebrate! 20 Years in the Making. This is a juried visual art exhibition in celebration of the RCAC’s 20th Anniversary. 20 Years in the Makingis both about what the RCAC has accomplished in their 20 years of supporting arts and culture in Rossland and a...

Last year, several hikers were alarmed and dismayed by signs in the old Columbia Cemetery announcing that a nearby native shrub – Oregon grape -- had been treated with herbicide.  They wondered why a harmless native plant was being sprayed, in a City with a policy of not using herbicides except in unusual circumstances...

People in Canada discard about 57 million plastic drinking straws every day. In my hometown of Vancouver, we toss out 2.6 million disposable cups every week. It’s a global problem. Plastic products are choking landfills and waterways and causing devastation in the oceans. In 2014, scientists even found a new kind of stone in...

Seasonal allergies can make summer, spring, and fall much less enjoyable for anyone who experiences them; however, there are some simple things you can do to help.  Many people with seasonal allergies (also known as hay-fever or allergic rhinitis) experience symptoms such as itchy eyes and nose, runny nose, stuffy nose, post...