Nobody won at Tuesday night’s Vancouver Park Board meeting addressing the city’s latest and biggest homeless encampment in Strathcona Park. After two onerous nights of debate — in which nearly 100 speakers outlined their sympathy for the homeless park dwellers; for the board itself, having to deal with such a thorny issue; and for Strathcona…
Category: COVID-19
People say the virus doesn’t discriminate. But it does, because we do.
Readers following my blog lately will know that I’ve been commenting on two huge, powerful forces in the world right now — forces that intersect and are impossible to ignore: The pandemic and the recent flood of resistance to racism. The outrageous murder of George Floyd was the anti-racism flashpoint, but protestors worldwide have also…
No justice; no peace; no racist police
From Beverly Hills to Brooklyn, America is burning. The gruesome police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has understandably reignited the fear, anger and concern about centuries of systemic racism — not just in the U.S. but also here at home in Canada, where racism has been embedded in society all the way back to…
Think local, shop local, buy local
This long-weekend Monday was spectacular weather-wise — the afternoon was pure sunshine. My partner, Penny, and I spent the entire afternoon on our back deck, and I enjoyed a very delicious, very cold Lonetree Apple-Peach Cider, straight from our freezer. Sipping my cider, I wondered what sort of a world we are now moving into…
How to counter a dangerous trend
I was astonished to learn that on Monday, May 11 about 50 people congregated outside of St. Paul’s Hospital to denounce COVID-19 as a hoax and urge the lifting of restrictions. They allege that doctors and scientists are lying, and hospitals are empty. This is about the fourth hoaxer march in Vancouver. I don’t know…
Here’s to community groups growing stronger than ever!
The COVID-19 pandemic has had many negative consequences, but perhaps one of the least recognized ones is its impact on the many groups and associations vital to our communities. Think of the very active residents’ associations, like the ones in Kitsilano, False Creek and Strathcona; Girl Guides and Scouts; the chess clubs, dance groups and…
Are we moving closer to a universal basic income?
UPDATE: please sign these petitions to make UBI a reality! Petition your MP Petition to the House of Commons For decades, many in the poverty-reduction movement have advocated for a universal basic income, or UBI (some also call it a guaranteed annual income), to be set up at the federal level. A UBI would mean…