Over the past year – beginning with my March 11th blog A Dire Warning– I have written a number of times about our Earth’s climate crisis, and in particular very real possibility that we may have passed the point of no return. I have explained that once negative carbon feedback loops are put into play,…
Charity: water
This week’s blog is about the most powerful and moving video I have ever watched. The movie documents Scott Harrison’s life up until and after he created the non-profit organization charity: water. The mission of charity: water – the mission that drives Scott Harrison’s life — is to bring clean water to everyone on the…
TransLink CEOs are a Different Breed
Last week, I wrote about a recent experience I had encountered trying to book my return ride from the Vancouver Folk Festival for Sunday, July 17th with HandyDart (DART). I was told the return ride I wanted at or later than the 7:00pm-7:30pm slot was not available, but an earlier ride for the 5:35 –…
With Success Comes Bureaucracy
TransLink’s HandyDART is on the whole a truly great system. This innovative service – delivers over 5,000 trips per day in the Metro Vancouver area. I remember in my first year of law school, 1981, when I helped to get HandyDART off the ground. It was a huge victory. Then, still in my first year…
Cuba Remains Resolute and Resilient Despite 60 Year Embargo
On Monday, July 4th, my life-partner Penny and I had the great honour of hosting in our home Sandra Ramírez Rodríguez of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the People, and Aileén Carmenaty Sánchez, Press and Cultural Attaché at the Cuban Embassy in Canada. I have to say that Cuba and its people are an…
Is the City of Vancouver’s Ethical Purchasing Policy meaningful?
When I was in my second term on Vancouver City Council (2002-2005), I was approached by my good friend Tom Sandborn who had a very serious concern. Tom alerted me to the fact that the City of Vancouver was purchasing apparel manufactured in sweatshops located in many countries around the world where health and safety…
Gustavo Petro Wins!
On June 10, 2022, I blogged about the first round of the Presidential election in Colombia. Although my favourite candidate, Gustavo Petro, came in first in that round with 40.4 percent of the vote, I expressed a concern then that he would lose in the required second round run-off. My concern stemmed from the fact…