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Column: Can’t see the forest for the trees

Ever heard the saying “can’t see the forest for the trees?” It’s when you are standing too close to something and lack the broader perspective and are not able to see the big picture. Or, if you are looking at things one at a time, you might not see their connection with all the others. You can use this saying as an analogy for literally any...

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Exploring community in Saanich North and the Islands

Summer is a busy time of year in and around the Saanich Peninsula and the Southern Gulf Islands. I want to invite you to visit and explore the incredible communities that I have the honour of representing in the British Columbia Legislature.One of the most important and exciting parts of my job is to encourage and facilitate a greater sense of,...

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She is Madison Olsen but she calls herself MO

We got some new concrete in front of our house recently. A hefty sidewalk. In the little section they added to connect our driveway she etched MO into it. It's going to be there for years to come. She, is Madison Olsen and she is my talented niece. Singer, musician and now songwriter, Maddie has always had a beautiful sound resonating from deep...

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Daddy, it’s going too fast!

It’s one of those memories stamped in my mind. I'm seven or eight years old, lying in my bed and staring at the ceiling through tear-filled eyes. I was growing older. I didn’t want to get older and I really didn’t want my parents to get older either. It’s not clear to me now which thought was worse in my mind back then. My mom and dad took turns...

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Seeking input on single-use plastics plan

Remember when fast food containers were made of styrofoam? Well those days are long gone and public awareness continues to grow with respect to the huge amount of single-use waste collecting in our landfills and recycling depots.In recent times special attention is focussing on the impact of plastic items that are finding their way into our...

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People, parks and protecting places

Many of my summer days have been spent in a British Columbia Park. I loved the familiar sound rolling through the trees of the “Two-Wheelers” a ramshackle gang of pre-teens on bicycles thrown together by chance for a few days under the shade of a grove of Coastal Douglas fir, cedar, maple and arbutus. Manning Park was a family favourite, as was...

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“New approach to old-growth management”

When Minister of Forests, Hon. Doug Donaldson announced that his Ministry was moving to protect 54 trees on the “Old-Growth Registry”, he made another announcement that is giving hope for the tens of thousands of people in British Columbia concerned about how our province is managing the last remaining old-growth forests. He has appointed Garry...

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Precious little reminders

I was caught tonight. Vulnerable. We had just finished dinner. The four of us eat dinner together mostly every night. Just like when I was a kid, we always ate together. I was doing the dishes and my mind caught the familiar tune “Forever in Blue Jeans” as it floated by. Neil Diamond’s raspy voiced anthems were the soundtrack of my childhood. I...

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Slow pace on P.A.C.E.

There is a program in Alberta called P.A.C.E.One of my constituents from Salt Spring Island initially brought this program to my attention back before the 2017 provincial election. He continues to encourage me to advocate for a similar program in British Columbia. He's not alone in this endeavour.First, what is P.A.C.E. you might ask? It stands...

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Global warming: shifting perspectives

Eco-anxiety is an increasing social cost of climate change. A lot of people are feeling it these days. The Maclean's series on climate change is perhaps the most recent and comprehensive mainstream Canadian news coverage of the environmental crisis we are in. However, they are not the only publication covering it. There is a daily flow of...

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PODCAST: David Smith – Entrepreneur and Fisherman

In the 18th episode of The Public Circle Podcast I chat with David Smith. David is a fisherman and owner of Professional Components Ltd., located in the Sidney/North Saanich Industrial Park. His company makes Scoremaster soccer goals and Shockwave, shock-mitigating seats. He has been building things on the Saanich Peninsula since 1981. I toured...

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Turning ground on housing for Salt Spring Island

There is no question that access to safe, affordable housing is a big challenge for many British Columbians. Addressing this issue continues to be a central focus of the provincial government and it’s not without controversy. It's an emotional issue because home is a central need for people to establish stability and security in their lives....

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Steelhead decision undermines SARA

It's been a weird week in British Columbia politics. Early in the week, I was on Salt Spring Island to celebrate the ground turning for the much-needed Salt Spring Commons housing, this is the feature of my blog post tomorrow. Unfortunately, the forestry and fishery files I have been working on overshadow that positive story. There is irony in...

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Can’t see the forest for the trees

Ever heard the saying "can't see the forest for the trees?"It's when you are standing too close to something and lack the broader perspective and are not able to see the big picture. Or, if you are looking at things one at a time, you might not see their connection with all the others.You can use this saying as an analogy for literally any...

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Investing in salmon habitat

Today I want to pause and raise my hands in gratitude. I want to acknowledge the provincial and federal governments' announcement on July 5th of the successful applicants to the Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (SRIF). The SRIF is one result of our persistent work in raising the profile of the desperate plight of the wild Pacific salmon...

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Vacating my vacation

A former boss of mine would always remind us as we were heading out the door to go on vacation that we should actually vacate. It’s encouragement to leave the work behind, not just the office. Step away physically and mentally. Break the routine and clear the cache.The internet turns up a couple of definitions for “vacation.” The first is “a...

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Integrated systems

I am no biologist or astronomer but I did read the “Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food” with Ella the other night. Sister Bear and Brother Bear were eating too many sweets and were starting to pack on extra weight. As it turns out, Papa Bear was also very attached to his sugary snacks and it became evident that there is a range of standards...

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Stay in the lane!

As the summer BBQ tour continues and the federal election candidates make the best of the long, hot days on the hustings, the campaign will heat up as September draws closer.“Crazy season” starts when the partisan faithful try every angle to get the edge on their competition. It’s when democratic debate turns into a bare-knuckle prize fight....

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Good enough?

Following up on yesterday's post about the chronology of the growth of Greens across Canada, there is a point at the end that deserves a little more attention. It's the notion I raise about voters feeling like they need to settle for "good enough."It goes hand-in-glove with the reality that up until 2011 the Greens were on the outside looking in....

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Greens emerging in Canadian political landscape

Following my public endorsement of Elizabeth May in the run up to her election as Member of Parliament in Saanich-Gulf Islands in 2011, one of my local government colleagues said to me "Adam. You are a good politician. It's a shame to see you throw away so much of your political capital on somebody that cannot win!"I was an elected Councillor in...

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Championing Local Business: Applied Bio-nomics

My Championing Local Business tour has opened my eyes to a wide range of enterprise in Saanich North and the Islands. I have visited facilities manufacturing heavy industrial equipment for logging and marine ports, boat building and repairs, food processing and research and development in a variety of fields. Clearly, my riding is home to a vast...

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Perpetual electioneering or governing?

Elections are never really over. They are perpetually the target of politicians and political parties. This is one of the fundamental flaws of our democratic governments. We should spend more time focussing on the process of governing rather than the result of past or future elections. As I said in a recent post, the top priority of some of the...

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The kind people are thirsty

A reader's suggestion for a future blog topic was to highlight how climate change is impacting the Saanich Peninsula and the Gulf Islands. The name of this geography, including the ocean in between, is W̱SÁNEĆ. This is the setting of many of my stories.As the request settled into the back of my mind, mixing and churning over, I began paying...

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