As the signs of Spring become increasingly visible, cherry blossoms and longer days, my thoughts are drawn to the fields.A major focus of my work is on salmon. For thousands of years, salmon was the primary source of health and wealth in the W̱SÁNEĆ territory.But, traditionally the land produced incredible bounty as well.When I get the...
Here are some brief thoughts about the Nanaimo by-election. But first, a little background.During general elections political parties develop campaign platforms and a “ballot box question.”They then design their election campaign to elevate the party’s platform, and to get voters to answer their ballot box question. In essence, the ballot box...
Ride-hailing is on the agenda in British Columbia. And, we must deliver for British Columbians. The Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations is meeting over two days this week in Vancouver. We are listening to advice from numerous experts and stakeholders. Our task is to prepare a report to recommend regulations in four key policy areas....
There is a rising sentiment against the United Nations (UN).The response to my last post about the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was immediate. Comments were left directly on my blog and on my Facebook feed as well.Other than their work on climate change and Indigenous relations, I've never had strong...
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Federal Liberal government claim that “no relationship is more important to our government and to Canada than the one with Indigenous peoples.” But, they are failing to deliver on their rhetoric.British Columbia does not have to follow. We must show leadership and introduce legislation on the United Nations...
My line of work is high stress. There are a lot of moving parts, people, party's, and all the politics that entails. Having been through four elections (two municipal and two provincial) and five years at the Central Saanich Council table, I have undergone a certain amount of stress-testing. But, arriving on the British Columbia political scene...
What is going on in British Columbia?There are a couple of shocking stories unravelling in our province that deserve a high level of public attention.Yesterday, I wrote about the Speaker's investigation of expenses and the management of the peoples' house.The culture of entitlement uncovered by the Speaker, and outlined in his report, is...
It is an interesting time to show up on the political scene in British Columbia. Thinking back to election night, shortly after the networks called my victory in Saanich North and the Islands, we were looking up at the big screen as the numbers were tightening. At the time, it was 42 Liberal, 42 NDP, 3 Green. "What do you think of that?" A...
It is important to acknowledge progress. We tend to focus on the work still ahead without raising our hands to incremental steps we have taken together. It's good to check-in. When it comes to Indigenous relations in British Columbia we have a long way to go. So it might be difficult to recognize incremental change. But when we stop and point it...
Housing is the most difficult challenge we face. There are so many fuses attached to this issue. It is charged on all fronts.Homes are the centre of our lives. They provide us emotional safety and financial security.People respond powerfully when their housing is threatened or destabilized.The current housing crisis in British Columbia is...
Yesterday, I was standing at the till ordering my first “good” coffee of the day. Taylor asks, “what can I get for you today?” “The usual,” I respond. “Three-shot Americano. No room.” "I need all the coffee I can get," I joke. It’s the same every day. Three shot Americano. No room. Then I proceed to tell her about a statistic that Emily told me...
In loving memory ofDonald Alec SnobelenJanuary 21, 1918 - June 19, 2003He was born on January 21, 1918 in Mullingar, Saskatchewan. Two months premature.As you can imagine. Saskatchewan + January + 1918 = blizzard.My great-grandfather headed out to town on the horses to get the doctor. So, my grand-dog Don was delivered by his uncle (his mother's...
It was recently my birthday. Last night we got together for a family dinner and my brother-in-law asked me about what was in store for my 43rd year. My answer is to continue improving. But, his question got me looking back as well. Some of you may remember 2016 Adam. He carried and extra 40 pounds. Frankly, his burden was psychological, emotional...
You may have heard about the cultural phenomenon sweeping North America that is Marie Kondo.She is a delight.Kondo is powerfully transforming our relationships to our stuff through her book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" and her Netflix show, "Tidying up with Marie Kondo".Many of you may...
The phone on the table vibrates. Lights up with another message. Who is it? What do they want? It's dinner time. Silas is telling me about school. The urge is to pick it up. (Just a quick peek.) No. Silas continues. Resist the urge. Fight the urge. Distracted. The phone vibrates. Another message. A text? Facebook? A tweet. The blood pressure...
Emily received a turntable for a gift at Christmas.We have not had an operational record player in a few years. A "few years" for Ella, is half her life!So when we hooked it up to an amplifier during the holiday break we dug into Emily’s collection of classic records. Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Cash, Gladys Knight and the...
Elizabeth May and I are hosting community meetings throughout January.Elizabeth has completed two tours of her Saanich-Gulf Islands riding per year. Once in January, and once in September.They are informative and always very well attended. So, when we were setting up our constituency calendars, we also made them a priority.This is our third...
You may have heard the expression, "there is only one taxpayer."Politicians from all parts of the spectrum say it to remind ourselves that there is a limit to what we can do. There is a point that is too far. As a result, aspects of our society break.This is our story, British Columbia in 2019.Think about the healthcare system and your access to...
If you have been reading my blog over the past month or so you will know that Seth Godin's podcast Akimbo is top on my listening list. You might be tiring of me mentioning it. In Akimbo, Seth explores our culture, marketing and influence. It is not like the other podcasts about marketing. A huge part of what attracted me to his message is his...
By now you have likely heard about UNDRIP. It is the UNDRIP, and it stands for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This post is to provide an overview of the document, a little Canadian/British Columbian context and the actual content. Yes, it is a lot of words. But, they are important words and they represent a...
This week, politicians from the provincial and federal governments stood on the sidelines while the RCMP threw Indigenous people to the ground and arrested them at a peaceful protest. Thousands gathered across the country to express their anger and frustration. It is the latest in the long history of the ugly Indigenous/Crown relations in British...
On December 20, 2018 a massive wind storm hit Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Over 100,000 people in the region lost power for days. There was an unprecedented level of destruction and the Southern Gulf Islands were hit particularly hard. From almost all accounts, BC Hydro delivered. With most of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands...
In short, it has been a crazy week.It was supposed to be a week to ease back into work after a nice break. But, that was not to be the case.Instead, all of the attention has been focussed on Northern British Columbia. Enforcing an injunction ordered by a BC Court back in mid-December, the RCMP descended upon the Unist'ot'en protest camp. They are...
This blogging experiment is a fascinating exercise. It was inspired by Seth Godin's podcast called Akimbo. His podcast is transformational (for me). It has changed my entire approach to social media, how to evaluate "success" and where to focus energy in 2019. The goal is to contribute something everyday. As it turns out, by keeping the content...
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy4l8QzHGII[/embedyt] This has been an exceptionally tough few days. I am deeply saddened by the actions, or inactions, of our governments to respectfully address the decade long Unist'ot'en protest camp in Wet'suwet'en territory. To see the RCMP rolling up on Indigenous people in their territory and...
Transportation is a high priority of residents of Saanich North and the Islands. As the home of the Victoria International Airport and the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, our riding connects the Capital Region, to the rest of the world. There are transportation challenges on each of the Gulf Islands. And, there are challenges with the ferry service....