Category Archives: Society

Fishing, Nature, Photography, Society, Streamkeeping, Travel

Adams River Salute to the Sockeye 2018

We spent a few days up at the Salute to the Sockeye festival the last few days at the former Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park.

The park was recently officially, and rightfully, renamed Tsútswecw Provincial Park. (I’ve read news reports that family of the late Haig-Brown — one of Canada’s most famous environmentalists and nature writers — supports the renaming).

This year is a dominant run, and though it’s been slow shaping up, it was still awesome. I think this is the third or fourth dominant run that we’ve taken in — they happen every four years, with slower runs in between.

sockeye salmon adams river

Society

There’s No Defence For Rape

This needs repeating.

I shared this in a FB post earlier, but it really needs to sink in and be widely shared. Dunno who Prokopetz is, or if the source was quoted correctly, but the message matters.

“Rape is the only crime on the books for which arguing that the temptation to commit it was too clear and obvious to resist, is treated as a defence. For every other crime, we call that a confession.” Prokopetz.

Nature, Society, Sustainability

Temperature Perceptions Shift as Autumn Approaches

Funny how a usually comfortable temp on the rising side can make me feel hot, and the same temp on the falling side can make me feel cold.

I’m in that awkward “summer is ending fall is approaching what to wear” phase .

Even contemplated lighting the pilot light in the high-efficiency gas fireplace/heater on the main floor, but will hold off for another week or two, unless the usually colder females in the house want to.

The long-anticipated and much appreciated rain has also likely affected temperature perception. Here on the wet temperate west coast we never heat 24/7 even in the depths of winter. Usually an hour or so a few times a day to take the chill and dampness out of the air suffices.

Ha, threw on a long-sleeved sweatshirt, had a mug of coffee, and now I’m starting to sweat in my basement office .

Business, Editing, Society, Technology

Has LinkedIn Jumped the Shark?

I am seriously considering shutting down my LinkedIn account.

I just saw someone boast on LI that they had 30,000 connections.

Excuse me? How could you possibly know, and have worked with, 30,000 people?

The original premise of LI was that people who had worked with each other would connect, and vouch for each other. Or at least acknowledge that they’d worked together.

It’s completely debased. It’s now Facebook with a resume.

Another numbers game.

And LI is driving this debasement. Every time you accept a “connection” these days, it pops up dozens, if not hundreds, of other suggested connections. It wants to mine your email address books, if you let it.

I was wondering when I would see a cat photo on LInkedIn.

Today was the day.

Sigh . . .

Nature, Photography, Society, Streamkeeping

Thanks Burnaby Firefighters for Dealing with Blaze in Byrne Creek Ravine Park

Heartfelt thanks to City of Burnaby firefighters who dealt with a blaze in Byrne Creek Ravine Park today.

Also thanks to City of Burnaby staff for calling volunteer streamkeepers to keep us in the loop.

I was invited to take a look, but since firefighters were still working on it, I was asked not to go in all the way.

It’s been so hot and dry this summer, and the City of Burnaby added extra No Smoking in Parks and on Trails signs in the area, but we regularly saw inconsiderate smokers putting the park and their neighbours at risk.

Please, please, what does it take for people to act responsibly?

I don’t know if smoking caused this blaze, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I documented the mass of butts on trails in the area in a post earlier this summer.

byrne creek park fire


I was allowed to go this far, wearing my safety vest and with an invitation from City staff.

UPDATE: Burnaby Now report here.