Category Archives: Society

Photography, Society, Travel

Old Manitoba Prairie Churches in Ruins

Old prairie Ukrainian churches in ruins. From my photo archives, Oct. 24, 2008.

If I recall, these are all north of Dauphin, Manitoba. I wonder how many of them and their bell towers are still standing 12 years later. I would love to do another road trip around the area some day. . .

From what I could see of the land, this was not a friendly area to farm. Lots of rock piles in the fields, perhaps the immigrants didn’t know what they were getting into back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Just a hundred miles further west in Saskatchewan the land was much better, from what I’ve seen.

I’m not a very religious person, but I admire these Slavic ancestors who put faith in faith. They pulled together in the harshest conditions and built churches, community halls, schools . . .

Some broke their backs and their hearts, but others prospered, and gave back to their communities.

These photos may seem sad, but I see strength and love in them. And memories eternal. . .

old manitoba prairie churches in ruins

Business, Society, Writing

A Little Fear is Good

Some of my friends were having a discussion on FB about how the Covid situation was impacting them, and how some were becoming afraid to go out, even with physical distancing. Here’s my contribution, slightly edited since it’s now out of the context of the thread:

Fear is good. Fear is how we’ve survived as a species for millennia. Anyone who claims they are never afraid of anything is bullshitting.

Humans are terrible at judging risk, and hopefully that’s when a bit of fear steps in to get us to do the right thing, at least in the short term.

For humans are also really bad at remembering history, learning from the past, and staying the course long term.

To some degree I think we need to embrace fear, and let it guide us, but try not to let it overwhelm us.

We’ve all been seeing our lives disintegrating to various degrees for several months. We’ve all been dealing with jobs lost, contracts dwindling, friends and families distancing, plans derailed, reservations cancelled be they for music or theatre or travel, or simply going out with friends. . .

These are tough times. And things will continue to be tough for who knows how long?

So let’s not be hard on ourselves. Let’s admit our emotions. Let’s cry a little. Let’s acknowledge we’re having trouble sleeping and are having nightmares.

And then let’s check up on each other, and help each other along this road.

Virtual hugs to everyone!

Business, Society, Sustainability

Quit Buying Soulless Crap, Support Your Local Economy

I reflexively shared a post about boycotting goods from China on FB. Not due to Covid, but a pile of other reasons such as undercutting local manufacturing, terrible environmental damage, horrid working conditions, etc.

I deleted my share, because the post was overly inflammatory.

Yet, if the average Canadian had a clue about how much of what we buy is shoddily made in China under horrid conditions. . . . Sheesh.

I had a gig stocking at a retail outlet for awhile not too long ago. I would think way over half of the knickknacks came from China. Often as not, as we opened boxes upon boxes stacked on pallets, nauseous chemical smells would waft through receiving.

Anything made from plastic stank. Even supposed wood products stank of preservatives or perhaps fungicides or pesticides.

I shudder to think of the people in the factories producing this shit.

Each shift entailed filling multiple huge garbage bags with packing materials ranging from Styrofoam to plastic to bubble wrap. . . . All to be “recycled,” eh?

No more cheap baubles. They’re like sugar that may give you a short-term lift, but long-term soulless emptiness.

Let’s make better choices. Let’s buy local. Let’s buy handcrafted. Let’s buy art not kitsch. Let’s buy quality that lasts. Let’s not throw things away.

Business, Society

What Happened to the $1 A Year Men?

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau?

Finance Minister Bill Morneau?

Members of Parliament?

Canadian corporate execs?

There used to be a tradition in Canada, and other advanced nations, that if you were in politics, and wealthy, in times of trouble like WWI or WWII,  you’d quit drawing on the public purse.

Same for corporate executives.

Here’s a reference for you:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-dollar_salary

Yes, overall your salaries are a tiny slice of the national budget, but symbolically they are huge.

Apologies to women, it has been evident that nations run by women have been much faster to step up to issues like this.

Society, Technology, Travel

Washington on History Channel

Watched the first episode of Washington on the History Channel tonight. Well done, warts and all. Looking forward to seeing more.

When the family lived in NYC for a few years in the late 60s/early 70s, I was was the blossoming pre-teen history nut who insisted we visit every Revolutionary War and Civil War site within weekend driving distance. . . .

One of the interesting things about both of those multi-year conflicts is how many of the major battles and events transpired in what we today consider relatively small areas geographically.

It’s something I found hard to get across to kids when I did my teaching degree with a major in history — that people/armies walked everywhere and lived off the land. That at best it would take months for communications to cross the Atlantic Ocean and back. . . .

Heck, even when my ancestors came to Canada in the late 19th/early 20th C, they knew it was a one-way trip and that they would likely never see their families, friends, and neighbours face-to-face again.

Nature, Photography, Society

Shocked by People Littering Used Masks, Gloves in Burnaby

Please don’t litter used masks and gloves, good people of #Burnaby.
 
This is disgusting. And potentially dangerous to our community.
 
And remember: All Drains Lead to Fish Habitat.
 
All this crap would wash into Byrne Creek if my wife hadn’t carefully picked it up with tongs and disposed of it properly.

That drain leads directly to Byrne Creek, just a few dozen meters away. . .

used gloves masks litter burnaby bc

Nature, Photography, Society

Burnaby Urban Trail Ramble

Today’s maintaining physical distance walk.

To shake things up a bit we went beneath the Skytrain tracks from our place near Edmonds Station in SE Burnaby nearly all the way to Metrotown. The urban trail is wide, and in about an hour of walking we saw perhaps half a dozen joggers, three or four walkers, and only a couple of cyclists.

thrush burnaby bc

spring blossoms burnaby bc

empty road burnaby bc
This stretch was eerily quiet, even for a Sunday. It’s usually parked up with movie industry vehicles. . .

Photography, Society, Technology

Homemade Mask

The latest in fashion sewed by my wife Yumi. She even inserted a bendy metal strip on the top for a tighter seal. I can now go out in public after eating garlic sausage. . . Thanks, honey!

You will note the environmentally aware bumblebee pattern :-).

The advice on masks has swung back and forth. Yes, they may not protect you from the virus, but at least your exhalations won’t be floating around. . .  And some stores are demanding you wear one before they will let you in, eh?

home made mask