Category Archives: Society

Business, Society, Technology

Canada Must Wake Up When it Comes to War

I cannot believe the Federal Liberals in Canada are still waffling over ever reaching our NATO committment to 2% of our national budget going to Defence.

Since WWII we’ve steadily deteriorated from leaders to laggards.

In WWI and WWII Canada was respected. Canadian troops were feared by the Axis. Canada punched way above its weight.

We had farmers, trappers, hunters, and First Nations who grew up with rifles, with hunting, with living off the land, and who were deadly in war.

We are now for the most part urban softies who have no clue about the likely impact of wars “far away” that will impact us sooner or later.

Our “leaders” appear to have their collective heads in the sand.

You never win with bullies with appeasement.

We are witnessing bullies on a massive scale with Putin and Xi Jinping.

Good luck. . . or, wake up, eh?
Society

Superb National Ballet of Ukraine Performance in Vancouver

Wow! Damn they were good! We saw the National Ballet of Ukraine tonight in Vancouver, BC.

They are nearing the end of a humanitarian fundraising tour across Canada to support Ukraine as the nation and its people continue to suffer from Russian aggression and terror.

You can donate to support relief efforts in Ukraine, and receive a charitable tax receipt via their website:

https://nationalballetukraine.com/

Paul with National Ballet of Ukraine program

Nature, Photography, Society, Streamkeeping, Sustainability

BCIT Journalism Student Interview about Urban Creeks

BCIT journalism student Chris met me on Byrne Creek in SE #Burnaby, BC, to shoot some vid and interview me about urban creeks.

We talked about water quality and water quantity issues in urban areas, infiltration and rain gardens, and what folks can do to help protect their local oases of nature.

As the rain came down Chris assured me that I could go home while he got some extra shots of the roaring creek :-).

Good job, Chris!

bcit journalism student interview on byrne creek in burnaby bc

Business, Editing, Society

Can There Be a Happy New Year When Russia Wants to Kill?

Happy New Year to all Ukrainian fighters everywhere, in whatever role you may be in.

Putin is a demented aggressor whose actions have resulted in the deaths of over 300,000 of his soldiers in addition to the horrors his forces have inflicted upon Ukraine.

I have been studying history for 50 years, and there is no reason for Russia to invade Ukraine, aside from Putin’s longing for lost empire.

If Putin is really chasing Nazis, as he claims, he should look in the mirror. It was Uncle Joe Stalin, a consumate Russian dictator, who signed a pact with Hitler.

And as for Russian citizens, it’s very difficult for me to wish you a Happy New Year.

At best many of you have behaved like sheep, and at worst you have participated in trash talk dehumanzing Ukrainians.

As for NATO? There is no intent from anyone to invade Russia, and never has been.

It’s all a scam, and always has been, perpetrated by the psychopaths in Russia’s maskirovka agencies. . .
Photography, Society, Travel

Visiting Ancestors’ Graves in Saskatchewan

Paying a visit to honour my paternal grandparents and my Uncle Paul in Saskatchewan in late October.

cipywnyk family graves

It’s important to remember where you come from. . . It keeps you grounded and connected.

The days of a family on every quarter-section of farmland are long gone.

The church is closed, and emptied, in case of vandalism.

But the graves remain. There is a cemetary fund, and a cousin keeps the grounds groomed.

There has never been much First Nations recognition to my knowledge in Saskatchewan “pioneering” and farming communities.

There were vastly differing worldviews.

Nomadic lifestyles vs a “new nation” seeking “hard-working immigrants” to “break the land.”

I honour and respect my ancestors for the huge leap they made from the “old country” to Canada, to work so hard to make new lives, and to give future generations like mine a much better future.

Business, Nature, Society, Sustainability

Burnaby City Council Hits the Brakes on Removing Parkland

Happy that community came together.

Happy that new voices took leading roles, not just “environmental activists.”

Happy that Burnaby Council responded to the public outcry.

Happy that the City will take a new look, and consider other alternatives to removing parkland for an organic waste processing facility.

Yes, the initial aim to process more of our local organic waste locally was, and is, a good idea.

Just not on rare and sensitive habitat that has been almost completely wiped out on the lower Fraser River.

And not by un-dedicating parkland that was specifically dedicated for its unique values.

We share this Earth. It’s not only for people, and parks are not only for human recreation. Parks, the more natural the better, have value beyond playing fields.

I hope that we have all learned through this process.

(If you’re new to this blog, scroll down, down, to see several of my posts on the proposal to build an organic waste processing facility in unique habitat. . .)

Society, Writing

Remembering Dad, 20 Years On

I realized tonight that tomorrow will be the 20th anniversary of my father’s passing.

I will always be awed by his work ethic and volunteerism.

Doctor, Psychiatrist, born on a homesteading farm in Saskatchewan. There were many obstacles, but he went on to graduate high school in his early 20s and continued to undergrad and grad degees, and med school.

Enventually:

President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress

President of the Ukrainian World Congress

Perogie boiler/server at community events in Saskatoon 🙂.

Loving son to a mother he phoned every day when he could not visit her in person.

Likely one of the last of the generation of MDs who made house calls. Yes, real house calls. I remember riding shotgun as a kid, eh?

Dad embraced his immigrant and farm roots, honoured them, honoured his parents, his culture, his language, his religion. . .

I think the family best remembers Dad as not the doctor, not the “prez” of this or that, but as the cuddly, cheerful guy with an apron on, cooking, cleaning, providing a sympathetic ear to anyone, with any problem.

Love you, miss you. . .

Business, Nature, Society, Sustainability

2004 Burnaby Report Details Sensitive Parklands Now Under Threat

I wonder if the history of the designation of the parkland that the City of Burnaby wants to build a waste-processing facility on has been lost. A 2004 Report to Council refers to the area as environmentally sensitive.

The March 31, 2004 report is entitled “Acquisition of Environmentally Sensitive Lands Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park.”

The report clearly states that “these environmentally significant lands have been transferred into City ownership for park and conservation purposes.”

The report speaks to three years of working with DFO to reestablish salmon rearing habitat and other work to “enhance the natural landscape to maximize wildlife values. . . ”

The report also states that “the meadow area is classified as a Tidal Freshwater Marsh as it is subject to daily tidal inundation. This wet grassland type is a relatively rare habitat type in Burnaby and the surrounding region. Since European settlement, 75% of the wetlands in the Lower Mainland have been lost. . . ”

As for the issue of habitat compensation, which is often problematic and difficult to fully achieve, the reports states “. . . it is important to note that larger natural areas have greater value than smaller segmented parcels as they are more resilient to environmental impacts.”

I hope this key report will be fully considered before the City of Burnaby continues to push the recent proposed project.

The report  can be found on the Heritage Burnaby webiste here:

Go to the Heritage Burnaby website:
And search for “Foreshore Park” with “2004” in both the “From Year” and “To Year” boxes.
Business, Nature, Photography, Society, Sustainability

Citizens Speak to TV News, Opposing Foreshore Park Development in Burnaby

Amazing citizen presence at Fraser Foreshore Park in #Burnaby, BC, today, speaking out against the City’s plan to turn a significant chunk of park and off-river fish habitat into a waste facility.

It was so cool because none of us knew the others were coming!

Burnaby citizens speak to TV media re saving Foreshore Park from development

There were at least three separate groups who had all been in touch with media. Some coordinating with CityNews, some with CBC TV.

And. . .

We were blessed with circling Bald Eagles, and a pair of Red-tailed Hawks, throughout most of the interviews.

circling red-tailed hawks at fraser foreshore park in buranby bc

bald eagles circling at fraser foreshore park in burnaby bc

How cool is that?!