Bill Cunningham at work (and play) Two photographers, one living, one no longer with us, documenting our world, brilliantly. It has been some time since I have blogged on photography. It has been however one of my priorities since launching takenote.ca. Today however, I return to photography. Two recent news articles highlight the work of... Continue Reading →
Taurus and Jeff โ An encampment love story
Almost-six-year-old Labradoodle, Juno, is a famed dog blogger. Follow her here for her thoughts on dog park politics and canine pedigree. I was one of eight or so members of a litter of Labradoodles born at a Kamloops area breeder almost six years ago now. MaPaw and PaPaw came up shortly after we were born... Continue Reading →
Itโs no laughing matter โ Or is it?
Years ago I suggested to a justice-seeking colleague that we should investigate the role of humour in our social and ecological justice advocacy. We can be awfully serious, I said. Off-putting even. She replied that the context โ human rights abuse; the climate crisis; avaricious market hegemony โ didnโt lend itself well to comedic treatment.... Continue Reading →
Jury Duty โ Trials and tribulations
[Ken Gray] We just picked up where we left off some fifty years ago. Meeting up with other high school friends at our recent graduation reunion I visited with Tim, one of a few Oak Bay High School friends from 1970-1975. Our conversation ranged from music, to photography, to travel, and in one instance, to... Continue Reading →
Let us be fearless โ Church as an imagination-shaping force
A Sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton BC - Sunday, July 13 2025 โ The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost โ The Very Rev. Ken Gray Mainstream media has not focused on a very special event that occurred a few days ago in New York City; church media certainly has however. the... Continue Reading →
Hopeful words from Appalachia, Barbara Kingsolver
[Ken Gray] I have long admired the writing of Barbara Kingsolver. From her debut novels The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven, her early non-fiction essay collection High Tide in Tucson, her novel The Poisonwood Bible, and most recently the epic Pulitzer and Womenโs prize winning Demon Copperhead I have enjoyed her intelligent and insightful... Continue Reading →
Time to celebrate โ A special presentation to a young environmental leader
It was a pleasure to visit my former congregation, the Church of the Advent in the parish of Colwood and Langford a few days ago, not only to enjoy lively worship, music, preaching, and community. I attended in order to acknowledge the leadership of a young Anglican, Taylor Gossman. I did so in my capacity... Continue Reading →
Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear
What a beautiful statement by the children of Melissa and Mark Hortman who were assassinated by a domestic terrorist this past weekend Found on Facebook here. โWe are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we canโt believe... Continue Reading →
A She made people “feel seen, heard, and valued}”– Archbishop Anne Germond concludes her time as acting Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada
Published: 13 June 2025 by the Diocese of Algoma in the Anglican Church of Canada [Ken Gray] During Archbishop Anne's tenure I had two brief encounters with her. In both situations I was impressed by her attention to detail and her ability to quickly zero in on my concerns, and to connect with the matter... Continue Reading →
Always act from love — MAGA as the American Shadow: A Spiritual Reflection
Re-post from Eileen Workman. Highly recommended. For my more spiritually inclined friends, hereโs how Iโve come to see the entire MAGA movementโnot from a political perspective, but from a deeply spiritual and psychological one: I view MAGA as a living embodiment of our collective American shadow. I see a movement that protectively encases a vast... Continue Reading →