After one week evacuated from our home in Summerland, an exodus forced by the Bald Creek wildfire, one of the worst in the history of British Columbia, we join another 20,000 home and business owners hoping for an imminent and safe return to our homes and our little Town. A very small section of Summerland... Continue Reading →
[Ken Gray - As evacuated Summerland residents continue to receive news of safe return, social media channels are rife with misinformation, some mischievous, some ignorant, some ill-informed, and some raw with anger. The research described below offers analysis and possible solutions.] First published by UBC Okanagan News August 5, 2026 On August 1, 2023, a... Continue Reading →
Image: Hope, Susan Norie From Facebook [Ken Gray - I don't know Banu Tülümen's but they tell a beautiful story admist so much uncertainty.] I don't quite know how to describe these past five days. There are stories everywhere. Some heartbreaking. Some heroic. Stories of loss and uncertainty, but also extraordinary stories of kindness, generosity... Continue Reading →
These images were created prior to our evacuation from Summerland late Friday night. Given our hurried packing there was no time to take shots of the fire itself though we did witness the Cartwright Mountain Ridge (our dog walking area) fully aflame. Many such images are sprinkled throughout social and news media. Our evacuation story... Continue Reading →
With thanks to Tzeporah Berman who writes: Yes I do grieve for the carefree summers of the past.This piece by Rebecca Solnit is exactly how I have been feeling this summer as I watched in horror as the numbers of the dead due to heatwaves in Europe have climbed and feared for my son who... Continue Reading →
Alongside Hope executive director Will Postma (fourth from left) visits a rural community in Cuba in 2018 By Matthew Puddister - Published August 5, 2026 - Reposted from the Anglican Journal Everyday life for the average Cuban today starts without electricity, Jose “Pepe” Bringas, general coordinator of the Episcopal Church of Cuba’s Integral-Missionary Development Program... Continue Reading →
Reposted from Facebook I am getting married in 12 days. There isn’t a single thing anyone could have ever said or done to have prepared me for the future I find myself standing in right now. It is as surreal and as deliciously whimsical as you might imagine. Change is the thing that makes us... Continue Reading →
Dr Amir Khan GP MBChB(hons) MRCGP DCH DRCOG DipDiab PGCE On Instagram These are five things humans have done for generations that modern life has quietly pushed aside. The wonderful thing? They’re completely free. Memorise something. Give your brain a workout instead of outsourcing everything to your phone. Sing. It doesn’t matter if you’re in... Continue Reading →
So now we know, at least according to pollster Angus Reid, that 63% of Canadians support a pipeline from Alberta to B.C. and that economic arguments prove most persuasive. There are some opponents to fossil fuel expansion who say that Canada should be more concerned about the environment. New data from the non-profit Angus Reid... Continue Reading →
Podcast: Theologian Ronald Rolheiser talks about a spirituality for our wisdom years by John Dear, July 13, 2026 in the National Catholic Reporter On this week's episode of "The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast," I speak with writer and theologian Oblate Fr. Ronald Rolheiser about his latest book,Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years,... Continue Reading →
