How one of Canada’s richest women transformed the island of her birth Highlights from Deirdre McQuillan in The Irish Times Sun Aug 24 2025 Having made a fortune in fibre optics, the ‘culturally responsible’ entrepreneur Zita Cobb helped reverse the fortunes of Fogo island, Newfoundland At the age of 13, in 1971, Zita Cobb, an... Continue Reading →
Arlene Dickenson on Facebook Anaïs Nin said life shrinks or grows in proportion to one’s courage. I think about this a lot when I see adults, at any age, settling into smaller and smaller worlds. The same coffee order, the same daily routines. The same conversations with the same people about the same safe topics.... Continue Reading →
I am Washington — neither the city nor the state. I am not a character in the novel which bears my name. (For the record, I am white, not black.) I am a brand name, almost brand new washing machine. I am one of a generation of household appliances replete with special features, but sadly... Continue Reading →
I have long lasting ties with Scotland’s Iona Community. During the 1990s while ministering at Sooke on Vancouver Island I discovered their music and liturgies. Initially created by John Bell, Graham Maule, and the Wild Goose Worship Group the liturgies were scripturally based, socially relevant, and justice-centred. The music was very well crafted, easy to... Continue Reading →
Taking a rest today from some of the horrible news from down south, and elsewhere. Please find below a truly good news story. Enjoy. Back to the awfuls (new word) tomorrow. Promise. As a child growing up in Victoria through the 1960s I remember the “Chinese grocery stores.” I especially remember one on the corner... Continue Reading →
From Heather Cox Richardson on FacebookAugust 25, 2025 (Monday)Edited for length by KJG This morning, President Donald J. Trump talked to reporters as he signed several executive orders in the Oval Office. [. . .]. At the press opportunity, Trump claimed that he saved Washington, D.C.—where crime was at a 30-year low before he took... Continue Reading →
I first learned of the Algerian martyrs through the movie: Of Gods and Men, a film centered on a true story that happened in the monastery of Tibhirine, Algeria, where nine Cistercian monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria, until seven of them were kidnapped and assassinated in 1996 during the... Continue Reading →
Thanks to Gary Schmidt for this lovely little piece. My father is in his eighties, and every morning he insists on walking to the little grocery store at the end of the street. I’ve told him a hundred times, “Dad, you don’t need to do that. I can order everything online. One click, and it’s... Continue Reading →
[Ken Gray] I spent my first nineteen years in Victoria. I return to visit frequently. I have lived in neighbouring communities from Sooke to Sidney and places in between. I know it well. Obviously things change over time; I get that. But what Gene Miller proposes below is a transformative vision which could, if enacted,... Continue Reading →
I started piano lessons when in third grade at school; I was around eight years old at the time. I remember my first lesson. (For Victoria friends, my first teacher was Robin Wood – I lasted about three lessons): Right hand only — C D E - E F G - switch fingers 5/4 -... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 