Local research tracks how Meta’s Canadian news ban and a decade of wildfires have eroded trust in the information Canadians rely on during fire season

[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 →

August 14, 2026 1

‘I Deeply Believe Dogs Have Superpowers and Secrets’

Prompted by a fierce attachment to his own pet, Paul Yoon wrote a harrowing yet hopeful novel, set during wartime, told from a canine perspective. By Pamela Newton, in the New York Times, Aug. 2, 2026 For visuals by Erik Tanner visit the link with the full article above. Oscar, a sweet, lumbering 70-pound lab... Continue Reading →

August 5, 2026 0

Dogs live with humans — What we already know, and then some — A cross-cultural study

by Max Planck Society, edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan A new study by an international research team led by Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig) has revealed striking similarities in the way humans and dogs interact in very different societies. The research is published in... Continue Reading →

July 1, 2026 1

Another “easier said than done” blog – How to Stop Taking Things Personally

I still miss Chris Lind, very much. Aged 61, he died far too soon during his time as director of the Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre. Decades earlier he was my ethics professor at the Saskatoon Theological Union. Later we served together on the General Synod EcoJustice Committee. Finally, when I was in Kamloops we... Continue Reading →

June 17, 2026 0

Lenten discipline — Pope Leo XIV on Lent

[Pope Leo XIV] I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbour. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgment, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present... Continue Reading →

February 20, 2026 0

And the envelope please – Conversation with characters

IMAGE: etsy.com Many blogs available on this site feature “letters” in different contexts. I have however never commented on envelopes, until now. The following shared from Inspire Hub Facebook “Kurt Vonnegut tells his wife he's going out to buy an envelope: “Oh, she says, well, you're not a poor man. You know, why don't you... Continue Reading →

July 20, 2024 0

Gone to the dogs? A new kind of politics

All I can say is I am glad I don’t need to greet strangers as dogs do. While on her daily promenades, our sweet and sassy Labradoodle, Juno spots potential playmates from quite a distance. Typically she crouches down, expecting surrounding plant growth to camouflage her quite visible self to the approaching dog. The two... Continue Reading →

September 14, 2021 1

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