Is This Your Country?
"Is this your country?" a stranger asked me in amazement in broken English as I sat in a small food stall in Tokyo earlier this spring. I was scrolling through photos on my phone while waiting for chicken skewers to cook over a smokey charcoal grill. I was looking at some pictures of Edmonton's river valley, fields on the Alberta highways, and some scenes from the Maligne Canyon in Jasper.
Going Solar!
Growing up, I was taught in school that solar power was possible. Still, back then, it seemed that this kind of technology was reserved for millionaires, mad scientists, James Bond Villains, or.... all three combined. Decades later, these life choices are no longer the prerequisite for residential solar power generation.
The Kids are Watching
I'm asking myself questions about how my wife and I teach our two boys about the current provincial election. What do they need to understand? How should they respond to flag-waving and partisan rhetoric? What's helpful regarding civic, regional, and national pride?
A Night in the ER
Complaining is a straightforward exercise, and it doesn't require much effort. It comes easy for most of us. Our health care system is an easy target for our complaints. I'm not suggesting for a moment that we don't work towards improvements in our current system, but I'd rather take this opportunity to recognize the fantastic health care workers that serve in Alberta.
Give Peace a Like
Like many of you, I was embarrassed and angry to see what happened last weekend in Grand Prairie, where an individual verbally assaulted Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and her staff. Unfortunately, the man's conduct is an example of behavior in Alberta that's becoming far too common. Not just in Alberta but in Canada and around the world.
The Gift of a Three-Hour Drive
Do you feel like you're in a rut? Let me challenge you to find a free day, load up your road trip playlist, jump in your car, and grab a breakfast; a Mcdonald's Egg McMuffin meal will do. Then drive. Drive 90 minutes to 3 hours in any direction. Have lunch wherever you stop, and then head home. The only caveat I'd add is to try to avoid using the Queen Elizabeth II Highway. Instead, try using a highway that's less familiar to you.
Tuning for Black History Month
February is Black History month in the United States and Canada. A fantastic opportunity to celebrate Black History. If our Canadian culture is a symphony, heritage months are like solos.
Freedom & Breathing Tubes
My lungs fill with cool pine-scented mountain air, and I'm so happy to be alive…The breath in my lungs stands in contrast to patients currently lying in our overflowing intensive care units in the province. Many of them are intubated because they can no longer breathe on their own.