One lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic is that we must permanently adjust how we live with others. In particular, unless we find some foolproof way of verifying vaccination status, the economy, in my opinion, will grind to a halt.
We have lost a member of the Penticton Herald family.
It was the summer of 2004; I was on sabbatical from my pastoral role with my little family in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Along with a majority of Canadians, I’ve had my second COVID-19 vaccination. I’d like to go back to hugging my friends and shaking hands with those who might become close friends.
A recent Aljazeera.com climate change document, “There are grounds for concern about solar power” presented some aspects of solar power of which I was not aware. These solutions are essential if the attempt to reach carbon neutral by 2050 is going to be successful.
The London, Ont., incident where three generations of Afzaal-Salman family were killed, will not be the last anti-Muslim incident in Canada. Every once in a while, we come across incidents in different Canadian cities, including Calgary, where Muslims have been targeted, harassed, killed or …
What truly brings us happiness?
“A teenage girl who stabbed a boy to death in downtown Kelowna was sentenced to one day in custody after pleading guilty to manslaughter.”
Some gaming news updates:
I was very sad to learn of the passing of not only one of Penticton’s finest citizens, but our oldest.
My wife sent me a text this week, which is not unusual; however, this message had several dates for weddings we have been asked to attend or officiate.
COVID-19 cases have started surging again, in places like Brazil, India, Indonesia, and the U.S.. Reports blame the rise on anti-vaccine movements, distrust of authorities, misinformation, and government incompetence.
It was a typical Friday night in Penticton on the pier at the SS Sicamous. A dozen people met to remember their friend Abby.
There has been plenty of discussion on supportive housing in Penticton lately. I would like to continue those discussions with a brief look at the subject and how we may be able to handle the demands on the city in the future.
Over the past month, churches across the country, mostly Catholic but also some Anglican, have been the subject of a wave of vandalism and arson. Several were burned to the ground, including two in the South Okanagan.
Many of us will be familiar with the opening sentence of Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities.”
I was asked by a few readers my thoughts on the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut.
Hotels were a novelty to me when, having just graduated from school, I spent four months jumping on and off Greyhound buses, travelling across the rolling Canadian prairies, listening to country music and sleeping in cheap motels.
Back in May, Lorna Beecroft posted a photo on her Facebook page of a giant log being trucked down a Vancouver Island highway. It went viral.
Craig Henderson is one of Naramata’s greatest ambassadors. A resident of the village (population: 1,800) for nearly 25 years, he loves its history, beauty and the people who live there.
Last week was a remarkable week, a watershed moment in the Canadian—and global—climate crisis. The temperature anomalies that British Columbians experienced in those four days were greater than any anomalies ever witnessed by humans since temperatures have been recorded. The town of Lytton d…
Last week, China celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party. The occasion was marked by extensive celebrations across the nation and receptions world-wide at its embassies and consulates.
With the House of Commons now adjourned for the summer, and possibly not returning in the fall in the event the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls an election, this means my annual summer listening tour can now begin.
A loud boom interrupted my sleep as I woke up yelling, “the girls,” initially thinking that our two-year-old twins had fallen out of bed, simultaneously.
For the first time in more than a year,
With us having a record breaking heat wave, why not stay inside where it’s cool and still explore some great locations.
On Saturday I took part in the send-off ceremonies in Penticton for the Syilx Caravan for the Children that went to Kamloops to grieve for the 215 children who were found in unmarked graves on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Na…
The creation of The Manifesto was led by prominent activist and author Naomi Klein and developed by a group of prominent collaborators and issued in September 2015 in the lead up to that year’s national election. It hoped, at the least, it would stimulate discussion about key concerns such a…
Two of the most difficult jobs in North America are that of the chair of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, and the governor of the Bank of Canada.
The House of Commons has recessed for summer.
I must confess that most network shows do not capture my attention; I have found the advertisement-fueled shows act as chewing gum to the mind.
When Parliament recesses for the summer, members who do not expect to run again have an opportunity to speak about their experience. Most of them praise the institution and their colleagues effusively.
Don’t call Jack Bennest a
Spring in the Okanagan Valley sees yellow flowers everywhere. There are two kinds of yellow flowers. One, the familiar dandelion, grows only on land that has been cultivated. Altered by human intervention.
“Character is king,” is a line that both my family and church community hear me repeat often.
Technology is wonderful and amazing. It offers instant access to literally everyone you know via text messaging, Messenger, email and cell phones.
The people who choose not to get vaccinated should not be shamed or persecuted. Nobody changes their mind when someone is shouting at them or ridiculing them. If you’re sincerely trying to change the mind of someone who is hesitant or outright refusing to be vaccinated, start with listening …
This week the prime minister created a bit of a stir in Ottawa when he announced his latest sound bite; that Canadians can enjoy a “one-dose summer.”
I was way too optimistic in thinking the pro-disease anti-vaxxers had mostly gone away.
I was present at a talk recently given by British Columbia’s Seniors’ Advocate, Isobel Mackenzie. Given all the media focus that seniors in long-term care received during the pandemic, I was anxious to learn what she sees as the major challenges facing seniors in the coming decade.
I’m so blessed.
Mothers are a priceless gift.
May is going to be a great month for gamers on Sony and Microsoft’s platforms.
Sunday is Mother’s Day.
On May 26, the moon will be “blood,” “super” and eclipsed.
People assume every community in Western Canada has a facility like Moog and Friends Hospice House.
The church calendar is rapidly moving towards Pentecost, a day we often refer to as the birthday of the church.
This week has been World Immunization Week. Although, given the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world, it feels more like World Immunization Year.
A correction was made to this column. Pods are of 60 students, not 16 as originally stated.
