“Are we there yet??” A phrase, I would venture to say, heard by every parent and uttered by every child at one point or another. It is a universal expression of impatience. When my kids used to say it I would like to respond with, ‘yes, hop out’. But I digress.

It has been roughly 15 months since our country began directly responding to COVID-19 and as I write this it appears that something of an end is near. Assuming the relevant numbers continue in the right directions there is …

In May of 2019 Canada’s Wonderland opened a new roller coaster. It’s called the Yukon Striker and it’s described as the ‘world’s tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster’. You sit 8 across and at the top of the ride you are held in place looking over the edge waiting to do a 90-degree, 245 foot drop into an underwater tunnel, reaching a top speed of 130 km/hr. (There are a number of videos online if you are curious.) A friend and I rode it numerous times last summer. It was …

My twins had their high school graduation ceremony last week. I tell you this not because I believe it is of any real importance to you, but because the event has caused me to reflect on some things that you may find some value in.

First; I have often said – and some of you are witness to this – that I believe it is a great thing to love what you do for a living and that to work at something for 20, 30 or 40 years that you …

There was a meme going around on social media a while ago that stuck with me. Perhaps you have heard this before, but if not, here you go.

“I don’t have ducks, I have squirrels; and they are not in a line, they are at a rave.”

That is what the beginning of 2018 has felt like to me – a number of good things going on, all vying for attention, and me feeling somewhat stretched to keep up with all of them. I have enjoyed the start to the …

On December 15th 2017 Royal Assent was given to Bill 30, an Act the Alberta Government introduced aimed at protecting “…the health and well-being of working Albertans.”

According to the Act one of its primary purposes is “the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, psychological and social well-being of workers”. For most companies the emphasis on physical safety in the workplace is a familiar one. There are a variety of physical safety risks inherent in any workplace and over the last number of decades we have seen …

Policies play a significant role in our day-to-day lives. They are everywhere; involved in everything. Policies, or rules, give a more concrete expression to the principles that they are supported by and, I do believe they are valuable. They clarify expectations, establish important boundaries, and, at their best, provide a level of necessary safety.

However, there are times where policies seem to get in the way of something more important. In certain circumstances it seems to me that we get to the point where policy takes over and we perhaps …

For years Paul Harvey hosted a radio spot where he would share a short tale that revolved around little known facts and a key element being revealed at the end.  The ending was usually the revelation of a name of a famous person or event, and Harvey would close with the familiar phrase, “and now you know the rest of the story”.

A friend of mine is a personal trainer and he passed along the following story from a client of his.  This client “runs mountains” as a part of …

It has been a great summer for me; a nice mix of productivity (in the form of getting some home renovations done), and traveling & relaxation.  Part of my plan for this summer was to avoid the news as much as possible.  I know that it is good to be informed and normally I like to have at least a general awareness of what is going on in the world.  But every once in a while I like to take a break; the pause is usually good for my mental …

Last summer some friends and I hiked the West Coast Trail.  For those of you who are not familiar with this piece of real estate, it is something of a destination for hikers.  The trail runs along the west coast of Vancouver Island, from Pacheena Bay in the north to the mouth of the Gordon River in the south and is 75 kms long.  It is a tough hike to say the least.  You can Google additional pictures if you like, but I have included a couple at the end …

Earlier this month I attended the International Make-Up Artist Trade Show (IMATS) in Pasadena, California with my oldest daughter.  Here are some things that I learned or was reminded of while I was there.

1. The most obvious; the current exchange rate truly is painful and driving in the Los Angeles area is both frustrating and potentially hazardous to your physical well-being.

2. Whatever your ‘thing’ is; fly-fishing, golf, and make up apparently, you can spend a lot of money on it.  (Who knew you could pay that much for …