PinnedContact — a White Settler’s Journey of “Discovery”We supposedly live in a post-contact reality, but many non-Indigenous people have no contact with Indigenous people or community. Acknowledging the lack of relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people is one step in a much larger process of reconciliation, which requires us to address the roots of the problem. The…Settler Colonialism11 min readSettler Colonialism11 min read
May 29, 2022Journaling On DeathI don’t know if these tears in my eyes, this feeling at the back of my throat, are symptoms of grief for my own personal loss, or if they are in reaction to the news about the latest mass shooting. All I know is that grief takes up space and…Death4 min readDeath4 min read
May 29, 2022Everyday EV notes part 3We went on our first Alberta road trip with the Bolt in late March. It was a rather epic adventure, planning and pacing the distance between charging stations. We needed DC fast charging stations, not the more abundant level 2 slow charging. The drive that would take 3 hours between…Electric Vehicles4 min readElectric Vehicles4 min read
May 29, 2022Everyday EV notes part 2It’s 2022. A lot has happened since I posted the first Everyday EV notes. Since getting an EV, I am more attuned to noticing other EVs on the road. It’s not unusual to see a Tesla pass me on the freeway, but other EV brand sightings are more rare. I…Electric Vehicles4 min readElectric Vehicles4 min read
May 6, 2022Pen names and Positionality -Introducing Sylvanus OliverThe use of pen names for the sake of anonymity for freedom or safety, branding or marketing purposes is as old as publishing itself. Writers have been using pseudonyms for forever. How many female authors have published under a male name or ambiguous initials because no publisher would take them…Pseudonyms13 min readPseudonyms13 min read
Apr 23, 2022Earth Day Journal 2022I arrive at work just before 7:00 am, park in my usual spot but stay in the car to listen to the BBC world news on the campus/community radio station. Russia is launching its new strategic military intervention on the eastern region of Ukraine, the Ukraine is calling for more…Earth Day 20227 min readEarth Day 20227 min read
Jan 1, 2022Everyday EV NotesThis post was mostly written while sitting in my new/second hand electric car at a public charging station, waiting for the 60 kwh battery to fully charge. Or more accurately, waiting for it to charge to 80% because it’s better for the health of the battery to keep charge levels…Climate Crisis8 min readClimate Crisis8 min read
Jul 29, 2021Are we responsible for what happened before we were born?A personal reflection on the writing prompt of the week — The need for reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and the colonial state has received more attention in Canada this year due to the discovery of the remains of hundreds of Indigenous children who died at residential schools and whose deaths were not recorded and graves left unmarked. Over a decade past…Writehere4 min readWritehere4 min read
Jul 16, 2021Freedoma quick unedited response to the Write Here prompt of the week The ability to make choices about my life, while recognizing my interdependence with and responsibility to others including my partner, family (people, pets, plants), friends, colleagues, students, future generations and the delicate balance of life on Earth. Freedom…Writehere3 min readWritehere3 min read
Feb 14, 2021A love poem in 2021: we would do anythingThe following prose poem was written as a stream of consciousness outlet at a few random points over the past year. Writing as catharsis and sharing as vulnerability. Gushing I went for a run this morning. I walked out the door and the sun was still rising pink in the…Poetry8 min readPoetry8 min read
