Travel
This wasn’t meant to be a weekend replete with political philosophy. My goal was to take a well-deserved break to rest and recharge. But of course being me, now that I have an hour to kill before dinner, here goes. A whimsical visit today to Canyon Ste-Anne prompted both
Politics
Have you ever worked in an office that was so awesome you could barely contain yourself? A collective workspace so well designed that you couldn’t resist going there even if your physical presence was unnecessary? Where the environment was so perfectly suited to your work that it contributed to
Culture
The Spring of 2024 Decline-of-the-French-Language Crisis having abated somewhat since its dramatic height of (checks notes) nearly ten days ago, now seems like a good time to open a few crusty windows and air out this debate some. You can always tell when a Quebec government is in political trouble
Urbanism
On Wednesday morning I took off for Quebec City with my good friend and fellow smart urbanism enthusiast Toon Dreessen. I’ve discovered he’s the perfect road-tripping buddy and not just because he picked me up with Starbucks waiting in the cup holder. The loud rips you may have
Politics
This is an excellent if severe op-ed in the New York Times by Stephen Marche that is very much worth your while. For those hitting the paywall, this the most important paragraph: But an era has passed since the start of that halcyon time, when Mr. Trudeau stood in front
Politics
Those who know me well are aware that I never half-ass anything. So when I decide to do the unexpected and come to the defence of a mayor whose performance I am at best quite tepid about, it only makes sense that I should bump into his predecessor at breakfast,
Politics
A good amount of fuss was made earlier today when videos emerged showing Pierre Poilievre by the side of the road at the border between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He stopped by to say hello and shoot the breeze with members of a group protesting the carbon tax. At
Culture
I went to see Civil War with Beloved last night. We were both super keen on it. And we were both very disappointed. It’s like blood porn without any pleasure at the end. First of all, too many of the scenes are way too long when not altogether unnecessary.
Urbanism
In my Ottawa Citizen column this week I discuss wildlife management and how – in this and in many other aspects of life in society – smart design can make such a big difference. Speaking of which, sort of. We’re starting the new e-scooter season and that’s the perfect time
Français
There are costs and benefits to living in a country with two official languages. Perhaps, if the British parliament had opted to implement Radical Jack's ideas, we'd have saved a ton of cash. But it didn't and here we are. A country with two
Politics
It was with shock and sadness that I learned of the sudden death of Benoît Pelletier. He was way too young and had so much more to contribute. The family did not reveal the cause of death but we know he nearly died of COVID in 2021. For those who
Urbanism
My Citizen column this week asks the sempiternal Ottawa question: Why can't we be chill about shit? Toronto, of all places, now allows adults to drink in public parks. And here in Ottawa we're like, oh, look. A new, fresh, fun idea to allow people to
Urbanism
My eldest had her favourite cousin spend March break with us and, seeing as the cousin had never been to Quebec City I decided to take both of them last weekend to end their week off on a high, French note. I took them on a quick walking tour of
Politics
For the Ottawa Citizen this week I wrote about making commencement ceremonies more inclusive and you can read that column here. Mais là j'ai besoin de péter une coche. Jeudi la ministre québécoise de l'Habitation, l'inénarrable France-Élaine Duranceau, s'est plainte de ce
Politics
The other day, whilst criticizing Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre used the term "Jewish ridings" in a sentence without, apparently, pausing to worry about it one bit. Trudeau “paused” UNRWA funding because of ties to terrorists and revelations that their employees took part in the October 7th attacks. A
Gender
Special days have a special way of being irritating. I never liked International Women's Day, in particular, because since women represent roughly half the species they shouldn't need special recognition. Yet there's no denying they do. Hence my frustration. In recent months there have