I see by this article in Quill & Quire that the...

My pal Steve and I meet regularly for coffee at the Commercial Street Cafe in the beautifully restored Gow Block. Back in the day this neighbourhood used to be known as Cedar Cottage and Commercial was its high street. That's it above, pre-World War One. (Photo courtesy of City of Vancouver Archives LGN504) The interurban tram...

Over the years I have been fortunate to be able to visit Savary Island many times. "Sunny, sandy Savary" (see above) is a small island lying at the top of the Salish Sea north of Powell River. To get there you take one ferry, drive for 90 minutes, take another ferry, drive for an hour, then conclude your journey with a 10-minute water-taxi ride. In other words, it is not an easy place to get to....

I have mentioned before in this space that I am a member of the editorial board of the online book review site, the British Columbia Review, formerly the Ormsby Review. The site is devoted to reviewing books about British Columbia and/or by British Columbians.

So let me announce that the Review has added a new feature, its own YouTube channel. We have kicked things off with a short interview...

The year began with a short visit to Powell River. Many nice hikes in that area, one of which took us to the top of Mt. Valentine with a wonderful view of the Salish Sea. That is the mill below us in the photograph above. Once the lifeblood of the town it is closed now and the property on the market. As far as one can tell the transition from company town has gone well; the community seems to be...