A couple of upcoming speaking engagements to tell you about.

First of all, on Thursday, January 25, at the regular meeting of the Vancouver Historical Society, I'll be showing images of and talking about the history of North Vancouver. That's at the...

A few weeks ago I recorded an interview with Vancouver CBC radio host Sheryl MacKay for her local weekend show North by Northwest. The occasion for our chat was my recent visit to Ottawa to receive this year's Pierre Berton Award.

The interview, which aired on the Saturday morning before New Years, was a pretty wide-ranging one. You can listen to the podcast here. Our conversation begins at 1 hour 19 mins.

It is a horrible time of year for book readers. First of all the countless lists of "best books "of the year gone by, published in all the respectable periodicals. All those great books you'll never read. It drives you crazy. Perhaps just a few, you say to yourself, as you scribble down your own, abbreviated listicle of titles. But no sooner do you have a manageable selection than the same periodicals start publishing their rosters of "most promising" books expected out in the coming year,...

I've just been down getting my first look at the Polygon Gallery which opened on the waterfront in North Vancouver a couple of weeks ago. The inaugural show inside this gorgeous space is called N. Vancouver and features a collection of photographs, installations and artifacts reflecting the North Vancouver experience.

My favourite piece in the show, because I've recently become interested in the history of squatting, is a large photo by...