Twelve oil sands producers recently announced the creation of a collaboration to accelerate improvement in environmental performance, the Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA): “Through COSIA, participating companies will capture, develop and share the most innovative approaches and best thinking to improve environmental performance in the oil sands, initially focusing on four Environmental Priority Areas [...]
Read the rest of the story »Community Building
As citizens and people, we’re connected to many communities: Our neighbourhood, or the geographic place where we live; Our work communities –our fellow colleagues, fellow students and fellow clients and contacts; Our sports teams and leisure activities, like hockey teams or book clubs. Some of our engagement in these communities is face to face. [...]
Read the rest of the story »Our Children, Our Future: Getting it Right
What are the top three issues for most people in the Calgary-Varsity constituency? This is what I’m hearing: Healthcare, education, and fiscal responsibility. December 1st, I participated in a 300-person dialogue in Calgary hosted by Minister Lukaszuk. Alberta Ed wants to know what educators, and other people who care about education in Alberta, have to say [...]
Read the rest of the story »Building Community Integrity through Volunteering
It’s a three-legged stool: Government, Family & Community. Acting together, these three legs of the stool provide stable support for citizens. Last Friday, I was invited to speak at a TEDx conference on volunteering –Volunteering Better—and I’d like to share some of the powerful messages about how all of us strengthen the community—one of these [...]
Read the rest of the story »Community Integrity – Respecting Seniors
A week ago, I formally announced I’m running for the PC nomination in Calgary Varsity. This campaign is a wonderful opportunity to talk to people in this constituency about issues that matter to them. What matters to people in Calgary Varsity? Our community is diverse, and there are lots of different priorities. Yet, one priority [...]
Read the rest of the story »Alberta’s Oilsands: Regeneration as the Aspiration
The story-line is familiar: Big Oil wants to produce, transport and market Alberta’s Oilsands at a pace needed to sustain economic yields and Canadians’ quality of life. Environmentalists want to slow down, contain, restrain, even stop, Oilsands activity to sustain the Earth, the ecology and human habitat. Both economists and environmentalists focus on ‘sustainability’ as [...]
Read the rest of the story »Celebrating Meaningful Labour
It’s Labour Day – a stat holiday when many take a break from work to actually think about what work means to us. In the present economy, if you have a job, that fact alone may be sufficient cause for celebration. Bemoaning a lack of ‘meaningful’ work could be frowned upon. And yet, we all [...]
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