It’s been quite a while since I’ve written anything about Ottawa, but after hearing about the City’s Liveable Ottawa review, I felt compelled to write about an experience that I had the other day. I was walking from Centretown south into the Glebe, and came to the intersection of O’Connor and Catherine, which doubles as … Continue reading
Latest Entries
Remembering Jack
A year ago, Canada lost a great man. Jack Layton was the leader of the federal New Democratic Party, and, for a few months, the leader of the official opposition. When he lost a battle with cancer last August, there was an incredible outpouring of grief and sadness across the country. I, myself, spent time … Continue reading
My favourite albums #15: Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III
Hello Internet. It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted anything here. I guess I haven’t felt particularly inspired to write for whatever reason, but I’ve decided I should change that. I figured an interesting way to give me something to talk about would be to write some about my favourite albums, inspired by a … Continue reading
Hyperbole and the environment
One of the interesting things about communicating with people is how differently a message will be interpreted by varying groups. If you’re talking to someone that agrees with your basic message, it’s very easy to stir up outrage and righteous indignation. However, when you’re talking to people who disagree or are on the fence, the … Continue reading
What happened to walking?
Today, Slate.com published the first in a series of articles about pedestrians in the United States. I can’t hope to compete with Tom Vanderbilt‘s excellent writing, but I do have a few thoughts of my own on the subject, as transportation is a subject that’s always fascinated me. Right now, I have an interesting perspective … Continue reading
Cities are green: Why where you live is an important environmental choice
In his 2008 book, Who’s Your City?, economic geographer Richard Florida argues that deciding where to live is one of the most important decisions you can make for your own personal happiness and well-being. He makes a good case, but something he doesn’t touch on is the environmental effect of where to live. And if … Continue reading
What climate change means for the world
Right now, it’s early February, and we’re on track to have the warmest winter ever recorded in Canada. As that article explains, this is due to Arctic air patterns differing significantly from the norm, preventing cold air from moving south. Is it a fluke? Or is it just part of a great shift in the … Continue reading
Regional transit in the Niagara Peninsula
I came across this article in the St. Catharine Standard last week, and it’s been on my mind since then. In the fall, when I first moved to the area, the Regional Municipality of Niagara introduced a regional transit system, which runs between the major urban areas in the region: St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, Port … Continue reading
Cities, towns, and transportation
This past Friday, I stared an internship as a part of my program at Niagara College. I’ll be working in Grimsby, Ontario, helping to design an active transportation plan for the town. It got me thinking about the role that transportation plays in how cities and towns are designed, so I decided that I should … Continue reading
A study in Sherlocks
This past weekend, the second series of the BBC’s Sherlock ended, which, combined with the recent release of the sequel to the Robert Downey Jr. vehicle Sherlock Holmes, has got me thinking about the various ways that the character has been brought to the screen. With that in mind, I thought I’d compare a few of … Continue reading
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