Good Sunday morning!

Here on Vancouver Island, we have had a treat of sunny weather the last few days.

With parliament in recess until Tuesday, May 25, I am hoping to be able to get outdoors and enjoy it.  Some of you may have heard that John and I, with dear friends, (now business partners) Sylvia Olsen and Tex McLeod are the new owners of the Saturna Lodge.  Once COVID restrictions end, we can let you know what kind of business we will have.  But, for now, we are busy with the move.

Good Sunday Morning!

Happy Mother’s Day!!

To our mothers, to our Mother Earth.

I have been looking on line for quotes about Mother Earth. What turns up the most are references to Saint Francis of Assisi (the Canticle for all Creatures) and those of many indigenous leaders.  It is fashionable to reject the clear world view of indigenous people globally, expressing “the Earth is our mother,” as some sort of modern romanticism.  The debunking of the letter allegedly written by Chief Seattle, that was actually from a Hollywood screenplay, has supported this notion.

Good Sunday Morning!

Happy May Day +1

And for me a day of memories of our big win ten years ago today.  I was sorting through photos of election night. My favourite is from the celebration I couldn’t join - from the front page of the Driftwood with the joyful faces of our Salt Spring Island team at Moby’s.  It is such a gorgeous photo.

Good Sunday Morning!

And heading into the last week of April 2021, our first month lived twice in COVID.  Sadly, not our last.  I am looking forward to getting my vaccination on Thursday.  Thankfully (and genuinely thankful for prayers) my family members with COVID are on the mend. I look at poor India and wonder at the enormity of exponential growth and how we could have managed the pandemic so much better.

The race between vaccines and variants is much on my mind. Family members have COVID and a dear friend died of COVID this week (in Nova Scotia).  Some readers will know her or know of her - Clotilda Yakimchuk.  She was an incredible human being.

Today marks the end of Holocaust Remembrance Week (April 4-11, 2021).  In Ottawa, every year after my election in 2011, I attended the very moving National Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony with dozens of other MPs, Supreme Court Justices, ambassadors and Holocaust survivors and their families. That is every year until last when the April 21, 2020 service was canceled due to COVID.  Leaders from every party, including Greens, would speak and join Holocaust survivors in lighting a candle. 

Good Sunday Morning!!

Happy last day of Passover! Chag Pesach Sameach!

Happy Easter! Hallelujah!

And – believe it or not – Happy International Carrot Day!

Give your Easter bunny a carrot.

Good Sunday Morning

Happy Passover! Chag Pesach Sameach!

And Happy Palm Sunday! As RuPaul might say “Can I get a Hosanna up in here?”

Yesterday, on the first day of Passover, Annamie Paul posted a lovely sentiment. “This year’s Passover serves as a reminder that the world has overcome plagues before and will again. In a time of COVID19, it is a very comforting thought.”

Good Sunday Morning!!

And Happy Spring!

The equinox actually happened yesterday morning around 5 AM Eastern time.  But March 21^st always feels like the right day for the first day of Spring!

Good Sunday Morning!

My whole last week was intense work in parliament – on zoom. So, I thought I would share some of the week’s highs and low points.