Opinion

In the first quarter of the 21 st century, there continues to be much turmoil in the world including disturbing trends in economic disparity, religious conflict, political unrest, and spiritual yearning.

Trans Mountain Pipeline’s application documents show there’s a lot more going on in the routine tanker traffic past Victoria’s waterfront than meets the eye. The company filed for permission last month to twin the line from Alberta to Burnaby.

I have been making a serious attempt to understand this “back to the basics” thing about public education that has been getting so much ink in the last few weeks. The term “back to basics” has been around for a while. U.K.

[Topic: Review of Kuru Toga mechanical pencil.] It is called Kuru Toga and it is the best mechanical pencil I have ever used. I have not done a big survey of mechanical pencils, but I have scribbled with many.

I have posted a 2017 update for travelling by public transit between Victoria and Vancouver. A lot has changed since 2014.

The glow from a backseat video screen could be seen in the minivan that pulled up beside me on the Trans-Canada Highway during the pre-dawn commute.

Dave Collyer, the president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, seems not to be a fan of Neil Young.

During the winter, Via Rail runs The Canadian, its flagship cross-country service, from Vancouver Pacific Central Station to Toronto Union Station twice a week, departing on Tuesdays and Fridays.

I elected to write about motivation for this week’s column. The editors approved. How timely, they said. Think of all the New Year’s resolutions made, by now quietly regretted but not yet abandoned.

Your ferry ticket these days is like Russia as described by Sir Winston Churchill: “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” It jumped 3.