Blog Archive

Watching my well-known and lovable dog, "Silky", succumb last week to an ever-worsening bone-cancer, caused me one or two more moments of reflection than usual and it's only procrastination that has prevented them from being recorded. I don't need to preach to the converted if there are dog-lovers reading this, but the sense of loss of companionship is huge when one of your faithful friends is no longer around. What that re-inforces for me is our need to have and to maintain relationships that keep us feeling connected, whether they're with animals, humans or, ideally, with both. One of the endearing features of my dog is that she had, as they say in Scotland," no side to her", in other words, what you saw was what you got - all the time. There's a lesson there for us, just as there's so much to admire in the stoic, dignified way that these creatures deal with significant health issues. They're never too sick or pre-occupied with how they are feeling to wag their tails and want to give us some affection!

The love is unconditional, the affection spontaneous. The loyalty is constant, the consistency amazing. The trust is readily available and the forgiveness equally accessible. Are there elements in that list that we humans prize? Perhaps Silky's greatest achievement, apart from all the fun we had outside, has been to cause this poor dog-owner to appreciate even more the important things in life and to remind me that learning is a constant activity and it comes from all sorts of sources, all the time. Even going outside regularly, to "smell the roses" is an eminently sensible approach to life. Thanks, Silky - miss you!

On Wednesday, March 3rd, twenty-five Shawnigan graduates from the 80's, 90's and 00's descended upon the Yaletown area of Downtown Vancouver for our inaugural Alumni Pub Night. The evening was the first of what is to be a monthly event hosted by the Yaletown Brewing Company and designed to bring alums from all eras together for an evening of reminiscing and networking in a casual, light-hearted atmosphere. Many alums arrived at the YBC on their own but were quickly enveloped in a sea of smiling, friendly faces who all shared in the common experience of a Shawnigan education.

Our next Pub Night will be on Wednesday, April 7th at 6:00 pm. If you are in the area and able to attend, please make the effort, for as all of last Wednesday's revellers, will attest, the experience is well worth the effort. As always, there will be food and drink specials and, more importantly, the opportunity to meet and reconnect with your fellow alumni. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Ryan Panton at 250-743-6257 or via email. We look forward to seeing you there!

Somewhere in the last few weeks, some time seems to have disappeared and a blog or two has been missed in the process! Perhaps I could blame the Olympics on our doorstep for being so absorbing in every way and my penance will be to write about that Olympic experience (readers' penance is to read what I write!).

Swelling with pride at the grace and humanity of so many moments in these Games, I felt that Canada finally stood up and admitted to the fact that it is one of the finest countries in the world, a sublime blend of natural splendour and the human spirit at its best. We've laughed at ourselves for so long about our politeness, our correctness and our essential fairness (and long may that conitinue!) that it has been refreshing to see us unashamedly show that "nice guys don't have to finish last" and that there's nothing wrong with unaggressive patriotism, especially if you've got something to be proud of! The support for our athletes was incredible and everywhere that you turned, there were red-and-white bedecked well-wishers and there was good-humoured enthusiasm. I've long felt that Canada has a leading role to play in what Romeo Dallaire termed 'the era of humanity' and perhaps this Olympic experience can help convince us that we are a nation that can have a unified voice as well as something important to say. People may well look to us for leadership and example.

I see the success of Vancouver 2010 as another huge step in having the older, more established nations take us seriously; it's almost a modern 'coming of age' for Canada and this somewhat decrepit Canadian for one remains very proud!