Keira-anne.com

I can say with 100% certainty that there is nothing at which I am an expert. There are, however, a few things of which I am incredibly passionate about. Orca whales are one of those things. While there are topics worth biting my tongue over, this is one passion I freely share my firm opinion on.

Photo: TylerIngram on Flickr

The story of the whale trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida that was killed by a captured orca whale – more commonly known as the “killer whale” – has reached all corners of the globe since Wednesday afternoon’s tragedy. An event such as this one naturally triggers a landslide of questions. Perhaps the most commonly asked question is simply: how could this happen?

Dawn Brancheau was an experienced trainer, having worked with these magnificent mammals for 16 years. The whale at the centre of this story is a 12,000 pound male named Tillicum, a creature that Dawn was incredibly familiar with and one whom she had created a working relationship with through training. So what provoked Tillicum to drag Dawn under the water and into an untimely and heart-rending death?

The question of how this could have happened seems, to me, to have a rather simple reasoning. Orca whales, like any animal on this planet, is at its core a wild animal. No amount of domestication can ensure a human’s ultimate safety around animals – whether we’re dealing with whales and dolphins or cats and dogs. As an expert in her field, I have no doubt that Dawn was fully aware of the daily risks she took in working with Tillicum. While what happened is wholly unfortunate, at the end of the day it can’t be unexpected either.

Photo: TylerIngram on Flickr

Many news reports that have come out in the wake of this event have suggested that it’s likely Tillicum simply thought of Dawn as a “toy” and was merely playing with her. Though defined as predatory, orca whales (which are actually a species of dolphin, not whale) aren’t generally thought to be a threat to humans and are, more often than not, peaceful creatures. That said, it can be contended that Tillicum was simply doing what comes naturally to him. If, on the other hand, what happened was rooted in aggression, we could consider his environment a chief contributing factor.

Oceanic mammals were created with the sea as their home and playground. To pluck them from the deep blue and confine them to the equivalent of a bathtub will surely have an effect. Imagine, if you will, being contained in a single room, left to circle endlessly while people peered in through windows on all four sides. It would be enough to drive you mad, wouldn’t it?

And so the great debate regarding whales in captivity has kicked up again and everyone is sure to have an opinion. Scientists claim that capturing whales is the best way by which to study them and learn of their nature and habits in order to assist in conservation programs. It would seem to me that the most effective environment to study whale behavior regarding conservation is in the wild. But then again, what do I know? I’m not an orca expert, just an orca lover.

Contribute your two cents: Do you think keeping whales in captivity is an acceptable practice? Should they be released into the wild?

When Vancouver and Whistler were first awarded the 2010 Olympic Winter Games seven years ago, I was less than enthused. I’ve never been a fan of the Olympics generally and wasn’t pumped for them to be held in British Columbia specifically. My sentiments spent the next near-decade snowballing, tangling up in an avalanche of over-spending, criticizing reports, suffering social programs and homelessness to name a few. While you can talk to me until you’re blue in the face, I will never, ever agree that athletic facilities trump any of the problems within our Province that are rapidly deteriorating. That said, I also can’t deny the fact that the Games are very much here.

This is where I admit to waving the white flag, eat my words and declare my own hypocrisy. Despite it all, I am very, very excited for the celebrations at hand.

I suppose it began last Thursday. I made my way to 49th Avenue in an attempt to catch Steve Nash carry the torch and felt entirely unpatriotic. In a sea of red and white, I stood out like a sore thumb in my purple basketball jersey. I intended to get Nash’s attention and, seemingly, it worked. Without red and white, I felt entirely alienated so made the decision that I’d actually sport Canada’s colours the next day as the torch made its way past my office downtown.

The excitement on Georgia Street Friday morning was incredible with a sea of proud Canadians stretched, quite literally, as far as my eyes could see. And as we cheered, applauded and shouted, everyone was speculating who’d ultimately light the cauldron that night at BC Place Stadium. I had to admit that even I, the Olympic Cynic, was curious. [Cue that white flag I was telling you about.]

Curled up on my couch that evening, I sat mesmerized as so many of the beautiful elements of our country’s culture unfolded before millions of eyes around the globe. British Columbia is only a fraction of the rich tapestry that is Canada, made up of people, images, songs, history and events that have shaped and transformed the home in which you and I live today. Perhaps the hydraulic issue served as an unintended measure of proof that, despite how breathtaking Canada is, it is not perfect. We’d be fools to deny such flaws exist but can instead unite in the pride that threads through us all and hope that one day we’ll see a country in which the final pieces click into place.

I’ve been called many names in the past: Homebody, Little Miss Anti-Social and even Not A Joiner. While those labels can certainly ring true at the best of times, now is not one of them. The movement and spirit of Canadian pride has spread across this city like wildfire. Think of Vancouver as being likened to Zombieland – minus the fleshy tenancies but instead with a healthy dose of infectious patriotism.

The ’round-the-clock music, cheers, screams and partying no longer cause me to roll my eyes but instead stifle giggles. If anything, this event has served as a personal reminder of how truly magical British Columbia is. It’s easy to take the mountains and ocean and blue sky and fresh air for granted each day when it’s on my doorstep. To be given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see those elements of our nation through the eyes of countless international visitors is a gift. While I certainly refuse to turn a blind eye to the critical needs on the streets of my city and in the towns of my province, it would also be a shame were I to miss out on such an amazing opportunity in my own front yard.

The strangest thing about this all is the notion that in a few short weeks, the streets will have emptied out, Robson Square will be once again quiet on my early morning walks to work and we will all be left wondering if it was just a dream…

Honest to a fault and too kind to be cruel, Tony Pierce is a rare gem. As the sole author of the long-running busblog and chief blog editor for the LA Times, never a dull word is uttered from his mouth. That is, of course, if you manage to catch him long enough for a conversation.

Photo: miss604 on Flickr

Throughout our friendship, Tony has interviewed yours truly on two occasions and has even orchestrated an interview between myself and Taylor Hanson (yup, the “Mmmbop…” guy). Never once has he sat down to be interrogated by me – until last night.

Keira-Anne: Good evening. Let’s start by getting your name out of the way.

Tony Pierce: My name is Andy Warhol and I’m here to sell you soup. Actually, paintings of soup cans.

KA: Are you selling anything else, Andy Warhol?

TP: Nope, just soup. I also go by a more common name of Tony Pierce

KA: Did your mama name you Anthony?

TP: She did! Anthony Hugh Pierce III.

KA: That’s a rather distinguished name. Why did you drop the a, n, h and y?

TP: There was a tax on consonants where I grew up. So repressive!

KA: That’s rather unfortunate. I hope it didn’t break your mama’s heart. Moving on… Did you have a favourite pair of pajamas when you were a little boy? Maybe some flannels with a bunch of Cs for the Cubs all over them?

TP: Hmmmm that was so very long ago. I’m sure I did, I just cant recall that far back.

KA: Were the Cubs even in existence in the ’50s?

TP: Yes, they were just figuring out how to successfully lose for a living. Their last world series win was in 1908, so by the ’50s they were almost in stride.

KA: That’s appalling. Let’s talk about sports later on. When did you make the move from Chicago to Los Angeles?

TP: I moved here the day after my high school graduation. I was 17.

KA: I like that you’re not getting any more specific than that. You were so young, so fresh and so impressionable. Were you frightened on your first day in LA?

TP: Indeed. I had gone from kindergarten all the way to graduating high school in Illinois. I knew everyone, so moving here not knowing one soul was weird, but I was up for it. I mean, I knew what family I had out here, but no one my own age.

KA: Can you tell me what your first great memory of LA was? You know… that pinnacle moment where you realized you made the right decision.

TP: There’s this free weekly newspaper out here called the LA Weekly and they list all the bands that are gonna play and where all the movies are. Even though I didn’t like to dance, I figured I should go to a dance club to meet girls.

KA: That’s never a bad idea.

TP: So the Weekly said I should try this one club because it was a mix between the bar in Star Wars and the wildest orgies in ancient Rome. LITTLE DID I KNOW that meant it was a gay and lesbian club.

KA: They didn’t specify that in the small print?

TP: NOT AT ALL. So I stood stunned as I saw two super hot girls make out and I was all “I’m in HEAV-“ and this dude tapped me on the shoulder.

KA: Did your stomach drop at that moment?

TP: Looks like probably exactly like how your dad looks and said “wanna dance?”

KA: I guess strapping, young black men from the mid-west were his thing. Did you oblige him?

TP: No, I ran out of the club and sped out of the garage as fast as I could with a huge WELCOME TO LA feeling in my heart.

KA: Have you been back to the Star Wars Orgy since?

TP: When I told my friends about it, they were all, “a gay and lesbian dance club? Hell, we woulda’ burned down such a place in IL“. And interestingly enough this place, The Odyssey, was burned down a few months after I went there.

KA: There’s some culture shock for you… There’s a gay club in Vancouver called the Odyssey as well.

TP: See, maybe that’s a thing that we straights don’t know.

KA: Perhaps it’s a chain. What’s the one thing about LA you wouldn’t trade for anything else?

TP: People talk about the pretty girls, but you’re proof that there are gorgeouser women in Canada.

KA: Is it all talk?

TP: No, there are definitely pretty girls here.

KA: You make me blush and I’m not even the one being interviewed.

TP: Ha! Some say they like bumping into celebrities in LA, but we are now letting Canada steal our movie and TV biz.

KA: It’s true. BC is kind of a Mecca for that stuff now.

TP: So I would say it’s the weather. There’s nothing better than wearing shorts in January.

KA: How about not wearing shorts in January?

TP: Bottomlessness is frowned upon in the lower 48, but I’m glad that Canada is setting trends.

KA: What about Hawaii and Alaska?

TP: Palinville and Punanyland? They don’t really count.

KA: Fair enough. So tell me… what is so special about Los Angeles that they deserve not one but two NBA teams?

TP: LA deserves two teams of all great sports. The fact that we have zero football teams is just LA being funny.

KA: If that’s your logic, then the same should be said about Vancouver. What happened to the Raiders?

TP: The Raiders were here for 15-16 years, something like that. And Uncle Al… all he wanted was a kickass stadium – one with luxury boxes. LA promised they’d hook him up.

KA: Hold on… Uncle Al?

TP: Al Davis. The one and only owner of the Raiders.

KA: Okay. Keep going.

TP: N.W.A even has a line about him: “And quit giving juice to the Raiders / Cuz Al Davis / Never paid us“.

KA: Sounds hostile.

TP: The Raiders are silver and black because Al is color blind and he wanted the fans to see things like he does. He’s the original gangsta, which is why N.W.A loved him.

KA: Tony, you teach me something new every time I talk to you.

TP: Hahaha – menial trivia I’m sure.

KA: Someone somewhere will be interested in that fact. I, for one, am. That said, Lakers or Clippers?

TP: I am not a Kobe fan. But it’s hard not to be a Phil Jackson fan. I really wish the Clip Show was more competitive, because I would go to more of their games if they were.

KA: Nice lead-in. Kobe Bryant replaced Jerry West as the Lakers’ all-time leading scorer in tonight’s game. Does that do anything for you?

TP: Not really. Kobe began playing for the Lakers right outta high school. He’s almost always had great players around him. Jerry West spent four years in college.

KA: It’s okay. The Lakers lost to the Grizzlies tonight anyway. Point proven.

TP: See? Here’s another weird trivia bit that you may not be aware of but maybe you are.

KA: Do tell…

TP: The NBA logo is Jerry West.

KA: Reeeeeeally? Kobe’s credibility between you and I just keeps getting weaker and weaker.

TP: Yep.

KA: That is nothing short of rad.

TP: I know!

KA: I can’t go any further without complimenting you on your spelling and grammar. I’m a bit particular about it myself – obsessive almost. How important is spelling, grammar and sentence structure in blogging?

TP: it all depends on what kind of blogging you’re doing.

KA: Is it important to you?

TP: Very.

KA: Phewf.

TP: I’m trying to do something arty. When it’s at its best, which it hasn’t been in a while, it should look drunken and wasted and nutz.

KA: Blogging ebbs and flows.

TP: Life ebbs and flows and you can’t always be the artiste you wanna be.

KA: Do people still use a “z” to pluralize?

TP: It all depends on what I’m trying to evoke.

KA: I bet you say “zee”.

TP: I think the Lord has blessed us with a large pallet in which to paint from, so we should use everything – but in the right way.

KA: Speaking of, if you weren’t a hot shot with the LA Times and the sole author or the busblog, do you think you would have instead been a man of the cloth? You make this too easy for me. It’s like you’re reading my mind.

TP: If only I could read minds, I would use that power for the hottest evil.

KA: More about that in a moment…

TP: Which is probably why they wouldn’t allow me in any monastery.

KA: True. But you’re pretty tight with the G-man, no?

TP: I am a devout believer, yes.

KA: That makes two of us. I’m diggin’ Isaiah these days.

TP: I just finished first Kings, so I’m still thinking a lot about David. I will be on Isaiah soon!

KA: Good!

“I read The Bible once. You know God and Jesus and all them apostles? They were all fishermen, just like me. Yeah, straight to heaven for Mick Dundee. Yep, me and God, we’d be mates.”

Is it that simple?

TP: Let’s hope! They say you go by the Grace of God, so who knows.

KA: And probably by the sweat of your brow.

TP: If I get in, it will be after much deliberation. Unlike you, I wont get a unanimous vote.

KA: I don’t know – I think things are a bit more cut and dry than that… especially in real life. Which merit do you think would earn me that unanimous vote?

TP: A) You’re a virgin;
B) you’re Canadian;
C) your blog design is gorge;
D) you love animals;
E) you love nature;
F) when you touch yourself you think of angels and butterflies;
G) you are super sweet to even those you don’t have to be…

KA: I don’t think my ego can handle you getting all the way to zee, but that’s a good start.

TP: Hahaha.

KA: Remember when we hung out in Vancouver about 20 years ago?

TP: Best summer vacation I’ve ever had!

KA: What’s so repulsive about this city that’s kept you away since? Does Vancouver smell funny?

TP: Vancouver smells so good that even its worst aroma is Hells Angels selling weed.

KA: I don’t think they sell it. I think they have other people that sell it for them.

TP: Whatevs, that whole block smelled awesome.

KA: If you come back to Vancouver this summer, we’ll go to the arcade again. And I’ll even let you borrow Jordy to go for a walk and pick up chicks.

TP: The reason I have never come back goes along those lines… I really got a massive crush on Foxy.

KA: I know you did.

TP: And it would be hard for me to not stalk her if I returned. Which isn’t the way you wanna roll when in Canada.

KA: Would she be upset if you stalked her?

TP: It’s hard to tell because she plays it so cool. She hardly ever writes me back when I write her, so who knows if she just doesn’t wanna talk or if she hates me.

KA: And you definitely don’t want to be a needy chick to Foxy.

TP: I don’t wanna be needy to anyone. I don’t mind chasing, but I don’t wanna be annoying.

KA: That’s a good balance. But the offer stands. My dog is a total magnet. You’d have hot chicks flocking to you like bees to honey.

TP: I’ve always had great luck up there, so I wouldn’t doubt it!

KA: Multiple luck from what I’ve heard.

TP: I think the girls are just tired of naturally handsome locals.

KA: “Naturally handsome locals” isn’t really an accurate blanket statement. Do you still have this shirt?

TP: Indeed I do! I’m thinking about wearing it to this really cool Super Bowl party on Sunday. It’s the cheesiest shirt I own, so why not?

KA: Who’s playing in the Super Bowl this year? New Orleans and…

TP: Peyton Manning’s Indy Colts.

KA: Are you placing any bets?

TP: I’m not, but if I was, I’d bet on the Colts – they have the experience. But my heart is with the Saints.

KA: Is that just your hunch talking?

TP: No. I just feel for the city of New Orleans and I know how much more important this would be for them. Indy has… oh so much but New Orleans could use a break.

KA: You know, I was thinking the same thing tonight as I watched the Suns in NOLA. Plus they’re down their star point-guard. A win would’ve been great for the city’s morale.

TP: Trust me, I am in 7 NBA fantasy leagues and I drafted that point guard #1 in three of those leagues. I know all too well about that sitch.

KA: Does that mean you’re out money?

TP: No I never play fantasy for $. People cheat enough as it is, but if it was for $ I’m afraid they’d totally cheat worse, and block me from making incredible trades. Today, for example, I pulled the trigger on a trade you may appreciate.

KA: Are you afraid of becoming addicted to gambling?

TP: The only thing I’m addicted to is blogging.

KA: That’s safe.

TP: Is it?

KA: You traded Amar’e Stoudemire, didn’t you?

TP: Close, Derrick Rose for the injured Carlos Boozer.

KA: That really doesn’t impact me either way.

TP: Me, I think it’s a brilliant trade.

KA: Plus, we got whipped by Utah last week.

TP: See, they’re really good. Some would say Boozer is their hidden reason.

KA: It’s possible, sure.

TP: But in fantasy he gives points, boards, blocks. Rose can only score and dole out a few assists.

KA: Fantasy sports, in my opinion, is really likened to WOW.

TP: Oh def – except with real people.

KA: Doesn’t it make you feel a little bit silly?

TP: No because it keeps me aware of EVERY team in the NBA, even the players on the bench.

KA: So there is some value to it.

TP: Tons. When I go to a game, I know every detail.

KA: Tony, we’ve been chatting for 53 minutes now. What kind of a feeling are you having about how we’re rolling?

TP: Chatting with you, Keira-Anne, is like dancing in the clouds with Gene Kelly.

KA: Would you be Gene Kelly?

TP: Wait, that’s a dude?!?! Aw crap.

KA: Yes.

TP: Ok, his girlfriend.

KA: You’d be his girlfriend?

TP: Chatting with you, Keira-Anne, is like being Spider-man upside-down kissing Kirsten Dunst in the rain while Sam Raimi directs.

KA: That was a hot kiss – very lippy. Have you ever kissed a girl like that?

TP: Not when it was raining.

KA: Were you wearing spandex?

TP: Just under my suit.

KA: So you were more like Superman…

TP: The only way I’m like Superman is that I work at a newspaper by day.

KA: And your name is cooler than “Clark”.

TP: Tony Pierce is a pretty good name, I must say.

KA: It’s a great name. May I compliment you for a moment?

TP: Hmmmm… fine.

KA: Woah, woah, woah… why the defense? (Do you like that I spelled it the American way just for you?)

TP: How are you supposed to spell it?

KA: In Canada we spell it as “defence”. Safari tells me that I just spelled it wrong.

TP: Ahhhh…

KA: For the record, I believe our French Canadian-influenced spelling looks odd. We also spell “center” as “centre”.

TP: Yes, I like that a lot.

KA: Anyway, enough deviation. I would just like to say that I enjoy speaking with you because you are one of those extremely rare people that expects authenticity from others while seemingly accepting them for who they are. And that, my friend, makes my heart happy.

TP: Awwww thank you! I don’t expect people to be authentic, but I’m very happy when they trust me enough to cut the act.

KA: Perhaps that’s a better way of articulating what I meant. You have a knack for encouraging people to cut the crap.

TP: I’m glad you feel comfortable with me. For sure!

KA: So as our time together draws to an end, is there anything that you want/need/wish the great people of Canada to know about you? Or do you simply want to bid us adieu and goodnight with a reminder of how warm it is in Cali right now?

TP: It’s not super warm here this minute.

KA: I bet it’s warmer than Vancouver.

TP: I have my little space heater on.

KA: I have my heater on in my little space.

TP: And no, I don’t want to try to convince Canada of anything about me. I trust that they will judge me accurately. I guess the only thing for me to say to the good people up there is “Thank You”. Mostly for visiting my site as much as they do and for always being welcoming and loving when I visit.

KA: Are the majority of your readers from Canada?

TP: At the bottom of my blog on the left rail it shows the countries. Right now it’s late, so almost everyone is from the West Coast of the USA. But during the day, when it matters, it’s about half Canada and half the USA.

KA: Well, whatever we may lack in numbers, we make up for in love and pixie dust for the busblog.

TP: Hooray!!! I do have one favor of you.

KA: Anything for you, Anthony Hugh Pierce III.

TP: I would like to ask you about your love life since we have been tracking it on the busblog. So table’s turned! Ms. Keira-Anne, tell us that you’re not still a single woman. Tell us that some smart man has swooped you up.

KA: Is the interviewee allowed to ask the interviewer questions?

TP: I believe you just said, “Anything for you, Anthony Hugh Pierce III“.

KA: This is true. I can’t deny what I said or eat my words.

TP: But since you are a gentlewoman I will allow you one no comment.

KA: I am still a single woman and no smart man has swooped me up.

TP: Now how again is this at all possible?? You walk to work?

KA: I do walk to work each day.

TP: And no guys smile as you pass by?

KA: Sometimes the construction workers. But more no than yes.

TP: When you go out with your friends to eat, or better, to drink, no guys send over a nice drink and wave?

KA: I had a guy buy me drinks on my birthday. Then I found out he was engaged. Who does that? Needless to say, I bolted.

TP: Dick! Do you have any single lady BFFs?

KA: Sure do. Well, single ladies. No BFFs for this girl.

TP: Am I to believe that you and your single ladies don’t go out 1-2 times a month to prowl the bars and/or bowling alleys searching for testosterone?

KA: You know that’s not how I roll.

TP: It’s just walking that catwalk. Letting the fools know what they lucked into.

KA: I do that every time I leave my apartment…

TP: Fair enough. You’ve answered more than one question, so thank you. One follow-up though, totally unrelated.

KA: Go for it.

TP: Power Windows… Sorry, Tinted Windows

KA: What about tinted power windows?

TP: Your boy leading that super group.

KA: Aww yeah Taylor Hanson. It didn’t really take off as much as it could have. But the thing is, he gels best with his brothers. Anything else he tries, in my opinion, will pale in comparison.

TP: Glad to hear it. I was afraid you’d drank the Kool-Aid.

KA: Never. Unless it’s lime.

TP: Awesome. Well thanks for the interview.

KA: No, no… thank you.

There is something to be said for knowing one’s self, but identifying one’s self is something entirely different. It’s nothing short of amazing to me to see the ways in which I have changed through each year of my life, and of how I have transformed from girl to young lady to woman. And even as such, I still have next to no idea what that really means. I know who I am, I know my name, what I like, what I dislike, what I’ve experienced and what I desire. All of that is pertaining only to me, but what about me as a woman? That’s an entirely separate entity, however marked with many of the same traits that I likely share with the other more than three billion women in this world.

I have one friend who is dear to me for reasons that are unique to her. Emily and I have known each other since we traded juice boxes in kindergarten, and more than two decades later, I’d still share my lime Kool-Aid with her. Two years ago she found herself moving to Europe, and as of right now, she’s dreamily drifting back and forth between Spain and Portugal.

Yesterday Emily and I were talking like we normally do every few weeks, and as she shared with me some of the challenges she’d been facing lately, the topic of being a woman surfaced in our discussion. While it’s honest to say that the delicacies of the fairer sex can at times be a source of great frustration and eye-rolling for many men, make no mistake that we frustrate our own selves just as much. Men may find us to be complex, complicated, emotional and even – at times – ridiculous, but we women often paint ourselves with the same brush. It’s difficult to grasp objectivity when we look at ourselves.

The epiphanies that Emily and I concluded on seemed to be an incredible light bulb moment for us both. Women over-think, overanalyze, over-scrutinize, calculate and solve problems. While those traits can, on the surface, be charming to very few, Emily and I realized that it’s simply in our nature as women. It is ingrained in our feminine disposition to nurture, to love, to resolve, to maintain control, create order out of chaos, to make peace and to roll up our sleeves and get the dirty work done. So often we’re encouraged to do the opposite, but going against the fabric of what defines us is nothing short of stifling.

Many may argue that the Bible is an unreliable source, but it’s been trusted in by hundreds of generations as a compass for life. While some will fight tooth and nail to prove that it’s the absolute Word of God, it’s hard for me to believe that, through countless versions and languages, more than a few things haven’t been lost in translation along the way. However, the messages and parables of peace, love, kindness, righteousness and trust are never off course. This afternoon I found myself at the end of Proverbs:

“Her worth is far above jewels…

[She] works with her hands in delight…

She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night…

Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain.”

Proverbs 31: 10-30 (NASB)

Too often I find myself beating myself up for what is in my very nature. Society commonly lends itself to unspoken and unwritten expectations of cynicism, hopelessness, guarded and implicit behavior in women. Women who display love and a gentle nature are often the first suspects.

Just as it is for Emily, so too will your life never be without challenges, tests of strength, events that shape your character and dealings that result in ultimate joy. At times things can seem downright frightening, but the only thing worth fearing is an existence so stagnant that we are no longer presented with the opportunities that are imperative to becoming the people –and the women – that we are each capable of being. No one knows whom the woman King Lemuel spoke of in that particular passage is, but I know for certain that’s the type of woman I aspire to be.

Author’s Foreword: This post is lovingly dedicated to my dear friend Andrea, a woman who shares many of my compulsions. Language is only one of them. Reading thesauruses may be another.

While earlier pondering this blog post, I was formulating what I thought would be the perfect opening anecdote. Upon further consideration, I realized that whether it related to my topic or not was moot, so I’ve decided to drop it altogether and cut to the chase.

“What’s the deal with language these days?”

When ICQ made its first appearance in 1996, chat speak was born. Words and phrases became abbreviated and emotions were instead expressed through cleverly strung together punctuation marks. Further still, punctuation itself was completely thrown out the window. It’s a slippery slope, my friends, and since then we’ve been inundated by way of MSN, AOL, text messaging, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, e-cards, blogs, webcams and smart phones.

While technology has certainly made the world a smaller place and brought people closer together (though that is still open to debate), it has also turned us into incredibly disgusting and ridiculously languid communicators.

Photo: MrPhilDog on Flickr

It can be assumed that the majority of Canadians have been taught, generally speaking, a basic education in the public school system. Many more of us have been fortunate enough to attend post-secondary institutions. The expectation concerning our quality of work only increases as we pursue higher levels of schooling. Words – both written and spoken – are arguably the strongest method of communication no matter which language one speaks.

Have I missed something along the way? I was by no means the most scholastic student in any given class. I made efforts when warranted, pulled off a consistent ‘B’ average throughout most of academia and never gave one subject more attention over another. Yet somehow I’ve still managed to walk away with an understanding of spelling, grammar and punctuation.

An alarming rate of educated adults still mix up contractions with possessive words. “A lot” has always been, and will always be, two separate words. When joining two thoughts with “and,” why use a comma? The “and” in the middle is the conjoiner. Run-on sentences are never acceptable and the only exception to this rule is if your name is Ernest Hemingway or Raymi. Though, even those two know what’s what.

The truth is that this unfortunate phenomenon is not restricted to chat windows and Facebook walls. Glaring blunders are popping up in grocery store fliers, newspapers, magazines, work-related correspondence and on billboards. I can’t help but wonder if our educations have failed us or if we simply no longer care. It’s time for the lost art of language to make a triumphant return.

“When a man wantonly destroys one of the works of man we call him a vandal. When he destroys one of the works of God we call him a sportsman.” – Joseph Wood Krutch, Literary Naturalist, 1893-1970

Some people seem somewhat shocked initially. Others are in disbelief and others still feel it necessary to dish out mild jabs in good fun. While at the same time, some people have simply exclaimed “finally! I was wondering how long it would take you…”

While I previously went through a two-year period of vegetarianism when I last lived on Vancouver Island, I had long been a big fan of meat. I loved eating it, cooking with it, creating new recipes with it, smelling it as it baked or broiled or barbecued. April 12, 2009 was the last time I ate meat.

A little over three months without meat seems like a short time for most and, while some may doubt the genuine intent behind my decision to cut meat entirely from my diet, that time is irrelevant. I’m still new to this “vegetarian thing” and know that there’s still a lot to learn. I’m constantly educating myself, researching the lifestyle I’ve undertaken and finding new recipes and ways at which to keep myself healthy without eating meat. My choice didn’t come about because I decided it suddenly tasted “gross”. In fact, my diet still includes eggs and dairy products from humanely-obtained local sources.

With so many questions being bounced around between my family, my friends and even my blog readers, I’ve felt the time is right to deliver my vegetarian’s manifesto, if you will. I can’t necessarily pinpoint the “how” but I can definitely articulate and expand on the “why”.

It’s no secret that I’ve long been a lover of animals. This includes everything from cats to dogs to chickens to birds to whales and every other living, breathing creature under the sun. To me, they have always been beautiful, abundant and gentle beings, each possessing somewhat of an innocence that we humans dropped along the way at some point. What was missing in my own life in this regard was a connection.

There was no particular incident that spurred on my decision to shed animals from my diet, my make-up bag or my closet. I know that I can honestly say that, although it may have been an idea floating in the furthest reaches of my subconscious, I truly did wake up one day and realized my perception had changed entirely.

It was Easter Sunday and my mom was out of town, so my aunt and I were left to our own devices for dinner. Rather than cooking a large turkey for the two of us, I found a recipe for Cornish game hens and planned for that instead. Easter Sunday was also the day I decided I was done. I carefully prepared the meal, as well as the vegetables to go along with it, and then sat at the dinner table with my aunt that evening. “Today is the last day I’m going to eat meat,” I told her without batting an eyelash. It was simply that matter-of-fact.

What caused that connection or that proverbial light bulb to illuminate is beyond me, but perhaps it was simply an inevitable culmination of my personal beliefs. If I love animals as much as I purport to, then why do I have no problem at all throwing parts of their carcasses on a grill or in a pan and proceed to devour them?

This is where the problem lies: animals are living, humourous, loving, emotional, intelligent beings that eat, breathe, sleep, feel, think and move. Food, on the other hand, is completely inanimate. A hot dog just sits on your plate without movement or sound. The only thing meat will do if you leave it long enough is decay. But making the connection between the living and the non-living isn’t easy. What joins the two usually involves a sharp blade, inhumane treatment and much pain.

It isn’t my endeavour to shock each of you through facts or unbelievably disturbing details of how the animals make it from the farm to the plate. Many of you have seen the PETA videos while others still may have witnessed it first-hand.

It’s my belief, as a woman and an individual human being, that we are all here on the planet by the design of something greater than all of us. Animals have personalities and feel, experience and understand many of the same quotients and emotions we humans do. If you have met Jordy, you know what I’m talking about! We are all species and none of us can say that one is greater than the other. Animals feel physical pain, experience the emotion of fear and feel the natural urge to flee when threatened just as you or I do.

Something as simple as a backyard BBQ with family is deemed more valuable than the life of the pig whose ribs are being devoured. Dispute that if you will, but actions always speak volumes above words. Last month, an Oklahoma woman and her friend were charged with killing and skinning a seven-week-old puppy with the intent to make a belt [source]. While the community was outraged, I couldn’t help but wonder how this was deemed to be a “despicable” case of animal cruelty, yet if the belt had been made of a cow, it would be okay. Something doesn’t add up.

I’ve heard a million arguments made to justify the consumption of meat. While some will say that the production of meat is actually good for the environment and the economy, others still will tell tales of the astronomical impact it has on the global environment. The point can also be attempted that eating vegetables is also killing living things, but it is scientific fact that plants do not possess both the central nervous system and brain required to feel and register pain [source]. But instead of respecting these beings, we assume we own them by locking them up in zoos, keeping them confined to large tanks at city aquariums and corralling them until they’re ripe for slaughter.

All of that is besides my point. The irony is that humans take such pride in being a group of beings so incredibly evolved as a species that our lives are seemingly worth more than those of animals. Yet, we rely on the idea that eating meat is our primitive right.

The truth about us humans is that yes – we are evolved; so much so that we no are longer required to consume meat to ensure a balanced diet and live a healthy and wholesome lifestyle. While at one point in time, eating meat and testing on animals may have been essential, it’s no longer necessary. Technology has moved us past that, and the choice to eat an animal is no longer premised on a need but instead on desire.

Very recently, I was discussing the beauty and gentle nature of cows with someone close to me. “I love cows too but I could never look one in the eyes – I’d just feel too guilty!” was what they told me. That, right there, is precisely the reason for my choice. I can no longer look at what is literally staring me in the face and deny it any longer.

I have made a decision and declaration to live a vegetarian lifestyle. I now make every single effort possible to use products that have not been tested on animals. No longer will items purchased for my wardrobe be made of leather products. By making these choices I am not claiming to be perfect, just as I do not attempt to describe those that eat meat as imperfect.

However, no matter what kind of argument anyone attempts to make against my choice, there can be no argument against compassion. There can be no argument against equality or love. I believe that every living being, whether toes, heels or hooves, has the exact same right to live a normal, happy and healthy life.

In 2007, Academy Award winner (and bonafide babe) Joaquin Phoenix passionately contributed to a film called Earthlings. It is as incredible as it is intense. In it, he points out the direct correlation between all of the Earth’s species and their individual values. While containing compiled videos that are not isolated events, but instead the norm, Earthlings is perhaps the most violent and graphic film you will ever see. Except it’s real.

Earthlings can be viewed online in its entirety here.

Comments and contributions to the discussion are both welcome and encouraged. In doing so, pleasure ensure that you’ve read this article in its entirety before doing so. All opinions are to be respected, and comments of a belligerent or abusive nature will be deleted after the IP address is flagged.

I was still in diapers when my family moved from Port Hardy to the Comox Valley in 1982. The Valley has always been and will always be home and, as such, has also always been an immense source of pride. Today I feel shame.

It’s a community comprised primarily of three towns – Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland – and is a community born out of a vibrant history. Though, like any community with deep roots, the stories are often marred. When Cumberland was a booming mining town in the late 1800s, it was also home to North America’s second largest Chinatown as well as a substantial Japanese population. These immigrant workers were brought in simply to risk their lives doing the most hazardous of mining jobs that others would not do. Countless immigrants died in doing so.

Much of Cumberland’s Chinatown was destroyed in a fire in 1936 that originated in a chop suey house; the area was never rebuilt. And further, in 1942 amongst the shadows of World War II, the entire local Japanese population was ordered to be shipped to internment camps in the interior of British Columbia.

Neither population recovered from these decimating events. One could say that these were the first examples of blatant racism in the Valley’s history.

As I grew up, the Comox Valley’s population was predominantly comprised of Caucasian people of European descent. Being that the Island is still home to many First Nations reserves, there has also always been a sizable native population. In junior high I had one girlfriend who had immigrated with her family from South Korea, and went to high school with a brother and sister from Pakistan. The number of black families in the community could be counted on one hand.

While the diversity of the Comox Valley has certainly increased over the last decade, what has always been apparent to me, however, is that none of this ever seemed to matter. We all had our respective backgrounds, history and ancestry, but that was just a matter of fact – not a matter for tact. The idea of any form of racism in the Comox Valley seemed entirely outlandish to me.

There are still numerous men who drive their trucks around the Valley with Confederate flags emblazoned in the front license plate holders, but I always assumed they were paying tribute to The Dukes of Hazzard rather than knowing what it symbolizes. It would seem that I am incorrect. A recent event in the parking lot across from the Courtenay McDonald’s restaurant has changed what I thought I knew in an instant.

Last Friday a 38-year-old landscape artist by the name of Jay Phillips was accosted, cornered and both verbally and physically attacked by three young men between the ages of 19 and 25. In broad daylight, Phillips was bombarded with fists, kicks, racial slurs and threats of lynching. What his cowardly attackers did not expect, however, was that the man well-versed in mixed martial arts was prepared to fight back – and he did.

“If nobody says anything or does anything, they’re going to do this again,” Phillips stated in a local news interview. The attack, which was caught entirely on video and subsequently posted on YouTube, was the silver lining. “Otherwise it would have been three or five guys’ word against mine,” he said. “I don’t want this shit to ever happen ever again.”

The three men have been identified, arrested and charged with assault. The RCMP are currently investigating and further charges of a hate crime are pending.

I applaud Jay Phillips for standing up, for using his voice and for fighting back against such a disgusting display of ignorance and hate. The kind of behavior perpetrated against Mr. Phillips simply cannot – and will not – be tolerated. It is my hope that by his brave example, more people will be strong enough to resist backing down and instead fight for love and acceptance.

During my training to teach pre-school, we were told a story of a group of 15 pre-schoolers that were engaged in a sharing circle together. Each child was instructed to say something about the other children that makes each of them different or unique. One child was permanently bound to a wheelchair, and when it came to his turn, his classmates took turns praising his artistic skills, his fun laugh, his willingness to share and exclaiming that he always had the best snacks. Not one single child noted that his wheelchair made him different or unique.

Perhaps we can all take take our cues from the uncorrupted.

When Peter Griffin’s welfare cheque on Family Guy was accidentally written out for $150,000 instead of $150, he built a moat around his home and rented the Statue of David. The kids of The OC spent cash like it was going out of style and were seemingly in constant competition with each other. Al Bundy dressed the part of a man made of money when his bank account temporarily swelled on Married… With Children.

So what’s the deal with our compulsion to spend-spend-spend instead of save-save-save?

Photo: Loadtr

A few months ago I wandered into Chapters looking for a book for women on financial management. I was starting from the ground up, so I knew that a little bit of leadership in my budgeting goals would be necessary. It’s easy to say “I’m going to stop spending money and start saving it,” but we all know that actions speak louder than words. One thing the book emphasizes is that understanding why we spend is the key to learning how to stop.

The last man in my life that I was constantly trying to impress – whether subconsciously or not – had incredibly particular tastes and expectations. Though unspoken, it was implied that my hair always needed to look somewhat luxurious, my nails needed to sport a specific type of manicure, my clothing needed to be as stylish as the labels in the seams, a tan was preferable and I wouldn’t dare go to bed at night without my legs shaved. Ghosts are tough to compete with.

Feelings of inadequacy or insecurity can reveal themselves in countless ways, but in women they generally rear their ugly heads in the form of spending. Whether we’re trying to impress a man, stay neck-at-neck with our girlfriends or keep up with the Joneses, the results are the same. “Retail therapy” provides a quick fix, but the high often crashes as soon as it starts. And sadly, until we can identify our personal reasons, any changes we attempt in an effort to better our financial situation will come back like a boomerang and knock us upside the head. This applies to women and men, and can concern alcohol abuse, unhealthy relationships, drug use or sexual habits.

While only a week into my strict and self-imposed budget, I have quickly realized how much I actually enjoy this new lifestyle. It’s become apparent to me how much I craved a structure I simply didn’t have. While I initially assumed living within a tight budget would cause me great stress, I’m surprised to learn how stress-free it has instead made my life.

Reaching a place of understanding, self-acceptance and personal peace in my life has given me an incredible freedom that’s causing a ripple effect. Does this mean I won’t still purchase so-called finer items? Certainly not. But if and when I do, the only person I’ll be purchasing them for is myself.

The power of persistence can be a powerful thing. Less than a week ago, I posted a letter I had written to BC Ferries. With that post I included a number of photos I recently took while a passenger on the Queen of Coquitlam vessel.

Yesterday I was fortunate to have a discussion with someone at BC Ferries’ head office in Victoria. While part of me is glad to have had the conversation and hear that my concerns and suggestions were well received by the corporation, the other part of me still feels a bit discouraged. However, the discussion was mostly fruitful and quite a few points were touched on and addressed.

• When the first ships of the fleet were built in the 1960s and 1970s, walk-on passengers with pets were almost unheard of. At that time, the designated pet areas were actually designed to be a place to essentially leave your dog while sitting on the passenger decks for the voyage. Therefore, passenger comfort in the pet area was not a consideration while these ships were designed and built.
• In addition to the welcome reception of my letters, the BC Ferries representative confirmed that all those who received the photos were disgusted by them and that it was unanimous that the conditions were deplorable and unacceptable. I was then informed that the Queen of Coquitlam is scheduled to be pulled from service in the immediate and retrofitted in order to be brought up to an acceptable and civilized standard. These changes will be complete before the summer tourist season begins.
• Apparently heaters have been installed in the pet areas of most of the older ships. It is anticipated that all older ships will have heaters by the winter.
• One safety issue I raised with the pet areas on the older ships was that of excessive exhaust and toxic emissions from the vehicles on the vehicle decks. While it was agreed that this concern is of great importance, this health issue still remains unaddressed as no potential remedy seems to have been considered.
• Another key area that I felt some fantastic progress can and will be made in is that of passenger comfort. While it is important that the pet areas be somewhat “utilitarian” in design for ease of cleaning, vinyl-covered seats are just as easily wiped as seats constructed of metal or wire mesh. Also, my suggestion to install a water fountain (for both humans and pets) and even possibly a vending machine on one of the car decks seemed potentially feasible. It is my understanding that these recommendations are being formally submitted to the corporation for consideration.
• With regard to one unisex washroom being installed on the vehicle deck, this is apparently not doable due to space constraints. The alternative idea offered is to leave your pet with a fellow passenger or someone you are traveling with. Being that neither of these options are always going to be available or desirable (Jordy is not simply a piece of luggage), a singular washroom stall is an idea that needs to be revisited by the corporation.
• As mentioned in my letter, it is of paramount concern that announcements cannot be heard while in the pet areas. I am informed that, in the event of an emergency, crew members are designated to retrieve all passengers and dogs in the pet area and bring them to a safe place.
• BC Ferries does not maintain the same policy as TransLink with regard to pets in public areas. While allergies, food preparation and potentially aggressive dogs are the top concerns by the corporation, I do understand the reason for this policy – within reason. However, that said, I would still strongly encourage the corporation to consider designating a small, strictly quarantined area on one of the passenger decks in which all dogs will be welcome (providing that the dogs are well-behaved). That way, any other passengers who do not wish to be near the pets can avoid them altogether while those traveling with pets can enjoy the same comfort as other passengers.

As our society moves closer and closer to going green in every way that we can, more people will be ditching their cars in favour of transit. On any given sailing, more than a handful of dogs can be found on the vehicle decks with their owners. As time passes, I have no doubt we will see this number swell and the need increase. That said, addressing these issues is critical to the functioning of the invaluable ferry system.

Overall, I am satisfied with the initial response received from BC Ferries and I am very grateful to the individual at head office who took the time to engage in this discussion with me. I look forward to our follow-up discussion in the coming weeks to track the progress. It is not the intention of BC Ferries to make us feel like “second class citizens,” but I had to admit that feeling that way is somewhat inevitable. However, I also felt that I was heard and that my concerns are being taken quite seriously. If you are a pet owner and one who travels on BC Ferries, please take a moment to send a quick e-mail to the corporation to encourage them and show that you support change for all of us.

While I believe there is still a great deal of work and much room for improvement, even the corporation readily admits that this continues to be an evolution. Change doesn’t happen overnight and while these improvements may be gradual, I have faith that we will see more serious attention paid to those traveling on BC Ferries by foot with their fur babies. The dogs are here to stay.

On May 19, 2009, I sent an e-mail to BC Ferries. Aside from the Customer Service office, I also sent this e-mail directly to the Captain of Fleet Operations for routes between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, the Manager of Community Relations and the Liaison Committee contact for the Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay route. A week passed and I received no response in any manner – not even so much as a confirmation that my concerns were being forwarded to the appropriate persons for review.

I then re-sent the e-mail and asked for a proper response by end-of-business on Friday, May 29, 2009. Friday came and went with not a word. I have just e-mailed all the materials to Chris Olsen of CTV’s Olsen On Your Side. Here’s hoping that he will contact me.

Until then, for your reading and viewing displeasure, here are the photographs and the letter sent to BC Ferries to which I received no response.

BC Ferries Corporation
1112 Fort Street
Victoria, British Columbia
V8V 4V2 Canada

To: BC Ferries Customer Service

To: Captain Dale Phipps, Marine Superintendent, Fleet Operations

To: Jason Bowman, Horseshoe Bay/Departure Bay Liaison Committee

To: Sarah Cotton, Manager of Community Relations

Re: Customer Service and Pet Policy on BC Ferries Vessels

I am a member of the public and a lifelong resident of British Columbia. Travel on BC Ferries has always been a part of my life and will continue to be. The service provided is essential to all British Columbians and is an important means of travel for those visiting our Province.

What has always been apparent to me is that exceptional customer service is of penultimate importance to BC Ferries, second only to passenger safety. This is evident in the planning, staffing and expert operation of the corporation and its fleet.

I have long been aware that BC Ferries has upheld a pet policy stating that pets can be transported on the vessels but that they must remain on vehicle decks at all times during the voyage (with the exception of guide dogs). Until recently, I was never a pet owner and was therefore unaffected by this policy. As I travel frequently on BC Ferries – up to several times each month – and now own a pet, I believe that this is something I need to very clearly address to BC Ferries Corporation.

Several weeks ago I was a passenger on the new and beautiful Coastal Renaissance ship and, as expected, stayed in the pet area with my small dog. While the room is bright and enclosed to avoid engine exhaust and cold air, I found it far less than comfortable. Many of the very basic amenities that BC Ferries passengers have come to expect were entirely unavailable to me. There was no washroom for me to use, no water fountain to provide fresh drinking water for my dog or myself (the installation of a vending machine for food might also be thoughtful), no heat or other electric source, wire-mesh chairs that were unbelievably uncomfortable for a near two-hour voyage and – most importantly – I was unable to hear any safety announcements and was therefore completely unaware of what to do or where to go in the event of an emergency. With the new luxury vessels that BC Ferries has recently welcomed into its fleet, the corporation had a great opportunity to ensure that an adequate area for pets and passengers would be installed, but it has failed in this regard.

For the time being after that trip, I had resigned myself to this as being my only option as a passenger, but still found it incredible that I was being charged the exact same fare as the numerous other passengers who were able to enjoy not only the most basic of amenities, but also the abundant passenger services that BC Ferries offers on its vessels. All this while my dog and I were essentially quarantined to a steel-walled room on a vehicle deck.

Over the recent long weekend, I was a passenger once again on the Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay route, this time riding on the Queen of Oak Bay (this was, to the best of my recollection, the ship making the 2:00 p.m. voyage). Upon viewing the pet and passenger area on this ship, it was plain to see that the area contains a vast number of gross inadequacies including, but not limited to, the following:

• A floor that was entirely covered in a flakey layer of rust. I refused to allow my pet to even set foot on this floor. Any animal not properly vaccinated could easily be subjected to illness or disease;
• No part of the area had been sanitized within a recent period of time, if at all;
• One of the safety gates was entirely missing from the 1-foot gap between the wall and the exterior of the ship. Any smaller dog such as a chihuahua or terrier could have easily slipped between the bars and quite literally into the ocean;
• No source of running water for animals to consume;
• No speaker through which to hear safety announcements;
• A confined space not large enough to accommodate more than two or three dogs;
• Exposure to excessive exhaust and toxic pollutants from vehicles; and
• A lack of basic amenities that all passengers should be able to access, including a washroom, drinking water, comfortable air temperature, comfortable seating, et cetera.

I have attached a number of photographs that I took yesterday to further illustrate the points and conditions outlined above. Were any pet owner to continually maintain such conditions at home for their pet, I have no doubt that said animal would be seized by the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC-SPCA).

After about 30 minutes of cold, rushing air and sea spray entering the pet and passenger area, I moved towards the inside area of the vehicle deck for some respite. A crew member came up to me and my dog soon after and told me I could move to one of the stairwell landings between vehicle decks because, in his words, “at least you’ll be a little bit warmer.” I cannot even begin to imagine how much worse winter trips will be when temperatures dip well below zero degrees.

While the gesture offered by your crew member was incredibly kind, I have one question for you: do you feel these are really and truly accommodations deemed appropriate and sufficient for paying customers of BC Ferries?

Another British Columbia transit authority operating out of the Greater Vancouver area, TransLink, also provides essential transport services for residents and tourists in British Columbia. The pet policy as stated on TransLink’s official website is as follows:

“Travelling with a furry friend? Welcome aboard! Pets, including dogs, cats, rabbits and small fur-bearing or feathered animals are allowed on transit as long as they are in small, hand-held cages. The cage or container must fit on your lap or at your feet.”

I think it is fantastic that TransLink welcomes pets, within reason, on buses, Skytrains and the Seabus. Guide dogs, naturally, are also always welcome. However, that being said, a dog is a dog is a dog. If BC Ferries prohibits pets with the exception of guide dogs on the basis that they are either: 1) allergy-inducing; or 2) a potential for mess through urination or bowel movements, then these grounds are moot. A guide dog can cause the same potential issues as any pet, so the reasons behind the policy would be irrelevant.

Like TransLink, I would encourage BC Ferries to amend their pet policy to allow small, well-behaved, contained animals in some passenger areas (with the exception of food services areas and childrens’ play areas) in the interests of passenger and pet comfort as well as to maintain the top-notch customer service that BC Ferries has become known for.

While a policy amendment would be most ideal and, in my opinion reasonable, what is most crucial in the immediate circumstance is that the alarming and horrific safety and sanitary deficiencies be remedied immediately. I believe that this truly is in the best interest of BC Ferries.

I can’t imagine that I am the only BC Ferries passenger who has ever raised these issues. Having discussed this with a few close friends – including some new residents in British Columbia – I was told “I’ve yet to be on any of the ferries and definitely would not ever consider taking [my dog] on one in the Summer – forget about Winter – after seeing what you have had to put up with.” Should an adequate response from BC Ferries not be received, I am very well prepared to extensively highlight these issues through strong local social media connections, as it has already proven to be a buzzed-about topic on blogs and Twitter. Should the issues require further media awareness, I would not hesitate to do so.

I truly appreciate the attention paid to my letter and my concerns and trust that BC Ferries Corporation will do what is best and in a way that will clearly display the integrity and ethical operating standards expected by the general public from BC Ferries.

Yours truly,

Keira-Anne Mellis
Vancouver, BC

Needless to say, the conditions were so disgusting that I would not let Jordy set-foot on the floor of the pet area. I could not identify a source for the bucket of water, so he wasn’t allowed to drink from that either.

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