CBRM Council has declared its support for the Blue Dot movement. Launched in 2014 with the backing of the David Suzuki Foundation, Blue Dot is a “national campaign to advance the legal recognition of every Canadian’s right to a healthy environment.” In passing its resolution of support last night, theRead More

boondoggle: (noun) an unnecessary and expensive piece of work, especially one that is paid for by the public (Cambridge Dictionary)   I think the Cape Breton Highlands National Park (CBHNP) moose cull meets the definition of a boondoggle. As a Parks Canada undertaking, it is definitely paid for by the public.Read More

It’s easy for people to not think about moose culls in our national park during the summer; however, for anybody wanting more details about the annual moose cull in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the 2017 Moose Harvest Summary Document can provide information. It is a short read, butRead More

At what point did Parks Canada develop such a callous disregard for the lives of living creatures? Moose, cormorants, deer, elk, coyote, wolves and other creatures have all caught the eye of Parks Canada management at various times. Recently, in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, a prescribed fire wasRead More

A recent conversation with a relative set me to researching chickens and ticks and what a long, strange trip it’s been. The conversation was about the efficacy of chickens in controlling tick populations. It struck a chord with me because I’ve been thinking of the advantages of backyard chickens latelyRead More

Do you know what struck me most forcibly, watching the CBRM’s public hearings on the proposed Ceilidh on the Lakes RV Park for Big Pond yesterday afternoon? That if developer Chris Skidmore (who, God love him, looked like he was in the dock at his own trial when he spokeRead More

I have always loved our CB Highlands National Park (CBHNP) and much of what is done there is cause for celebration. Park visitor numbers are up, new ideas are being tested and found to be positive and steps are being taken to try to bring back the boreal forest—at a faster rateRead More

Out of Order As an armchair political scientist (we’re almost indistinguishable from the real thing until we open our mouths), I was quite happy to read what an actual political scientist, CBU’s Tom Urbaniak, had to say about the go-ahead at last Tuesday’s CBRM council meeting. In case you went to BostonRead More

Editor’s Note: I feel the need to warn you, dear readers, that this article is really long. That’s what happens when you start writing about a company with annual revenue of US$55 billion and 100,000 employees. But since it’s also a company that has been cited in reference to notRead More

Editor’s Note: A version of this article has appeared in The Inverness Oran and the Nova Scotia Advocate. The last leaves have fallen to the forest floor, and as I look out across my little forested valley, I would like to take this time to respond to the Margaree Salmon Association’sRead...