iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Northrop Frye, literary critic. More on the Garrison Mentality in early Canadian settler identity and literature en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garriso...

Bronze statue of a man with glasses in a suit and vest sitting on a bench, with a big book open in his lap, and two books next to him

NORTHROP FRYE (1912-1991)
Northrop Frye was an eminent literary theorist, critic, and teacher, based at Victoria College, University of Toronto, from 1939 to 1991. His systematic approach to literature examined the underlying myths and symbols that inform all of literature, challenged existing critical paradigms, and had a significant international influence, as did his work on the Bible as literature. As a critic, he in fluenced the work of a number of noted Canadian poets. Interviewed regularly on radio and television, his concept of the "garrison mentality" in the Canadian imagination had a profound impact on English-Canadian literature.

Northrop Frye est un éminent théoricien litteraire, critique et enseignant au College Victoria de I Universite de Toronto de 1939 à 1991. Son approche systématique fait ressortir les fondements mythiques ct symboliques qui alimentent la litterature, remettant en cause les paradigmes existants et, tout comme son étude litteraire de la Bible, a une influence importante dans le monde. Comme critique, Frye influence l'œuvre de nombreux grands poètes canadiens Il est souvent interviewe dans les medias et son concept de la mentalite de garnison * dans l' imaginaire canadien marque profondement la litterature canadienne-anglaise.

Canada
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Pride weekend is finally here in Toronto. Come check out the @fairvote.ca tent! Some memes on the right, description in alt text.

Picture of a white tent top on four posts, with a table underneath. The table has a white tablecloth and brochures, cards, and stickers.
Two festival goers are signing a form, one volunteer is seated behind the table talking to them. Another volunteer in sunglasses stands next to a board full of memes. One meme shows Ms Piggy and says Democratic Empowerment doesn't mean dominating others. Another meme shows Burt and Ernie and says Multi Member ridings United people through diversity. Another shows Kermit and says everyone should have a voice in our house of democracy. Another shows The Count and says Proportional Representation gives you a politician you can count on. Another shows the cookie monster and says letting politicians redesign democracy is like trusting the cookie monster with the cookie jar. Another shows Elmo and says Single Member ridings exclude our favourite people from parliament.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Great energy from all the groups at Queen's Park today, standing up for democracy! @fairvote.ca volunteer Adrian speaking in this photo, calling for Proportional Representation ! #onpoli

A picture of a guy in front of the Ontario Legislature building on a sunny day with a blue sky. He is speaking into a microphone, and holding a red sign that says 60% of us did not vote for this government. www.fairvote.ca
He is surrounded by other activists, some holding signs.

Close-up of a guy in front of the Ontario Legislature building on a sunny day with a blue sky. He is speaking into a microphone, and holding a red sign that says 60% of us did not vote for this government. www.fairvote.ca
He is surrounded by other activists including Andrew Massey, some holding signs.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Mayor Olivia Chow opening DemocracyXChange 2026. She talked about the need for free press and to fight fascism and authoritarianism. At one point, she plugged a policy that she championed to extend library hours, which I had forgotten about.

Picture of Olivia Chow speaking at a podium in a room at OCAD Waterfront, in front of a room of seated people. A DemocracyXchange poster is beside her. A large glass window behind her shows a condo tower and the late afternoon cloudy sky.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

"I encourage you to continue exploring bold ideas and practical solutions that will help build a more inclusive, sustainable. and democratic future for all." I've got an idea how to make democracy more inclusive Mr. Carney, proportional representation please ! #DCX26

PRIME MINISTER
Message from the Prime Minister of Canada, with a picture of Mark Carney.
I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone participating in DemocracyXChange, Canada's democracy summit.
This year's theme, "Building an Economy That Serves Democracy," speaks to one of the defining challenges f f ouar time. Stron g democracies depend not only on free and fair institutions, but also n economic systems that romote inclusion, opportunity, and integrity. When people believe the economy works for them, trust in our institutions grows and our society becomes more
resilient.
Canada has long believed that democratic strength and economic progress go hand in hand. By working together--across sectors and across borders_ we can ensure that innovation, growth, and global cooperation reinforce the values that underpin our democracy.
As you engage in today's discussions, I encourage you to continue exploring bold ideas and practical solutions that will help build a more inclusive, sustainable. and democratic future for all.
I would like to thank OCAD University, The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University, and the Open Democracy Project for bringing together this diverse and dynamic group of leaders from across Canada and the world. Your efforts to foster dialogue make an invaluable contribution to our democratic life.
Please accept my best wishes for a productive and inspiring summit.
Ottawa 2026

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

Who will win Toronto Centre and be our champion for Proportional Representation? Will it be @samanthagreen.bsky.social? Olivia Iheme? @evansolomon.bsky.social ? Luis Ibarra? @fairvotecanada.bsky.social

Picture of a door hanger in someone's hand in a hallway.
Top corner says "I want my vote
to count, and want my neighbour's
vote to count.
That's proportional representation.

Why proportional representation?

Purple rectangle says
30% of the vote =
30% of the seats
That's fair!

Yello rectangle says
Power is shared
No more 39% majorities!

Blue rectangle says
We can vote for what
we believe in
Every vote will count!

Green rectangle says
Cooperative decision-making
For our future!

Red rectangle says
We'll all have an MP
we helped elect
Representation that works!

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Elbows Up rally at Metropolitan Toronto Church in Toronto tonight. Armine Yalnizyan talking about not allowing foreign companies to buy Canadian businesses, and suggesting that Canada could do war bonds.

Former Mayor David Crombie on stage in tge church speaking into the mic

View of Toronto's Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik on a projection screen with small Canadian flags waving in the foreground.

Armine Yalnizyan on a projection screen in the church. She dialed in from Ottawa

Charlie Angus speaking at a microphone in the Church. The huge vaulted ceilings of the church rise above him with the church organ on the walls around the pulpit

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 09/11/2024

Doug Ford sits in a taxpayer funded limousine and is going to remove these bike lanes using taxpayer funds. He claims the lanes in this picture are messing up traffic on Yonge St. More evidence and dialogue are needed if he has concerns. Instead, he's politicized it. #onpoli

Picture of Yonge St looking south and downhill. Picture is taken from the middle of the road, a few blocks south of St. Clair. It's 1pm and the road is empty.
The Yorkville skyline is visible in the distance, including 1 Bloor East at 75 stories, and 1 Bloor West that is under construction and is now taller at about 80 stories.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 19/10/2024

Two Cats by László L. Révész Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest #Caturday

An abstract acrylic on canvas painting. It has a light beige background that is covered in darker beige cloud-like patterns.
The right of the art piece has a orange striped cat standing like a masculin human, wearing a green suit with tails on the jacket facing toward the left, with the cat's tail trailing and poking out from the bottom of the jacket near its bum.
The left of the painting has a female cat seated in a blue and green chair like a queen and wearing a dark red dress with light green shoulders. This female cat is facing forward and reading a book, and she has the outline of a human like figure standing behind her in the background.

Wall plaque beside the painting, which says:
Révész László László (1957-2021)
Two Cats, 1991
Acrylic on canvas
Note: I am only showing the English translation, the plaque first had the same info in native Hungarian.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 28/09/2024

Meanwhile in Austria, they have great high speed rail. It's beyond insane that Canada hasn't adopted proportional representation like all of the top countries on the V-Dem Liberal Democracy Index.

Image of some seats on a train with an electronic sign above. Signs on the seats say Bike Zone in English and in German, Fahrradzone.
The sign says
186 km/h
Next stop in 6 min 13:23 arr. Amstetten 12-533f 13:38 arr. t. Valentin 13:51 arr. Linz Hbf 11-07 arr W hf 15:05 arr. Salzburg Hbf

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 25/08/2024

Yorkville Mural festival today, including lower Bay Station, no ttc fare required

Abstract wall mural on roof of green p parkade on Yorkville Ave.

View of lower Bay Station platform from stairs

Tornado shaped art installation on lower Bay Platform. The mirrors in the installation shine.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 18/08/2024

July Talk at Peterborough Folk Fest. Fast and energetic first few songs, great band!

Zoom of the main stage at night, it with purple light, July Talk on stage performing.
Leah Fay Goldstein in a white shirt, back to the audience, dancing. Peter Dreimanis on guitar and vocals, guitarist Ian Docherty, bassist Josh Warburton, drummer Danny Miles and auxiliary musician Dani Nash.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 18/08/2024

The Spades at Peterborough Folk Fest. Pretty rockin.

View looking down from a hill in Nicholls Oval Park, people sitting on blankets and mats fill the hil, looking down toward the main stage at the bottom of the hill, Peterborough Folk Festival written across the top. The Spades perform on stage surrounded by warm, orange light, and purple spotlights. James McKenty plays lead guitar and singing, joined by the bassist and drummer. Trees rise behind the stage, with a pink and blue cloudy sunset above.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 16/08/2024

Little Lake, Peterborough, Ontario

Photo of the lake on a calm day, with trees arching into the top of the photo. The far bank of the lake is visible in the distance and full of trees.

View of trees lining the shore of Little Lake in Peterborough, Ontario from several meters back on the grass from the trees and shore. The trees fill the top of the photo with green leaves, with views of the sky between the branches. The sky is cloudy and blue gray, and reflects into the water of the lake, making the sky and lake a similar blue gray. A couple wearing hats sits on a bench facing the water, holding hands, enjoying the view.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 15/08/2024

'Thank you to Marit Stiles for stopping by our booth at the Elementary Teacher's Federation of Ontario annual meeting 2024! Together, we can make the next Ontario election the last under first-past-the-post.' -Fair Vote Canada

Picture of a table display in the hotel at the conference. Standing behind the table is Marit Stiles, along with two other conference staff and four Fair Vote Canada volunteers in t-shirts that say Proportional Representation, Embrace the Power of Equality.
The table has memes, postcards ,and info about pro-rep, and there is a stand-up banner in the back about pro-rep, and a poster in the background showing how distorted Ontario's election results were in 2022.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 03/08/2024

Illustration of Single Transferable Vote (STV), a form of proportional representation. Also known as proportional ranked choice voting.

Left panel is titled First-past-the-post. It shows an ellipse divided into 3 sections, each section representing a riding, with yellow and blue round pieces representing votes. The first and third sections each contain 4 yellow round pieces and three 3 blue round pieces, and one yellow round piece above each section representing the winner. The middle section is similar, with 5 yellow round pieces and 2 blue round pieces, another yellow round piece above the section showing the winner. Yellow won all 3 sections under first past the post, which is a disproportionate result. The text under says 3 ridings with 1 MP each.
The right side of the image shows an ellipse in which the 3 sections are grouped. In the ellipse is one cluster of 6 round yellow pieces, another group of 7 yellow round pieces, and a group of 8 blue round pieces. Above the ellipse are 2 yellow and 1 blue round piece representing the winners, showing proportional results.
The text under says 1 riding with 3 MPs.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 01/08/2024

Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) representation. Used in Germany, New Zealand, and in the Scottish and Welsh assemblies.

Drawing of the sun in a blue sky with a white cloud, shining on the ground where some plants are sprouting. The sun is labeled Local Representatives, and there is a watering can labeled Regional Top-Up Seats that is watering the plants. The plants are labeled democracy.
Local Representatives plus Regional Top-Up Seats equals Democracy.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 29/07/2024

Motion 86 for a Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform was sponsored by the @NDP & was similar to M-76 by @CanadianGreens. They propose trying the Assembly's recommendation for a fairer system without delay. That is a different approach than past govts!

Title is M-86 Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
Picture of inside the chamber of the House of Commons
101 Votes Yes next to a Green checkmark
220 Votes no next to red circle with a line through it.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 20/07/2024

If Justin Trudeau is looking for new faces and rejuvenation, proportional representation would engage thousands of young people. Or, he could continue to court Mark Carney, a lone banker. I think Trudeau will need more allies. How about a citizen's assembly on electoral reform now ?

Youth Representation

One manifestation of this is in the ability of younger people to be elected as legislators. Using data from 128 countries, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (2016: 7) found that youth representation in legislatures was 15-20 times higher under proportional systems compared to majoritarian systems.

Stockemer and Sundström (2018), looking at 107 countries, concluded that “In absolute terms, PR systems have 5 percentage points more young deputies aged 35 and under and 7 percentage points more deputies aged 40 and under than plurality systems For mixed systems we find similar percentages than for PR.”

This message is an excerpt from https://www.fairvote.ca/a-look-at-the-evidence/

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 29/06/2024

The Blackburn Brothers performance was a blast at the Toronto Jazz Festival this year. #SoulFunkBlues Check em out online! blackburnbrothersmusic.com/music

The stage is lit with blue and purple, the banner above says TD Village Stage.
The six piece Blackburn Brothers band plays onstage. Left to right, Ted Peters on trombone in a pink shirt with a jacket, Neil Brathwaite blowing on his tenor saxophone in a grey suit with a black cap, Duane Blackburn wearing a black pork pie hat and playing the keyboard intently, bass guitarist smiling and playing, Brooke Blackburn playing lead electric guitar wearing a green pork pie hat, and Cory Blackburn on drums.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 22/06/2024

The awkward Brass Rail building with 1 Bloor West and 1 Bloor East at dusk. "Changing consumer tastes and rising real estate values have removed sleaze from Yonge more permanently and completely than morality campaigns and policing ever could." -Daniel Ross (historiandanielross.com/2021/03/31/y...)

Looking north on Yonge Street from just south of the Brass Rail.
The front of the Brass Rail on the right, sign says Upper Brass, totally nude female interactive dancing. A faded two-story sign shows a blonde tugging her bikini top.
1 Bloor East rises 78 stories behind it into a blue sky at dusk. Looking up the middle of the photo, the blue sky becomes yellow close to the ground as the sun sets.
1 Bloor West under construction on the left of the photo, currently at about 65 stories.

View from the back parking lot and back entrance looking northwest, the sign says Brass Rail in golden letters. Another sign on the bottom right that says "Upper Brass, totally nude female interactive dancing."
The 15 Charles Street East parkade rises four stories to the right.
From right to left, 1 Bloor East, 1 Bloor West, and two other Yorkville towers rise up.
University housing apartment tower at Yonge and Charles visible on the middle left.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 26/05/2024

Quote from Dennett: "The secret to happiness: Find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it." Quote from Auster: "Memory is a space in which a thing happens for a second time."

A display of hardcover books shows Baumgartner by Paul Auster and I've Been Thinking by Daniel C Dennett, with Dennett's picture on the cover. The white cover of Baumgartner shows a water pump and frozen bucket of water in a snow-covered field. A placard with photos and the aforementioned quotes from each author is above. Dennett is looking at the camera sideways while facing the head of a white dummy inches away, the dummy's head marked into black squares, one square says the selfish propensity, another square says perception. Auster, 1947-2024 is in tge middle of a street, possibly in New York, looking at the camera.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 26/05/2024

Sign inside Goodwin Smith Hall, Cornell University "Education is not a commodity. It is the awakening of a human being." - Hunter R Rawlings III

White sign hanging above some steps indoors, with arched windows in the background. The white sign has this quote "Education is not a commodity. It is the awakening of a human being."
- Hunter R Rawlings III
Professor of Classics, President of Cornell University, 1995-2003
Interim President, 2005-2006 and 2016-2017

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 13/04/2024

Hand-made spring lanterns made from silk from Sichuan, China. yongenorthyork.com/springlanterns

In the aisle of the mall, panda silk lanterns, including one wearing a red baseball hat backward. Three tree lanterns that have orange-brown trunks and branches and blue plumes of foiliage.
White crane bird lanterns are in the exhibit, two flying and one walking with its long legs.

Picture of sign at the exhibit, which says Yonge North York, Spring Lanterns.
March 15 to April 30 at participating locations.
North American Center on Yonge St
Mel Lastman Square on Yonge St
This exhibit at Yonge Sheppard Centre
Emerald Park on Yonge St
Sichuan Province, known for its spicy cuisine and breathtaking scenery, has a rich tradition of lantern-making dating back centuries. These lanterns symbolize luck and community spirit during festivals. Additionally, Sichuan's significance is enhanced by its status as the natural habitat of giant pandas. Both pandas and lanterns represent luck and prosperity in Chinese culture.

Visit, share, and win! The sign has a QR code.
Share on Instagram with #yongenorthyork for a chance to win $250.

Picture of dimly lit area in the mall, with colorful silk lanterns with subtle internal lighting. On the top right is a beige round lantern with a ring of white dots, that is surrounded by a red silk railing, also part of the balloon, and a striped light blue and pink pointed top. At the base of that is a water-spout lantern that is blue and white, making it look like a real water spout. Several of these water spouts are around the exhibit.
At the base of that lantern are two blue lanterns shaped like bottles, with many individual blue lights, almost sparkling, with a round yellow light inside, a pink cork, and a pink bow around the neck of the bottle. Four more of those blue bottle lanterns are spread around the exhibit, including a large mostly upright one at the center of the exhibit, that one with lit-up white curly patterns on the bottle.
A panda lantern in a red suit with a with a red cap is in the middle of the exhibit, and a few other panda lanterns are throughout the exhibit.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 11/01/2024

San Francisco does a better job of keeping heritage buildings than Toronto. Not sure of the reason.

Looking down Grant Avenue. Strings of about one dozen red lantern lights with yellow tassles hanging underneath cross the street ever few buildings for blocks far down the avenue. A yellow sign sticks out from a store on the left of the street saying China Town, with a another sign under it that says kites. The next building on the left has a two story sign that says Four Seas, it might be a restaurant, wooden balconies on the second and third stories painted red and yellow, with decorative scroll shapes inlaid and painted gold, and green fire escapes folded up. An American flag waves on top of a further bulding down on the left.
A street light in the foreground on the right side of the street has a yellow and gold base, a green mast with a pair of gold serpents near the top, and a red hexagonal light with a a red swooping roof, pointed on top. The store on the ground of the multi-story brick building on the right is the Wok Shop as seen by a marquis sign.

Looking down a street in Chinatown, five story buildings on either side. A long white building on the left with fire escapes from the upper floors. A sign on a street post in the right foreground says no dumping, $1000 fine. Next on the right is Chef Hung's Restaurant, as written on the green and yellow sign that extends over the sidewalk at the door. The iconic pointed TransAmerica pyramid skyscraper rises down the street several blocks away in front of a blue sky.

A photo of Citizen Chain bike shop in San Francisco. The sign above the door says Citizen Chain, Smart People Ride Bicycles, They are Road Scholars. Bicycles visible in the windows on both sides of the doors, with Citizen Chain painted on the left and right windows. Above the shop on the ground floor, after a strip of green wood, the bottom of bay windows extend a few feet, likely from apartments, with cream coloured wood exterior.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 07/01/2024

Many residents in Parkdale-High Park in Toronto backed the petition today in support of Motion M-86 for a Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform. These constituents are asking Arif Virani to support the motion. Does your MP support it? You can check here: fairvotecanada.good.do/askyourmp/ci...

Two volunteers out collecting signatures in Parkdale-High Park in support of Motion M-86 today.
Selfie showing two guys smiling, with brick semi-detached homes in the background, characteristic of some Victorian style homes in the neighbourhood.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 31/12/2023

Ice skating at Bowness Park, Calgary

Large frozen pond at Bowness Park, with many ice skaters out for a skate. The ice is white with ice dust, not serviced by a Zamboni. A line of trees around the rink, and a mid rise apartment to one side, with a deep blue sky on top with a few whisps of white cloud.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 30/12/2023

'Democracy Defenders! The vote on an Electoral Reform Citizens' Assembly is coming in a few weeks! Join us on Sun, Jan 7th, 1 PM ET for a webinar featuring MPs @LisaMarieBarron, @morricemike, and @JulieDzerowicz ' - Fair Vote Canada Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Winning the vote on Motion M-86: A Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
Pictures left to right with labels beneath in party colours:
Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal MP (red)
Lisa Marie Barron, NDP MP (orange)
Mike Morrice, Green MP (green)

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 29/12/2023

King's Creek Trail in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada. First photo shows some ice climbers.

The bottom hundred feet of a mountain slope is covered in ice. Several climbers gather at the base, standing in snow and waiting their turn. An instructor stands on a ridge a hundred feet up, with climbing ropes stretching down to the ground.
Trees in the sides of the photo, blue sky above with a few white clouds.

Photo of an icy Creek, which cuts into a snowy trail that sits in a valley, mountains rising up on either side.
Clouds float across the v-shaped region of crisp, blue sky.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 19/12/2023

Some pictures from the Bruce Trail near Forty Mile Creek, showing Lake Ontario.

View from up on the Bruce Trail near Forty Mile Creek, on the escarpment, looking toward St. Catherine's. Branches of a tree on the left showing some green, other foiliage has browned in the foreground. Lake Ontario is blue in the distance, with light, thin white clouds above in a blue sky.

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Chris from the blue @chrishcdn.bsky.social · 14/12/2023

Finding Edward, a tale of a young immigrant Cyril, who studies history at university and makes his way in Toronto. Cyril brings an outsider's perspective to his adopted home. He meets activists, a beautiful girl, and uncovers Canadian history in the process. A wonderful book by Sheila Murray.

Book cover of Finding Edward, showing a young black man's face with a pensive expression, illuminated from one side.
Three quotes from reviews on the cover:
"Powerful" - Open Book
"This beautiful, necessary novel will become a touchstone" - Donna Bailey Nurse
"A remarkable novel, a great achievement" - Rachel Manley

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