Mmmmmm ... I can taste, smell and hear it already. Flavours, aromas, laughter . . . all those synergies of eating, drinking, tasting and sharing stories at Whistler's Cornucopia, the ski centre's 15th annual celebration of wine and food. It starts this Thursday (Nov. 10) and you have an opportunity... Continue reading

Bill and Jean Barber love to tell stories. Bill loves his bear stories, and Jean . . . from what I hear loves to tell the tale of how their sojourn to Lagoon Cove in 1992 turned into a retirement nest that so many boaters have come to enjoy. As... Continue reading

Today Kathleen and I enjoyed the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce Agri-tour, better known as Agriculture is Big Business. The six-hour bus tour with stops at Vedder Transportation Group, Van Belle Nursery and Ritchie Smith Feeds was well worth it. Our mission was, according to the Chamber's marketing, to find out... Continue reading

Look up, and who do you see? With friends like Laurie Shopland, Diane Delves and Tony deWaal, how can anyone go wrong in Abbotsford? Read the press release below to see what I'm talking about. * * * * * Offenders repay $7,000; Canuck Place receives donaton Quantum Properties, Abbotsford... Continue reading

As of today, Abbotsford Canuck Place raised $9.8 million towards its second-phase target of $13 million for its children's hospice. Making the news even sweeter, Dave Lede added $2.5 million from his family charitable foundation. Now the 30,000-square-foot children's hospice I've been talking about in my last two blogs will... Continue reading

Yes, I remember it well. Chattering teeth, frozen fingers, chilling winds and warm hearts. It was a c-c-c-cold day in Abbotsford on February 23 on Eagle Mountain, but the warmth of genuine generosity finally won out as the Abbotsford Canuck Place Children's Hospice charity home at Eagle Estates was unveiled... Continue reading

Diane Delves is a trend setter in Abbotsford. The CEO and president of Quantum Properties, the developer of the 26-storey Mahogany at Mill Lake, doesn't spend a lot of time in the spotlight, but when she does something, heads turn. At last night's Abbotsford Canuck Place announcement, Mayor George Peary... Continue reading

Jane Cooper (left) holds newly dedicated volunteer award named in Christine Wiebe's (right) honour When Christine Wiebe's adult son starting reading almost seven pages of her volunteer resume tonight, I wondered if anyone will ever be able to repeat her record. If they even come close to it, they will... Continue reading

Alison Yesilcimen, Kelowna publisher turned entrepreneur, looks at her copy of a simple script and asks me: "Who is going to present the Webster? Who is going to say . . . and the winner is?" Without flipping a coin, we decide Alison, my co-juror, will read the magical words... Continue reading

After throwing on a crisp white shirt, a colourful silk tie and my best dark suit, it was time to fire up the Mustang, pick up my wife and head to our first Dish and Dazzle fundraiser at the swank Vancouver Convention Centre. The event raises hundreds of thousands of... Continue reading

They say Abbotsford is the City in the Country. Today at Bakerview EcoDairy and Nutrifoods Market on Sumas Way, Kathleen and I experienced a whole lot of country as we worked our way through the huge crowds to see what happens when you mix this new facility with the city's... Continue reading

Pick a pumpkin . . . any pumpkin. Halloween is on its way and the weather is sunny enough to keep most people from acting a little scary. Kathleen and I hopped into the car today to explore local farm markets, and this was one of two stops that drew... Continue reading

I was at Eat! Fraser Valley when I first met Katie Powell and her significant other, Evan Hunken. My wife Kathleen was just finishing one of her wine shows on the Grapes and Hops stage at Tradex when we saw the young couple coming toward us. Earlier in the week... Continue reading

Look up at the guy on the right. Recognize him? He is very well known in Abbotsford. Now look below and see the guy on the left. They could be the same person. But sometimes I think Uultsje DeJong, above, is crazier about Christmas. I met with Uultsje and Abbotsford... Continue reading

It's not the murals of Chemainus that immediately cross the minds of sailors when they tie up at the famous town's friendly marina. Nope. It's the hot showers and modern restrooms. After sailing for a few days on Evita it was apparent our first consideration was not a map featuring... Continue reading

We love Evita. She's a 32-foot C & C sailboat owned by our Click Media Works colleagues John and Karen Laing. We're starting to get to know every inch of her seaworthy elegance as she patiently whisks us to new adventures on that forever-changing and colourful nautical canvas many know... Continue reading

Listen to this: "Once abundant privacy is now scarce. Once-scarce publicness is abundant." No wonder traditional media is experiencing a little trouble. Everyone can participate in the public relations, news-gathering and publishing processes now. I like to call it TNN, the Twitter News Network. Anyone with a Blackberry or iPhone... Continue reading

Ever use a 14-passenger Cadillac Escalade SUV limousine as a twitter-mobile? I did. It's a crazy experience. My mission was to photograph and tweet the media invitation blitz by Naked Boxer Brief, dubbed Canada's newest and sexiest high fashion men's underwear line. Hey, company founder Joel Primus and his business... Continue reading

Sometimes I like to dream. I think my wife Kathleen does, too. Today we ventured into downtown Vancouver for a number of reasons, one of them to explore the B.C. Children's Hospital lottery prize condo on Smithe Street near the Orpheum. While waiting for the lottery people to open the... Continue reading