Month: May 2025

Exploring Granville Island: A Vibrant Vancouver Destination

May 29, 2025

Granville Island is a vibrant thirty-five-acre urban district located under the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver. Due to limited parking, we chose to take an Uber to get there. Granville Island is the most visited tourist destination in Canada after Niagara Falls, attracting over ten million visitors each year.


The sandbar that is now Granville Island was a traditional fishing site for the Squamish and Musqueam tribes. The early 1900s saw industry’s expansion into the land, supporting the maritime and lumber industries. Until 1972, hobos lived on the island before the federal government took control. Ron Basford, the minister responsible for the lands, envisioned redeveloping the area while preserving the original buildings and businesses. His vision ultimately grew into a roaring success.

There are no sidewalks here; the planners envisioned a pedestrian district. The streets are narrow, filled with throngs of people moving through the walkways. There are also three thousand people working on the Island. Cars move extremely slowly along the crowded streets. We initially thought a line of vehicles on the main street was a parking lot, but then the cars began to move—it was not a parking lot after all.


The taxi dropped us off at the Public Market, a large, renovated warehouse filled with a variety of merchants. The market features bakeries, fruit and vegetable stands, butchers, as well as specialty cheese and international food vendors. After noticing a lineup at the BC salmon seller, we decided to purchase some in a freeze-dried bag to take home. Of course, we couldn’t resist getting fresh, sweet cinnamon buns from a local bakery, so we hurried over to a roaster for their exceptional coffee to enjoy with the buns. There was a line at the coffee shop as well. We learned that all fifty merchants in the Public Market are local, and no chain stores are allowed.


To enjoy our sweets and coffee, we sat in the outdoor plaza outside the Public Market on the waterfront. The skyline of downtown Vancouver stretched before us, resembling a mushroom of high-rise buildings with attractive designs. Each unit appeared to have a balcony, allowing residents to take advantage of the surrounding views. Among them was a distinctive high-rise designed by Arthur Erickson, one of Canada’s most renowned architects. This unique apartment building bulges in the middle, making it an eye-catching sight. Although it may seem unusual, it stands out from the typical apartment towers.

As we walked along the waterfront, we noticed several houseboats tied up at the dock. Interestingly, most of these houseboats are two stories high and seem to be permanently moored to the shore. It makes you wonder what it would be like to live on a houseboat in downtown Vancouver. Would the residents have children? There are no schools or playgrounds on the island, although educational facilities are available on the mainland. Is this lifestyle suited only for adults?


There are two rows of boats tied up—one along the wall and the other tied to the first row of houseboats. I wonder if the first row of houseboats, which is next to the shoreline, is cheaper to dock but lacks a view because the second row of boats is parked in front of them. The density of the boats is so great that they are touching each other! Is there any privacy here? One would assume that good neighborly relations would naturally develop.


As we walked between renovated buildings, we passed restaurants, a community center, and many performing arts theaters. The Emily Carr University of Art and Design is also located there. We walked by the Granville Island Brewery, but it was too early for a beer.


Forties music drew us to a large plaza in front of the Ocean Concrete Company, the longest-established tenant on the Island since 1917. This cement factory features concrete silos decorated with a colorful mural by the Portuguese brothers Pandolfo, titled “Giant.” Despite the huge cement trucks parked in front, the mural made the industrial neighborhood feel more appealing. The music was coming from an outdoor free concert performed by the Firemen’s seventeen-piece band. We stood and listened to my favorite style of music until a few chairs became available in the plaza, allowing us to sit down.


Leaving the music behind, we walked along the waterfront, taking in the views of Vancouver’s skyline and False Creek. The wooden boardwalk felt comfortable under our feet. As we strolled, we passed by an upscale waterfront restaurant that is part of the luxurious Granville Island Hotel, our destination from which we called an Uber to return home.


Although we spent only a few hours on the Island, we could have easily spent the entire day exploring the galleries and studios of local artists, visiting the cement factory that offers tours, and enjoying the brewery.
The mixed land uses, the variety of local shops, the vibrant arts scene, and the bustling crowds reminded me of Jane Jacobs’ ideas about urban environments. Her philosophy is detailed in her bestselling book, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” published in 1961. Jacobs advocated for the renovation of old districts by preserving buildings, promoting mixed land uses, and encouraging high-density living with numerous streets to create dynamic urban spaces. She vehemently opposed urban renewal and redevelopment, especially those led by professional planners, favoring instead organic growth guided by local communities. Granville Island serves as a prime example of her principles in action.

Exploring Cryptocurrency in Our Book Club Discussions

May 18, 2025

Members of the book club arrived to find a hearty vegetarian soup waiting for them, accompanied by dark rye bread, spreads, and cold cuts. Portuguese cream puffs and strong coffee, made with a French press, were served for dessert. We were ready for a lively discussion.

The book today was Camila Russo’s “The Infinite Machine,” a 500-page book on the history of Ethereum, a computer platform written by a group of young, savvy coders. The platform serves as the base for the cryptocurrency coin ETH. The discussion began during the meal: Is cryptocurrency a legitimate form of currency? Does anyone in our group own Bitcoin or ETH? If you haven’t heard of ETH, you’re not alone—none of us have. The host selected this book to help us better understand this evolving field. As we went around the table, it became clear that none of us fully understood cryptocurrency, who was using it, or where it was headed.

Blockchain technology underpins Ethereum, a digital technology that we struggled to comprehend despite our best efforts to discuss it together. Based on this technology, Ethereum was the brainchild of Vitalik Buterin, a young Russian programmer who came to Toronto with his parents when he was six. He demonstrated a talent for mathematics at a young age. Later on, he studied computer science at the University of Waterloo before dedicating himself full-time to developing Ethereum.  His success in spreading awareness about this digital technology has been phenomenal. Out of curiosity, I looked up Vitalik on the internet. I found that his reputed IQ is 257 and that he is a billionaire—a fantastic story.

Besides Vitalik, the author conducted meticulous research on the other coders who collaborated with Vitalik on the Ethereum project. I found their stories interesting because they are all brilliant characters with complex careers. A Netflix series could easily be created about them, detailing their successes and failures. However, the technological aspect was more challenging to comprehend.

As I understand it, this platform’s two main advantages are that it incurs no transaction fees and that there is no need for audits, as the system stores your “smart contracts” (money, documents, etc.) in secure “wallets” (cloud storage devices) that cannot be hacked. You could call this platform a digital ledger.

The first application running on the Ethereum platform was a new digital currency designed to replace traditional “fiat” currencies, essentially the paper money we use today, such as the US dollar. While this is an ambitious undertaking, I asked which retailers currently accept ETH as a form of payment. I am not aware of any stores that offer this service.

Some of our club members could not understand why these young people have worked on digital currencies for free for years. I brought up all the startup companies, the dot.coms, I worked with, where the young engineers worked day and night trying to implement their vision. Their passion was palpable, and I did not doubt that Vitalik and his partners were equally absorbed in their work.

The topic of digital currency is gaining attention, and learning more about it is essential. Just a few weeks ago, I received a message about a job opportunity in cryptocurrency mining that required only one hour of work per day and offered compensation of a few hundred dollars per day. How could I turn that down? I decided to follow up, and I researched crypto mining online. Although I do not fully understand it, I discovered that the mining process validates or creates a ‘wallet’ containing a ‘smart contract’ in the blockchain before it is added. I also found that it requires a powerful computer and specific software. Today, most such mining operations are conducted by large corporations, which often subcontract with smaller companies or individuals. I did not respond to this offer.

I left our meeting with an interest in blockchain technology and cryptocurrency mining. And I wondered the extent to which cryptocurrency is used commercially today. For example, can you buy a Lamborghini with cryptocurrency? And where?

I put my newly found knowledge to good use today. This morning, I received an unexpected call from a New York stockbroker who wanted to ask me about my investment style. I mentioned that I do my investing and asked what he had in mind. He brought up gold. That reminded me of a recent police message about a scam in Ottawa, where brokers called to sell gold as a good investment in the current volatile stock market. I’m not sure if that was a scam call. Still, I replied that I was more interested in cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin futures. That comment caught him off guard.

In summary, I would recommend the book to anyone interested in how technological innovation occurs through intelligent individuals; I enjoyed reading about young, enthusiastic people, written in an engaging journalistic style. Technology is another matter, not sure how many people would understand it.

Understanding Ottawa’s Affordable Housing Crisis

May 15, 2025

Affordable housing is constantly in the news today. My local city councilor emphasizes its importance in his newsletter. However, I am not convinced that our community of aging patriarchs would welcome such housing in our neighborhood; it evokes images of public and low-income housing, often associated with crime.

During the recent federal election in Canada, all political parties proposed ideas for building affordable housing, including financial incentives, reducing and simplifying the administrative approval process for house construction, prefabrication, and even rent control.

I do not know anyone actively seeking such housing. However, some friends have mentioned their children have trouble finding affordable options.

To understand why housing is unaffordable for many people today, I searched the internet for statistics that illustrate the challenges individuals face when renting or buying a home.

In simple terms, your income determines what you can afford. If you earn a minimum wage of $15-18 (provincial rates differ) per hour and work 2,000 hours a year, your annual income would be $30,000-36,000. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recommends that housing expenses should not exceed 30% of your yearly income.

According to this guideline, someone earning the minimum wage can afford $9,000 to $ 10,800 annually for housing, or approximately $750 to $ 900 per month. However, in Ottawa, rent for a one-bedroom unit starts at around $2,000 per month, which means minimum wage does not support renting. That is why many young people earning minimum wage stay home or bunk up with friends when renting.

Buying a condo or a house is a much more challenging scenario. In 2025, the average condo price in Ottawa is projected to be $445,000, while the average house price is expected to exceed $800,000.

Without a down payment and mortgage rates of 4.5%, the annual cost of owning a condo would amount to $20,000, which is significantly higher than what minimum-wage earners could afford. Purchasing a house would be even more expensive.

An affordability crisis affects individuals earning less than $65,000; according to guidelines, 30% of that amount would be needed to rent or buy a condo. Twenty-six percent of Ottawa jobs pay less than $50,000. This situation highlights the urgency for solutions to the affordability crisis.

One major issue is the gradual loss of low-rent housing due to demolitions to make way for higher-density and more economically profitable commercial and residential developments. Older neighborhoods in Ottawa are particularly susceptible to this redevelopment. Additionally, many low-rent units face renoviction, where tenants are evicted to make way for renovations that will increase rental rates.

According to the Executive Director of the Ottawa Community Land Trust (OCLT), between 2011 and 2021, Ottawa lost 26,000 low-rent units due to demolitions and renovictions; in contrast, only 6,000 new low-rental units were built during that time.

The OCLT’s purpose is to preserve and maintain low-rental units. Their strategy involves purchasing these units when they become available. Acquiring multi-unit buildings requires funding, and the OCLT has issued “community bonds” to raise capital. A bank in Toronto specializes in issuing such bonds backed by funds raised by the OCLT from the local community.

Interestingly, many residents are willing to invest in these bonds, even with a low interest rate or, in some cases, no interest at all, because they believe in the cause. Professional property managers are contracted to manage the rental units on behalf of the OCLT, and the rental income is used to pay off the community bonds.

This approach offers a distinctive and effective means of maintaining and expanding affordable housing. The OCLT’s key strategy involves community bonds, a system gaining traction across Canada.

Another innovative approach for maintaining affordable housing is leasing the land on which the rental units are built. Land costs are a significant factor in the overall expense of constructing housing units. Depending on the location, land costs form 30% or more of total housing construction costs.

Recognizing the importance of land costs in housing, the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) leases land to build affordable housing. This corporation was established in response to the growing number of high-rise developments in the community. The community association leased land to develop affordable housing, thereby preserving the area’s character. Currently, they manage 1,700 housing units.

One example of their work is the land leased from the local school board following a demographic shift that led to the closure of Percy Street School. Public agencies are aware of community needs, and through a nominal lease, the CCOC created a low-rise development that is affordable for individuals with limited income.

A coordinated multi-level strategy is necessary to effectively tackle the ongoing affordable housing crisis. From my limited experience listening to various non-profit organizations attempt to tackle this issue, I have identified two main approaches: subsidizing the cost of housing units or providing financial assistance to help individuals secure accommodation in the private market. The Ottawa Community Land Trust (OCLT) follows the first approach. The CCOC employs subsidized housing and market-based options, catering to those who receive housing subsidies.

Celebrate with Mother’s Day Brunch and Dinner Recipes

May 14, 2025

It has never failed. Each year, on Mother’s Day, the same question arises: “What will you do for me?” My response consistently points out I am not your mother; you are my wife. However, as usual, this was not the correct reply, so I offered to prepare breakfast, not just the usual fried egg and toast, but something better.

The children always call on Mother’s Day, but they can’t fix meals at our house since they live thousands of miles away. The first call came at eight; I initially thought it was a prank call. Luckily, I decided to pick up the phone.

After reviewing various recipes, I chose to make Shakshuka by Ottolenghi (and I’m sure I don’t need to describe Ottolenghi to cooking aficionados). This light and refreshing Middle Eastern dish features diced tomatoes, red peppers, and spices like harissa and ground cumin. My son, Tony, mentioned that they served it every morning at the breakfast counter in his hotel when he was in Israel.

Some recipes I read for shakshuka also called for onions, which I like, and I decided to modify Ottolenghi’s recipe and diced up a large onion. After boiling and simmering these ingredients, I cracked the eggs into the dish and cooked for an additional 10 minutes to set them. I served it with pita bread and caffeinated coffee; we drank decaf in the morning. This meal served more as brunch than breakfast, which was good since it took me a while to get everything organized, and it was getting late in the morning. Since the recipe yielded four portions, and we ate them all, we were set for the day.

I must admit, though, that I had help from Kathy. My cooking is slow and tedious, as I prefer to gather all the ingredients on the kitchen table and prepare the food before I start cooking. I diced the peppers and onions (and used a can of diced tomatoes) and mixed the spices and garlic in a small dish before beginning to cook. Kathy became hungry and started cooking with the prepared ingredients.

After indulging in a rather large brunch, we took a long walk to burn some calories. We enjoyed a peaceful stroll along a rail-to-trail path in Stittsville. As is typical for rail-to-trail routes, the walk was straight and flat. On our return, we stopped at my favorite coffee shop, the perfect way to end any walk. Naturally, the next topic of discussion was what to have for dinner.

Feeling inspired, I offered to prepare dinner and suggested fresh salmon steaks. Kathy agreed it was a great idea, so I bought two slabs of Atlantic salmon with the skin on one side at the local fish market. I like to marinate the salmon using a mix of soy sauce, maple syrup, and grainy Dijon mustard, based on a recipe I found on Allrecipes.

I enjoy this recipe – maple glazed salmon – because I can roast vegetables on the same sheet pan as the salmon. This time, I had some cauliflower in the fridge, so I cubed it, tossed it with oil and salt, and baked it for 15 minutes before adding the salmon to the pan. I also bought some Tater Tots and put them on the sheet pan, which drew some criticism from Kathy; she believed frozen French fries were healthier than Tater Tots. They were similar in nutritional value, so I chose the Tater Tots for their appealing cubic shape. To cover all bases, I also cooked a potato in the microwave in case the Tater Tots didn’t meet with acceptance. The dessert consisted of low-fat lemon yogurt topped with blueberries. The dinner was enjoyable, despite the lack of family, a common situation today as families are frequently scattered across North America and globally for many.

Exciting Update: My Second Blook Coming on Kindle!

May 4, 2025

My second “blook” will soon be on sale on Amazon Kindle. I published my first, “Blog to Blook: Where My Hobby Led, ” in 2023. Let me start by quoting a couple of paragraphs from my first blook. This will help explain what a blook is. It will also show how I became involved with it.

“You may wonder, what exactly is a blook? The term combines the words “blog” and “book.” A blook is a printed book based on or consisting of blog content. The first book of this kind was “User Interface Design for Programmers” by Joel Spolsky. It was published in 2001. The book was popularized in 2003 by journalist Jeff Jarvis from New York. Since then, several other blooks have been published. In 2006, the Blooker Prize was established. It was modeled after the Man Booker Prize. The first Blooker Prize was awarded to “Julie and Julia” by Julie Power. It was a cookbook featuring recipes inspired by Julia Child’s blog. This cookbook also inspired a film of the same name, released in 2009.”


“I was intrigued by the concept of a blook. I felt inspired to create my own, having been a blogger for years. The pandemic was the catalyst for my blogging journey. When avoiding social interactions and staying home became not only desirable but often mandatory. When my gym and community center, where I played bridge, closed, I wondered what to do at home. Retirement gave me ample free time, so I wrote about my opinions and activities to stay engaged.”

I call my blog site an “evolving journey.” Readers can find unfiltered opinions on daily life. The site covers various global and local issues, including travel, immigration, and housing. I base my views on lived experiences in North America, Europe, and beyond.

The Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war inspired many of the blogs in my first blook. These blogs were interwoven with personal experiences. Other posts focused on Canadian healthcare and immigration policies and their impact on the availability of doctors and housing. I also wrote about memorable events, like attending graduations and vacationing with family.

The Ukraine war is still ongoing, but it has become less newsworthy. I shared my thoughts and memories about the war in Ukraine involving Russia in my first blook. As for Covid, it is mostly behind us now.

This volume includes blogs about travels to Corsica in France in 2023. It also covers travels to the West Coast, to Vancouver and Portland, in 2024. I wrote about forming a book club with friends. I reviewed our chosen books on blogs.

I have gained many subscribers for my blog and discovered a community of kindred spirits by reading their blogs. Some bloggers specialize in travel writing, while others focus on cooking and recipes. Many of them have a large group of readers. This led me to consider whether I should also specialize in a single topic. Still, I prefer to write about topics I find weird or controversial. I do not want to limit myself to one area, like travel. I will continue to write on various subjects that interest me.