January 2026
When Gil Hewlett and I were writing our history of the orphan orcas Springer and Luna, Operation Orca, I first heard about the capture of the so-called Pedder Bay Five. These were five orcas held in a net pen by the aspiring whale entrepreneur Bob Wright in a bay near Victoria in 1970. It is a fascinating story with an unsolved mystery at its heart and it is now told, with panache, by the broadcaster/writer/musician Grant...
Last year marked the centenary of Emily Carr University of Art and Design. It opened its doors in 1925 as the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts and immediately became a key force shaping the cultural life of the city.
The British Columbia Review has published my brief take on the events surrounding the formation of the art school. May it thrive for another hundred years.