Markham began his journalism career writing columns in the mid-1980s for Western People Magazine, then reported for a small Saskatchewan daily. He has spent most of his career in media and communications, likes to dabble in politics, was actively involved in economic development for many years, thinks that what goes on in the community is just as important as what happens provincially and nationally, and has a soft spot for small business (big business, not so much). Markham is a bit of a contrarian and usually has a unique take on the events of the day.
Parliament of Canada – time for online reporting of expenses? If the recent Senate expense scandals have taught Canadians anything, it’s that Parliament of Canada officials will take advantage of the rules to pad their pockets if they can. Senator Mike Duffy has become the poster boy for Parliament of Canada abuse of expense guidelines but [...]
BC NDP share of popular vote declining since 1979 By Dermod Travis The great thing about political punditry is the ability to be right and wrong at the same time and get away with it, which is why the pundits who were no better at predicting the outcome of the BC election shouldn’t be expected [...]
Canadian economic and population growth affected greenhouse gas emissions By Ben Eisen and Romy Yourex Over the past century, there has been a slight increase in average global temperatures. Many scientists think this change is caused primarily by the actions of human beings, specifically the emission of GHG into the atmosphere. Further, some scientists warn [...]
Many indicators of Canadian environment pollutants have dropped By Ben Eisen and Romy Yourex Canadians care deeply about their natural environment and view the prevention of environmental pollution as one of the most important functions of their governments. Multiple polls taken over the years have shown that large numbers of Canadians view the preservation of [...]
BC Conservatives says their proposal will lower prices, increase choice The BC Conservatives made the announcement Tuesday. Leader John Cummins says a BC Conservative government would give British Columbians more choice to buy beer and wine and “take the special interests out of liquor sales.” “We believe in getting BC back to basics, and that means [...]
CBC TV is a mess and no longer fulfills original mandate The CBC popped back on Canadians’ radar last week. A Harper Government bill to give it more control over crown corporations has upset defenders of public broadcasting. Infographics exhorting me to join the fight to “save” the CBC are flooding my social media networks. [...]
Canadians prefer Prince William to Charles if Canada keeps British monarchy A new poll reveals that Canadians are lukewarm to the British monarchy as head of state, but if the country must have a king or queen they prefer Prince William. In a new Angus Reid online survey of a representative national sample of 1,008 [...]
Skills training for BC mining a key plank in Liberal, NDP platforms The BC mining industry enjoyed a stellar 2012, according to a new survey, and campaigning politicians have been pledging new policies and programs to help the sector expand in the future. International consultancy PriceWaterhouseCooper (PwC) says profits for British Columbian mining companies were [...]
Training exercises in Canada are routine for NORAD fighter jets If you live in BC and Alberta and spot NORAD fighter jets over your community today, don’t worry, Canada’s not being invaded. The North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct exercise flights today as they practice intercept and identification procedures. The exercise will take place [...]
NDP projected to take 65 seats if BC Election 2013 was held today After two weeks of BC Election 2013 campaigning, the BC NDP remain comfortably ahead of the Liberals and appear headed for a resounding victory on May 14. An Angus Reid poll released Friday shows the Christy Clark and the Liberals gained three [...]