We hear a lot about “culture clashes” and “culture wars” these days, in a world of homogenization and globalization. Thanks to my Facebook friend Brenda Morison for this thought-provoking quotable…

Montréal, Quebec

At a 50th anniversary reception for Icograda hosted on Sunday, 17 November by Montréal International and Mission Design, I was honoured to receive the Icograda Achievement Award. As the inscription reads, “The Icograda Achievement Award is the highest recognition granted by Icograda to designers for their contribution to the profession.”

Icograda is the world body for professional communication design. It is a non-profit, non-partisan, member-based network of independent organisations and stakeholders working within the multidisciplinary scope of communication design and expanded media. Founded in 1963, Icograda actively promotes the value of design practice, thinking, education, research and policy, representing more than 200 organisations in 67 countries and regions globally.

Thank you!

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In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

—John McCrae (1872–1918)

(source, with more examples)

Victoria, British Columbia (Canada)

Andrew Lewis is a talented graphic designer. He’s well known for (among other things) his poster designs. Shown here are a few of my favorites…

See more of Andrew’s posters here…

Southeastern Manitoba, Canada

I stopped eating meat, poultry, and eggs from “factory farms” in the 1980s — for both ethical and health-related reasons. Naturally, I was delighted to find a small family farm devoted to producing wholesome food the traditional way, without caged animals, and without the use of steroids or hormones. Besides the (truly) free-range eggs they provide us with on a year-round basis, we have also enjoyed excellent chickens and select cuts of “ethical meat” from time to time.

I like buying directly from the source, and I like knowing the actual folks who invest their energy producing the good food I am privileged to eat.

Sue and Adam Dick, along with their sons Cameron and Anders, run Ivy Hill Farm. They moved from the city and founded their farm based on their strong convictions about food safety, quality nutrition, and the humane treatment of animals. Ivy Hill Farm raises heritage breeds that live their 24/7 natural, happy, normal lives grass-fed in pastures. Located on the edge of woodland wilderness south-east of Steinbach, the farm is a bustle of animal activity — Irish Dexter cattle, Berkshire and Tamworth pigs, Hair Sheep (that don’t need shearing), goats (for milk), horses, and a variety of chickens are watched over by a “security crew” consisting of Clara the donkey jennet and a trio of farm dogs, helping to fend off unwanted visits from local bears, wolves, and coyotes.

Everyone should have a farmer. 

All photos © Ivy Hill Farm, 2013 (Update, September 2014 : Unfortunately, Ivy Hill Farm has ceased operations).

Victoria, British Columbia

Andrew Lewis received the prestigious Gold Medal in a ceremony held today at the BC Parliament Building from His Excellency Francisco Suarez-Davila, Ambassador of Mexico in Canada, and Ms. Claudia Franco, Consul General of Mexico. The Gold Medal was won by Lewis at the International Poster Exhibition of Mexico in Mexico City out of a field of 8,400 entries.

The poster, featuring a co-branding image between Converse (USA) and Marimekko (Finland), was used for local retail business Baggins Shoes of Victoria BC. This is the first time a Canadian designer has won the Gold Medal in the 24 year history of this international poster Biennial.

Congratulations, Andrew! (source)

Winnipeg, Canada

A few days ago, my colleague Adrian Shum sent me a link that is now up to a presentation I gave at Winnipeg’s first PechaKucha event, on 17 February 2010.

Organized by GDC Manitoba on a regular basis over the past three years, tonight (12 September 2013) will feature the 15th Winnipeg PechaKucha at The Park Theatre and Movie Cafe, 698 Osborne Street… doors open at 20:00 and the show begins (of course) at 20:20, seating limited to 250.

For anyone not yet familiar with the concept, PechaKucha 20×20 is a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds. The images advance automatically and you talk along to the images. Begun by several young architects a decade ago in Tokyo, PechaKucha Nights now take place in over 500 cities around the world. Why the name PechaKucha (pronounce it Paw-Chalk‘-Ahh-Cha)? It derives from a Japanese term meaning “chatter.”

Lake Louise, Alberta

Earlier this month Ev and I once again crossed the prairies with Bettie Blue (my 1988 VW Westfalia camper van) for a holiday in the Rockies. For a number of reasons, not least of which being that I took up fly fishing earlier in the summer, I decided not to climb and scramble as usual, but rather stick to the valleys, streams, rivers, and lakes of Banff National Park.

Above are a few images from our sortie “out west.” Ev informs me that crispy-skinned pan-fried trout are her new favorite fish… which is a nice reward for doing something I’ll admit is almost as much fun as climbing. (-:

While we were in Banff we heard the tragic news that my long-time friend and frequent climbing companion, Peter Aitchison, had been killed in a fall while attempting an ascent of the south summit of Mount Victoria. This came as a real blow, from which I’m still recovering (ergo the absence of blog posts over the past few weeks).

We ended our trip a few days early with a visit to Lake Louise, where we could sit and take in the spectacular view that would have been Peter’s last… climb on, Peter, climb on.