Well... I figured that since I'm here, I should probably update you all on the G8 preparations in Calgary. As most of you may know, the annual G8 Ministers meeting is being held tomorrow and Thursday up in Kananaskis, Alberta - about 60 km away from Calgary. This location was specifically chosen after last year's violent protests in Genoa, Italy. As the host country, Canada decided to put the meeting somewhere relatively inaccessible and to scale it back to less than 300 (I think) members of official entourages. This was meant to help get the meeting back to a working meeting instead of a circus.

It was a pretty good theory. But, post 9/11 security concerns and general paranoia about protests and violence have led to a massive military, police and security presence in and around Calgary and Kananaskis. There are now 5000 soldiers up in the mountains and 26 police contingents in and around Calgary. The cost of all of this security is estimated to be around CDN$300 million. Call me crazy, but at a certain point seeing all of these armed folks makes me start to feel less safe, rather than more.

I've been trying to understand WHY it is that security seems so over the top in Calgary. Why is everyone so freaked out that there are 3000-5000 students and other activists in the city. The best I can figure is that Calgarians are the most law-abiding conservative people in Canada. Seriously. Last weekend, I stood at a corner downtown and watched while 17 and 18 year olds waited patiently for lights to change before crossing the street - even though there was no traffic!!!! And during a solstice drumming celebration, they posted people in surrounding apartment buildings in order to monitor the noise levels to ensure that they were complying with noise ordinances so that they had proof against any compaints.

All I know is that it seems sad to see such levels of fear and distrust in a society that is normally pretty relaxed. It makes me sad to see city crews chaining metal street grating together. It makes me sad to get notices from the Post Office telling me my mail may not be delivered this week if there's trouble. It makes me sad to see contingents of 20 police riding mountain bikes along the riverfront trail (although I do give them kudos for getting exercise and being environmentally friendly). It makes me sad to know people in both the Calgary police force and among protest organizers who are equally well-intentioned, hard-working, and adorable. I don't want any of them to be anxious or stressed, let alone hurt.

Sunday there was a nice peaceful march of 3000 people through Calgary. Tonight, though, is when other groups are starting to plan more dangerous games - like disrupting the G8 delegations dinner/event and then mobile disruptions all day tomorrow.

I'll keep you posted.

Apologies to anyone I owed work to today… I was overcome by summer and couldn’t quite convince myself that in the long run, it was better for me to be in front of a computer than in the mountains.

A couple of weeks ago at a comedy show, I won the use of a new car for a weekend (from the very fabulous Kellie Hampton at Heninger Toyota – I don’t drive so I feel her SOME sort of promo). So, Linda and I arranged to have the car for this weekend so we could escape from the pre-G8 hubub of Calgary. It’s so much nicer to be hiking than watching people weld metal tree gratings down so that they can’t be used as weapons in any sort of riot.

On Saturday, we headed out to help vet an orienteering course for some sort of big championships that are being held here in a few weeks. This was only my third time orienteering, but I think I’m starting to get the hang of the map and compass. Running through the forest is a different thing… I’m panting by the end of 3 minutes. I don’t know how these guys do it. We camped out for the evening at Bow Valley Provincial park – nice place; but too noisy with cars on the TransCanada Highway.

Yesterday, though, we kept driving, up into the mountains… past the Kananaskis turnoff; past Banff; past Lake Louise to a great little place called Mosquito Creek. Why they call it that I’ll never know. There weren’t 1/10 of the mosquitoes we have back home in Winnipeg. Anyway, set up our tent and then drove another few kilometers up to Bow Lake. Wow! Wow!!! We hiked up past the lake, along the river, past the waterfall, to a glacial valley. We sat up there eating dried mangoes and watching a waterfall come off the glacier at the other side of the valley.

We meant to come straight home this morning, so that I could log in and work on things for the WSIS PrepCom (sorry Nick). But, on the way home we decided to stop at Lake Louise. It was such a beautiful day that we hiked the 3.6 km trail to the tea house looking back over Lake Louise, the hotel, the glacier, and all of the mountains.

Mostly, over the weekend, I just enjoyed spending time with Linda. The last year of living/working in separate cities has been hard on us. Setting up the tent, making the fire, cooking dinner together – this was the most normalcy and routine we’ve had in our lives in almost 11 months. It goes a long way toward healing some of the gaps that start to form when you are apart. I’m really looking forward to August when, one way or another, this trainee phase of her job will be over and we decide where we are going to be – together.

When coaches and other people tell you that it's important to slowly work your way up to exercise and to stretch out and stuff.... one bit of advice - listen to them!

I ripped some muscles apart in my lower back last Thursday morning while rowing. My doctor (aka She Who Has No Compassion) basically yelled at me for being stupid and asked what I had expected to happen since I was rowing at 6 AM, dehydrated, no stretching, during the first bit of exercise I'd had in 6 months. I hate it when she's right.

Anyway... the good thing is that I just discovered that Harry Potter book 4 is the right height for a footrest. When I put that under my feet and sit up straight in my chair, my back hurts less. Hooray for large books!

I've also decided to name my first-born child Isabel after the amazing massage therapist at the YWCA next door. Ok - while she was working on me, it felt like I was going to be one giant bruise for the next week. But, now it feels much better.

It's been a big week in Winnipeg - particularly Thursday and Friday.

On Thursday, we finally got a Mountain Equipment Coop store! Now, I know that most people don't get excited about a new retail store... but MEC is a Canadian icon. It's an outdoor sports gear and compaing store with a great sense of community values. The new Winnipeg store is built right downtown and is one of the first environmentally-friendly buildings in the city. It's going to play a big role in downtown redevelopment and in sposoring local environmental events. A lot of my colleagues went over on opening day to check out thier composting toilets :-)

Then, on Friday, it was the beginning of Gay Pride Week. For the first time ever, the Pride flag flew over Winnipeg city hall. There had been a lot of threatening calls to the mayor's office about this, so there was a good sized police contingent on hand. But, all went very smoothly. There were a few protestors with signs like, "Repent and the Lord will save you." But, they were vastly outnumbered by the United Church of Canada contingent that showed up with a big supportive banner.

It's really hard for me to leave here today and fly out to Calgary for the next month. It's the most gorgeous morning since the creation of the universe -- flowers blooming, garage sales, baseball tournament at the park down the street, birds singing, kids playing outside... But, I miss Linda. It's not the same without her here. I'm just hoping we can sort out a job for her over the next month and know where we're going to end up.