2026 Canadian Census

I received my census in the mail on May 4th.  My neighbour got their Census on the same day and asked if I would do it online for them.  I did and it was the short form.  Easy Peasy!  Then I did mine.  I got the long form once again!  70 questions!  What sex were you at birth?  What sex are you now?  Then the questions got more difficult.  I enjoyed reading the "how many people live in your house" and all the choices!   I wonder if some of the people who have visitors that don't leave when their visa has expired answer honestly.  

When I got to "how much do you spend a year on electricity", my phone rang.  It was my daughter who was commuting home from work.  I told her what I was doing but I needed to do some calculations.  I said "I'll sign off now and finish later".  Then it asked for a password.  My daughter has a fabulous sense of humour.  I can't share a password, not only because it's not the smartest thing to do, but this one was not appropriate to put on my blog.  It was really funny and I don't know why I didn't think of it!  I submitted my census the day it was mailed to me.

We had lunch with friends yesterday who don't own a conputer.  They called the Census Help Line and asked for a paper questionaire to be mailed.  It hasn't arrived yet.  When he watched the news he saw if you didn't file by May 12th, you could face a fine.  He hopes they don't fine him.  

My cousin Gordon and his wife are on a 14 day Alaska cruise.  They left May 3rd and don't get back until this weekend.  I hope he doesn't get a fine.

I love reading Twitter when people complain about giving the government their information.     

Dee Lundy didn't post the inside of the form.  I bet it was interesting.

I asked AI for a reason to fill out your census and got this:

Filling out the Canadian census matters for very concrete, practical reasons — and the benefits come right back to you, your neighbourhood, and your province.

🧭 1. It directly shapes services you rely on

Census data is the backbone for planning health care, education, public transit, housing, and infrastructure. Statistics Canada officials emphasize that everything from hospital capacity to school construction to road planning depends on accurate population data.

Transit planners, for example, use census commuting data — including what time people leave for work — to design routes and reduce congestion.

🗳️ 2. It determines political representation

Population counts from the census decide the boundaries of federal and provincial ridings. Without accurate numbers, representation becomes uneven.

💰 3. It affects how billions in funding are allocated

Federal, provincial, and municipal governments use census data to distribute transfer payments and target funding where it’s actually needed. Under‑counted communities receive less money.

🏡 4. It helps communities plan for growth

Everything from neighbourhood demographics to housing needs comes from census data. Even families looking to buy a home rely on census profiles to understand a community.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 5. It’s the only complete portrait of Canada

Statistics Canada calls the census “the only source of data for the entire country.” If people don’t fill it out, the portrait is incomplete — like missing family members in a photo.

📅 6. It’s mandatory

Participation is required under the Statistics Act, and households that refuse can face fines of up to $500. All residents — citizens, permanent residents, refugee claimants, and even temporary workers or students — must complete it.

🕒 7. It takes very little time

• Short form: ~6 minutes

• Long form: ~30 minutes (randomly assigned) - if that's true why have I received it for the last three census?

Brilliant Lady has it's first trip into Vancouver Harbour

Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady is the adults-only cruise line's fourth ship.  It debuted in late 2025 and today it arrived at the Port of Vancouver.  It's 111,000 gross tons with a capacity of 2,762 passengers.  I had an invitation to have lunch onboard but because it couldn't navigate under the Lions Gate Bridge until 9:30 AM and was scheduled to leave at 5:00 PM, it was cancelled.  That's quite a short turn around.

We arrived at 1:30 and the passengers hadn't even started to board yet.  I know two passengers who boarded today to go to Alaska.  I can't wait to see how they liked Virgin Cruises.

The Disney Wonder was at the west berth.  Lots of children on this ship!

It's much smaller than the Brilliant Lady

 

 Disney characters hanging from the aft!

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day has always been a celebration of love, gratitude, and the quiet strength that mothers carry through every season of life. But like many traditions, it didn’t start as the commercial holiday we know today.

The modern version began in 1908, when Anna Jarvis of West Virginia held a memorial for her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis — a woman who spent her life caring for families and promoting public health. Anna campaigned for a national day to honour all mothers, and by 1914, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. From there, the tradition spread across the world, including here in Canada, where it quickly became a cherished spring ritual.

But beyond the history, Mother’s Day is really about moments — the small, thoughtful gestures that remind us we’re loved.

This year, my Mother’s Day began quietly. My daughter sent me flowers on Friday — a beautiful surprise on its own. I didn’t expect anything more. Flowers are already a gift of love, and I was content with that.

Then came an email yesterday: an invitation for dinner.

Now, we’re not a “restaurant family.” Crowds, noise, and rushed service aren’t our idea of a relaxing celebration. And my daughter, being a mother herself, shouldn’t have to spend the day cooking. She deserves to be honoured too.

So she came up with the perfect solution: a take‑out Mother’s Day dinner at her home — relaxed, warm, and shared together.

We enjoyed delicious Greek food from Poseidon Restaurant in Langley, one of the best spots around for authentic flavours. Alongside it, we opened a bottle of prosecco and a lovely rosé wine — simple, celebratory touches that made the evening feel special without any fuss.

And then came dessert: a homemade strawberry pie, beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious. The kind of dessert that tastes like spring and love in equal measure.

It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t elaborate.

It was perfect.

Thank you Cheryl, Dave and Lexie for a wonderful evening!

Happy Mother's Day!

 

Marilyn Vos Savant - one intelligent woman!

 

This woman holds the highest recorded IQ ever: an astonishing 228. Far surpassing Einstein (160-190), Hawking (160), and Musk (155). Yet, despite her brilliance, she faced ridicule for her response to a seemingly simple problem.

But she saw what no one else could.

Here’s her story:

Marilyn Vos Savant was far from an ordinary child.

By the age of 10, she had:

• Memorized entire books

• Read all 24 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica

• Achieved the highest recorded IQ of 228

She seemed destined for a life of genius.

But reality took a different turn.

“No one paid much attention to me—mostly because I was a girl. And I accepted that,” Marilyn Vos Savant once said.

She attended a regular public school, left Washington University after two years to help run her parents' business, and seemed destined for an ordinary life.

But in 1985, everything changed.

The Guinness Book of World Records listed her as having the "Highest IQ" ever recorded: 228.

Suddenly, Marilyn was thrust into the spotlight:

• Featured on the covers of New York Magazine and Parade Magazine

• Guest on Late Night with David Letterman

But she couldn’t have anticipated what lay ahead.

The Rise and the Question

Marilyn joined Parade Magazine to write the iconic "Ask Marilyn" column—a dream for someone with a passion for writing.

Yet, this dream turned into a nightmare with a single question in September 1990.

The Monty Hall Problem

Named after Monty Hall, the host of Let’s Make a Deal, the question went like this:

You’re on a game show.

There are 3 doors.

• 1 door hides a car.

• The other 2 hide goats.

You choose a door. The host opens another door, revealing a goat.

Should you switch doors?

Marilyn’s answer: “Yes, you should switch.”

The backlash was overwhelming. She received over 10,000 letters, including nearly 1,000 from PhDs, insisting she was wrong:

• “You are the goat!”

• “You blew it, and you blew it big!”

• “Maybe women look at math problems differently than men.”

But was she wrong?

The Math Behind the Answer

Consider the two possible scenarios:

You pick the car (1/3 chance):

• If you switch, you lose.

You pick a goat (2/3 chance):

• Monty reveals the other goat.

• If you switch, you win.

Switching gives you a 2/3 chance of winning.

Eventually, her answer was proven correct.

Vindication

MIT ran computer simulations confirming her logic.

MythBusters tested it and reached the same conclusion.

Some academics even apologized.

So why did so many fail to see the truth?

The Reasons People Got It Wrong

• They "reset" the scenario instead of recognizing the shifting probabilities.

• The simplicity of 3 doors obscured the underlying math.

• Many assumed each remaining door had a 50% chance.

Marilyn’s View

Marilyn blamed the compulsory schooling system for discouraging independent thinking. She argued that it:

• Creates passive learners

• Stifles exploration

• Hinders critical thinking

A Blessing and a Burden

Marilyn admits that her intellect often feels isolating—there’s no one to turn to when she needs answers.

Still, she sees her intelligence as a gift, not a curse .

I looked this up to make sure it was correct and this is what I found:

Savant sees IQ tests as measurements of a variety of mental abilities and thinks intelligence entails so many factors that "attempts to measure it are useless".   She has held memberships with the high IQ societies Mensa International and the Mega Society.

Stop signs

 This is a stop sign in most provinces of Canada.  We are a bilingual country with two official languages. 

This is a stop sign in Quebec:

This is a stop sign in France:

This is a stop sign in Nunavit

This is a stop sign in Delta, BC close to Tsawwassen Mills Shopping Center:

This isn't AI, the picture was taken by a friend!

When a Beloved Book Meets the Pacific: Remarkably Bright Creatures Comes to Life at the Vancouver Aquarium

Some stories feel like they’re meant for the screen, and Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures is one of them — a tender, surprising novel about grief, connection, and an octopus with more wisdom than most humans. Now, with Sally Field leading the cast and Vancouver standing in for the fictional Sowell Bay, this heartwarming tale is swimming into a new life on film.

A Story That Already Felt Cinematic

Van Pelt’s bestselling 2022 novel captured readers with its unusual narrator: Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus with a sharp mind and a sharper wit. His unlikely friendship with Tova Sullivan, a widowed night cleaner at the local aquarium, becomes the emotional anchor of the story — one that blends mystery, healing, and humour in a way that feels both gentle and profound.

It turns out the author had a very specific actor in mind. According to Lewis Pullman, Van Pelt imagined Sally Field as Tova while writing the book — a full‑circle moment now realized on screen.

Sally Field at the Vancouver Aquarium

For Vancouverites, the excitement is doubled: the film didn’t just choose British Columbia for its scenery — it filmed right at the Vancouver Aquarium, giving the beloved local landmark a starring role.

While the fictional Sowell Bay is set in Washington State, the production found its perfect match in Vancouver and North Vancouver, where the coastal atmosphere, working waterfronts, and marine life exhibits brought the story’s world to life. Filming took place across the region, including Deep Cove, Cates Park, and Maple Ridge, but the aquarium scenes are the emotional heart of the film.

Seeing Sally Field wandering the aquarium’s quiet nighttime corridors — the same ones many of us have walked — adds a layer of intimacy and familiarity to the adaptation. Locals even spotted her filming in North Vancouver, warmly greeting fans between takes.

A Film That Stays True to the Book’s Spirit

Early previews suggest the movie remains faithful to the novel’s tone, capturing its cozy coastal setting, its gentle humour, and its themes of loss, resilience, and unexpected friendship. The trailer highlights the bond between Tova and Marcellus, with Alfred Molina voicing the octopus — a perfect match for his dry, observant personality.

Van Pelt herself has praised the adaptation, noting that while some scenes differ from the book, the characters feel exactly right — and she even filmed a cameo during her time on set in Vancouver.

Why This Adaptation Matters

At its core, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a story about finding connection in unexpected places — something that resonates deeply in a world that often feels disconnected. Bringing this story to screen, especially with an actor as grounded and empathetic as Sally Field, feels like an invitation to slow down, breathe, and rediscover wonder.

And for those of us in British Columbia, there’s something special about seeing our coastline, our forests, and our aquarium woven into a story that has already touched so many hearts.

A Final Thought

Whether you fell in love with the book or are discovering the story for the first time, the film adaptation promises to be life‑affirming, beautifully acted, and visually rich — a celebration of the quiet magic that happens when humans and the natural world truly see each other.

And yes… Marcellus steals the show. Again.

It starts streaming on Netflix tomorrow. I can't wait to watch it.