Column

Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince William watch from the balcony of Buckingham Place after the Trooping the Color ceremony in London, Thursday, June 2, 2022, on the first of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP)

Painful Truth: Good kings, bad kings, same difference

History has picked out some good guys and bad guys. It’s not true.

Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince William watch from the balcony of Buckingham Place after the Trooping the Color ceremony in London, Thursday, June 2, 2022, on the first of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP)
A construction worker on a lift works on one of a series of condo buildings under construction on Langley’s 200th Street in June, 2021. Thousands of units of housing are under construction in Langley City and Township. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)
A construction worker on a lift works on one of a series of condo buildings under construction on Langley’s 200th Street in June, 2021. Thousands of units of housing are under construction in Langley City and Township. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)
People walk up stairs to the entrance of the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, B.C., on Thursday, December 21, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Painful Truth: Reaction to museum plans are out of whack

We don’t get this level of anger for other major projects, including the Olympics

People walk up stairs to the entrance of the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, B.C., on Thursday, December 21, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
The Legion Veterans Village project is seen under construction in Surrey, B.C., on Saturday, November 6, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Painful Truth: The glass is half-empty

Look on the gloomy side, it’ll keep you from falling flat on your face

The Legion Veterans Village project is seen under construction in Surrey, B.C., on Saturday, November 6, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
A health care worker is seen outside the Emergency dept. of the Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver on March 30, 2020. he B.C. government says temporary pandemic pay that was promised to essential workers in mid-May should be coming in October. The stipend was promised to hundreds of thousands of essential workers for work done between March and July and some workers say they’re frustrated it still hasn’t arrived. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

PETERS: Nurses give far more than just medical care

On National Nurses Week, it’s time to think back to the nurses who have cared for us

A health care worker is seen outside the Emergency dept. of the Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver on March 30, 2020. he B.C. government says temporary pandemic pay that was promised to essential workers in mid-May should be coming in October. The stipend was promised to hundreds of thousands of essential workers for work done between March and July and some workers say they’re frustrated it still hasn’t arrived. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
FILE - Bob Odenkirk arrives at the 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 8, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif. The (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Painful Truth: Back to the vast wasteland of TV

TV can be great, but is it good for us?

FILE - Bob Odenkirk arrives at the 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 8, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif. The (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
FILE: Four-year-old Jonah Arbez holds a protest sign at a Friday’s Strike for Climate on the steps of Nanaimo City Hall in 2019. (Cole Schisler/Black Press)

Cole’s Notes: It’s hard to be young these days

It won’t be easy to solve our problems, but our futures are worth fighting for

FILE: Four-year-old Jonah Arbez holds a protest sign at a Friday’s Strike for Climate on the steps of Nanaimo City Hall in 2019. (Cole Schisler/Black Press)
A TransLink bus pulls up to the 203rd Street stop near Industrial Avenue, site of the future SkyTrain station in downtown Langley City. (Langley Advance Times files)

Painful Truth: Langley’s transport future – pay parking, SkyTrain, bikeshare

Langley needs a lot more than just SkyTrain over the next few years

A TransLink bus pulls up to the 203rd Street stop near Industrial Avenue, site of the future SkyTrain station in downtown Langley City. (Langley Advance Times files)
FILE - Will Smith, right, hits presenter Chris Rock on stage while presenting the award for best documentary feature at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The incident on Sunday has sparked debate about the appropriate ways for Black men to publicly defend Black women against humiliation and abuse. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

Painful Truth: Sometimes a slap isn’t actually that important

Not everything is a window into our society’s ills

FILE - Will Smith, right, hits presenter Chris Rock on stage while presenting the award for best documentary feature at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The incident on Sunday has sparked debate about the appropriate ways for Black men to publicly defend Black women against humiliation and abuse. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
Robert’s column

Robert Barron column: Fond memories of ‘Paddy’s Day’

By mid afternoon, the party started really taking off

Robert’s column
The Delphi is an ancient sanctuary in southern Greece. (Richard Okrent)

Painful Truth: Words from dragon’s teeth

Myth made a hero out of the bringers of the alphabet

The Delphi is an ancient sanctuary in southern Greece. (Richard Okrent)
About 30 people took part in a Sunday night (Feb. 27) vigil in Langley for the Ukraine, gathering at the Vineyard church, then walking to the cenotaph in Douglas Park. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)

Painful Truth: Peace requires more than golden arches and money

We thought self-interest would prevent more wars like the Russian attack on Ukraine

About 30 people took part in a Sunday night (Feb. 27) vigil in Langley for the Ukraine, gathering at the Vineyard church, then walking to the cenotaph in Douglas Park. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)
Surrey Provincial Court. (Black Press Media files)

Painful Truth: Fake law won’t save you in court

‘Pseudolaw’ is a persistent problem for the courts – and the people who practice it

Surrey Provincial Court. (Black Press Media files)
There’s too much cash sloshing around right now. (Black Press Media files)

Painful Truth: There’s just too much money

That’s why Wordle being bought by a big corporation was inevitable

There’s too much cash sloshing around right now. (Black Press Media files)
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in 2019. One of several reasons to be anxious these days. (Yuri Kadobnov/Pool Photo via AP)

Painful Truth: Too many spinning plates right now

It feels like there are at least half a dozen things that could crash down any moment

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in 2019. One of several reasons to be anxious these days. (Yuri Kadobnov/Pool Photo via AP)
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser rises during Question Period, Monday, December 6, 2021 in Ottawa. \THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser rises during Question Period, Monday, December 6, 2021 in Ottawa. \THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Grocery stores are the home to a wide variety of shoppers. Some are better than others. (USDA photo)

Painful Truth: Tribes of shoppers to avoid

A grocery store who’s who

Grocery stores are the home to a wide variety of shoppers. Some are better than others. (USDA photo)
The 216th Street interchange has separated bike lanes. (Langley Advance Times files)

Painful Truth: Bike helmets or bike lanes?

One will do a lot more than the other to keep cyclists safer

The 216th Street interchange has separated bike lanes. (Langley Advance Times files)
(Pixabay photo)

With eggnog only: Terrible Christmas movies you’ll want to avoid this season

North Island Gazette editor Tyson Whitney watched these ‘classics’ so you don’t have to

(Pixabay photo)
Distancing signs like these became the ‘new normal’ in early 2020. We have no idea what will come next. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Painful Truth: There’s no normal, new or old

Whatever comes next will feel normal eventually, no matter how strange it is

Distancing signs like these became the ‘new normal’ in early 2020. We have no idea what will come next. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
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