Every time I enter the ocean, it shows me something beautiful and unexpected. I’m looking for sharks, and a fin whale surfaces, breath bursting into fine mist. Sea lion pups encourage me to play, spinning in the water, swimming fast then turning on a dime and blowing bubbles. Floating at the surface, a comb jelly mesmerises me with rainbow bands of bioluminescence.
Winter can feel endless sometimes, even if temperatures are mild and there is barely any snow to shovel. Daylight hours are shorter, the weather is often less pleasant and we generally spend more time indoors and being less active. For many people seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a very real issue during the cold months and if you’ve ever felt the pains associated with it, you’re certainly not alone.
As told by Julia Barnes, a documentary filmmaker, volunteer with Water Docs, and friend of the late Rob Stewart. This speech was given as part of our Water Warrior Award presentation at our 11th annual Water Docs Film Festival in Toronto on Nov. 17, 2023. Rob’s parents, Brian and Sandy Stewart, accepted the award on Rob’s behalf.
Here is a breakdown of the 2023 Water Docs Film Festival in-person screening blocks that can help you decide which programs you absolutely “must-see”… and they’re all FREE! See you at the movies…
Across the country, wetlands are being destroyed by industry and agriculture. They are drained and filled so people can construct buildings, farm the land, or install infrastructure. Wetlands also face threats from pollution and climate change. As droughts intensify, wetlands can dry up.
Worldwide, 60% of wetlands have been lost. Wetlands are disappearing faster than any other natural community.
Ben, Water Docs: Just to start, for people who haven’t read the article yet, what are Blue Spaces?
Dan: “Blue space is basically being in, on, or around an aquatic environment. We know that being in a natural place and being active, those things are good for us. They're good for our bodies, they're good for our minds. There's a whole body of research that's finding and showing that there are even more benefits to spending that time in blue space.”
We currently live in a world where the survival of everything we truly care about is at stake. This is true because every system in the world, that is every nation, every organization, every corporation, every family, every person, plant and animal, every house, and every car must have a source of inputs and a sink for the outputs it generates. Without these sources and sinks, with the capacity to fuel us and accept our output, we do not exist.
By now, GTA residents have most assuredly heard of the new 400 series highways that are being proposed for construction by the current provincial government. The roadways would connect Vaughn to Halton in a bid to improve transportation infrastructure for drivers as the city expands.
One of the biggest problems with this project is that much of the proposed 59 kilometre roadway would cut right through the Holland Marsh.
2020 has been nothing short of an opportunity for relearning. It has been an incredibly impactful year – and it hasn’t come to an end just yet. A year of changes, challenges, and extreme hardship for many, it has also given us time for a pause, an opportunity to breathe and reflect and to deepen our understandings… a chance for the world to rethink many - if not all - of our so-called normals.
