Viewpoint

  My grandfather worked for Sun Life Insurance in Puerto Rico, Chile and Cuba. After retirement in 1963, my grandparents travelled extensively on limited means. They ordered a new VW Bug from the factory and had it delivered to the wharf in Amsterdam, where they debarked and spent a year driving through all the  countries of Europe.They rented a tiny furnished flat in Estoril for the winters. They spent the winter getting to know the surrounding area and the people of Portugal. Always choosing out of the mainstream flats, cooking their own meals, getting to really know the people they...

My father, James Robert Simpson was born in 1924 and served in the Royal Canadian Navy during WWII.  His family suffered during the Great Depression of 1929. Our culture throws things out because there is a seemingly unlimited supply of goods to replace the old. The sustainability of this practice is largely ignored, as our waste disposal problems grow.  My father taught me to respect the value of energy (turn off the lights), money (don't spend money you don't have) and resources (don't throw that away, I can use it for something).  This awareness of value has inspired both my work and...