In the spring of 2009, I was a participant in the Simon Fraser University Undergraduate Semester in Dialogue. One of the main focuses of the semester was our event entitled, “Audacious Visions for Vancouver.” This poster and subsequent branding materials were collaboratively created by myself and other members of the program. I was then one of the main proponents in taking our branding and converting it into all the necessary material needed for the event; promotional cards, name tags, letterheads, website graphics, registrant packages, table cards, and so on and so forth. The day was a great success with high attendance and participation, and the results of our world cafe-style dialogues have been passed on to the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Team.

You can still visit the website for Audacious Visions for Vancouver and see more of the work that my class put into the event. More information is downloadable below.

Click on the above image to download a PDF of the registrant's package.

Click on the above image to download a PDF of results from Audacious Visions for Vancouver. (Sorry, still working on getting the file uploaded as its file size is too big for WordPress! Please email me for the 12 MB 35 page document.)

It was a couple of weeks ago now that my parents called to say that they had to put down our dog, Kimmiq. It was a hard phone call, and one I’d been dreading for a long time. Kimmiq was thirteen and a half, which is ancient for a black labrador retriever. When I left for Australia last October, I knew that when I said goodbye it would probably be for good. He was very arthritic, and getting very weak because he couldn’t walk very much or very far. With all their experiences with other dogs, my parents knew it was Kimmiq’s time.

snowshoeing in Yellowknife, NWT, on Tin Can Hill

He was a great guy. I still remember the day that we got him, and how calmly he watched us as we approached the kennels at the breeder’s—his brothers and sisters were yapping away, but he was just sitting and watching us, ears perked and brown eyes shining in the sun. He was the first dog that the breeder brought out for us to meet, and as a timid guy, he trembled for a lot of it—but calmed a bit as I petted him while the grown ups were talking. I was nine, and he was three and a half months old, part of an out of season litter of pups. (“Love puppies” as they’re known.) We met a couple other dogs, but he was the one we kept. I don’t even know what the decision was, just that he was our dog. Kimmiq’s name comes from the Inuit word for “dog,” which is qimmiq. We didn’t really know how to spell it (obviously), so his name became a combination between qimmiq and kimik (which means “heel”).

Kimmiq became a constant in my life growing up; as a teenager and then young adult, so many things change that it’s nice to have a few things that don’t. He was always there after I came home from school, and it was my job to take him for his afternoon walk. In Yellowknife, we explored Tin Can Hill together (which was right behind our house), and when we moved back to Revelstoke, he and I traipsed up and down the Greenway at the end of our street every day. Nothing brought him to the kitchen faster than scraping the cast-iron frying pan, and he loved nothing more than playing fetch with sticks, tennis balls, or frisbees. Our last dog never got the hang of frisbee, but Kimmiq made some magnificent leaps to catch his. He would always meet you at the door and butt his head into your knees for scratches.

His first bedroom was our office, where once I discovered the wonders of the internet, we kept each other company. Eventually his basket was moved downstairs, where he kept my mum company sewing or my dad company while he watched TV. He often accompanied my mum to work, and always eagerly awaited his dog bone treat once they got there. I know of no other dog who had as many hand-quilted beds as Kimmiq did; my mum is quite the quilter, and our carpets a very light shade, so he had beds all over the house and in her office.

He was always an easy going dog, and timid, but had a steady and gentle nature that made him patient and relaxed. He would just watch, tilt his head, thwap his tail, and always leaned into cuddles. In the springtime, his fur always smelled sweet like cottonwood buds.

Well Kimmiq, you’re in doggy heaven now. You were well loved and will be much missed, and never ever forgotten!

I was thinking the other day that I really missed blogging about my photos. I’m a pretty shutter-happy person, and my blog used to be the place where I wrote about and shared my latest photos and (obviously) the activities that went with them. So, here are a few shots from a recent trip to Pearl Beach, up on the Central Coast north of Sydney.

we saw a few of these clear jellyfish washed up on the beach

The Three Cheeses Food Blog (www.thethreecheeses.com)

Timeframe: Late 2009 – Present

The Project
A website started by myself and two friends from university, The Three Cheeses is a food blog focusing on delicious, healthy, affordable, and ethical cooking. Through it, I have not only had an excuse to expand my pantry, but develop my still-life photography abilities as well. The site is powered by WordPress and utilizes a template that was highly customized by myself, as well as the creation of header and supporting graphics.

The Wheel of Time Role-Play (www.wheeloftimerp.net)

Timeframe: Early 2010 – Present

The Project
I originally founded the Wheel of Time RP in June of 2000. It is a creative writing site based on the Wheel of Time series written by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. The Wheel of Time RP closed for a three-year hiatus in early 2007, but has been reopened as of March 2010. It was one of my first forays into the world of web and graphic design, and I owe much of my technical knowledge to the many hours I’ve spent fiddling with its various features and pages! Maintaining and writing at the Wheel of Time RP is a favourite hobby of mine.

In its origins, I created the site in various versions of FrontPage. It is now managed by WordPress. The layout is my original design adapted to a WordPress template by Luke Freeman (who also did a terrific job of making us customized message boards). I have designed all graphics and collaborate on the content with a team of about four other international administrators.

Williamson’s Lake Campground (www.williamsonlakecampground.com)

Timeframe: 2004 – Present

The Project
Williamson’s Lake is a popular campground and swimming hole in Revelstoke. As one of the busiest campgrounds in town, it is regularly full over the summer months and attracts visitors from around the globe. A campground for families, seniors, backpackers, and naturalists (and everything in between), Williamson’s Lake Campground’s website is simple in design, emphasizing its natural setting and highlighting its features to potential campers. This site was redesigned in late 2009, with all graphics designed by myself. The photos were also taken by me in September 2009.

The SFU Local Food Project (www.sfulocalfood.ca)

Timeframe: 2009

The Project
The SFU Local Food Project is a primarily student-led initiative at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. It promotes local food on campus through a variety of methods—a harvest box, a weekly farmer’s market, and through education and awareness. In collaboration with Sustainable SFU and the Centre for Sustainable Community Development, the SFU Local Food Project’s initiatives have seen great success in the past few years!

I created an original logo and website design for the Project, as well as full colour posters with consistent branding for advertising across campus. The logo has been used on banners, letterheads, and on reusable tote bags at the market.

Lake Revelstoke Dragon Boat Society (www.revelstokedragonboats.org)

Timeframe: Late 2006

The Project
I created the Lake Revelstoke Dragon Boat Society’s website in late 2006, and made it specifically so that it could be maintained by one of the members using FrontPage 2000. A basic design, it serves to keep members appraised of events, society information, and serves as a portal for the Revelstoke community to learn more about dragon boating in general. The Revelstoke Dragon Boaters paddle in support of those who have or have had breast cancer.

Lauren Waters Finewoodworking (www.laurenwaters.com)

Timeframe: 2004 – 2007

The Project
I began designing Lauren’s site in 2004, to act as a portfolio for her fine woodworking business. Lauren’s focus was on a simple, elegant design, and she provided the colours and the ‘tree’ symbol that you see in the header. Such beautiful woodwork speaks for itself, and while Lauren has moved on to another career path, the website serves as a portfolio for when she wishes to showcase her pieces and achievements.

Services: Website design and maintenance, graphic design for online use.