Blog

Just Say No- When the best communications strategy is to shut up

Posted in: Crisis Communications, England, Media Training, Prince Andrew, Public Relations, Royal Family | , by
No comments
When Prince Andrew sat down for an extended interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis, it was one of the “gets” of the year. Great for Maitlis and her program.  Not so great for the House of Windsor. Not since King Charles I rose in his own defence at his trial...

Training Spokespeople for a Great Cause

Posted in: Crisis Communications, Media Training, Presentation Training, Public Relations, Urban Planning | , by
No comments
One of our favourite Saturday morning excursions is to the wonderful farmer’s market at Evergreen Brick Works. But Evergreen is about far more than just this one institution. They do important, visionary work to nurture conversations about how to improve life in our cities. That’s why it was such a...

A Passion for Food

Posted in: Bologna, Food, Italy, Travel, Travel Writing | , by
No comments
Spectacular cuisine can be found throughout Italy, but in this nation of great food, the region of Emilia Romagna stands out–the home of balsamic vinegar, Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto.  In this article for Post Media, I profiled some of the people who take simple, local and extraordinary ingredients, inject a dose of passion...

On the Buses, Off the Buses. (from Huffington Post)

Posted in: Uncategorized | , by
No comments
For a young reporter, as I was once, there were few better assignments than a leader’s bus during an Ontario or federal election. You felt like you were making an important contribution to the democratic process: watching every move, listening to every word of a person aspiring to high political...

The Man Who Sculpted the Sceptred Isle

Posted in: Downton Abbey, England, History, Travel, Travel Writing | , by
No comments
The English countryside is rightly celebrated for its beauty.  But many of the most memorable sights are far from natural–they were created by the influential landscaper Lancelot “Capability” Brown.  I was grateful to visit some of his best-known creations, thanks to Visit Britain and WestJet.  Along the way, I met...