Jeff Bateman
Perspective: Links of Note
* District of Sooke website
* Archive of District reports and plans
* Statistics Canada ~ Sooke Census Data 2015
* Sooke Chamber of Commerce Townfolio data
* Province of British Columbia ~ website home page
* Province of British Columbia ~ Ministries and Crown Corps.
* Government of Canada ~ Departments & Agencies
The legislative and planning framework for Sooke Smart Growth was established a decade ago in the 2010 Official Community Plan. We have a town centre plan, design guidelines and a financial incentive program for green building and affordable housing in a masterplanned town core (aka up Sooke).
Some favourite local websites ...
* Sooke Region Multi-Belief Initiative ~ I'm a founding member and still involved in a core group with Rick Eby, Koshin Moonfist, Andy Schell and Mark Zeigler. Charter for CompassionInternational officially named Sooke as the 103rd Compassionate Community in the world in 2019 following formal District of Sooke recognition. Affirm the Charter yourself here.
* Transition Sooke ~ I stepped away from a seven-year relationship with the organization prior to the 2018 election and recused myself from its council presentations until I received a legal opinion clearing me from potential conflict of interest. I respect its ongoing work and the caring individuals involved.
* Edward Milne Community School Society ~ I'm the past-past-past president (as my predecessor Roger Temple, the past x4 president, and I like to joke; we've been followed by Kate Barton and Willy Burrows) and remain a member of the society. Pre-COVID I helped organize the Sooke Talks series and during the pandemic I was part of the creative team led by Phoebe Dunbar that produced the documentary film Tale of A Whale.
* Wild Wise Society
* Sooke Farmland Trust Society ~ position paper here
Know Yourself (Ideologically)
In these wildly polarized times, it's arguably important to understand where you yourself stand on the left/centre/right spectrum. I'm sure you've already a good idea, but well worth verifying it by taking the questionnaire at the respected, apolitical and objective Political Compass. Answer its several dozen propositions, and the bot will identify where you sit on a four-quadrant map that covers the ideological (not political) landscape.
Whenever I take the quiz I invariably wind up in the bottom left quadrant, aka "Left Libertarian." This result reflects my worldview and values, however it's important to note that decision-making at a municipal level doesn't involve many/most of the questions that shape the results. Nor should any political philosophy or party affiliation for that matter. Yet it does accurately capture the subjective lens through which I view life. By all means try it yourself and see where and in what quadrant you land.
Basically, for whatever it's worth, I believe I'm a humanitarian who values safety nets and a society that offers as much active, empowering compassion as possible to those left behind. I'm part of the vast majority who believe we must take urgent action on climate change. We need higher, not punitive, taxation on corporations and the rich, and must accept that a free market requires checks, balances and environmental oversight. I also value the freedom of thought and action that a previous generation fought to preserve.
Also worth a visit is Vote Compass . Revisit provincial and national elections from 2011 onwards and see how your views align with the party platforms (sometimes markedly different, of course, from actions by governments in power).
Other links that reliably shift my perspective ...
For those as thrilled by the James Webb Space Telescope as I, explore the endlessly fascinating Scale of the Universe. This online zoom-in/out tool traverses the micro and macro spectrum of life, the universe and everything. Very useful in remembering our small yet impactful place in the scheme of things.
~ Earth: A Global Map of Wind, Weather and Ocean Conditions
~An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments (PDF)
"This book is aimed at newcomers to the field of logical reasoning. The hope is that the reader will learn from these pages some of the most common pitfalls in arguments and be able to identify and avoid them in practice."
~ A Soft Murmur "Ambient sounds (rain, wind, waves, crickets) to wash away distraction."
~ Daily Top 100 Most Popular Wikipedia Searches (updated daily in the archive)
~ The Fallen Of World War II ~ A data visualization of military and civilian casualties between 1939-45 and the period of relative peace we enjoy today.
~ Mercator Map Reimagined The true size of the world's countries (as opposed to the Eurocentric version produced in 1569 by Portugese cartographer Gerardus Mercator)
~ Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion Map, a projection that showed the world without the distortion of the standard Mercator projection.
~ International Quality of Life Index
~ Planet Earth from today to 750 million years ago (interactive map)
~ Canada Mapped Only By Rivers, Streams and Lakes