“I’ve always been a guy that cheers for the underdog.” — John Zaritsky (Reel West interview with Mark Leiren-Young, 2016) In 2016, I was editor of Reel West Magazine, covering the western Canadian screen scene and that meant I could choose my own stories to tell. I was delighted to have the chance to interview Academy Award and Gemini winning documentary filmmaker, John Zaritsky, about becoming the subject of…

Share the Planet By Dr. Robert Hogg and Mark Leiren-Young We both grew up in Vancouver and we’d always joke about cities with 24-hour traffic reports, overcrowding, and overpriced housing. Over the last few years we realized the joke was on us and moved to smaller communities. When humans decide…

(from Orcas Everywhere by Mark Leiren-Young — Orca Publishing, 2018) — Whenever you mention orcas, someone will probably tell you, “Orcas are not really whales — they are the largest member of the dolphin family.” This is true. Sort of. It’s also false. Isn’t science awesome? Pretty much every dictionary definition of whale describes a “very large marine mammal with a…

(an excerpt from her new book: Not on My Watch) — When I was a child I was drawn to animals, especially the wild ones, and to the ponds and forests where they lived. I was curious. I tracked them and watched them. No matter whether I was looking into the gold-flecked eye of a frog, or at the way a…

1966 est Born December 11, 1969 Captured in Pender Harbor, BC 1969 Sent to Marineland of Pacific 1987 Sent to SeaWorld San Diego Species: Orcinus orca Breed: Northern Resident Meaning of name: Irish for “hill hollow” Captivity History: Captured at around age 4 from A5 pod in Pender Harbor, BC Mother: Stripe (died…

Tobias Douglas loved BC’s forests and created a candle company to share them with the world. In 2009, Tobias ran for the BC NDP in Prince George. Her goal was to take the seat from the BC Liberal’s then Minister of Forests, Pat Bell. I figured that, if she did…