Waterways
I'm thinking about how water is such an integral part of my life and my work (the design agency I work for in the "real world" serves a lot of marine industry clients and our office overlooks the Lachine Canal, where local dragon boat teams practice all summer long).
My favourite place to spend time is our cottage on a wide part of the St-Lawrence River, where I see some of our clients sailing by on a regular basis. I was born on an island (PEI - my second favourite place to be) and live on an island (Montreal).
Special memories around (and in) the water include my grandfather giving us each a reward the first time we could swim the length of the rowboat on our own; my mother letting us all jump in the lake with our clothes one evening; and spending many of my growing-up summers at the bottom of the lake or a friend's pool, only coming up to breathe periodically when absolutely necessary.
Water is an important part of the lifeblood of our economy and our environment. When I see water levels dropping to unprecedented levels, I wonder how long we can expect our waterways to carry us along.