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Scroll the latest local reporting. Letters, editorials and columns now live in their own reader sections.

The Last Temptation of Chris

A few months ago, I decided that it might be a good time for me to go on an adventure. I've been feeling a bit listless lately and when I go back and read my previous columns, I see a sense of freneticism and unhingedness to my writing. Wit

Chris Williams · Sep 12, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

Something Serious

Good morning. I know that for those of you who read this column, you have come to expect either something funny, something not funny but desperately trying to be so, or something just plain weird. This week though, I would like to veer away

Chris Williams · Aug 16, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

Haida Gwaii hosting the next G7 Summit?

The answer to the above question is an emphatic no. Absolutely not. No way. There isn’t a snowball’s chance in Hades that the G7 Summit will take place on Haida Gwaii next year. But what if it did? You might think that the idea of the G7 Su

Chris Williams · Jul 5, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

Jalopyism – A Path to Peace

Jalopyism is not only hard to spell, it’s not even a real word. But if you think that’s going to stop me from teaching you about it, then you’re not only wrong, you’re jalopified. Simply put, Jalopyism is a brand-new religion I made up this

Chris Williams · May 22, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

Interview With a Campfire

Jeanne d'Arc once said, “A campfire is nature's television.” And you know what? For once, I agree with her. Fire isn't just a word to describe that mixed tape I recorded back in ’96, it's also the heartbeat of any respectable campsite. You

Chris Williams · May 1, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

More Cheese Please

April is Grilled Cheese Month around the globe. So grab a hunk of Havarti and enjoy as I take a few words to pay homage to this wonderful, meltable, God-given gift of gooeyness. As most of you know, there are many different types of cheeses

Chris Williams · Apr 13, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

(I Don't Actually Own Nukes)

My first TV remote was a large square box with a faux wood finish. It had 13 buttons that you could push to select any of the 13 available TV channels, and it was hardwired to the TV with a thick black cable. In its time, it was the apex of

Chris Williams · Mar 29, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

The couple in the cabin

In exactly 20 minutes and 46 seconds, it will be the 150th anniversary of the time when a sweet old couple lived in the forest just south of what is now Sandspit. They lived in a small cabin along the shore, built from logs and rope collect

Chris Williams · Mar 25, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

The Anxiety Society

Anxiety is a pervasive condition affecting many individuals globally and locally in Haida Gwaii. It manifests in various forms, from test and public speaking anxiety to unique local varieties like BC Ferries and familiar social interactions. Embracing anxiety as part of life and finding humor in it can help individuals cope.

Chris Williams · Mar 9, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

Who cares about climate change anyways

On clear nights, I like to stare up at the stars and wonder about all the incredible cosmic phenomena happening out there. From small celestial debris jettisoning around to supernovas, quasars, and massive black holes—the universe is a busy

Chris Williams · Feb 23, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

Waking Up is Hard to Do

Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up - Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine) The sound of birds singing, that warm sun peeking through the window, light frost on the grass – none of these things are as magic

Chris Williams · Feb 1, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

Wet Places and Friendly Faces

Like most Tlellians, I abhor the idea of personal hygiene. In fact, I will refuse to shower unless I am either really cold or my bidet has stopped working. And even then, it's a struggle to get under the water. Once I'm in the shower, thoug

Chris Williams · Jan 18, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

Missing Chocolate and Friendly Frolf

Have you ever been in that situation where you bought your partner a bunch of Christmas presents that included some boxes of chocolate, but in the course of wrapping all the presents, you accidentally eat 2, maybe 3 of the boxes of chocolat

Chris Williams · Jan 4, 2025

Backseat Life-ing

Bots: Should I Be Worried?

Being the thrifty sort, I prefer to save my money rather than waste it on things like fancy speaker systems and music libraries. Instead, I invest it in more sensible things, like doughnuts and used toques. But what if I decide to throw a p

Chris Williams · Dec 19, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

Microplastics, They're Fantastic!

(If you sang the title of this column to the tune of “Barbie Girl” by the acclaimed Danish-Norwegian Europop band Aqua, then you are correct and receive one point. If you collect all 10 points, then you will receive, free of charge, one ran

Chris Williams · Dec 14, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

“Must be nice!”

It has often been said that the hardest thing for people to learn in life is what we don't know. Life and experience teach us many things, but age allows us to see a bigger picture of the world and affords us the humility to understand that

Chris Williams · Nov 23, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

Time travel won't fix my nachos

NEWSFLASH — Time travel is not difficult! Contrary to what you may have seen in the modern world's version of educational videos (Hollywood movies), time travel is neither difficult nor expensive. It doesn't involve fancy phone booths or de

Chris Williams · Nov 8, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

This firewood isn't going to stack itself!

As someone who considers themselves a bit of a health guru, I can say with confidence that self-inflicted torture exercise is incredibly important for a long and boring life. For example, when I don't exercise, I have such a hard time putti

Chris Williams · Oct 24, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

OMG! That deer is so hot!

Last week, after a long day of showering (which I do once a month to soften my toenails for easier harvesting), I happened to glance over at my steamed-up computer screen and notice that I had a new email. And since it wasn't one of those u

Chris Williams · Oct 10, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

There's no place like chrome

In light of the current state of the world, I thought it might be fitting to take a more serious tone with this column. Sometimes, one must lay down the pencil of lightheartedness and frivolity to wield the feathery quill of seriousness and

Chris Williams · Sep 26, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

Purpose, pleasure, pyramids

“The two most important days in a person's life are the day they are born and the day they find out why.” — Mark Twain “A man without purpose distracts himself with pleasure.” – Sophocles “I purposely ate this entire box of chocolate-chip c

Chris Williams · Sep 12, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

Chickens: Nature’s little Houdinis

Warning: This column contains extremely juvenile acronymetic language and should therefore not be read by anyone over the age of six. Seriously. Last week our little homestead came down with a mild case of drama when it was observed that on

Chris Williams · Aug 29, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

How supercomputers are affecting life in Sandspit

Let’s play a little game. Can you guess what these famous physicists are talking about? (Hint, it’s not ducks.) Feyman: “If you think you understand it, then you probably don’t.” Bohr: “Those who are not shocked when they first come upon it

Chris Williams · Aug 15, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

It’s the hard-knock life

“Sometimes, life can be hard” is something we hear all the time, but what does it actually mean? How hard can life really be? Is any one life really harder than any other life, or do we all experience the same amount of life hardness? The a

Chris Williams · Aug 1, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

On board games and the dastardly need to win*

Warning: The following deals with mature subject matter such as playing board games and drinking beer and may not be suitable for boring people. Some people think playing board games is for nerds. Well, my custom Catan board, lucky leatherb

Chris Williams · Jul 30, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

Fishing society apologizes to salmon for using the word ‘lure’

Most of what I do in life is to provide Solutions To Obvious Problems That Hardly Anyone Notices, or “STOP THAT” for short. Keen readers will notice right away that the first solution I need to provide for an obvious problem that hardly any

Chris Williams · Jul 4, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

A plan to retire really rich on Haida Gwaii

As I was driving home from work the other day, I was musing that I really do have one of the most wonderful commutes on the planet. I work out of Daajing Giids but commute to and from Tlell daily. The drive (as you all know) snakes along th

Chris Williams · Jun 21, 2024

Backseat Life-ing

Risk Taking = Community Need

I've been called a lot of things in my life. Everything from “acrimonious mustard stain” to “zit-producing anxiety dumpling.” But never, and I mean never have I been referred to as a brilliant community-oriented business visionary. That's s

Chris Williams · Jun 2, 2024