Author Archives: Michael K. Barbour

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About Michael K. Barbour

Michael K. Barbour is the Director of Faculty Development and a Professor of Instructional Design for the College of Education and Health Sciences at Touro University California. He has been involved with K-12 online learning in a variety of countries for well over a decade as a researcher, teacher, course designer and administrator. Michael's research focuses on the effective design, delivery and support of K-12 online learning, particularly for students located in rural jurisdictions.

Speaking loud: In his first public update video, Carney channels Major-General Isaac Brock

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An item from the Legion Magazine.
Weekly Feature
Observation Post

Mark Carney reflects on the legacy of Isaac Brock in a video posted to the prime minister’s YouTube channel. [youtube.com/Mark Carney]

Speaking loud: In his first public update video, Carney channels Major-General Isaac Brock

STORY BY RICHARD FOOT​​​​​​​

Who knew that Prime Minister Mark Carney kept a tiny toy solider on his desk?

Canadians learned this last week in a remarkable video Carney released—the first in a series of occasional public updates he is promising to deliver from the Prime Minister’s Office via YouTube.

The inaugural video posted on Sunday, April 19 was an internet-era version of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous fireside chats, an effort to both comfort and energize the country through tough times ahead. In Carney’s case, he laid out the economic and security threats facing Canada and how his government plans to deal with them.

Sitting prominently in front of him during his chat was a small, red-coated figurine of Major-General Isaac Brock, the British commander whose heroics helped save Canada from American conquest in the War of 1812.

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Canada and the Cold War
The Briefing
The Briefing

Veterans Ombud Nishika Jardine. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]

Veterans Ombud Nishika Jardine on defending veterans

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

“Being able to respond to individual complaints that come into us is the bread and butter of our office,” explained colonel (ret’d) Nishika Jardine, Canada’s veterans ombud. “That is the service we provide, a free and independent service for fairness for veterans and their families. That is our number one priority. It will always be our number one priority.”

Neither an advocate for Veterans Affairs Canada nor, strictly speaking, for veterans themselves, Jardine’s job—along with some 30 colleagues—is to determine what’s right and just. Whether the issues involve VAC’s benefit-related decisions, broader health-care provisions or fundamental support for former personnel, the veterans ombud strives to resolve disputes between the government and those in its care.

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Email sent to: mkbarbour@gmail.com

Canvet Publications Ltd.
86 Aird Place |
Kanata, Ontario | K2L 0A1 | Canada |
1-844-602-5737 | 613-591-0116 | magazine@legion.ca

ANZAC Day 2026

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ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day is officially observed by the people of Australia and New Zealand in remembering the first time the two young nations fought together in a major overseas war. This historic event took place in Gallipoli on the Turkish Peninsular on April 25 in 1915 and is commemorated by expatriates, as well as their countrymen at home, acknowledging the sacrifice made by so many then and in subsequent international conflicts. While they wouldn’t join Canada for another 35 years, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment landed in Gallipoli in September 1915 and would fight alongside their ANZAC comrades until the Allied withdrawal in January 1916.

As such, Branch 25 of the Royal Canadian Legion joined the Australian American Chamber of Commerce San Francisco (SF Aussies) and the New Zealand American Association of San Francisco (SF Kiwis) to commemorate ANZAC Day on board the USS Hornet earlier today.  Comrade Trevor Page was in attendance, while Comrade Page participated by reading the Kumal Ataturks remarks on ANZAC. Below are some pictures from the event.

ANZAC DAY (this Saturday) info, plus a bunch of dates for our forthcoming events

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A newsletter from one of our partner organization.  Note the information at the top about the annual ANZAC Day event.

Kia Ora Michael,

ANZAC Day commemoration This Saturday in San Francisco

Our ANZAC Day Commemoration is happening this Saturday at the Marines’ Memorial Club, 609 Sutter St (near Union Square)

It starts at 9AM, with a casual meetup and coffee, 10AM is the main service, and then 11AM until Noon, some light refreshments to go with conversation with the Aussies and others.

It is necessary to register for free, for logistics and headcount etc, and if you need more info, such as suggested parking garages, please click here.

Upcoming SF Kiwi event info:

SF Kiwis Pub Meetup!

Our popular Pub Meetups continue with a visit to Headlands Brewery,

3420 Mount Diablo Blvd, Lafayette, in a fortnight’s time on Thursday May 7, kicking off at 5pm, and going until as long as allowed.

Come on down for an adult beverage, and natter with some other Kiwis who live in the Bay Area.
Maybe even talk about getting a paid membership to the 501(c)(3) non-profit that is….wait for it…. the New Zealand American Association of San Francisco, AKA SF Kiwis, plus, the emailed receipt can be claimed as a donation on your tax return!

SF Kiwis Annual General Meeting and Summer Picnic

Sunday July 26th – our usual date of the last weekend of July, so it’s usually nice and sunny, but not too hot… the SF Kiwis Summer Picnic and AGM is happening at our usual spot of the Carousel Picnic Area 35, Tilden Park, Berkeley, starting at 11AM to get the BBQ pits hot enough, for a big picnic spread to be devoured by all.

There will be loads of food from SF Kiwis, plus it’s the excellent good ol’ Kiwi pricing of free to attend, but please bring a plate, the more Kiwi flava, the better!. Bring the whole whanau, because we’ve got classic Kiwi kid games (although adult involvement is promoted), like the Gumboot Toss, 3-legged Race, Egg and Spoon Race, plus a lolly scramble with all-individually-wrapped classic Kiwi candies. There will be a raffle with some great prizes, to help with the rental costs etc, and after we’ve all had a great picnic lunch, a State of the Year address by our acting president, for the required Annual General Meeting for the non-Profit that we are, and then the games begin, and ending the early event with….. – the raffle draw!!

And we’re excited to tell all those that have been asking about… one of our most-liked annual event:

The Great Kiwi Campout of 2026 is on!

The Great Kiwi Campout of 2026 is happening again this year, at the wonderful camping location, that our most generous member’s (Robyn and Gower Smith) own, a Llama farm and property in the Mendocino area.

As usual, it’s happening over the Labour Day weekend, with arrival at the property on Sat Sept 5th, and packout/cleanup on Monday Sept 7. More details, and a limited amount of total tickets for sale, will be announced very soon.
NZAASF: Our mission is to promote and foster good relations between NZ and the US through a variety of social and cultural events held in the Bay Area.

A just war: The origins of Pope Leo XIV’s challenges to Trump’s war in Iran

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An item from the Legion Magazine.
Weekly Feature
Observation Post

Robert Prevost (right), now Pope Leo XIV, at a peace rally in Rome in 1983 with fellow Augustinians. [Pax Christi Italia Archives/Wikipedia]

A just war: The origins of Pope Leo XIV’s challenges to Trump’s war in Iran

STORY BY RICHARD FOOT

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump opened a new unlikely front in his war with Iran, this time against a fellow American, Pope Leo XIV.

Beyond the extraordinary spectacle of a U.S. president attacking the leader of the Catholic Church, the quarrel shines a timely spotlight on the question of what is a just war?

The Pope has been condemning the moral conduct of the Trump administration for some time, first on immigration and now for its war on Iran. Leo described Trump’s April 7th threat to wipe Iran from the map— “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again”—as “truly unacceptable.”

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Canada and the Cold War
The Briefing
The Briefing

Kathy Grant, historian and co-founder of Black Canadian Veterans Stories. [Kathy Grant]

Historian Kathy Grant on preserving Canada’s Black veteran stories

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

It’s inevitable, though no less tragic, that Canada’s Second World War generation is beginning to fade from living memory, a testament to the passage of time more than 80 years after the guns fell silent.

On March 26, 2026, Alvie Burden of Tisdale, Sask., died at age 104. Not only was he reportedly the oldest Black Canadian veteran—having first served as a home-front test subject for chemical agent trials before fighting overseas—but he was also one of the last of that community from WW II.

Among those striving to preserve his legacy, alongside the many thousands of other Black veterans who have donned a uniform throughout Canadian history, is historian Kathy Grant.

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Member Benefit Partner
Belair
 

Email sent to: mkbarbour@gmail.com

Canvet Publications Ltd.
86 Aird Place |
Kanata, Ontario | K2L 0A1 | Canada |
1-844-602-5737 | 613-591-0116 | magazine@legion.ca