Our pub is crowded but Vicky holds our spots for us and we never disappoint. Like clockwork we show up and quaff our couple of pints most Thursdays. We talk at each other, sometimes with each other, other times around each other and we never run out of topics. Mostly we’re preaching to the choir, reinforcing our points of view, finding common ground in our opinions and ideas. A lot of our talk is driven by current politics, world affairs and the fate and state of our species. Right now, the 400+ raging wildfires in our province are foremost in our minds. We’ve been lucky here at the coast and haven’t had any smoke. So far so good.

Do you ever listen to the New York Times Daily?’ I asked Camp.

‘I’m too busy most days. Unlike you I’m still working and running a bookstore is a fulltime job, especially in the summer with all the tourists. I’m not complaining, just pointing it out.’

‘I listened to a segment the other day, on 4^th August. It was about the wildfires. ‘According to David Wallace-Wells, a climate scientist, it is now clear that we are not in charge of nature anymore and that it’s the other way around. Nature is in charge once again and the 30 to 50 million acres of wildfires this summer in Canada are proof thereof. Smoke as far away as New York and Florida. 

In Canada alone this year, these wildfires are producing two to three times as much emissions as the entire Canadian economy — all of its infrastructure, all of its energy systems, all of its transportation, all of its agriculture, all of its factories, all of its cars. More carbon is being produced by wildfires this year in Canada than all of those other sources combined. If wildfires were a country, they would rank # 4 after China, Russia and the USA in terms of emissions. ‘The world is a hot potato’ as a friend of mine wrote in a song some 40 years ago.’

‘In Manatee Bay in Florida the ocean temps were recorded at 101 degrees which is over 38℃ on 26^th July. It’s like running a mild fever or sitting in a jacuzzi. Imagine the stress on the fish and sea life.’

‘Here it’s a balmy 20℃. Just right. I talked to a friend who rented out their cabin for a month to a couple from San Diego. He is some kind of scientist and figured out an algorithm with a myriad of inputs like: Air and water temps, hours of sunlight, rain, humidity, population density, crime, cost of living, traffic, tap water quality and some other relevant data like wild fires and floods. Then he ran this through a data base of places on earth and guess what town or region popped up?’

‘Gibsons? The Sunshine Coast?’

‘Exactly. According to this couple who live east of San Diego on the edge of the desert they needed a benign, safe and civilized place to spend time away from the heat and humidity. Needless to say, they loved it here and told all their friends.’

‘Makes you want to root for less ferry service. Maybe once a week,’ Camp said.

‘It’s not a joke Camp, Gibsons has been discovered. Just check out the real estate prices and the fact that the ferry is overloaded every day.’

‘The world may be a hot potato but we’re living the salad days.’

‘Did you know that we’re living in one of the best places on earth?’ I asked Vicky on her way through the throng of tourists.

‘Somebody put the word out. I’ve never seen it this busy here?’