In case you are not one of the 420,000+ citizens who have signed the Stop the Meter petition you should know that Canadians are up in arms over the Telco industry's insistence on a Usage Based Billing (UBB) model for internet access.

At the heart of the issue is a recent decision by the CRTC that enables Canada's big Telcos to force independent internet service providers (ISPs) into a usage based billing model whereby they are required to pay for exceeding bandwidth caps set by the telcos. This effectively imposes UBB on the majority of Canadians who access the internet via a broadband connection. 

It's summer, and with summer comes the pain of having to stay in when it's so nice out. It doesn't really matter what your position is in design - if it's this kind of weather, the office is like a jail and wifi is like a ball and chain. Excuse the hyperbole - I imagine you can probably relate unless you hate nice weather. How do you get away from the screen and what do you do?

I just got back in from Trinidad and Tobago. Kenneth climbs up mountains in Nelson, and I'm not sure what Shawn does in Vancouver - take your pick of amazing outdoor activities there. The Smallbox office in Oak Bay is very close to Estevan Village and Willows Beach; great places to eat or grab a cold beverage, and then go for a walk on the sandy shores. I would have been walking there today if I hadn't rolled my ankle on the weekend playing tennis.

Is any of this work related? I suppose it could be. If you do plan on working for a company in a part of the world with summers as nice as this, be prepared to fight the urge to leave the desk and go outside and play. We're very fortunate to be working in this part of the world.

How about you, what are you filling your non-design time summer hours with?

Since 1978 the Vancouver International Children’s Festival has captured the imagination of kids with an enchanting world of performing arts. For the past five years Smallbox has managed the Children's Festival website and we're pleased to announce the launch of its latest iteration.