Elevate your local knowledge
Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!
Don Thompson
Don Thompson, an American awaiting Canadian citizenship, lives in Vernon and in Florida. In a career that spans more than 40 years, Don has been a working journalist, a speechwriter and the CEO of an advertising and public relations firm. A passionate and compassionate man, he loves the written word as much as fine dinners with great wines. His essays - a blend of news reporting and opinion - will appear weekly under the title, This, That and the Other.
THOMPSON: Gator advice for Canadians heading south to Florida
OPINION Of all the things you might be thinking of in British Columbia on a…
THOMPSON: Frustrated with today’s customer service? You’re not alone
OPINION How can customer service be so bad, when virtually every company offering goods and…
THOMPSON: The risks of washing meat before you cook it
OPINION We are creatures of habit to be sure. We often do things whether science…
THOMPSON: It’s time to recruit Canadians to influence US election
OPINION I have never recycled one of my columns in the nearly seven years of…
THOMPSON: Shortage of air traffic control workers in North America concerning
OPINION Imagine that your job is controlling a stoplight. You work five days a week,…
THOMPSON: How Vernon and Irene Castle became cultural icons in 1910
OPINION Long before Derek and Julianne Hough, Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron or Fred Astaire…
THOMPSON: Why advances in drive-thru technology aren’t helping communities
OPINION Not long ago, a 28-year-old man was arrested at a Bank of America drive-thru…
THOMPSON: The ongoing war against cockroaches
OPINION Last count, about one-and-a-half million people live in the Hawaiian Islands. Another ten million…
THOMPSON: The parallel universe that is the Republican dominated US Supreme court
OPINION Those who doubt that wealth is the single most important factor when it comes…
THOMPSON: My observations on parenting today (it may seem harsh)
OPINION Loving your children doesn’t necessarily mean that day to day you’re always doing things…
THOMPSON: Giving George W. Bush credit for something he did 20 years ago
OPINION Ordinarily, I wouldn’t rank George W. Bush anywhere near the top of modern-day U.S.…
THOMPSON: Who’s fixing the high-risk dams in Canada?
OPINION In Canada, we have a right to know whether governmental decisions affecting us are…
THOMPSON: Why the fashion industry leaves me puzzled
OPINION Fashion Week is a big deal. Designers and “houses” – think Christian Dior –…
THOMPSON: Reflections on becoming an ‘old man’
OPINION Last month I turned 73 years old. Just to be clear, I don’t consider…
THOMPSON: Lamenting the disappearance of cursive writing
OPINION I miss cursive writing. Actually, I even cringe when reading an adult’s note “written”…
THOMPSON: Why the simple act of smiling could extend your life
OPINION How much do you smile? We’ve all heard that it takes more muscles to…
THOMPSON: Take a culinary trip down memory lane to the 50s and 60s
OPINION Those of you who grew up in the 50s and 60s will get this,…
THOMPSON: The dark history of Vernon’s First World War internment camp
OPINION Squirrelled away in some attic or basement there might be official government documents, photos…
THOMPSON: Rebuilding begins in Florida after Hurricane Idalia
OPINION Walking along streets in towns devastated by hurricanes is not new to me. I…
THOMPSON: Donald Trump will have no place to hide in a court of law
OPINION A lawyer defending former president Donald Trump in any of the four trials charging…
THOMPSON: Firefighters, the brave men and women on the frontlines
OPINION We suffer from wildfires almost every Summer here in the Okanagan, but that doesn’t…
THOMPSON: Systemic racism alive and well in America
OPINION A uniform, badge and gun mean one thing in America if you’re white, and…
THOMPSON: Republican Party wants to return America to the ‘good ole days’
OPINION Americans need to get out more, or more accurately, Republicans need to get out…
THOMPSON: What we can learn about injustice from the Alex Murdaugh case
OPINION Ask a dozen people what justice means, and you might hear a dozen different…