And now for something completely Christmassy. A holiday flashback to one of the stories I wrote for Chicken Soup for the Soul leirenyoung.substack.com/p/a-traditio...

My life as a red-nosed reindeer. youtu.be/aeioPi-acDs?...

What would an eco-friendly Christmas look like? www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Erx...

Hours before sundown, on the first day of Chanukah, I was on WhatsApp catching up with an old friend who lives in Melbourne. We’ve known each other since elementary school - Talmud Torah in Vancouver. I asked what things were like for Jews in Australia open.substack.com/pub/leirenyo...

Chilling out with polar bears as the research begins for my next book for young readers for the awesome @orcabook.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/skaanapo...

@conservativebc.bsky.social leader John Rustad today in the BC legislature. It's just a flesh wound! #BCpoli

The latest news on what's up in the ocean - featuring whales, sharks, herring, salmon, octopuses and slippery humans. open.substack.com/pub/skaanapo...

So happy I was able to attend the holiday party/fundraiser for Animal Justice and that I was able to meet executive director & powerhouse activist Camille Labchuk in person and thank her for all she does. I was lucky enough to interview her ages ago for @skaana.bsky.social - but that was virtual 🐳

The origins of Playing Shylock & creating a play with/for the incredible @saulrubinek.bsky.social This'd be the first draft of the introduction for the script, which is being published Spring 2026 by @sciroccodrama.bsky.social 😍 🎭https://leirenyoung.substack.com/p/the-birth-of-playing-shylock?r=5yij

My op-ed on the ungreening of @mark-carney.bsky.social that I wrote for @theglobeandmail.com The official Globe version is tighter - and about 20% politer because - house style and, ya know, grammar 🥸 leirenyoung.substack.com/p/will-the-r...

I've been answering this question daily - often several times a day - since Playing Shylock's #off-Broadway debut was announced. And yeah, the "choice" was heartbreaking, but it has never really felt like a choice. open.substack.com/pub/leirenyo...

Today's @theglobeandmail.com! Of course the moment this goes live today the line I should have added to this hits me like a lightning bolt... "I can imagine @stevenguilbeault.bsky.social reading this budget thinking... I climbed the CN Tower for this?" www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

Brian Lilley and I had big fun talking Greener Than Thou, eco-politics and what's left of the left for the @nationalpost.bsky.social Full Comment Podcast. podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/f...

Thrilled to share the scoop on my new book about #cdnpoli and eco-politics leirenyoung.substack.com/p/my-new-boo...

Wow. Tonight in New York. First preview! Congrats and thank you Martin Kinch & Saul Rubinek

Thankful for the chance to connect with the legendary Ric O'Barry for @skaana.bsky.social before his upcoming visit to #Victoria. We talked about captivity, sanctuaries, The Cove, The Dolphin Project, Watching Flipper watching Flipper on TV and soooooo much more tinyurl.com/dolphinric

Remembering Moby Doll - the #killerwhale whale who changed the world on the anniversary of his death in 1964 #orca @skaana.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/leirenyo...

Happy World #Octopus Day! 🐙🐙🐙 open.substack.com/pub/skaanapo...

Happy World Octopus Day 🐙🐙🐙 To celebrate I'm talking all things octopus - including the flapjack and the glass octopus and octopus taking over the world - on CFAX today at 8:50 am PST www.cfax1070.com

I'm sure no one will disagree with my take on the @nhlcanucks.bsky.social prospects. For fans of @edmontonoilers.bsky.social the Toronto Maple Leafs, the @winnipegjets.com etc - aside from just trashing my list, let's see the ten reasons this is your year. leirenyoung.substack.com/p/why-this-i...

The best thing about #orcas being declared the icons of BC by CBC was the idea that it might shine a light on how to save them. Salmon expert Misty MacDuffee from @raincoast.org on how this iconic community can survive Bright Extinction @skaana.bsky.social skaanapod.substack.com/p/how-to-sav...

Orcas in Alberta! If you're in Alberta... The coolest gig I’ve ever had was writing the orca exhibit for the Royal BC Museum - Orcas: Our Shared Future. The exhibit is touring everywhere. It’s currently at the Royal Albert Museum in Edmonton royalalbertamuseum.ca/visit/exhibi...

BC politics is never boring. Apparently, no party in the province seems to be a fan of leaving the results of their leadership races to those silly members. Some thoughts on the BC Greens debate and their Trumpian voter verification fiasco. open.substack.com/pub/leirenyo...

@nhlcanucks.bsky.social star Evander Kane hits a high note with Bryan Adams @ Rogers Arena. youtube.com/shorts/9Da1M...

After years of being a fan of @lizgilbert.bsky.social - and interviewing "Liz" for @vancouversun.bsky.social in 2011 - I took a fantastic workshop with her in Vancouver this summer. Some thoughts on writing, loving & workshopping with The Dalai Gilbert tinyurl.com/lovewrite

I just read that we lost the legendary actor Graham Greene. I was lucky enough to work with him on a couple of CBC variety series where he got to show off his fun/funny side. I had a blast jamming with him on this sketch. youtu.be/0vIYGKFszgU

Some thoughts on the BCGreen leadership race & the impressive campaign of @emilylowan.bsky.social Really interesting comments on this one popping up under the story on Substack - also getting a lot of emails & messages about this one. leirenyoung.substack.com/p/why-im-sur...

Octopus selfies. iconic orcas and super sockeye news… open.substack.com/pub/skaanapo...

Wow. So this is happening. playbill.com/article/saul...

A few hundred years ago, the editor at Calgary’s long-defunct Swerve Magazine asked me to write something about, “the most influential book I read as a kid.” This was my answer. What’s yours? leirenyoung.substack.com/p/the-most-i...

The timing couldn’t be better because last month 31 scientists from Canada, the US and Europe released a report listing all the things we can and should be doing to save the critically endangered southern resident orcas - the true icons of this iconic species. skaanapod.substack.com/p/british-co...

Excited to be back on @cfax1070.bsky.social tomorrow (Friday, Aug 15) at 4 with Ryan Price. This week's topic is gonna be octopuses - like the octopus who borrowed someone's camera and started filming... who is almost as cool as Rambo, the New Zealand octopus octographer 🐙 @orcabook.bsky.social

I have to share this - a chance to vote for orcas: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

What is this American way that right-wing critics think Superman represents? Asking for a Canadian friend. leirenyoung.substack.com/p/its-a-bird...

If you saw the #fantasticfour movie - and didn’t know anything about the comic - did you get that The Thing was Jewish or just think he was crushing on Natasha Lyonne?

Looking forward to getting thoughts on this from students at @uvic.ca next term when I teach my writing course built around story-telling in the DC Universe. leirenyoung.substack.com/p/james-gunn...

So in July, #orcas were caught kissing, moonwalking and my fave - sharing food with humans. I can't help thinking they're trying to teach us how to share our food 🐳 All this and more in the latest Skaana news update open.substack.com/pub/skaanapo...

Back on CFAX1070 (Victoria) tomorrow at 4:30 to talk whales with Ryan Price. Here's a link to our last conversation where we talked all things orca - including Moby Doll www.iheart.com/podcast/962-...

Wow, am I gonna have even more to talk about in my next DC class at the University of Victoria than usual. I always get at least a few students who assume Hollywood has made superheroes more political. Um... not so much. Had a blast nerding out and writing this one. open.substack.com/pub/leirenyo...

And to wrap up #sharkweek David @whysharksmatter.bsky.social Shiffman on @skaana.bsky.social on why you are more likely to be bitten by a human than a shark🦈 riverside.fm/shared/expor...

No, Virginia: There are no megalogons lurking in the ocean @whysharksmatter.bsky.social on some of the weirdest misinformation to surface from #sharkweek 🦈 Many thanks to David Shiffman for allowing @skaana.bsky.social to share a bit of podcast video for the first time riverside.fm/shared/expor...

For #sharkweek I wanted to share this conversation with the amazing photographer Alessandro De Maddalena from @skaana.bsky.social. His fantastic photos are the heart of Sharks Forever from @orcabook.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/s...

Happy to share the #jaws chapter of Sharks Forever to spread a few actual facts during #sharkweek skaanapod.substack.com/p/true-jaws-...

Happy to share the latest @skaana.bsky.social interview with @whysharksmatter.bsky.social to share some actual facts for #sharkweek2025 🦈 podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/s...

In honour of #SharkWeek Why are there no basking sharks in BC? Because in the 1950s the Canadian government decided they were "dangerous pests" and killed 'em all. My interview with the late Dr. Murray Newman on the end of basking sharks in BC waters. www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Uz...

61 years ago today, a harpoon hooked an orca off the coast of Saturna Island and the world changed for whales & us. Thrilled to be able to share this radio doc from Ideas on @CBC Radio - the story of Moby Doll aka The Killer Whale Who Changed the World skaanapod.substack.com/p/the-killer...

Betty Krawczyk was one of my inspirations. We recently lost her, so I thought I'd break this interview out of my archives. From my book The Green Chain: Nothing is Ever Clear-Cut and @thetyee.ca leirenyoung.substack.com/p/rememberin...

While I don't believe the guy very often... Does anyone out there think Trump has ever read or watched Shakespeare? Oooh maybe a reporter can ask him to name his fave Shakespeare play...

So much cool ocean news from @skaana.bsky.social - orcas use tools, #Jaws turns 50 and much, much more. skaanapod.substack.com/p/orca-spa-d...

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jaws I thought I'd share the Jaws chapter from my book for younger readers (and anyone interested in the planet's perfect predator) Sharks Forever - just released as an audiobook almost everywhere. leirenyoung.substack.com/p/great-whit...