Before the Fall: What the Road to the Great Depression Can Teach Us Now

Split scene showing Great Depression unemployment and modern economic volatility balancing on a tightrope

There is a mistake people make when they talk about the Great Depression. They speak as if it began with one event. The stock market crashed, and then everything fell apart. That is the simple version. It is also the dangerous version. The Great Depression did not begin with one bad day on Wall Street. … Continue reading Before the Fall: What the Road to the Great Depression Can Teach Us Now →

What They Are Fighting About Usually Is Not the Whole Fight

Iceberg representing conflict with visible positions above water and hidden interests below water

Reader's Moment: The visible argument looks small, but it feels bigger than the facts should justify. That usually means the surface issue is carrying freight from somewhere deeper. Why this matters: Because positions are what people say they want. Interests are what they are trying to protect. From the Ledge: A lot of conflict gets … Continue reading What They Are Fighting About Usually Is Not the Whole Fight →

Make it Fly: The Avro Arrow, The Canadian Dream, and Why it still Matters

Canadian fighter jet flying over Toronto skyline with maple leaf and sunset

Hey there, Standing on the Ledge, how are we all this morning? I was not sure at first whether this belonged here or over at Unplugged Pagan, but the more I sat with it, the more I realized this is a Standing on the Ledge post. Because this is not just about an airplane. It … Continue reading Make it Fly: The Avro Arrow, The Canadian Dream, and Why it still Matters →

What Gets Hidden in the Shine

Silhouette of a window cleaner working on a glass skyscraper at dusk with city reflections.

Hey there, Standing on the Ledge. How are y’all today? Today I want to talk about something that sits in the dark corners of commercial cleaning in Canada, and too often stays there because the floors still get done, the garbage still gets emptied, and the building still looks clean enough for the people upstairs … Continue reading What Gets Hidden in the Shine →

What Is Wrong With the Commercial Cleaning Industry in Canada? Plenty

Custodial worker resting before screen showing 'QUARTERLY EFFICIENCY TARGETS: URGENT' and a line graph.

Hey there, Standing on the Ledge. How are y’all today? Today I want to talk plain about something I know from the inside and something Canada’s own numbers keep backing up from the outside. The commercial cleaning industry in this country has a hard truth sitting at its centre: too many people want clean, safe, … Continue reading What Is Wrong With the Commercial Cleaning Industry in Canada? Plenty →

Cheap, Fast, Good — Pick Two

Illustration with text THE UNSEEN BURDEN showing a stressed janitor mopping under a tower of trash.

Hey there, Standing on the Ledge. How are we all today? Today was one of those annoy-the-hell-out-of-me kind of days. But buried inside the aggravation was a truth that explains a whole lot of what has gone wrong in the commercial cleaning industry. There is an old rule in service work: you get to pick … Continue reading Cheap, Fast, Good — Pick Two →

The Importance of Respectful Work Environments

The author reflects on their previous cleaning job, expressing nostalgia for the sense of accomplishment it provided. They criticize big corporations for underfunding cleaning operations, leading to burnout among workers. Emphasizing the need for a living wage and respect for employees, they argue that businesses should prioritize workers alongside profits.