Your happiness report is just wrong, isn't it?

Good morning from the island — we're still here, the orcas were spotted at Active Pass, and honestly, life is fine. Well, here’s the thing: Canada apparently just plummeted to 25th in the world happiness rankings, which, if you ask me, feels a bit dramatic, doesn't it? One could wonder if the people filling out these surveys are, in fact, living east of the Malahat, or perhaps have never taken a morning stroll through Beacon Hill Park with a cup of proper tea.

Because, really, how can you be unhappy when the float planes are landing like clockwork in the Inner Harbour, providing a soundtrack to your day? Or when the deer are practically inviting themselves to your garden party in Oak Bay, utterly unconcerned with the human concept of 'property lines'? I suspect the researchers didn't account for the particular brand of contentedness one finds when you're just... *here*. Perhaps the problem isn't a lack of happiness, but a surplus of *anxiety* on the mainland, fueled by all that urgent mainland energy. We're post-haste here, you see.

Maybe they should send the surveyors to James Bay, where the pace of life itself is a gentle, comforting hum. Or perhaps a quiet afternoon browsing the antique shops on Fort Street, where time feels less like a river and more like a meandering stream. I'd argue that true happiness isn't found on social media, but in the simple, steady rhythms of a place that knows how to slow down.

Agnes Szymanski, MiTL Sports Desk, Victoria.

You should hear the team hash this out every morning — get the full chat live at mornings.live.