All posts by Roy Hales

The Capital Regional District Might Expropriate Grace Islet

By Roy L Hales

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British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource will not intervene to protect the recognized First Nation’s burial site on Salt Spring Island, but the Capital Regional District might expropriate Grace Islet.

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A Leading Supplier for Off Grid Solar & Hybrid Systems: OutBack Power

Contrary to what you may have heard, Seattle is not the rainiest city in the US – but it is clouded over around 225 days a year. So it may come as a surprise to learn that a local house utilizing solar-plus-battery was designed to obtain about 96% of its energy from the sun.

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Alexandra Morton on Salmon Farms

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Alexandra Morton followed a pod of resident Orcas up the coast of Vancouver Island in 1984. She found the ideal base for further studies at Echo Bay. When the first fish farms moved into the area three years later, she thought they were a good idea. Since then, she has becomes the foremost opponent of British Columbia’s fish farms. I recently interviewed Alexandrea Morton on fish farms.

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No House Here

By Roy L Hales

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As you can see from the photo above, construction is proceeding on the house on top of Grace Islet on Salt Spring Island. This is a recognized First Nation’s burial site and it is not known how long construction will continue. The 13 municipalities in the Capital Regional District passed a resolution condemning the desecration of a sacred site and requested that BC’s Archaeology Branch rescind the permit allowing construction.  Salt Spring Islanders opposed to the building have started a “No House Here” campaign.  Meanwhile a spokesperson from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations said the protests are  being directed at the wrong level of government.

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Potentially, The biggest Solar project in North America

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The 9th annual Paddle for the Peace begins today: Saturday, July 12, 2014. This year’s trek is especially important because of the impending decision on British Columbia’s proposed Site C dam. If this project is approved, close to 9,429 acres of class 1-5 farmland will be submerged by water. The government will also be breaking treaty 8, which promised the local First Nations they would be allowed to pursue their traditional way of life in this area “for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the rivers flow.” In its zeal to develop Site C, British Columbia’s Provincial Government could miss the opportunity to build what is, potentially, the biggest solar project in North America,

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