The Provincial Government just got a (political) black eye at Grace Islet, on Salt Spring Island. The Ministry of Forest Lands and Natural Resources Operations Archaeology Branch approved an alteration permit that would have allowed someone to build his vacation home over a recognized First Nation’s burial site. Capital Regional District (CRD) passed a resolution stating this is a desecration of first Nation’s Remains which came about because of the Archaeology Branch’s failure to adequately consult with First Nations. This problem should be solved through negotiation. CRD Requests Permit for Grace Island be Suspended
Peter Varadi is one of the few people who could be said to personify the solar industry. He and his partner, Joseph Lindmayer helped develop this technology for space and founded the World’s first terrestrial solar company in 1973. It was the worlds largest, and possibly the only profitable, solar company when they sold out a decade later. That did not end Varadi’s involvement. He has continued to be at the center of developments, as a consultant to organizations like the European Commission, The World Bank and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. His recently published book, Sun Above the Horizon: Meteoric Rise of the Solar Industry, is and insider’s view of what has transpired since Bell laboratories discovered that silicon was a incredible conductor of electricity in 1953.
The Watershed Sentinel’s origins go back to 1990. Most of Cortes Island’s forest is second growth, which has grown up up since the turn of the 20th century. When MacMillan Bloedel came to harvest these trees, they found themselves opposed by 100 to 200 local residents. Delores Broten kept local residents abreast of of developments with a newsletter that grew to become an award-winning environmental news magazine. This morning’s broadcast focuses on Delores Broten & the Watershed Sentinel.
Originally Broadcast on Cortes Community Radio, CKTZ, 89.5 FM
Grace Islet is a recognized centuries old First Nations burial ground on Salt Spring Island BC, that is zoned residential. In an attempt to satisfy both concerns, British Columbia’s Archaeology Branch decided to allow an Alberta businessman to build his waterfront vacation home on Grace Islet providing he put it on stilts that go over the grave sites.
(Cortes Island, BC) – At noon on Tuesday, July 8, the ECOreport goes live on Cortes Community Radio, 89.5 FM, CKTZ, which is also broadcast over the web. This is the start of a series of half hour programs that are scheduled from 12-12:30 on Tuesdays and from 10:00 – 10:30 on Wednesdays. The ECOreport (www.theecoreport.com) is a sustainable news site, focusing on how our lifestyle choices and technologies affect the West Coast of North America, but also carrying items of a broader interest.
