Tag Archives: Gov of BC

Arts, Forests

Powell River vs Island Timberlands

Originally published on Heartwood, Field Notes

Powell River has been fighting for its urban forests, which are slated to be logged by Island Timberlands. I.T. has been at the forefront of many forestry conflicts on the west coast of British Columbia, from Cortes Island to Port Alberni to Powell River. Communities are uniting to oppose the logging practices of Island Timberlands, which is the second largest landowner in BC, with over 235,000 Ha. of private managed forestland on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the Sunshine Coast. I.T. is majority owned by the BCIMC, the arms-length investment firm of the BC government, which invests all the public sector pension funds. The BC Teachers’ Federation, whose pensions are invested in I.T., recently filed a motion to oppose I.T,’s more controversial logging practices in the Alberni Valley.

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Environment

Is BC Setting The Stage For Another Mount Polley Disaster?

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Twenty-four million cubic meters of silt, metals and water spilled into the adjacent waterways, when the Mount Polley tailings pond dam breached. It has been called one of Canada’s worst environmental disasters. The province’s independent review panel made six recommendations, one of which was that tailings and water should not be mixed anymore in BC. This did not please the mining companies who say dry stacking of tailings would cost too much. The Clark Government appears to concur. An application to restart Mount Polley, with tailings in water, is under consideration. The Secwepemc Peoples regard this as “a violation of sovereignty” which “opens the territory up to further damage.” Is BC  setting the stage for another Mount Polley Disaster?

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Environment

BC’s Requirements For Disclosing Fracking Chemicals

Despite the problems, Dr Allan Hoffman (a retired senior executive from the US Department of Energy) believes there is simply too much money invested in the fracking revolution to stop it. With proper regulation and enforcement, he believes it is possible to reduce the number of incidents to an acceptable level. If this statement seems jarring, remember everyone who drives a car is taking an acceptable risk whenever they get behind the wheel. So what are BC’s Requirements For Disclosing Fracking Chemicals?

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Forests

98 ‘Old Vets’ on Mount Elphinstone

By Roy L Hales

The great stands of Douglas Fir that many of our ancestors saw are largely gone. Isolated pockets persists.  IN the following interview Ross Muirhead, of the Elphinstone Logging Focus, talks about the attempt to save 98 ‘Old Vets’ on Mount Elphinstone.  ” is an ECO Radio interview broadcast on CKTZ (Cortes Island Community Radio) , CJMP (Powell River Community Radio) and CFSI (Green FM – Salt Spring Island Radio).

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Energy

Going Solar at SunMine

Originally Published on the Watershed Sentinel

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Kimberly’s city council has a history of embracing innovation. They rebranded Kimberly “the Bavarian city of the Rockies” once it became apparent the Sullivan mine was going to run out. Further ventures into tourism led to the acquisition of the local ski hill and construction of what is now one of Canada’s 10 top golf courses. Both of these projects have since been sold. The city was ready for something new when Michel de Spot, CEO of Vancouver’s Ecosmart Foundation, approached them in 2008. He said the former Sullivan mine is the perfect site for a utility scale solar project.

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