By Roy L Hales
In a press release issued Saturday, BC’s Minister of Education Peter Fassbender rejected the BC teacher’s offer to go to binding arbitration because “the BCTF made it clear that they would insist on several preconditions – preconditions that would effectively tilt the entire process in the BCTF favour.”
Continue reading Fassbender rejected the BC teacher’s offer to go to binding arbitration
Though Ministry of Environment staff report that water samples are very close to historical levels, business is not back to normal at Mount Polley.
Continue reading Not Back To Normal At Mount PolleyGrace Islet is a recognized First Nations burial site which was zoned residential and someone is building a house there. This would not be allowed if this were a European burial ground, but older First Nations sites are treated differently in BC. The Provincial Minister responsible will not intervene because the owners permits are in order. Representatives of the Southern Gulf Islands communities held a Grace Island Purification on August 11, 2014.
Continue reading Grace Island PurificationBy Andrew Weaver, MLA Oak Bay-Gordon Head
Looking at the pictures in the news this week of the environmental disaster that took place in central BC takes your breath away. I felt it was important to write a detailed review of what we know now and what questions need to be asked going forward. I will provide as much information I can as things develop.
In the early morning of Monday, August 4th 2014, a 4km long tailings pond located at the Mount Polley gold and copper mine (located in central British Columbia) breached its earthen dam, and left a 45-metre wide track of muck running into the nearby lake near Likely, BC. The mine and tailings pond is owned and operated by Imperial Metals Corporation. In a press release on August 5th 2014, the company said the cause of the breach is unknown at this time, and the structure (which was independently built) was operated within the parameters given to the company, as regulated by the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
Continue reading Mount Polley Tailings Pond BreachBy Roy L Hales
Around thirty people landed on Grace Islet Tuesday. Regardless of whether they went above the high water mark and were legally “trespassing”or not, the Grace Islet landing reminiscent of Gandhi’s civil disobedience campaigns.
Continue reading Grace Islet Landing
