Tag Archives: Gov of BC

Forests

Without deferrals, these five timber companies could decide the fate of B.C.’s old-growth forests

Editor’s Note: Island Timberlands, which owns just under 9% of Cortes Island, primarily operates in southern Vancouver Island. It has smaller logging areas in northern Vancouver Island, Read Island, the Sunshine Coast and Haida Gwaii. Mosaic Forest Management oversees its logging operations, as well those of another Vancouver Island company: TimberWest. They are included among the ‘other companies’ in the chart below.

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Five big timber companies hold the future of nearly half of British Columbia’s at-risk old-growth forests in their hands, according to a new report.

Continue reading Without deferrals, these five timber companies could decide the fate of B.C.’s old-growth forests →
Community

British Columbians open homes, hearts and wallets for Ukrainian refugees

By Fabian Dawson, New Canadian Media, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Aleks Vrublevskij’s email is inundated with offers of housing, cash and jobs for Ukrainian refugees fleeing from the invasion of their homeland.

“We can barely keep up…people are telling us they are ready to help, and they want Canada to speed up the process,” he tells New Canadian Media.

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Business, Jobs

Hope for the future of the tiskʷat mill site

The tiskʷat Mill has been a cornerstone of Powell River’s prosperity for more than a century. While it no longer has a future producing newsprint, up until two weeks ago it seemed like the site was on the verge of being reborn as a hydrogen company. Then Paper Excellence refused Renewable Hydrogen Canada’s offer and listed their property with an International Real Estate firm. 

Continue reading Hope for the future of the tiskʷat mill site →
Energy

Document reveals influence of oil and gas lobbyists on B.C. officials after Indigenous Rights ruling

By Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

In the wake of a precedent-setting Indigenous Rights case in June 2021, B.C.’s ministry of energy did something rather unprecedented: it immediately cancelled summer auctions for new oil and gas tenures.

This sudden closure of oil and gas opportunities in response to the Blueberry decision — a B.C. Supreme Court ruling, which determined the province violated the Treaty Rights of Blueberry River First Nations by permitting and encouraging damaging industrial development — sent a shudder through the industry that continues to reverberate across the country today.

Documents  released to The Narwhal through freedom of information legislation show  petroleum and natural gas (PNG) lobbyists told public servants that  B.C. could lose more than $90 million in annual revenue and up to 10,000  jobs as a result of the Blueberry decision. These stark warnings were  then passed on to senior B.C. government officials, including Fazil  Mihlar, deputy minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.

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Communications

Erroneous internet speed reporting may cost the SRD $12.5 million, study suggests 

A recent study suggests that incorrect reporting may be responsible for Southern Quadra Island, Tahsis, Gold River and Sayward not qualifying for funding under the Connected Coast High Speed internet program. Their service provider reported their internet speed already met the national standard. Consequently, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) had to arrange for loans of up to $12.5 million.

BC’s Ministry of Citizens’ Services, the Union of BC Municipalities and the Northern Development Initiative Trust hired TANEx Engineering to study reports that the amount of broad service available in rural communities is less than what servers like TELUS, Mascon Cable Services (a TELUS company) and Bell are reporting on the National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map. According to the ‘Summary of Findings,’ released by the Ministry, ‘there was medium to high evidence of possible discrepancies in 106’ of the 940 localities studied.

Continue reading Erroneous internet speed reporting may cost the SRD $12.5 million, study suggests  →