Tag Archives: BC

Politics

UBCM told the Province to Stand Down over Site C

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By Roy L Hales

According to a press release from the Wilderness Committee, the Union of BC municipalities (UBCM) has passed resolutions calling for the province to rescind the Order in Council that excluded Site C dam reservoir lands from the Agricultural Land Reserve and refer the project to the BC Utilities Commission. Both resolutions pertain to actions Premier Christy Clark’s government undertook to bypass supposedly independent provincial agencies. While neither are legally binding, UBCM told the Province to Stand Down over Site C.

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Forests

How Does BC Defend Logging the Walbran?

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On September 18th BC’s Ministry of Forests gave Teal Jones approval to start logging in what is believed to be one of Canada’s most important stands of unprotected old-growth rain-forest. The Walbran Valley, on Vancouver Island, contains some of the nation’s oldest and largest red cedar and sitka spruce trees. Teal Jones has applied to log eight cutbacks. So far, they have only been permission to log a 3.2 hectare section known as Cutblock 4424. Yet when you consider the role that trees have fighting Climate Change, how does BC defend logging the Walbran?


A spokesperson from the Ministry of Forests provided most of the answers that follow.

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Forests

An Old Growth Forest Grove In Cutblock 4424

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By Roy L Hales

British Columbia’s environmental community has been calling upon the provincial government to set aside plans to log in the Walbran Valley for months. The city of Victoria joined the chorus in July, passing a motion against this project. Everyone appears to have believed the Walbran was an old growth forest.  Yet on September 18th, BC  gave Teal Jones approval to start logging the first cutblock. Now, as the Surrey based logging company prepares to commence operations, the existence of an old growth forest grove in cutblock 4424 has been documented.

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Transportation

Vancouver’s Fastest Growing Transportation Sector

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By Roy L Hales

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Though the numbers are still far from what is being reported in European cities like Copenhagen, more and more British Columbians are adopting bicycles as their principal form of transportation. According to a spokesperson from the Ministry of Transportation, 25,115 cyclists participated in Bike to Work Week in 2014. A large number of them were in one city. Cycling is Vancouver’s fastest growing transportation sector.

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Politics

The NDP candidate for North Island-Powell River

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Roy L Hales
Screen-shot-2014-03-18-at-3.43.47-PM1For the past two decades, the majority of British Columbia’s MPs have been Conservatives. Recent polls show that is about to change. The New Democratic Party (NDP) is poised to take over as many as 23 seats in the Federal election this October. One of the important political battles will be fought by Rachel Blaney, the NDP candidate for North Island-Powell River.

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