Tag Archives: BC

Environment, Indigenous Nations

CRD Will Not Expropriate Grace Islet

By Roy L Hales

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Grace Islet is a recognized First Nations burial site, on Salt Spring Island, which Alberta businessman Barry Slawsky purchased in 1990. He was recently given the go-ahead to build his holiday home, providing he puts it on stilts that go over the burial cairns. This prompted a series of protests by First Nations and Salt Spring Island residents. The most recent development in this ongoing controversy was a proposal that the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) expropriate the islet, possibly turning it into a burial park. A decision was reached last night, CRD Will Not Expropriate Grace Islet.

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Environment, Indigenous Nations

Grace Island Purification

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Grace 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.

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Environment

Mount Polley Tailings Pond Breach

Taken from His Website

By 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.

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Environment, Indigenous Nations

Blockading Grace Islet

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By Roy L Hales

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The photo above, and videos below, were all taken during a blockade of Grace Islet, on Salt Spring Island, on August 1.  Grace Islet is a recognized First Nations burial islet but, thanks to a series of beaurocratic foul-ups, it was zoned residential and a house is being built there. This would not be allowed if those were European graves, but this is British Columbia and the burials are First Nations.

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