Tag Archives: Gov of Canada

Energy, Indigenous Nations, Politics

Federal minister gets cool coastal welcome in BC after pipeline pact

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 

British Columbia Premier David Eby kept his cards close about Friday’s meeting with federal Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson — a day after Ottawa struck a pipeline deal with Alberta.

It’s Eby’s first federal face-to-face meeting after being shut out of talks between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith around a possible pipeline crossing BC to the north coast — which would also involve carve-outs to the legislated oil tanker ban in provincial waters. 

Days before the Alberta-Ottawa memorandum of understanding (MOU) was revealed, Eby told Carney it was “unacceptable” the deal was brokered without input from BC. 

Continue reading Federal minister gets cool coastal welcome in BC after pipeline pact →
Energy, Environment

Coastal First Nations warn billions at risk if Ottawa sinks tanker ban

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 

If the oil tanker ban on the West Coast is lifted, nearly $2 billion in Indigenous-led economic gains could be scuttled, says a First Nations conservation finance organization. 

A single oil spill doesn’t just threaten First Nations communities, but could sink BC’s entire economy — impacting tourism, commercial and recreational fisheries, aquaculture and marine services — all of which depend on the healthy, pristine coast, said Coast Funds CEO Eddy Adra. 

Continue reading Coastal First Nations warn billions at risk if Ottawa sinks tanker ban →
Politics

The Art of Influence: The how and why of Lobbying

The recent Investigative Journalism Foundation exposé on lobbying, prior to Mark Carney’s first budget, fits a familiar pattern. Industry logged hundreds of hours of consultation with government officials. By way of contrast, the environmental sector has little representation. They are not even mentioned in this report! What does this mean? Cortes Currents asked Jennifer Lash, who has been both the founder of a non-profit society and a senior government analyst, for her insight into why the system is important and how it works.

Continue reading The Art of Influence: The how and why of Lobbying →
Energy

Here’s who lobbied for key measures in Mark Carney’s first budget

By Carly Penrose, Bethany Lindsay, Investigative Journalism Foundation, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Last week’s budget included billions in new spending and cuts that affected climate policies, defence spending, technology and taxation. 

An IJF analysis reveals that in the months and weeks leading up to the budget’s release, dozens of organizations registered to lobby and recorded hundreds of communications with public office holders on some of the very measures announced in Mark Carney’s budget.

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Food, Food Security

The Face of Poverty on Cortes Island

In 2015, the year Justin Trudeau was elected Prime Minister of Canada, more than 5 million Canadians were living in poverty. This number came down every year until 2020, when Canada reached its goal of cutting the number of people living below the poverty line by 50%. However, a new report from the Auditor General of Canada states this was ‘mainly due to the emergency benefits the government temporarily provided because of the COVID-19 pandemic.’ Thanks to inflation and the phasing out of these benefits, close to 4 million Canadians were once again living in poverty by 2023. According to the 2025 Hunger Count, put out by Food Banks Canada, the situation has deteriorated since then. In today’s story, Angelica Raaen from the Cortes Food Bank described what poverty looks like on a remote island.  

Continue reading The Face of Poverty on Cortes Island →