By Roy L Hales
With British Columbia’s provincial election approaching, I decided to interview the candidates in my riding. Dallas Smith, who is attempting to capture this seat for the BC Liberals, has yet to respond to my emails. Green candidate Sue Moen and I will be talking soon. My conversation with Claire Trevena, MLA for Island North, took place on a bench overlooking the wharves at Heriot Bay, on Quadra Island.
Originally broadcast in Season One of the Deep Roots Initiative, Cortes Radio, CKTZ, 89.5 FM
In search of the deep spiritual roots of today’s environmental crisis, Sobhanā Dilani Hippola traces the footsteps of a pioneer spiritual ecologist, Gilean Douglas, from an old miner’s shack in the Cascade mountains to the majestic land of Channel Rock here on Cortes Island. Gilean’s life and nature writings offer insight into the importance of dwelling close to wilderness and protecting sacred places.
Continue reading Finding Gilean Douglas & The Protected PlaceBy Roy L Hales
In its’ simplest form, bio-restoration is something that every farmer every just does naturally. In this interview, Canadian ecologist/journalist Rex Weyler talks about natural solutions to most of the world’s environmental problems and the limitations of bioremediation.
Continue reading The Limitations Of BioremediationBy Roy L Hales
The mining sector may be struggling, but it is still big business in British Columbia. According to the Northern Miner, mining is “one of the hottest sectors of the Canadian stock market.” At the beginning of this year, there were 702 British Columbia based mineral exploration and mining companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and TSXV exchanges. Some of the A BC Liberal party’s biggest campaign contributors are mining companies. Though KGHM Ajax Mines is not one of them, having forked out a mere $55,450,[1] a new mining start would definitely bolster Premier Christy Clark’s image within the industry. Only there is more at stake than money when it comes to a proposed 2,500-hectare open-pit copper and gold mine on the outskirts of the city of Kamloops. This is an area that local first nations consider sacred and after careful deliberation, the Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation says no to Ajax Mines.
Continue reading The Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation Says No To Ajax MinesBy Roy L Hales
The Standing Rock Sioux’s struggle to halt the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline, a half mile north of their reservation, has gained international recognition. The Guardian’s coverage began on April 2, with a story of 200 Native Americans who “took to horseback” in a mounted protest. In August, Reuters reported on the tribe’s attempt to obtain an injunction against construction. As of this morning, Democracy Now has posted 154 stories. That’s just the media. Many North American communities have held demonstrations. Two events, in a relatively remote part of British Columbia, illustrate the extent to which Cortes Islanders Support Standing Rock.
Continue reading Cortes Islanders Support Standing Rock
