Tag Archives: Water Issues in BC

Energy

B.C. town ‘built by industry’ adjusts to life with LNG

Matt Simmons – The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

For the past few months, the buzz in the small coastal community of Kitimat, B.C., has been all about the flares. 

LNG Canada, the newly completed gas liquefaction and export plant, began firing up its smokestack last fall, lighting the skies with a flame that got as tall as 90 metres at one point. That’s roughly the equivalent of four 18-wheeler trucks, stacked end-to-end on top of each other. It could be seen from more than 50 kilometres away. 

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Rivers & Oceans

Salmon vs. climate change: How salmon are surviving climate shifts in Squamish

Editor’s note: The similarities this story has to our situation on Cortes Island, with Basil Creek having come close to drying up in 2022 and 2023 and the way that fish eggs are being harvested to try boost the population, made this story a must read.

By Bhagyashree Chatterjee, The Squamish Chief, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

What happens when a creek runs dry, and the fish that call it home can no longer make their way upstream?

For the team at Tenderfoot Creek Hatchery in Squamish, it’s a challenge they’re tackling head-on as the impacts of climate change ripple through the watershed.

While many hatcheries focus on large-scale harvests, Tenderfoot Creek is all about conservation.

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Politics

Introducing Anna Kindy, MLA For North Island 

It has been three weeks since Anna Kindy was sworn in as the Conservative Party MLA for North Island riding.

We actually had a long phone conversation shortly after her election, but this has been a very busy time for Ms Kindy and so we agreed to do the interview on December 3, yesterday. 

As I didn’t get an opportunity to interview her during the election, it’s probably best to start at the beginning. 

“As an MLA,  I represent everyone in this constituency. It doesn’t matter if you voted for me or not, I represent you and I’ll do it to the best of my capacity.  I have to look at what the issues are in my riding and how to address them,” she said.  

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Fire, Forests

Forests, Fires, and Our Future: Dr Ruth Waldick speaks on climate resilience

Since late 2021, a small group of Cortes residents has met regularly to discuss climate change and its impacts on our region. On February 4th, 2023, the “WTF Friday” event featured environmental scientist Ruth Waldick; Dr Waldick gave a presentation on climate change, fire risk, and forestry practise.

We may have no control over the weather, but we do have some control over soil moisture, fuel loads and ignition risk. 

— Ruth Waldick, Transition Salt Spring

Her presentation covered two main themes: the increase in fire risk created by traditional logging practises in BC, and methods of forest restoration — accessible to private landowners as well as crown land managers — that can reduce the risk of dangerous wildfires in our area.

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Energy, Indigenous Nations

Blueberry River First Nations beat B.C. in court. Now everything’s changing

By Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Apart from a little pocket of land on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, Blueberry River First Nations territory is an industrial wasteland. At a walking pace, it only takes about three minutes to stumble onto some kind of development. It’s a land of pipelines, clearcuts and gas rigs. But things are about to change.

After winning a hard-fought case before the B.C. Supreme Court in 2021, the Treaty 8 nation reached a final agreement with the province on Jan. 18. The agreement charts a path forward from a past where the province excluded the community from resource decisions and infringed on the nation’s constitutionally protected rights. Two days later, B.C. signed agreements with four neighbouring nations: Doig River, Halfway River, Saulteau and Fort Nelson. Collectively, the agreements represent a way out of conflict and a shared goal to heal the land. 

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