Jonathan Ramos cartoon Canada can fight climate change and build more climate-ravaging pipelines. First Nations’ rights should be respected – just not at the expense of these pipelines, dams and other major projects they oppose. Got it? It’s hard to fathom, but these are the positions of our provincial and federal leaders.
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The Common Sense Canadian: Seth Klein finds cracks in Site C Dam economics
Seth Klein, B.C. Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Check out this January 17, 2018 opinion piece from Seth Klein in The Georgia Straight, debunking the economic argument in favour of building Site C Dam. There is no question that the new B.C. government’s decision to proceed with the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Swain: Building Site C would harm BC’s credit rating; cancelling it would not
The head of the Joint Review Panel on the controversial Site C Dam, Harry Swain, is dispelling the notion that cancelling Site C would somehow harm BC’s credit rating. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, he warns: Terminating Site C means paying back the money that’s already spent in order
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: No rate shock from cancelling Site C: Head of review panel
Harry Swain leading the Joint Review Panel into Site C (Photo: JRP) At a press conference earlier today, Harry Swain, the head of the Joint Review Panel into Site C Dam, disputed recent claims that the costs of cancelling Site C Dam would have to be borne by ratepayers in
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Why approving Site C could sink NDP
Illustration by Jonathan Ramos It’s getting down to the wire for the NDP-led government to announce its decision on Site C Dam. The corporate media and Big Labour’s big guns have been making a sales push to keep the beleaguered project alive, and many fear they could succeed. That would
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: BC Hydro’s real debt has grown 1337% under Liberals…Shouldn’t someone call the cops?
The Keystone Kops (1914) I start this exercise with a couple of general comments. The detailed information available on the “progress” of BC Hydro since the Liberals took over in 2001 would be very difficult to pull together if we were left to government confessions of error or sleuthing by
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Liberal pals plundering BC Hydro for tens of Billions
By Norm Farrell Until the mid-twentieth century, much of British Columbia lacked reliable and affordable electricity. To resolve the privation, W.A.C. Bennett created BC Hydro, a publicly owned utility. The province’s leader acted because the private sector had refused to meet growing needs for electricity. Unlike less effective successors, Premier
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Site C Dam shows how broken our democracy is
BC First Nations Chiefs Roland Wilson, Liz Logan and Stewart Phillip took their anti-Site C message to Ottawa – to no avail (Liz Logan/ Twitter) This week I said I would talk about Site C but little did I know what I had taken on. I spent nearly a day and
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Justice for Peace Caravan tells Trudeau: Keep your promises to First Nations
Members of the Treat 8 “Justice for the Peace” Caravan (Photo: Gary McNutt) Submitted by Andrea Palframan On September 12, the Federal Court of Appeal in Montreal will hear the latest legal challenge to the massive Site C hydroelectric dam already under construction on Treaty 8 territory in northeast British Columbia.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: BC Hydro being used to funnel tens of billions to Liberal friends
BC Hydro is being used to funnel tens of billions in public dollars through construction contracts to Liberal friends, says Norm Farrell after reviewing the utility’s financial data.
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Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Weaver, BC Greens should quit backing private river power sham
Rafe Mair has praised the Green Party on many fronts, but its BC leader, Dr. Andrew Weaver makes a fatal mistake with his continued support of the Liberals’ private power sham, which is bankrupting BC Hydro while destroying our rivers.
The post Rafe: Weaver, BC Greens should quit backing private river power sham appeared first on The Common Sense Canadian.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Suzuki, Phillip lead support for Peace Valley land defenders as Hydro seeks injuction
David Suzuki and Grand Chief Stewart Phillip will be at the BC Supreme Court in downtown Vancouver Monday morning to speak to media and support the Treaty 8 Stewards of the Land as they face an injunction application by BC Hydro to forcibly remove them from their Peace Valley protest camp against Site C Dam.
The post Suzuki, Phillip lead support for Peace Valley land defenders as Hydro seeks injuction appeared first on The Common Sense Canadian.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Ex-Hydro CEO: Injunction vs. Site C campers “Fundamentally flawed”
Former BC Hydro CEO Marc Eliesen has slammed the organization’s push to evict farmers and First Nations from Site C protest camp in a court affidavit. Rather than costing Hydro, a delay in construction will only save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, he’s told the BC Supreme Court. Hydro’s injunction application will be heard Monday.
The post Ex-Hydro CEO: Injunction vs. Site C campers “Fundamentally flawed” appeared first on The Common Sense Canadian.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: Shame on Premier Clark for playing Site C politics at Bill Bennett’s funeral
Rafe Mair calls out BC Premier Christy Clark for shameless politicking over Site C Dam at Bill Bennett’s funeral and for dismissing LNG opponents as “the forces of ‘No'”
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Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: How the BC Liberals killed WAC Bennett’s dream of affordable public power, ferries, rail
Longtime BC Premier WAC Bennett’s dream of affordable public power, ferries and rail is dead. Rafe Mair describes how a need generation of right wingers – the BC Liberals – killed it.
The post How the BC Liberals killed WAC Bennett’s dream of affordable public power, ferries, rail appeared first on The Common Sense Canadian.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: The next Burnaby Mountain? Site C Dam opponents dig in their heels
Could civil disobedience and arrests be the missing ingredient in the battle to halt Site C Dam? Things are getting interesting with the occupation by First Nations and supporters of Rocky Mountain Fort.
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Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Let’s quit pretending dams like Site C are good for the climate
Hydro dams like Site C actually emit enormous greenhouse gases, according to the latest research, so labelling them “clean” is a lot of hot air.
The post Let’s quit pretending dams like Site C are good for the climate appeared first on The Common Sense Canadian.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Rafe: NDP Leader Horgan’s Site C Dam opposition is a game-changer
NDP Leader John Horgan has finally come out swinging against Site C Dam – a wise political move that will benefit his party in the provincial election, says Rafe Mair.
The post Rafe: NDP Leader Horgan’s Site C Dam opposition is a game-changer appeared first on The Common Sense Canadian.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Fracking, Site C and the mystery of Hudson’s Hope water contamination
Five year-old River Summer looks on at Brenot Creek landslide (Photo: Leigh Summer) A series of landslides above the northeast BC community of Hudson’s Hope has been dumping contaminated soils into several local creeks, extending now to the Peace River. Local landowners whose water supply has been affected are demanding answers.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Site C not needed until at least 2029, BC Hydro’s own numbers show
Early Site C construction in the Peace River, despite Hydro’s own numbers showing the project is unnecessary (Donald Hoffmann) BC likely won’t need the power generated by Site C Dam until at least 2029, according to recent projections from BC Hydro’s Rate Design proposal, submitted to the BC Utilities Commission.
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