Photo: Twitter/@pmharper Read this Jan. 22 story from Bill Curry in The Globe and Mail on Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s surprising change of tune around the importance of oil to the Canadian economy, speaking to a manufacturing crowd in Ontario. Stephen Harper is playing down the impact of energy on the overall
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The Common Sense Canadian: BC income growth declines to last place in country
Photo: Tourism Vancouver Read this Jan. 22 Vancouver Sun story by Peter O’Neil on a new study suggesting average incomes in BC actually declined from 2006-2012. OTTAWA — B.C. experienced the worst income growth — in fact, incomes declined — of any province in Canada during the 2006-12 period, according to
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Public-Private Partnerships a bad deal for BC: Finance Ministry report
P3 skytrain construction by SNC-Lavalin killed many businesses on Vancouver’s Cambie St. (Wikipedia) The following is republished with permission from Policy Note – the blog of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ BC office. By Keith Reynolds The BC Finance Ministry has produced a report much more critical of Partnerships BC and
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Harper govt tries to block NAFTA from investigating leaking tailing ponds
Syncrude tailings pond (David Dodge, Pembina Institute) Read this Jan. 12 story from CBC.ca on the Harper government’s efforts to block an investigation by NAFTA’s environmental watchdog of oil sands tailing ponds leaking into the Athabasca River. Canada is trying to stop NAFTA’s environmental watchdog from taking a closer look at
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Why Site C Dam isn’t a done deal
Damien Gillis and Kootenay Co-op Radio’s Keith Wiley discuss the hurdles still facing Site C Dam following the BC Liberal government’s approval of the project before Christmas. From 6 lawsuits to mounting financial challenges, Gillis explains why the $9 Billion-plus project is far from a done deal. First broadcast on
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Squamish Council faces lawsuits from both sides in LNG pipeline dispute
Citizens line the Sea to Sky Highway to protest Woodfibre LNG (My Sea to Sky) Former District of Squamish Councillor Meg Fellowes addresses current mayor and council over Fortis BC’s controversial application to conduct test drilling in a wildlife management area. The drilling is in connection to a planned pipeline
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Metro’s congestion tax referendum is on the wrong track: Opinion
The following is a letter to the editor from Malcolm Johnston of Rail for the Valley. One has to shake one’s head with the ‘Metro Vancouver congestion improvement tax’ referendum, as clearly the Metro mayors haven’t a clue what they are talking about. The name, Metro Vancouver congestion improvement tax
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: New York governor to ban fracking over health risks
Zero: the future amount of fracking in New York State under Gov. Andrew Cuomo (AP) Read this breaking news from The New York Times on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s move to ban fracking in New York State due to health risks. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration announced on Wednesday that it would ban hydraulic fracturing
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Ontario squanders extra $8 Billion on public private partnership infrastructure: A-G
A bridge built under the P3 model is likely to cost taxpayers more than a publicly funded one, says a new report Read this Dec. 9 story from The Globe and Mail on a new report from Ontario Auditor-General Bonnie Lysyk suggesting that public private partnerships are far more costly to
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Petronas would import foreign workers to build LNG project
Read this Dec. 9 story from the Globe and Mail on Malaysian energy giant Petronas’ announcement that if it does wind up proceeding with a proposed pipeline and LNG plant near Prince Rupert, it will import much of the workforce from Malaysia. The story comes after agreements signed between the BC government
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Audio: Science World helps sell LNG to BC youth
Damien Gillis and CFAX radio’s Ian Jessop discuss the recent partnership between Science World and the BC Liberal government to promote the liquefied natural gas industry to students. The post Audio: Science World helps sell LNG to BC youth appeared first on The Common Sense Canadian.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Harper govt backing away from pipeline support?
MP James Moore (right) being interviewed by CBC’s Chris Hall (Photo: James Moore/Twitter) Read this eye-opening Dec. 11 story from Chris Hall at CBC.ca regarding comments from BC MP and Industry Minister James Moore during a recent interview, which appeared to distance his Conservative government from the embattled pipeline industry. Industry Minister James Moore
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Bank of America predicts $50 oil, cheap LNG as OPEC’s influence wanes
Read this Dec. 9 story from the UK’s Telegraph on predictions that global oil prices will continue tumbling. The Opec oil cartel no longer exists in any meaningful sense and crude prices will slump to $50 a barrel over the coming months as market forces shake out the weakest producers, Bank
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Harper: It’s “Crazy” to apply climate laws to oil and gas industry
Read this Dec. 9 story from The Globe and Mail on Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s statement that it would be “crazy economic policy” to apply climate regulations to the oil and gas sector. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has retreated further from his pledge to regulate carbon emissions in the oil industry,
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Christy Clark admits Site C not needed for LNG; Cracks forming in her support for project: Bloomberg
BC Premier Christy Clark would choose the LNG industry over Site C Dam According to this Dec. 10 story from Bloomberg, BC Premier Christy Clark remains bullish on the beleaguered LNG industry – but, more notably, she has finally given up on the notion the Site C Dam is needed
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Alberta won’t appeal Jessica Ernst’s right to sue over fracking: Nikiforuk
Environmental consultant Jessica Ernst on her land in Alberta (Colin Smith photo) Read this Dec. 10 Tyee story by Andrew Nikiforuk on the Alberta government’s surprise announcement that it will not be appealing a recent court ruling enabling landowner and scientist Jessica Ernst to proceed with her lawsuit over fracking
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Latest Harper Omnibus bill guts regulations for coal, LNG ports
Neptune coal terminal (Image: Dan Pierce/Wilderness Committee) By Andrew Gage and Anna Johnston – republished with permission from West Coast Environmental Law On October 23, 2014, the federal government introduced Bill C-43, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 11, 2014 and other measures (also called the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Western Canadian regulators band together to reduce “pipeline delays”
As if Western Canadian regulators weren’t already friendly enough to energy projects, they are now uniting to address what they see as growing “pipeline delays”. Check out this Dec. 2 story from Bloomberg on their recent pact. Canada’s provincial energy regulators are banding together to cooperate amid hold-ups in constructing
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Even Clark’s Black Friday LNG tax giveaway couldn’t satisfy Petronas
Video by Kevin Logan Common Sense Canadian LNG commentator Kevin Logan threw together this little spoof of BC Premier Christy Clark’s Black Friday address, which brought to a close legislative debate over her government’s plans to further slash a proposed export tax on liquefied natural gas (LNG). During the last
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Alberta Premier Prentice goes East to rescue TransCanada pipeline
Jim Prentice meeting with Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard (Twitter) This story is republished with permission from Desmog.ca. By Derek Leahy Alberta Premier Jim Prentice begins an Energy East lobby tour today in Quebec City to try to woo the premiers of Quebec and Ontario into supporting TransCanada’s 1.1 million barrel-per-day
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