Members of the Dzawada’enuxw First Nation filing a claim of Aboriginal title at the BC Supreme Court (submitted) A First Nation’s claim of Aboriginal title, filed today at the BC Supreme Court in Vancouver, threatens the future of some open net pen Atlantic salmon farms. Lawyer Jack Woodward, who filed
Continue readingAuthor: Damien Gillis
The Common Sense Canadian: Canada backs foreign investor rights to shield mining industry: Book
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria during a bi-lateral meeting in Paris (OECD/Flickr CC Licence) Canada’s controversial mining sector may be the driving force behind the country’s insistence on protecting foreign investors’ rights over laws that guard its own citizens and environmental values. Prime Minister Justin
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: What is John Horgan thinking on LNG?!
John Horgan announcing a new framework for LNG (Province of BC / Flickr) In his desperate bid to keep Christy Clark’s LNG pipe dream alive, John Horgan has become completely untethered from reality. Today, he announced further tax incentives for the industry – as if the sweetheart deal the Liberals
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: On Energy & First Nations, politicians want to have their cake and eat it too
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.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Horgan’s right on Kinder Morgan, even if he got Site C wrong
On Kinder Morgan, John Horgan is standing up for British Columbians — as he should (BCNDP/Flickr) Dear Premier Horgan, I’m still mad at you for carrying on with Site C Dam, based on the utterly bogus reasons you offered the public. But when it comes to Kinder Morgan, I’ve got
Continue readingThe 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: Caught on camera: More blood water from Tofino farmed salmon processing plant
A live camera this morning captured more blood water spilling from the outfall pipe of a farmed salmon processing plant in downtown Tofino. The footage, obtained by investigative diver and filmmaker Tavish Campbell, was posted to facebook with realtime commentary from Campbell and independent biologist and salmon farm critic Alexandra Morton.
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: Riding with Rafe: 10 years of stories from a BC icon
Rafe Mair in Campbell River in 2009, speaking out against GE’s $5 Billion proposed Bute Inlet private power project (Image: Damien Gillis) Few people are lucky enough to work with, let alone become close friends with one of their heroes. Over the past decade, I got to ride shotgun with
Continue readingEndangered Caribou Habitat Clearcut During B.C. Election Uncertainty
Forestry giant Canfor is logging critical habitat for mountain caribou, recent video footage reveals. The company, which donated just shy of $1 million to the BC Liberal Party, has proceeded with clearcuts in the Upper Clearwater Valley, near Wells Gray Provincial Park, despite a legal application for an emergency stop-work order
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: NDP must name & shame or catch the blame – Don’t let Libs off hook for disastrous record
Former BC Liberal Premiers Christy Clark (Kris Krug/Flickr) and Gordon Campbell (Province of BC/Flickr) One of the biggest mistakes Barack Obama made was not doing more to expose George W. Bush’s disastrous financial record as president. As a result, he was quickly blamed for America’s “Great Recession” though everything that
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Green Party campaign manager quit over Andrew Weaver’s bullying, bad policies
Andrew Weraver attacks BCNDP Leader John Horgan during the televised leaders’ debate On the eve of his candidate’s kick-off event, Green Party campaign manager Troy Grant reached his breaking point with Andrew Weaver, causing him to resign. “I can’t support the BC Green Party because of Andrew Weaver,” Grant now admits.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Why the BC Liberal economic record is actually worse than the NDP’s in 90’s
Many people are ready for a change in Victoria. Christy Clark is one of the least popular candidates for premier in BC history and, after 16 years of scandal-filled rule, her Liberal Party has tried British Columbians’ patience to the extreme. Yet everyday on social media, I run across a familiar refrain: “Better
Continue readingB.C. Liberals Grant Major Political Donor Permission to Log Endangered Caribou Habitat
The B.C. government is granting logging permits in critical caribou habitat, despite evidence that B.C.’s Southern Mountain Caribou are being driven to extinction by habitat loss — a move that has driven citizens to call on the federal government to enforce the Species At Risk Act. Among the hardest hit regions
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Fate of BC’s ancient forests is a question of “values”
Craig Pettitt of Valhalla Wilderness Society in the Incomappleux Valley How do we value wilderness? What metrics should we apply to an 1,800-year-old tree, or the tiny lichens that make their home on it? What numbers do we input into our calculator – ecosystem services rendered, tonnes of carbon sequestered, cubic metres
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Central Coast diesel spill response slow, ineffective, serious damage done: Heiltsuk
The Nathan E. Stewart fuel barge and part-sunken tug the morning of the incident (Jordan Wilson/Pacific Wild) Judging by official statements in the aftermath of the ongoing Central Coast diesel fuel spill, the response to the disaster was relatively effective and damage minimized – a PR line largely soaked up by the mainstream
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Heiltsuk call for tanker ban to include fuel barges amid ongoing leak in Great Bear Sea
Sunken tug towing Nathan E. Stewart (Image submitted) A 10,000 tonne US-owned fuel barge, the Nathan E. Stewart, ran aground in Seaforth Channel on BC’s central coast early this morning and the tug that was towing it is now leaking fuel into the highly sensitive marine environment of the Great Bear
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 reading