In early 2008, on the heels of BC Supreme Court Justice David Vickers’ initial ruling in favour of the Tsilhqot’in First Nation’s Williams case, I interviewed the plaintiff’s lead lawyer, Jack Woodward at his office in Victoria. Throughout this in-depth discussion, Woodward details the case itself, the intersection of aboriginal title and
Continue readingAuthor: Damien Gillis
The Common Sense Canadian: Kispiox Valley citizens band together against LNG pipelines
Some of the Kispiox Valley citizens opposed to LNG (Photo: NoMorePipelines.ca) A group of citizens from the Kispiox Valley – northwest of Smithers, BC – has signed a declaration “against the LNG projects proposed to pass through their community.” The approximately 160 signatures from local landowners and residents represents a
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Liberal govt hubris handed Tsilhqot’in Nation bigger legal victory
The statue ‘Ivstitia’ (Justice) guards the entrance of the Supreme Court of Canada (Sean Kilpatrick/CP) The BC Liberal Government just couldn’t leave well enough alone. In choosing to appeal the Tsilhqot’in First Nation’s BC Supreme Court victory over land title and rights, the government set in motion a chain of events
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: First Nations leaders: BC LNG “up in the air”
Despite BC Premier Christy Clark’s assurances to the contrary, First Nations have many questions about her government’s LNG vision. At a recent Liberal-led BC LNG conference, Clark expounded on the virtues of involving aboriginal peoples in her promised LNG boom. Yet outside the Vancouver Convention Centre ballroom where Clark boasted
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Woodfibre LNG: Public comment period begins for Squamish project
Citizens recently lined the highway outside Squamish to oppose Woodfibre LNG (My Sea to Sky) The BC Environmental Assessment Office is now open for public comment on the proposed Woodfibre LNG project near Squamish, BC. The comment period, which includes an open house session in Squamish on June 18, will run for
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Haida stand with Fort Nelson First Nation on LNG, fracking concerns
The Council of the Haida Nation (CHN) is vowing to support The Fort Nelson First Nation’s tough stand on proposed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) development and the 600% increase in controversial shale gas fracking it would represent for their northeast BC territory. According to The Northern View, a recent visit to Haida
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Bloomberg: Farmed salmon a risky bet for environment, investment
A series of reports from the world’s leading business publication, Bloomberg, show the environmental, financial, and health challenges facing the farmed salmon industry are increasingly bubbling up to the surface. The three stories – dealing with the impacts of farmed fish on their wild counterparts, the risks of investing in
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Site C Dam: NDP MLA questions govt on First Nations consultation
Doug Donaldson, NDP MLA for the Stikine region, recently called out the BC Liberal government over the proposed Site C Dam and the strong opposition it faces from Treaty 8 First Nations in the Peace Valley. Said Donaldson in Question Period: The review panel was clear when it said that
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Pipeline debate hits local streets with Kinder Morgan, Spectra spats
Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan is taking a tough stand against Kinder Morgan (Photo: Vimeo) A pair of skirmishes over access for pipeline companies to landowners’ properties in the Lower Mainland suggests the debate over Canada’s energy future is washing up on local streets. Today, we learned that Burnaby Council – long
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Christy Clark: BC LNG “The Cleanest Fossil Fuel on the Planet”…Really?
In the keynote address kicking of her government’s second major conference on liquefied natural gas (LNG), BC Premier Christy Clark billed the resource as nothing short of “the cleanest fossil fuel on the planet.” Clark touted LNG as a “generational opportunity” for the province’s economy, before a sold-out crowd at the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: 6 reasons why renewable energy is no joke
Photo: Associated Press/ Ed Andrieski Listen to the rebuttals against opponents of oil pipelines, coal, and fracking and a familiar refrain emerges – it goes something like this: It’s hypocritical to attack fossil fuels, because we all depend on them and will continue to do so well into the future. In
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: 60 Minutes grills BC salmon farmers, government
Top-rated American TV newsmagazine program 60 Minutes sunk its teeth into BC’s longstanding salmon farming controversy last night. While the program – hosted by renowned health commentator Dr. Sanjay Gupta – stopped short of passing judgement on the aquaculture industry, it left viewers with some real food for thought on
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Damien Gillis talks fracking, LNG on J-Fest Panel tonight
Documentary filmmaker and Common Sense Canadian Publisher Damien Gillis Listen to Fractured Land filmmaker and Common Sense Canadian Publisher Damien Gillis talk about the costs and conflicted benefits of natural gas development in British Columbia at J-Fest, a special event for the public organized by the Canadian Association of Journalists. Other speakers
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Site C Dam: “The Benefits are clear”…as mud
A section of the Peace Valley that stands to be flooded for Site C Dam (Photo: Andrea Morison) The Joint Review Panel into the $10 Billion* proposed Site C Dam released its findings on the project today. In a summary (read full report here), it stated: The benefits are clear. Despite high
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: BC LNG economics don’t add up: New report
Christy Clark announces agreement to build an LNG facility at Grassy Point ( BC govt photo) The Clark government’s rosy projections of a $100 Billion “Prosperity Fund” from its proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry will never materialize, says a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Northwest Transmission Line: Environmental, financial boondoggle
According to new documents obtained via Freedom of Information search by the Vancouver Sun, the construction of the wildly over-budget, 344 km Northwest Transmission Line has been rife with environmental mismanagement. The line – which departs from a junction near Terrace, will carry power to a series of new mines in northwest
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Mayor attacks Fort Nelson First Nation over LNG summit expulsion
Mayor Bill Streeper (image: Youtube) Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Mayor Billy Streeper has publicly called out the local Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) over its repudiation of government officials at a summit on liquefied natural gas (LNG) it held in town last week. After learning of the surprise elimination of
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Fort Nelson chief to gas industry: “First Nations will decide on LNG”
Watch this follow up video to the stunning events in Forst Nelson from earlier this week, when Chief Sharleen Gale ousted government and industry leaders from a conference discussing the benefits and impacts of BC’s proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry. Gale was reacting to a surprise move by the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Fort Nelson First Nation drums govt, industry out of LNG conference
Video by Chief Bob Chamberlin Members of the Fort Nelson First Nation, led by the strong words of their chief councillor, Sharleen Gale, literally drummed out government and industry representatives from a conference the band was hosting on liquefied natural gas (LNG), Wednesday afternoon. The 3-day conference, titled “Striking the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: BC LNG faces growing First Nations opposition
The Unist’ot’en camp’s Toghestiy (left) and Mel Bazil stand in the path of 3 pipelines (Two Island Films) One of the biggest myths pervading BC’s energy dialogue goes something like this: While First Nations stand united against the proposed Enbridge pipeline, they overwhelmingly embrace Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Sure, Premier Christy
Continue reading