Photo: Pamela Beatty Forbes / “LEAVE BROOKSWOOD ALONE” facebook page A battle has been brewing in recent months over the future of Langley, BC – a rural community on the edge of Metro Vancouver, known as the horse capital of the province. Plans to triple the density of one Langley
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The Common Sense Canadian: Economist: BC’s private waste, recycling plan is garbage
Money, money, money. Just like the ABBA song says; it makes the world go round. Our garbage is the newest target for those who love only money and lots of it. A decade ago some of those sharpest guys in the room, runaways from bankrupting Enron, secured legal authority from President
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Urban infrastructure investment is path to Canada’s economic future
Canada’s federal government recently announced $14 billion in new funding to help municipalities repair and replace aging infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, sewer lines, energy production and distribution systems, and subways and other public transit. About $1 billion is dedicated to smaller communities, but most of the funding will target
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Clark’s transit referendum going off the rails
Read this Jan. 22 Vancouver Sun editorial by Don Cayo on the folly that is BC Premier Christy Clark’s proposed provincial referendum on funding public transit going forward. You would think Christy Clark, more than most, would understand that just because it was the premier’s idea doesn’t mean it’s a good one.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: First Nation blockades water intake construction over salmon impacts
Cayoose Creek, where construction of a municipal water intake may be harming salmon habitat (Jim Upton) LILLOOET, B.C. – Members of a First Nation in Lillooet, B.C., have set up a blockade near that Fraser River district to protest work they believe is destroying fish habitat on disputed land. Sekw’el’was Chief Michelle
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Mechanical failure spurred CN oil train derailment in New Brunswick
Emergency responders stayed back from the NB train derailment due to safety concerns (wagmtv.com) Read this Jan. 8 story from CBC.ca on the latest derailment of a train carrying petroleum products, this time in New Brunswick. The CN Rail derailment that is behind a massive fire near Plaster Rock, N.B.,
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Vancouver port expansion plan to face independent review
VANCOUVER – Federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq says an independent panel will review plans to build a major shipping-container terminal at a port south of Vancouver. Port Metro Vancouver wants to build a three-berth, marine-container facility that can handle an additional 2.4 million units every year at Roberts Bank in
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Americans conserving big on home electricity
American homes are getting greener, like this one in Minnesota by Jonathan Fahey, The Associated Press NEW YORK – The average amount of electricity consumed in U.S. homes has fallen to levels last seen more than a decade ago, back when the smartest device in people’s pockets was a Palm
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Motorized boats stir up problems for BC’s salmon rivers
by Will Dubitsky and Jean Clark Two distinct pieces of federal legislation govern activities in and on our rivers, lakes and coastal waters: 1) The Canada Shipping Act, concerning the waterway surface and the protection navigation rights; 2) The Fisheries Act, pertaining to protection of the marine habitat, below the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Vancouver Council will apply as intervener for Kinder Morgan pipeline hearing
Read this Dec. 19 story from The Georgia Straight on Vancouver City Council’s vote to apply for intervener status in the upcoming National Energy Board hearings into Kinder Morgan’s recently filed application for a major oil pipeline expansion to Vancouver. VANCOUVER CITY COUNCIL has voted in favour of applying for intervenor status at National
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Groups decry proposed Fraser River toxic waste recycling site
When Chilliwack resident and conservationist Glen Thompson learned that city council had passed a bylaw amendment permitting a hazardous waste recycling facility on the banks of the Fraser River, alarm bells went off. “That toxic waste site could potentially leak chemicals into this stream…which leads into the Fraser River,” Thomspson notes in a video
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Surrey aims to get ambitious light rail plan on track with federal investment
Read this Nov. 28 story from 24 Hours on Surrey, BC’s ambitious plan to develop its own network of light rail lines, which it says will better service the community’s public transit needs than regional transportation authority Translink’s vision for an extension to the skytrain line and additional buses. Surrey is
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Quebec to invest half billion in green transportation
Quebec plans to spend more than a half-billion dollars on a green transportation plan over the next three years. Premier Pauline Marois says the plan includes up to $8,000 in subsidies for the purchase of electric or hybrid vehicles; and up to $1,000 for people installing a charging unit at
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: With Massey tunnel traffic on decline, does new bridge make sense?
Artist’s rendering of proposed bridge (BC Govt) Read this Sept. 25th story from the Georgia Straight on former Vancouver city councillor and SFU transportation expert Gordon Price’s questions for Premier Clark on this week’s announcement that her government will replace the aging George Massey tunnel with a $3 Billion bridge. Surprisingly,
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Old buildings get new life through innovative architecture
shipping containers are now being converted into homes – part of a growing trend of recycling architecture VICTORIA – The concept of a house is changing as architects and home owners reinvent the buildings they decide to use for their homes. Vancouver architect Tim Ankenman has been part of designing
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: New coalition revved up about wake boats on public waterways
Not your grandfather’s lake boat: powerful, modern “wake boats” kick up waves and protest All across Canada, Canadian communities, mostly small, face great difficulties in trying to establish regulations regarding the protection of navigable waters environments – that is, waters which fall under federal regulatory jurisdiction, The Canadian Shipping Act,
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