Site C Dam hearings designed to discourage public participation, critics say
Opponents of Site C Dam paddle the Peace River (Damien Gillis) Read this Nov. 21 story from The Vancouver Sun on criticism of the public hearings for the proposed Site…
water
Regulator, Encana sued over fracking, water
Vancouver-based environmental law firm ecojustice announced a lawsuit Wednesday in BC court against the province’s oil and gas regulator over its allegedly unlawful issuance of water permits for fracking. The…
Athabasca River contaminated by Canada’s largest coal slurry spill
Read this Nov. 8 story from EcoWatch on what is quite possibly Canada’s largest coal slurry spill, which happened in late October near Hinton, Alberta. A scary thing happened on…
New dam planned for St. Lawrence River
BECANCOUR, Que. – The Quebec government is helping to bankroll a $130-million project by RER Hydro, Hydro-Quebec and Boeing to generate clean energy on the St. Lawrence River, in what…
Need for Site C Dam exaggerated as public hearings start next month
Public hearings into the controversial, $8 Billion Site C Dam are set to commence next month, as the Joint Review Panel for the project indicated today that proponent BC Hydro…
Recent
Verdun and water…
Will new Water Act rein in groundwater use for fracking, LNG?
Frack water pit in BC’s Horn River Basin (photo: Damien Gillis) By Anna Novacek – republished from Energy Law BC As the only province in Canada that does not regulate…
Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Frances Russell rightly asks whose freedom is supposed to be protected by free trade agreements such as CETA: Once Canada signs CETA…
Water – Edward Burtynsky
One of my favorite photographers, and a Canadian, eh? “While trying to accommodate the growing needs of an expanding, and very thirsty civilization, we are reshaping the Earth in colossal…
First Nation upset CNRL is draining lake to contain Alberta bitumen leak
photo: Canadian Natural Resources Limited Read this Sept. 28 story from CBC on the ongoing Alberta bitumen leak crisis near Cold Lake. The Common Sense Canadian has been following the…
On democratic exercises
The results are in from Regina’s wastewater treatment referendum. And unfortunately, the combined forces of the City and the corporate sector (with an assist from far too much of the…
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Today is of course voting day in Regina’s wastewater treatment plant referendum – and you can get voting information here. And Paul Dechene…
On sucker’s bets
As the old saying goes, if you sit down at a poker table and can’t spot the sucker, you’re it. And there shouldn’t be much doubt that when the City…
Site C Dam hearings delayed as panel seeks answers from BC Hydro
Proposed Site C Dam – artist’s rendering FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – It could be some time before a joint review panel considering the proposed Site C Dam in northeastern…
#wwtp Referendum Roundup
A few links and notes as Regina’s wastewater referendum approaches tomorrow. – Jason Hammond explains that his Yes vote will be based largely on concerns about the City’s dishonesty and…
Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Paul Krugman writes about the right-wing belief that “freedom’s just another word for not enough to eat”: (Y)ou might think that ensuring adequate…
What Does India Have In Common With Regina? Asbestos
One thing we share is an abundance of unsafe Quebec chrysotile AKA asbestos. Most of the world stopped using the miracle mineral once they realized what a global disaster its…
New column day
Here, on how the real question in Regina’s P3 referendum vote is that of how to operate the City’s vital infrastructure – and why we should vote “yes” to maintain…
Massive power bill increases due to Liberals’ failed IPP scheme
BC Energy Minister Bill Bennett (photo: CP) I told you so! My colleague Damien Gillis told you so! Independent economist Erik Andersen told you so! The Campbell/Clark government has taken…
Métis fight Manitoba hydro line
WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s Métis federation is appealing an environmental licence granted for the construction of a controversial $3-billion hydro line. President David Chartrand said the federation has formally registered an…