Why every Canadian should watch this video

02/03/16
Author: 
Alex Neve

 

WHY EVERY CANADIAN SHOULD 

WATCH THIS VIDEO
 

Tell Canada to stop ignoring the rights of Indigenous peoples >>

Wherever you live in this country, all Canadians should be paying close attention to British Columbia’s Site C dam. At a cost of almost $9 billion and rising, the hydro-electric project is one of the largest resource development projects underway anywhere in Canada.

But more than that, the Site C dam shines a bright light on the fundamental injustices that – despite promise of reconciliation and a new relationship – continue to characterize the treatment of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

A joint federal-provincial review of the Site C dam came to these telling conclusions:

  • By flooding one of the last remaining stretches of the Peace Valley where Indigenous peoples in BC can still practice their traditions and connect to their cultures, the Site C dam would cause serious, irreversible harm.
  • The need for the dam has not been clearly established.
  • Alternatives were never properly considered. 


>> TAKE ACTION: Tell Canada to stop ignoring the rights of Indigenous peoples

With these conclusions, it should be inconceivable that such a destructive project would go ahead. But last year, both the federal government and the BC government gave the project the greenlight.

The two governments later acknowledged that they never even considered whether this decision could be reconciled with their treaty obligations.

Watch this video to learn more and send a message to the federal government >>


The construction of the Site C dam should matter to all Canadians because fundamental human rights are being violated. This includes the right of Indigenous peoples to practice their traditions and cultures and the right of all people to expect due process and fairness before the law.

These violations are not abstractions. The dam would profoundly affect the lives of women, men and children in the Peace Valley, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike. And among those affected, there are powerful voices calling on governments in Canada to do the right thing.

This new video features two of these powerful, moving voices, Helen Knott and George Desjarlais, from the Prophet River and West Moberly First Nations.

I urge you to listen to what they have to say. And then join us in demanding that the federal and provincial governments also listen.



Sincerely,



Alex Neve
Secretary General
Amnesty International Canada


P.S. Over 25,000 Canadians have already signed the action. We need your voice more than ever to put pressure on the federal government!