British Columbia

At Kinder Morgan meeting, one Liberal voter delivers a blistering rebuke of absent MPs

Note: The Trudeau government is preparing to make a yes or no decision on the Kinder Morgan oil tanker project in December. After being elected on a promise to restart the project review, the Liberals reversed their position and went ahead with the National Energy Board process created by Prime Minister Harper.

Back in June, shortly before the Harper-appointed National Energy Board gave a thumbs-up to Kinder Morgan’s oil tanker proposal, the Liberals announced the creation of a new review panel tasked with “restoring public trust in Canada’s environmental and regulatory processes.”

Barely two months later, the panel has failed spectacularly. Not only has the slapdash process failed to restore trust, it has actually dragged our faith in Canada’s pipeline and tanker reviews to historic new lows.

They applauded politely after British Columbia Premier Christy Clark's 30-minute speech at an Indigenous leaders' summit that opened on Wednesday. But Grand Chief Stewart Phillip says the entire affair was, predictably, disillusioning.

Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, told National Observer that he wasn't impressed.

The B.C. government must address “profound” gaps in knowledge about groundwater quality in the province's northeast, a regional district-commissioned study has found.

Hydrogeologist Gilles Wendling delivered the results of a two-year survey of water quality in Northeast B.C. at a Peace River Regional District meeting Aug. 25. It is the first comprehensive study of groundwater to be carried out in the Peace, the hub of B.C.’s oil and gas industry, and it raises new questions about whether water quality is adequately monitored and protected in the region.

Campbell River meeting comes as Morton video of farmed fish goes viral. [See video with original article - Alex Morton captured underwater video of farmed salmon during Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw protest action. Photo from YouTube. ]

More than 50 First Nations protestors, including several hereditary chiefs, called for the eviction of multinational-owned fish farms from “unceded” territorial waters in Campbell River on Monday.

Not everyone is thrilled with the recent vote by members of the Lax Kw'alaams First Nation to resume discussions on an $11-billion liquefied natural gas project near Prince Rupert.