The federal government is coming up on what will be a litmus test of its commitment to nation-to-nation relations with First Nations and to the environment, say those advocating for the shutdown of the massive BC Hydro development known as Site C in northeastern British Columbia.
It’s going to come down to science, not job creation.
That’s the message that a group of B.C. First Nations leaders received from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) when they travelled to Ottawa and Parliament Hill to voice their opinion that the Pacific NorthWest LNG proposed LNG export terminal on Lelu Island does not have universal support from Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities alike in the northwest.
Recent proposals to use B.C. hydropower as a substitute for coal power in Alberta should be viewed in light of new research showing that in the long-term, B.C. has little energy to spare, and that any substitute power would in fact be originating from the United States.
The former mayor of the Lax Kw’alaams First Nation is upset that his successor is backing Pacific NorthWest LNG’s plans to build an $11.4-billion terminal.
Garry Reece, who lost to John Helin in November’s mayoral race, said the new mayor overstepped his authority in declaring the elected Lax Kw’alaams Band Council’s conditional support for exporting liquefied natural gas from Lelu Island in northwestern British Columbia.
[Website editor: Alberta could 'potentially reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of oilsands operations by 13 to 16 per cent' by using hydroelectric power. Why trash just one region when we can trash two in order to trash the world's climate even more?]
VICTORIA — The B.C. Liberals have lately promoted building a new electrical transmission link to Alberta as a way to sell green power to a neighbour while attracting federal infrastructure dollars for job creation.
BC First Nations Leaders in Ottawa to Set Record Straight on Misleading Claims of Support for Petronas’ Pacific Northwest LNG and Call on Trudeau to reject project
[One 'translation' offered by Marv Gandall on the Socialist Project list: "We’re working on a vague climate change resolution which will preempt debate at the riding level, ensure that we’re not saddled with anything remotely resembling the Leap Manifesto, and align the party with the fossil fuel dependent NDP government in Alberta."]
One of the NDP's longest-serving MPs says the party can survive the controversial Leap Manifesto, and is already at work behind closed doors to bridge its recently very public divides.
