Canada

11 Jul 2018

Jean Swanson was awarded the Order of Canada in 2016 for “her long-standing devotion to social justice, notably for her work with the residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.” She is author of the book, Poor Bashing: The Politics of Exclusion (2001). Over the past decade she has been an organizer with the Carnegie Community Action Project and Raise the Rates BC. She is a city council candidate for COPE in the upcoming civic election.

Jul 14, 2018

Greenpeace boats join groups calling for protection of water from spills

Editor: Here is the link to a series of articles, (5 chapters), unmasking Kinder Morgan spies: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2018/07/13/kinder-morgan-privately-eyes-trans-mountain-protesters

And here is Chapter 5:

June 25, 2018 - From the limited correspondence I have received from the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, I understand that the Panel has asked me to be here today because of my work as a public policy researcher and in particular because of recent research that I have done on “water storage” issues in northeast British Columbia.

I will speak to you about my research conclusions and do my best to situate that work in terms of the specific things that you as panel members have been called upon to do.

July 9, 2018 - Just imagine if a consortium of First Nations owned a sizable stake in the Trans Mountain pipeline and were determined to push it through because it would put more money in the hands of Indigenous people.

There is a plan afoot to do exactly that and later this month First Nations leaders will meet in Vancouver to advance the idea.

It’s a bold move but it would also give some First Nations the kind of control over resource projects in their own backyards they have long dreamed of.

Of course, not all First Nations would be happy.

Experts say it only takes one First Nation to stop the Trans Mountain Expansion Project in court.

Kinder Morgan is the big winner and Canadians are the big losers of a deal to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline and Expansion Project with public funds, one Vancouver-based lawyer says.

Eugene Kung with West Coast Environmental Law says the project won't have legal certainty any time soon, as several First Nations are currently awaiting a ruling from the Federal Court of Appeal on whether they were adequately consulted by the Canadian government.