Canada

Historic Indigenous alliance aims to shut down tar sands expansion

“Kinder Morgan is now my fight,” explained Kanesatake Grand Chief Serge Simon, adding that his fight with Energy East “is now also the fight of my treaty allies to the west. That’s what this is all about.”

The thunderous pounding of Indigenous drums echoed in the air on Thursday as more than 50 Indigenous nations across North America rallied together to sign a historic, pan-continental treaty alliance against oilsands expansion in their traditional territory.

Friends,

Nine years ago today, on September 13, 2007, the United Nations took an important step towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples when the General Assembly voted 144-4 to adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. While 11 countries abstained, four countries voted against the Declaration: Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia.

First Nations leaders from British Columbia were in Ottawa this week to tell federal politicians they have been betrayed by a government that promised a new relationship with indigenous people then approved the construction of a massive hydro dam that threatens their traditional way of life.

The $8.8-billion BC Hydro project on the Peace River, known as Site C, received authorizations from the federal departments of Fisheries and Transport earlier this summer.

Opponents of the $8.8 billion dam hope this week's federal court case marks a tipping point

For the last week, a large bus with the slogan "Stand with First Nations to protect the Peace River" on its sides has been making its way across Canada.

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.

OTTAWA, Sept. 8, 2016 /CNW/ - More than 50 groups from across Canada today sent a letter -http://environmentaldefence.ca/2016/09/07/letter-trudeau-neb-reform - to Prime Minister Trudeau and Natural Resources Minister Carr urging the federal government to overhaul the National Energy Board (NEB) before, not after, it decides how to proceed with the two proposed oil pipelines.

August 31, 2016 -  Ontario and Quebec signed an agreement with the Mexican government Wednesday to jointly develop carbon markets with the aim of allowing companies in those provinces to purchase Mexican greenhouse-gas-reduction credits to satisfy provincially regulated emission caps.

Last spring, the Premiers of the country met in Vancouver. The meeting led to the Vancouver Declaration on Clean Growth and Climate Change. This meeting was the follow-up to the government committing to 1.5 degrees’ maximum of global warming in Paris, last fall. In Vancouver, the federal government decided to set up a public consultation process across the country regarding climate change and what needs to be done.