VESG

Commentary by Ann Grant

What are our priorities in British Columbia and where do we put our resources?

This week is the big, annual fund drive by the food banks in BC to raise money for their operations.  CBC Radio One is devoting its local programming on Dec. 6 to its annual fund drive for them. Food banks began in the province 31 years ago and were supposed to be an “emergency” response to food needs at the time.  After all these years of a “temporary” measure, they are still going strong!

"Capitalism's gotta go," was the consensus among four panelists and over 50 people attending a public forum on "Strategies to Stop Climate Change" in Vancouver, December 3. The Vancouver Ecosocialist Group hosted the event and supplied one of the panelist, retired union member and paperworker Gene McGuckin (see speech text and video). Other panelists were Carleen A.

Rabble.ca published an article earlier this week by Toronto writer and climate activist Jesse McLlaren that looks ahead to next week's convention of the Ontario Federation of Labour and an anticipated debate over the proposed ‘reversal’ of the Line 9 pipeline in the province. Enbridge Inc wants the line to carry Alberta tar sands bitumen to refineries in Montreal and possibly to the Atlantic coast and export markets. Presently, the line runs across southern Ontario, including through the city of Toronto.

By Roger Annis, special to Green Left Weekly

September 18, 2013--For the second time in three months, a CP Rail train carrying toxic and flammable hydrocarbons has derailed in the city of Calgary. On September 11, eight railway wagons carrying close to one million liters of a highly flammable gasoline product (diluent) used in the pipeline transport of tar sands bitumen derailed in the Inglewood neighbourhood.