Brent Patterson

International fact-finding mission on mining and water in El Salvador

| May 14, 2013

Blue Planet Project campaigner Meera Karunananthan is currently on a fact-finding mission on mining and water in El Salvador. She is participating in an international delegation that includes people from 12 countries and 22 organizations.

On Friday, she was in the capital city of San Salvador. At the media conference that began that day, she spoke about international solidarity for the struggle to protect water in El Salvador and the leadership social movements in that country have provided to the world. That afternoon, she spoke on a panel along side Manuel Perez Rocha, who is with the Washington-based Institute for Policy Studies, and Vidalina Morales, a Salvadoran activist who has been leading the struggle against a Canadian-based mining company in her community.

Groups call for former oil exec to step down as Alberta's new energy regulator

Brent Patterson

| May 6, 2013

The Council of Canadians has joined with more than 30 landowner, labour, environmental and First Nation groups to call on Alberta Premier Alison Redford to remove Gerry Protti, founding President of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and former Encana executive, as the chair of the province's new energy regulator. The groups are hoping Protti will be asked to step down and that public consultation take place to address concerns about Alberta's move to a single regulator model.

Council chapter marches against Pacific Rim, other Vancouver-based mining companies

Brent Patterson

| May 2, 2013

On Monday a 'Toxic Tour' march took place to 'expose Vancouver-based mining companies.'

The Mining Justice Alliance event was endorsed by the Council of Canadians, Greenpeace, Idle No More Vancouver, Llh Lin Liyin Grassroots Wetsuwet'en, Kairos Metro Vancouver, No One Is Illegal, Occupy Vancouver, Rising Tide, Wirikuta Vancouver Alliance, the National Roundtable of El Salvador on Metallic Mining, and many other groups.

Take action against EI cuts, April 26-May 1

Brent Patterson

| April 26, 2013

The Council of Canadians is working with the Canadian Labour Congress and Common Causes to support lobby days and demonstrations against the Harper government's cutbacks to Employment Insurance and other key programs and public services.

Numerous activities will be taking place during a Week of Action this coming April 26 to May 1. The growing list of actions can be read at www.commoncauses.ca in the 'Upcoming Events' section of this web page. Information is also being posted to the Common Causes Facebook page.

Ontario and Manitoba to help fund the Experimental Lakes Area

Brent Patterson

| April 25, 2013

In December 2012, the Council of Canadians and the Boreal Forest Network wrote to then Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty and Manitoba premier Greg Selinger to ask that each provincial government contribute $1 million annually to the Experimental Lakes Area for a minimum of three years until federal funding could be reinstated after the next federal election.

In January 2013, we received a letter from the Government of Manitoba declining our request. But the premier said at that time that he would work to encourage "the Government of Canada to ensure funding for this program."

Undaunted, in February we repeated our request to the new Ontario premier, Kathleen Wynne, as well as to Selinger.

Canada-China FIPA to be voted on in the House of Commons on April 22

Brent Patterson

| April 19, 2013

UPDATED: Monday, April 22 at 6:40 p.m. EST, the NDP will ask Parliament to stop the Canada-China Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (FIPA) from becoming law. Use the form here to send a letter to MPs demanding they support the motion when it comes for a vote in the House of Commons.

Youth 4 Lakes walkers reach Ontario border, continue trek to protect water

Brent Patterson

| April 17, 2013

The Atikokan Progress reports that Youth 4 Lakes is a group of about a dozen Treaty 3 Indigenous youth ages 13 to 36 from Manitoba and Kenora who embarked on March 28 on a 2,100 kilometre walk from Winnipeg to Parliament Hill. They have been averaging 40 to 50 kilometres a day and are expected to arrive in Ottawa in May.

Petition: Demand that 'Border Security' reality show be cancelled

Brent Patterson

| April 5, 2013

In mid-March, Canada Border Services Agency officers raided construction sites in east Vancouver and detained an estimated 29 workers. That raid was filmed for the reality TV series Border Security, which is produced by Force Four Entertainment and Shaw Media.

The Vancouver Sun reported at that time, "Harsha Walia, a spokeswoman for No One is Illegal, a national not-for-profit organization that advocates for migrant justice, (said) many of those detained are in the process of getting work permits, but because they are not allowed to work while they wait, many will take jobs under the table so they can support their families."

Concerns about Skouries mine highlighted at World Social Forum

Brent Patterson

| April 5, 2013

While in Tunisia (just across the Mediterranean Sea from Greece), the Blue Planet Project met with Greek activists Maria Kanelopoulo and Theo Karyotis. They are concerned about Vancouver-based Eldorado Gold pursuing its Skouries project -- a processing plant and open pit gold mine -- near the town of Ierissos in the Halkidiki peninsula of Greece, which is set to open by 2015.

Calzavara occupies ELA site as Harper government sets to close it

Brent Patterson

| April 1, 2013

Council of Canadians organizer Mark Calzavara has set up camp with allies next to Lake 468 at the Experimental Lakes Area in northern Ontario.

The Harper government has said it will close the ELA March 31.

Calzavara says, "Right now, the ELA belongs to the people of Canada. The science is done in the public interest and the data is public. We're here representing all the people who have spoken out about the potential closure of the ELA and we are not giving up."

There has been a sustained campaign by many to keep the freshwater research facility open.

Scientists have argued that it provides research critical to the protection of freshwater for the global scientific community.

Brent Patterson

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