Site C: Unfortunately 4 Billion Dollars already committed by Liberals was too much to ignore

525 posts / 0 new

Tue, 2016-06-21 16:57

epaulo13

‘No Need for Site C’: Review Panel Chair Speaks Out Against Dam in New Video

A new video released today by DeSmog Canada features an exclusive video interview with Harry Swain, chair of the federal-provincial panel tasked with reviewing the controversial Site C dam.

“I think we’re making a big mistake, a very expensive one,” Swain says in the video. “Of the $9 billion it will cost, at least $7 billion will never be returned. You and I as rate payers will end up paying $7 billion bucks for something we get nothing for.”

Since 2005, domestic demand for electricity in B.C. has been essentially flat, making it difficult to justify the dam which will flood 107 kilometres of the Peace River and destroy thousands of hectares of prime agricultural land.

“There is no need for Site C,” Swain says. “If there was a need, we could meet it with a variety of other renewable and smaller scale sources.”

Tue, 2016-06-21 21:31

#303

iyraste1313

the un is already involved in the project. there is no magic bullet and i believe first nations know best how to proceed....

...wish that were true! But their failure to use their international rights is a major error, perhaps catastrophic for them!

The UN is not involved in the active process of `consultation and consent` which is what is needed here!
The project would be stopped tomorrow, if the Treaty 8 Peoples along with all Indigenous in Canada utilized theuir international rights.

Why they won`t I do not understand"
I have proposed this solution to them....and some are intrigued! But they won`t try it...not yet anyway!

A ruling against the Canadian Governments would be a serious slap in the face...which if followed through could lead to serious consequences for Canada, internationally ansd especially in tyhe Americas!

Wed, 2016-06-22 08:16

#304

epaulo13

..seems to me you have a story to tell iyraste and i hope you decide to share it.

..what is it exactly that you proposed and to whom? what was the response? can you provide links as to the un `consultation and consent` process and it's successes to such a project as site c?

..as oppossed to:

rueben george of the tsleil-waututh nation

"First Nations have won 170 legal cases around resource extraction, that’s a 97 per cent victory rate. It’s pretty clear to me that we have veto power over this company."

Wed, 2016-06-22 10:49

#305

iyraste1313

Confidentiality of course makes it difficult, but I suggest you read first the Conventions, 169 and the recent one on Indigenous rights...

The Tribunals that have extensive jurisprudence on the nature of `consultation and consent` and `popular consultation` include the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights and of course the ILO, the UN body responsible for indigenopus matters....

But my knowlege comes primarily from direct experience with the effectiveness of the popular consultation process, now ongoing in a number of territories here in Maya America. The recent shutdowns of mass mining projects stems directly from this consultation process...

Once a process is engaged and determined by an Indigenous People in Canada, the next step would be to incite an international movement to force Canada and its courts to recognize the process and judicial determinations. And if this is not forthcoming? Then International legal actions must be contemplated! Canada as a rogue country would be blacklisted and sanctioned!

Wed, 2016-06-22 23:06

#306

epaulo13

iyraste

..i know i didn't make it clear but i wasn't looking for names. and with all due respect, if your going to make statements like that below you should back that up with actual info. treaty 8 nations also have direct experiences that goes back a lot farther than yours i might add.

why the Treaty 8 People are shooting themselves in the foot, is beyond me

edit for grammer

Sun, 2016-06-26 11:32

#307

epaulo13

Montreal court date set for First Nations' Site C legal challenge

A federal court judge will hear an appeal from two First Nations impacted by the Site C dam in Montreal this September.

After months of waiting for a trial date, the West Moberly and Prophet River First Nations will appear in federal court Sept. 14.

The Treaty 8 nations are appealing a federal judge's decision on the project's impact on constitutionally-protected rights to hunt, fish and trap. The challenge was dismissed by a judge in Vancouver last year.

According to a notice of civil claim BC Hydro filed against protesters blocking Site C construction earlier this year, the court found the Crown corporation's consultation of Treaty 8 First Nations "was in good faith and extensive."

West Moberly Chief Roland Willson disagreed, saying his nation was challenging what it saw as "a failure on (the government's) part" to uphold treaty rights.

"When they're making a decision of this magnitude—it's the largest project in B.C. history, and there are already two existing dams that have previously infringed (on) the treaty—they should have had no other choice than to have (a justification for Treaty infringement)," he said. He said the the Montreal court date was the earliest available....

Sun, 2016-06-26 15:01

#308

kropotkin1951

So why is this case being heard in Montreal, over 4,000 kms away from the Peace River area. The cost of getting lawyers and others across the country seems to be a big ticket item.

Sun, 2016-06-26 18:03

#309

quizzical

i'd trust QC judges before bC ones anyway

Mon, 2016-06-27 07:29

#310

epaulo13

edit

..what quizzical said below

Mon, 2016-06-27 15:20

#311

kropotkin1951

quizzical wrote:

i'd trust QC judges before bC ones anyway

Most of the current aboriginal law wins from Sparrow on down have been BC cases so I am not sure why you think that. Now the provincial courts whose judges are appointed by the BC Liberals are a different matter.

Mon, 2016-06-27 15:24

#312

kropotkin1951

Here is a good article on the f'ing dam project. Short term jobs for a few and then long term pain for us all. The poll cited highlights how push polls can get right wing governments the facade of public support.

Quote:

It is like entering into a 70-year contract for a flip phone at exactly the wrong time. In fact, would you sign any high cost 70-year deal for your hand-held device when prices are dropping?

The project will do fundamental damage to BC Hydro, and resulting high rates mean the Crown corporation will lose customers. Once the cost of new supply drops below the cost of Site C power, BC Hydro ratepayers and B.C. taxpayers could be stuck with a job-killing white elephant.

As part of its spin efforts, BC Hydro recently commissioned a poll on Site C by Abacus Data. It asked "Is the idea of building Site C, a new hydroelectric dam, to help meet the rising demand for electricity in B.C., an idea you support?" Almost half -- 49 per cent -- said yes, and 25 per cent said no.

The key words here are "rising demand for electricity."

What if BC Hydro was asking the true questions facing British Columbians: "Would you support building Site C at a loss to export power, subsidizing B.C.'s competitors and leaving BC Hydro ratepayers with large domestic rate increases? Would you support Site C if it cost jobs? Would the agricultural land lost to Site C development be worth it then?"

But Premier Clark and BC Hydro didn't ask those questions in their polling, and they're not telling the truth about the real cost of Site C to the people of B.C. It's a cost even higher today than the last time Site C was rejected in the 1980s.

http://rabble.ca/babble/western-provinces/site-c-lets-get-it-and-build-i...

Mon, 2016-06-27 19:21

#313

epaulo13

kropotkin1951 wrote:

quizzical wrote:

i'd trust QC judges before bC ones anyway

Most of the current aboriginal law wins from Sparrow on down have been BC cases so I am not sure why you think that. Now the provincial courts whose judges are appointed by the BC Liberals are a different matter.

txs krop

..maybe in que because when it comes to hydro it's different. i really don't know for sure though.

quote:

So far, the courts have come down on the side of BC Hydro. Peace Valley Landowner Association (PVLA) President Ken Boon said there are four remaining legal challenges against the controversial $8.8 billion project, including the PVLA's appeal of a lawsuit dismissed by a B.C. Supreme Court judge in July 2015. West Moberly and Prophet River are plaintiffs in the other three legal challenges, while West Moberly has also filed an injunction against federal water permits on the project.

Mon, 2016-06-27 20:06

#314

kropotkin1951

I wish I had faith that the court will uphold a substantive First Nations right to say no but I doubt that will come to pass no matter where the courtroom is in Canada.

Mon, 2016-06-27 20:25

#315

epaulo13

..yes i agree with your doubts. no one is sure how this will go. and some of the past decisions have been pretty good. the northern gateway one was pretty good. where the province has to consult and can't pass it off to the neb was good i thought. and that came down just a short while ago.

Mon, 2016-06-27 21:15

#316

kropotkin1951

So far all they have to do is consult no court has given a First Nation an outright veto over projects on their territory.

Like the The World Turned Upside Down (Diggers Song) says; "they make the laws to chain us well." Aboriginal people are replaying Saint Georges Hill and I am afraid they will be treated no better than English peasants who thought the commons were their birthright.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCXnol8NGbg

Mon, 2016-06-27 23:33

#317

epaulo13

..yes again i agree with you. but none the less it's interesting. how the clarke gov is handling the ruling is first acceptance. next they changed the legislation to accomodate a bc enviromental report and those processes are in motion. and this will be at worst okaying the northern gateway or kinder morgan, because the decision has also been accepted as applying to kinder morgan. but that won't be easy with all eyes and pressure on them. the other part, the consultation part has not yet begun. the gov is still trying to work this out. what the process will be. and in a time when the fed gov just signed on to undrip this also will be the center of attention on many levels. it will be far from a cake walk. or so i believe. that alone may trigger more legal action.

..sorry about all the edits

Tue, 2016-06-28 20:50

#318

epaulo13

Under Liberal govt, BC is drowning in hidden debt

quote:

Hydro drowning in private power debt

One of the fiscal catastrophes of this government is BC Hydro, which now owes $76 billion due to their pork barrelling policies in giving the making of power to their friends, Independent Power Producers (or IPPs) in the private sector, on a highly contemptible and scarcely subtle sweetheart deal. Below is the record in graphic form of what the Campbell/Clark government has forced BC Hydro to pay IPPs, their high donating supporters, for private power (in 2016 dollars).

In 2015 – get this now – BC Hydro paid these generous donors to the Liberal Party, $672 million more than market value for their power! As you pay your higher hydro rates, remember the money is going to these bastards! This money is owed by you, hence by the government, yet it doesn’t show up in their budget! Poof, it’s gonzo!

This is like you taking your mortgage payments or your bank loan or car loan out of your own personal budget and patting yourself on the back for great fiscal acumen.

quote:

Not a pretty picture

The fact is the government is a fiscal mess. Its largest asset, BC Hydro, is technically bankrupt, facing an $9+ billion bill for Site C. The Liberals have a dismal record in their Health Ministry and a worse one in Children and Families, an Education Ministry in disarray, a disgraceful history of neglect of the mentally ill and on the sad saga goes.

I’m afraid to tell my friends, if any, on the Liberal party side that they have no argument and, in my barrister days, I would have been delighted to take a jury trial against them as defendants.

But that’s not the end of the matter. They have also turned out to be a corrupt government from top to bottom, starting with the premier. Her airline expenses are totally unacceptable. The fact she uses, at your expense, a permanent television cameraman for her photo-ops tells the story when you think about it. Her method of selling herself to the highest bidder in collecting money for the Liberal party is outrageous and invites insidious comparisons, scarcely respectful of her office.

LNG takes the cake

God knows I could go on but I close by reminding everyone of the ongoing LNG fiasco. Warned by the experts years ago there would be no market, this spinner of fanciful tales has piled on one empty promise after another. She’s 0 for 22 in the LNG plants promised, has ignored all environmental concerns, used patently biased Environmental Assessment processes, not even bothered with one when she didn’t feel like it, made a firm deal with a jungle-burning, tax-evading bully-boy owner of Woodfibre LNG proposed for Squamish, and continues her fanciful, First Class, tax paid sales junkets to non-existing markets and, in spite of even worsening market conditions, plans even more.

Sun, 2016-07-03 16:47

#319

NorthReport

Government Manipulating Hydro Finances, Says Former Civil Servant

Richard McCandless calls on regulator to publicly probe Crown corp's books.

http://thetyee.ca/News/2016/06/15/Government-Manipulating-BC-Hydro-Finan...

Sun, 2016-07-10 14:52

#320

epaulo13

Q&A: Dr. Harry Swain, former Site C panel chair becomes outspoken opponent

Dr. Harry Swain knows more than most about the Site C dam.

With a Ph.D. in economic geography and 22 years of federal civil service under his belt, Swain spent two years as chair of the federal-provincial joint review panel tasked with evaluating the environmental, economic, and First Nations impacts of the largest public works project in B.C.’s history.

Part of the job included reading through upwards of 24,000 pages of submissions from BC Hydro and other interveners.

But two years after the panel concluded and issued its report and recommendations to government, Swain has become an increasingly outspoken critic of the $8.8-billion dam.

“I've gotten an education on these issues at great public expense,” Swain said in a recent interview. “So I figure that the people that paid for it should get what they paid for.”

It's not clear whether there is precedent for the chair of a review panel later criticizing the project publicly.

Still, Swain believes British Columbia does not, and will not in the foreseeable future, need the new energy Site C is expected to produce. If it does, he argues there are cheaper, less invasive sources of power that should be used instead of a new hydroelectric dam....

Wed, 2016-07-20 08:19

#321

epaulo13

..this from an email i received. i'm posting it not for the purpose of soliciting funds but to show the support those opposing site c in the peace river valley are receiving.

quote:

This is a river valley that teems with life. As we floated along we saw beavers, eagles and deer. We also witnessed incredibly committed people taking a courageous stand in a community that has been deeply divided by this project. Farm folk, city folk, First Nations and people from all walks of life joined hands to support one another in stopping a project that would be a disaster for our common future.

“Only a small fraction of land has been cleared and the earth is so resilient that it has already begun to heal itself. It is not too late to stop this dam. It can and will be stopped. I seen it there at the Rocky Mountain Fort in the dirt, amongst the bodies of elderly trees, I seen it, I felt it, I heard it. They tried to bury us, and they did not know that we were seeds. We are still here.” — Helen Knott, Treaty 8 member

Along with those, like Helen, who bore witness to the power of the Peace River, thousands more people were there in spirit. Over 20,000 people have now signed LeadNow's petition (http://www.leadnow.ca/stop-site-c/) . It calls on the federal government not to sign any permits for the dam until the court challenge that RAVEN is fundraising for can be heard. We've raised over $25k in the past month, bringing our total up to $260,000. The donations are still rolling in: our goal is to hit $300k by the end of the summer.

Businesses around BC stepped up to show their support, holding fundraising events and donating portions of proceeds for this strategic legal action. A huge shout out to:

• Cartems Donuterie $500
• Uprising Breads Bakery $1200
• Talaysay Tours $400
• Vancouver's Unitarian Fellowship $350
• Earnest Ice Cream $2000
• The Soap Dispensary $530

Warm thanks also to Cold Comfort Ice Cream, Ocean and Crow Yoga, Mason Street Farm, Persephone Brewing and Yogacara Whistler for helping make #GrabaPaddle a lot of fun.

At the same time as we were floating down the Peace River, the Sechelt First Nations held a solidarity paddle and salmon BBQ. Paddlers also hit the water in Nelson, BC and on Saanich Inlet. And the "Fight-C" march and flotilla in Vancouver was covered by CBC and Global News!

Sat, 2016-07-30 12:57

#322

epaulo13

Trudeau’s strange non-battle with fossil fuels (and Site C rubber stamp)

I am writing today about the Trudeau government’s increasingly bizarre policy on fossil fuels, which essentially amounts wanting to have its cake and eat it too. But first, I must note that the same can be said for the government’s dealings with First Nations and myriad environmental issues surrounding Site C Dam – as yesterday’s quiet approval by DFO of key permits for the project shows. Treaty 8 First Nations are going to federal court in September to challenge a lack of consultation regarding a project with massive implications for their territory and rights.

Aboriginal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has publicly acknowledged this project would violate treaty rights, while the Trudeau government made a big deal recently about backing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. And yet, where the rubber meets the road, we have the swift, closed-door approval to damage important fish habitat, with no meaningful consultation of First Nations and local landowners. What are we doing in this day and age destroying any fish habitat at all? Moreover, the latest research shows that big dams are actually destructive to the climate, not “green” or “clean”. It’s getting harder and harder to square Justin’s campaign promises with his actions in government....

Sat, 2016-07-30 13:58

#323

NorthReport

So how far along is this Site C project?

Sun, 2016-07-31 13:47

#324

epaulo13

Trudeau Just Broke His Promise to Canada's First Nations

Justin Trudeau’s government has quietly issued its first batch of permits for the Site C dam — allowing construction to move forward on the $8.8 billion BC Hydro project despite ongoing legal challenges by two First Nations.

The federal-provincial review panel’s report on Site C found the 1,100 megawatt dam will result in significant and irreversible adverse impacts on Treaty 8 First Nations.

Caleb Behn, who is from West Moberly First Nation, one of the nations taking the federal government to court, says Trudeau has broken his promise.

“It’s 19th century technology being permitted with 19th century thinking and I expected more from the Trudeau government,” he said. “These permits were our last best hope to resolve this.”

“These permits suggest very strongly that, at least these ministries, if not Trudeau’s entire cabinet, are unwilling to engage in reconciliation with indigenous peoples. I thought this country could be more.”

Charlie Angus, MP for Timmins-James Bay and NDP critic for Indigenous and Northern Affairs, echoed those sentiments....

Tue, 2016-08-09 18:44

#325

kropotkin1951

Quote:

In May, Canada received praise for throwing support behind the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and committing to implement it in accordance with the nation’s constitution.

At the time the Prophet River and West Moberly First Nations, which have demanded the Site C dam be stopped, said they doubted the sincerity of the federal government on the UNDRIP commitment.

Benjamin said the government’s actions on Site C have proven to be the opposite of what they promised in May, and he worries that is a sign of things to come in how Trudeau’s Liberals will work with Indigenous peoples.

http://thetyee.ca/News/2016/08/09/Site-C-Human-Rights-Concern/

Trudeau signed off on this before heading to the West Coast to take part in photo-ops. We get photos of his bare chest, ala Putin, and the First Nations get mooned.

Tue, 2016-08-09 18:47

#326

kropotkin1951

Here is a great analysis by a woman who talked the talk but who is now not walking the walk. She is a two faced sycophant for the white oligarchy and a disgrace to her ancestors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q0A3acDCZg

Thu, 2016-08-25 18:46

#327

epaulo13

Construction of giant dam in Canada prompts human rights outcry

Human rights campaigners are calling on Canadian authorities to halt construction of a huge hydroelectric dam in western Canada over concerns that the mega-project tramples on the rights of indigenous peoples in the area.

A global campaign launched by Amnesty International on Tuesday called on the federal government and the provincial government of British Columbia to withdraw all permits and approvals for the Site C hydroelectric dam, a C$9bn project that will see more than 5,000 hectares (12,350 acres) of land – roughly equivalent to about 5,000 rugby fields – flooded in north-east British Columbia.

quote:

His community is one of three First Nations that have challenged Site C in court, arguing that the project fails to consider their established rights to the land. “They do not have free, prior and informed consent from us at all. We’ve made that very clear from the beginning,” he said. “We never had the opportunity to talk about any kind of alternatives.”

He pointed to the two reservoirs that currently exist along the Peace river, where Site C is being built. “What’s left remaining is the last stretch of river that we have in our territory,” he said. “We’ve never said no to the production of energy. We’ve said: ‘Let’s protect the valley.’ It’s the last piece of our backyard that’s relatively untouched.”

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the federal department behind the recent approvals for Site C, said the approvals were granted after “extensive First Nations consultations”.

Fri, 2016-08-26 15:00

#328

mark_alfred

Quote:
Trudeau signed off on this before heading to the West Coast to take part in photo-ops. We get photos of his bare chest, ala Putin, and the First Nations get mooned.

That's true. The media are not doing their job. The Trudeau government signed the deal on a long weekend in early August. No photos of that happening. A week or two later he is apologizing to a First Nation in Manitoba for a forced relocation in the past. Lots of photos of this event. When will CBC news do their job?

Fri, 2016-08-26 15:05

#329

mark_alfred

The Current has interviews with Caleb Behn and former Liberal leader Bob Rae on Site C regarding how Trudeau is betraying his commitment to First Nations.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-august-24-2016-1.3733...

Thu, 2016-09-01 19:25

#330

NorthReport

This project is a wrap by now, isn't it?

Mon, 2016-09-05 09:17

#331

epaulo13

..no northreport it is not!

Treaty 8 Justice for the Peace Caravan

On September 5th 2016, we are starting our journey to Montreal to attend the Federal Appeal case of West Moberly FN and Prophet River FN regarding Site C and it's infringement on our Treaty Rights. We will be launching this journey from the Peace River Valley, a place full of medicines, burial sites, plants, animals, land important cultural and heritage sites. The Site C dam threatens to flood 83 kms of Valley which will have a severe impact on our Treaty Rights, Rights not only guaranteed to us under the Treaty signed by our Ancestors but ones that are protected under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights on Indigenous Peoples.

The Court Case is on September 12th and we will be making various stops along the way to talk with people about Site C to raise awareness about why we think it is important to make the journey across Canada to be visible in a court room. The rights that mega projects, such as Site C, continue to violate belong to people that have faces, we have stories that belong to the land, we have cultural practices that we want to pass on to our children, we harvest and hunt from the land, and we are saying NO.

If you want, you can donate to help the journey happen via the link below but we are also looking to build connections to meet with communities to host us along the way and for places to rest our head in:
*Edmonton: September 5th
*Saskatoon: September 6th
*Winnipeg: September 7/8th
Thunder Bay: September 9th
Sault Ste. Marie: September 10th
* Montreal: September 11&12
*Ottawa: September 13th
Further Dates TBA and subject to change.

There are already TWO dams on the Peace River, which has made it unsafe for fish consumption that passes one every two months. It was found that after Site C, fish would be unsafe for consumption for the next two to three decades due to high methylmercury levels. Prayers are also requested, for not only the healing of our waters, but the continued healing of the waters across Turtle Island and the world. Keep those prayers strong Brothers and Sisters! All my Relations.

Mon, 2016-09-05 09:22

#332

epaulo13

Join us to launch the Treaty 8 Justice for the Peace Caravan! The group of Treaty First Nations and their supporters will be starting their journey from the Peace River Valley (BC) to Montreal (QC), to attend the Federal Appeal Court Case by West Moberly First Nations (WMFNs) and Prophet River First Nation (PRFN) from the Treaty 8 Territory.

***Location: Ken & Arlene Boon's residence at Bear Flat in the Peace River Valley, B.C.
When headed west on hwy. 29 (going towards Hudsons Hope) take the drive-way to the right (entrace sign reads "Site C Sucks"). This drive-way is before Cache Creek bridge and the Bear Flat's market garden.

Schedule of Events:
Welcome/Opening Remarks
Speakers:
WMFNs/PRFN Representatives
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip
MP Romeo Saganash
Caravan Rep.
Ken & Arlene Boon
More TBA!
MC: Craig Benjamin, Amnesty International

Mon, 2016-09-05 09:31

#333

epaulo13

Mon, 2016-09-05 10:32

#334

iyraste1313

not just violence against indigenous peoples, violence against international law...if the September 15 federal Court hearing rules in favour of the government, then too the Court is complicit in violence....which calls for international solidarity actions and demands that the Government of Canada be held accountable before the UN!
Interesting Trudeau`s plan to join the AIIB the new Asian Development Bank....perhaps their request must be denied for their gross violations?

Tue, 2016-09-06 12:13

#335

epaulo13

B.C. poets support Treaty 8 First Nations in battle against Site C hydro dam

Vancouver’s poetry community came together Aug. 28 at Cafe Deux Soleils in support of B.C.’s Treaty 8 First Nation‚ which is at risk of losing more land along the Peace River Valley to a new hydro dam slated for 2024. The $8.8-billion Site C dam proposed by B.C. Hydro would be the third in the region‚ with two others – W.A.C. Bennett and Peace Canyon – already occupying 80 per cent of the valley. The project was granted permits from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Transport Canada in July.

quote:

“It’s upsetting to see B.C. Hydro’s branding use language calling this a clean energy project. It’s not clean when you measure the greenhouse gases from flooding the area, because we need forests… it’s an area that actually needs to be expanded, not contracted‚” Wong says. “As a poet and somebody who works with words, I’m just offended by that abuse of language. You have to hold the language accountable for what’s actually happening on the ground for the people and the animals.”

Wed, 2016-09-07 11:28

#336

epaulo13

Site C battle splashes in Edmonton

The construction of BC Hydro’s Site C Dam cleared a major hurdle this summer after approval of some permits by Ottawa.

Treaty 8 members from B.C. and Alberta, however, are continuing their opposition to the massive project they say will damage their water supply.

Now a group whose goal is to protect water in Canada has joined the fight.

Sat, 2016-09-10 17:42

#337

epaulo13

Justice for the Peace sets off to Montreal

video

Tue, 2016-09-13 20:09

#338

kropotkin1951

Another day another Liberal indigenous leader breaks ranks because Liberals always lie through their teeth to get elected.

Quote:

An indigenous member of the federal Liberal caucus is breaking ranks with his colleagues on B.C.'s controversial Site C project, saying he is not convinced that two First Nations were properly consulted about the multibillion-dollar hydroelectric project.

Robert-Falcon Ouellette, MP for Winnipeg Centre, said Tuesday he still has questions about a July decision by the Fisheries and Oceans Department authorizing construction of the dam on the Peace River.

Ouellette said he plans to raise the issue with Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc when Parliament resumes next week.

"I'm hoping I will ... find some reasoning behind this decision and why it was made," he said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"I'm not convinced that, after having spoken with some of the people who were travelling across the country, that they have been consulted and talked to and I'm not sure even that we meet the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples."

Ouellette's comments come after British Columbia First Nations leaders and activists condemned the federal government's approach to the Site C dam project during a Tuesday rally on Parliament Hill.

http://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/09/13/news/indigenous-liberal-mp-br...

Tue, 2016-09-13 20:17

#339

iyraste1313

Thanks for this! The project must be stopped!

Tue, 2016-09-13 22:03

#340

NorthReport

Why, as it's a hydro dam, with water being a renewable resource. Isn't that what we want to help slow down global warming. BC is very fortunate with the mountains and the rivers required to be able to build such projects. How many hydro dams will that make in BC once Site C is completed? And yes of course First Nations need to be consulted.

Tue, 2016-09-13 23:21

#341

kropotkin1951

We need agricultural land. The absurdity of flooding this farmland for power is mind boggling. Not to mention the fact that for additional power needs we need to go to renewables that are close to where we need the power not in the Peace country where the only customers will be the fracking LNG industry.

Put the construction workers to work building things that make sense not Site C. This is public money being flushed down the drain when we could be spending it on good projects.

Wed, 2016-09-14 22:30

#342

NorthReport

I think there is an invention called transmission lines.

BCers love their hydro dams - look how many we have.

How incredibly fortunate we are.

List of generating stations in British Columbia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generating_stations_in_British_Col...

Wed, 2016-09-14 22:36

#343

NorthReport

Since 1980 BC's population has increased by close to 2 million, and we are now closing in on 5 million residents.

With these kinds of population increases surely there must be a huge demand for increased energy consumption.

Maybe some of the stats being thrown around here and there, leave quite a lot to be desired.

http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Demography/PopulationEs...

Thu, 2016-09-15 23:42

#344

NorthReport

Justin Trudeau's Site C headache just got worse after Assembly of First Nations jumps into the fray

http://www.straight.com/news/783121/justin-trudeaus-site-c-headache-just...

Thu, 2016-09-15 23:44

#345

NorthReport

Court dismisses landowners' appeal to reverse Site C approval

"Construction of Site C started in July 2015. The project is on track for schedule, scope and budget. Once complete in 2024, it will be a source of clean, renewable and affordable power for more than 100 years."

http://www.alaskahighwaynews.ca/regional-news/site-c/court-dismisses-lan...

Sun, 2016-09-18 21:53

#346

kropotkin1951

Here is a good fact sheet on power demand in BC.

Mon, 2016-09-19 15:00

#347

epaulo13

Writings from the Caravan: Strength in Solidarity

Today we attended the Federal Court Appeal in Montreal and I would have to say it was a turning point for me on this trip. The journey here has been full of my own grief and the potential reality of loss but today in the court room I felt the hope expand inside of me and reignite my passion to move forward all over again.

I noticed this shift when I did an interview with a local Montreal station and said firmly, “This dam can be stopped, should be stopped, and it WILL be stopped”.

I don’t think I’ve ever, for all my time spent in this struggle, said it so firmly and believed in it. I have always been living in the shadows cast by Site C since its approval in 2014. Today that changed and I can feel that something will happen, and I don’t know in what format that justice will be served, but I know that we will keep our river flowing.

quote:

Right now we are in Kanasatake, a Mohawk community that has opened the doors of one of their schools for us to sleep in and fed us a solid meal. Chief Simon Serge from this community spoke at the rally opening this morning in front of the Federal Court steps. His words were strongly rooted in solidarity and he talked about the upcoming Treaty Alliance. On September 22nd it will come into being and the Nations that sign onto this landmark agreement will stand together. When one stands up against a project, all stand up against a project. It is not just words to him but solidarity is present in his actions. He was waiting in the parking lot to show us in when we arrived in his community over 10 hours later. It’s how he drove elders from our caravan around his community and is still figuring things out to ease logistics on our end at 9 o clock at night. It’s these actions that melt my heart and show me that we truly are never alone and that we have brothers and sisters across the country willing to make things happen and stand in solidarity.

Mon, 2016-09-26 13:47

#348

epaulo13

UN monitoring mission eyes Site C dam impact of Wood Buffalo National Park

A United Nations monitoring mission to a world heritage site in northern Alberta appears likely to focus more attention on the contested Site C hydroelectric project next door in British Columbia.

Wood Buffalo National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1983, is under review this week at the request of the Mikisew Cree First Nation, which petitioned the world body in 2014 to list the park as being under threat from various developments.

The park is at the convergence of the Peace and Athabaska rivers and is considered the largest freshwater boreal delta on the planet.

Conservationists and local First Nations are concerned about how two existing hydro dams on the Peace River are affecting the hydrology of the park — a problem they say will be compounded by B.C.'s massive Site C dam that's going ahead on the Peace River.

"We're looking for them to list it as endangered so Canada can really take a more proactive means in managing those impacts and activities," Melody Lepine, the director of government and industry relations for the Mikisew First Nation, said Sunday in an interview after arriving with the review group in Fort Smith, N.W.T....

Thu, 2016-09-29 15:11

#349

epaulo13

..from an email

Honestly, we didn’t think we’d come so far, so fast.

Thanks to you we’ve raised over $300,000 dollars for Treaty 8’s strategic legal challenge to Site-C! We didn’t reckon on so many passionate people jumping in with fundraisers, donations, and great events. It all added up to one long hot summer: you held paddles, salmon BBQs, concerts, beach parties and even did a bit of standup paddle board yoga. So many creative and thoughtful actions, from so many parts of the country, that brought people together to protect the Peace River and stand in solidarity with First Nations to honour the treaty we are all a part of.

On behalf of West Moberly and Prophet River First Nations, we’re deeply grateful to you for taking this campaign this far.

September has been a big month. Together with Treaty 8 leadership, the Justice for the Peace caravan travelled all the way to the Federal Court of Appeal. The celebratory mood was fed by the knowledge that Treaty 8 had support from people like you as they faced formidable opponents in court. The caravan was a huge success: people from Edmonton to Oka stood in unity with Treaty 8 members at rallies, feasts, and town halls. Hear stories from the Indigenous Youth, see photos and read some of the fantastic media coverage of the Justice for the Peace caravan here: nosite-c.com

Tue, 2016-10-11 21:25

#350

NorthReport

Not too shabby!

Review gives Site C clean bill of health, but warns of slides, geotechnical issues

'Unforeseen problems have arisen, and will continue to arise, requiring innovative engineering responses to contain cost increases'—E&Y

http://www.dawsoncreekmirror.ca/regional-news/site-c/review-gives-site-c...

Fri, 2016-10-14 09:17

#351

epaulo13

..about 17 min

PODCAST: Indigenous caravan takes Site C dam battle to Federal Court

In this conversation, poet and social worker Helen Knott of Prophet River First Nation expands on her recent opinion piece for Ricochet, explaining the grassroots opposition to the proposed Site C dam and what the court’s ruling could mean for treaty rights in Canada.

Site C: Unfortunately 4 Billion Dollars already committed by Liberals was too much to ignore

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