Column: Negligently endangering our children
Most people try to keep their children and grandchildren safe and wouldn’t knowingly put them at risk. Maybe that’s why some ignore or deny the climate crisis. It’s easier than admitting that, by our actions, we’re condemning those we love to an increasingly uncertain future. A new UNICEF report and “Children’s Climate Risk...
Column: Profound legal implications of recent IPCC report
We recently wrote that the new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment report contained little we didn’t already know. It has profound legal implications, though — which could offer hope to youth climate litigants, marginalized communities suffering disproportionately from impacts and even island nations threatened...
OP/ED: MLA speaks to new COVID-19 safety measures
Dear Friends, Neighbours and Community Members, British Columbia has one of the highest rates of vaccination in Canada. Over 83% of people age 12 and older in B.C. have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and over 75% have received two doses. This is encouraging progress. Each person who gets vaccinated makes...
Editorial: When is ‘development’ just . . . logging? And is that OK, or not?
Background: A local property owner and businessman applied to Rossland City Council at its previous meeting, for Development Permits to allow “development” of four properties – by cutting timber on them. Despite Rossland’s Tree Retention Bylaw, and despite provisions in the Red Mountain Development Permit Area to prevent...
From The Hill — Past the engagement process on climate action
For too long, Canada has dragged its feet on the urgent need to battle climate change, a hesitancy largely caused by concerns over the economy and jobs. It is now clear that we not only must take bold steps in this battle, but we can do this while creating good jobs and putting Canada at the forefront of the global clean...
LETTER: Resurgence of Covid-19 cases in Castlegar
Dear friends, We join in your excitement as we start to feel that our lives are normal again. It has been so wonderful to hug friends, see family, host a party and watch sports in person. But we are writing to caution you that COVID-19 is not gone. Wherever vaccination rates are lower we are seeing a resurgence of COVID-19 ...
Column: Oil and climate change
It’s easy to think we’re beyond denial over the climate crisis, now that even oil industry executives are talking about taking it seriously. But, as with many politicians, what industry leaders say publicly often belies what they’re doing behind the scenes. An investigation by Greenpeace project Unearthed has drawn the...
Column: Blueberry River First Nations court case victory and what it means
A recent momentous court victory for Blueberry River First Nations could put Canada on track to realizing key Truth and Reconciliation Commission “calls to action.” Two of those are for government to “fully adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the framework for reconciliation”...
New report: BC employment impacts of COVID-19: highly unequal for gender and race
Some job creation can be expected when BC moves to the next stage of reopening the economy in July, but labour market data show that in order to have an inclusive recovery significant inequities must be addressed, a new report released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC Office warns. In fact, the deeply...
From The Hill — Richard Cannings
On Saturday I took part in the send-off ceremonies in Penticton for the Syilx Caravan for the Children that went to Kamloops to grieve for the 215 children who were found in unmarked graves on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. A good crowd had gathered, ...
