OP/ED: Déjà vu at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference
Over 1,000 delegates from 189 municipalities and districts across B.C. are gathering this week in Victoria for the annual conference of the Union of B.C. Municipalities. And for many of them the recent appointment of Bill Bennett as Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development may very well seem like déjà vu. Bennett...
COMMENT: It's time for MLAs to take their seats in Victoria
IntegrityBC launched an online petition on Sunday calling on the B.C. government to reconsider its decision not to recall the legislature next month. IntegrityBC noted that Ontario's MPPs are already back in session. In October, they'll be joined by MLAs in Alberta and Saskatchewan. In November, MLAs in Newfoundland and...
COMMENT: Tar sands? No tanks!
I live on a sailboat. My “backyard” is Georgia and Johnstone Straits. And, yes, I am a NIMBY. To anyone who wants to transport Alberta’s tar sands oil through BC’s pristine wilderness to load onto tankers, I say: Not In My Backyard. We all know what the dire environmental consequences will be if several hundred oil tankers ...
$28.5 million for two schools in Central Okanagan
Government is investing more than $28.5 million for the new Mar Jok Elementary in West Kelowna and the expansion of Okanagan Mission Secondary in Kelowna. The new Mar Jok Elementary will help address district enrolment growth by creating space for 460 students in kindergarten to Grade 6. The new school is part of a joint...
COMMENT: CETA trade deal and Jumbo resort proposal
Ever since the BC Liberal government surprised residents of BC’s Kootenays with its March 20, 2012 approval for the controversial Jumbo Glacier Resort, people have been asking: Why now? After all, the Jumbo Resort proposal has been around since 1989 and has been successfully opposed by local people for more than twenty years....
Distinguished 12 honoured by BC government
Twelve distinguished British Columbians were honoured recently for their dedicated service to the province as they received the 2012 Order of B.C. during an investiture ceremony at Government House. “The Order of B.C. is the Province’s way of acknowledging the tireless work recipients devote every day to the people of British...
OP/ED: Sick, stupid and sterile
In September 1962 – 50 years ago this month – a book was published which changed the way we looked at the post-World War Two chemical revolution. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring – a clarion call about the perils of pesticides – is largely credited with launching the modern day environmental movement. Soon after its publication,...
Premier Clark delivers new look cabinet
Premier Christy Clark today renewed her cabinet with a focus on a strong and growing economy, controlling spending and making life more affordable for families. "Our government is delivering for British Columbians. This new cabinet brings a renewed commitment to our priorities," said Premier Clark. "That means staying focused...
Comment: Lousy pay, little respect, measly or no benefits or pension? Fight back: UNIONIZE!
Workers have always had to fight. From the time of the industrial revolution right up until today, the people who make the capitalist system work--those who do the work that produces the goods and those who are the consumers who buy them--have had to fight for a fair share of the profits. Capitalism works best when the people...
OP/ED: A B.C.government for the people…not at the expense of the people
Today I couldn’t help but wonder…at what point in a politician’s life does spewing hypocritical crap become so second nature that they fail to smell the aroma of the barnyard they’re sitting in? It was a mere two weeks ago when the story broke of excessive and frivolous spending in government, not only by the premier, but by...