Press release from the Friends of Bute Inlet:

AVICC Demands Sustainable Energy Planning Process and Supports Moratorium on River Diversion Approvals  

Nanaimo: More than 400 people gathered outside the Nanaimo Conference Centre on Saturday afternoon to support local government politicians meeting inside at the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) annual conference. While delegates to the convention deliberated the proliferation of river diversion hydroelectric projects throughout the coast, citizens attending the Rally for Rivers demanded best environmental practices and democratic process. Local governments have had no official say in land use planning for energy projects since 2003 when the provincial government unilaterally enacted Bill 30, the legislation that strips local government of its land use jurisdiction over these projects

The rally was a visual, musical and vocal display of the intense feelings people share about free flowing rivers, as well as a demand to participate in the decisions about BC’s water resources. Speakers addressed energy consumption and stressed conservation imperatives. They demanded environmental assessments for every river project and called for a halt to private projects that are generating less-than-green energy for profit and export, instead of serving the needs of British Columbia.

Rally organizer Lannie Keller pointed to the diversity of people in the crowd noting, “We are citizens from every walk of life and every island community. We want conservation initiatives, we want local participation in developing BC’s renewable energy resources -- and we don’t like what’s happening to BC rivers!” She went on to say, “We support our local elected representatives’ challenge to the government’s top-down corporate agenda.”

Article by  Neil Judson in the Squamish Chief: IPP talk empowers residents. Includes picture of Rafe and Joe Foy. Quote from Rafe Mair: "I couldn’t look my grandchildren in the eyes and say I voted for Gordon Campbell. I’m not voting against free enterprise, I’m voting against fascism."

Story by Larry Pynn in the Vancouver Sun: Power producer seeks to tunnel under wilderness park 

Excerpts: "Jako Krushnisky, president of Delta-based Northwest Cascade Power Ltd., confirmed in an interview his company is proposing a two-foot-wide transmission bore hole that would link a planned major run-of-river power project in the upper Pitt River to the BC Hydro grid near Squamish. Pinecone Burke Provincial Park lies south of Garibaldi Provincial Park, west of Pitt Lake and the Pitt River, and extends south to include Burke Mountain in Coquitlam.

"Krushnisky said the underground transmission line is 'an option we're exploring . . . an option all agencies are aware of. It's to keep the project's options open and available. At this stage, it's very preliminary.'"

"Dan Gerak, owner of Pitt River Lodge, said he cannot believe that after all the protests and the minister's decision, the project is still fighting for another chance.

"'These power projects on our salmon streams are the last nail in the coffin for our fish,' he said."

Article by Rafe Mair in The Tyee: Spare Us from Gullible Gord

Excerpt: "When the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District voted eight to one against the Ashlu River private power zoning request, the autocratic Campbell government passed Bill 30, thus retroactively voiding the district decision while at the same time taking away the rights of all regional districts, villages, towns and cities to zone for similar enterprises.

"Moreover, B.C. doesn't need the power. The National Energy Board, which deals with energy export, tells us that we've been net exporters of energy for 8 of the last 11 years.)

"This is all madness, you may well be thinking. No leader can be so stupid! Yes, one can be."

Article by Travis Lupick in the Georgia Straight: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slams B.C.'s run-of-river "gold rush" 

Excerpt: "The ongoing scramble to set up independent power projects on British Columbia’s rivers is 'anarchy', Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told an audience in Whistler yesterday (March 4).

"'It is a gold-rush mentality with people rushing, not only to build the projects, but to connect them to the main power grid with long power lines and do tremendous amounts of logging and the disruption of ecosystems,' the environmental activist and author charged."

Letter to the editor of the Campbell River Courier-Islander from E. Ivanisko: Giving away our power and water to foreigners is simply not smart

Excerpt: "Do some research on NAFTA and you will discover that once these American corporations "rent" our rivers and tributary streams they can't be "evicted" without mega-lawsuits (NAFTA regs). The fees and taxes they're supposed to pay (notice the corporate blackmail technique going on right now by Catalyst to avoid their taxes to our city - try not paying your taxes and see what happens) are a joke compared to the revenue the sale of power to the USA will bring. Projects of this scope (Homathco/Southgate-Plutonic and Klinaklini - Kleana Power Corp) would not be allowed in Washington, Oregon or California and that is where the power will go. Do you think the Klahoose are being paid more than 1% of Plutonic's profits? I don't mean to minimize the impact that this pittance (and it is a pittance from Plutonic/General Electrics' perspective) has for the Klahoose because it appears it will have lasting benefits. It just seems to be a garage-sale price for the use of their ancestral territory of the Toba River watershed."

Article by Tom Adams in the National Post: Ontario's green energy plan: Interference goes green

Excerpt: "Last week, the Ontario government introduced the Green Energy Act in an effort to promote renewable electricity production and conservation. If passed, this legislation will destroy the foundations of effective public utility regulation in Ontario. Energy and Infrastructure Minister George Smitherman’s misguided action will also inflict lasting harm to the reputation of the green energy cause. It also, almost as an aside, grants unusually extreme search-and-seizure powers to state inspectors searching for illegal appliances and other breaches of the law."

Article by Colleen Kimmett in The Tyee: Map Scopes Region's Power Future

Excerpt: "The provincial government has scoped out nine regions for large-scale wind and hydro development in British Columbia, part of an international plan to build and export renewable electricity across western North America.

"It's called the Western Renewable Energy Zones (WREZ) initiative, and while in the early stages yet, experts say this plan could have significant implications for renewable energy development in B.C.

"WREZ was launched in March 2008 by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Western Governors' Association. Eleven U.S. states, parts of Mexico, British Columbia and Alberta are participating."

An important article by Andrew MacLeod in The Tyee: Campbell Wants to Repeal Waterways Access Law

Excerpts:

"As it happens, the B.C. government had the name of the federal act wrong, leaving out the word 'protection' from the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

"The act's primary purpose is protecting people's right of access to rivers, lakes and any body of water it is possible to travel by boat or ship, an environmental lawyer explained. By helping protect waterways, the act has the side benefit of keeping them in their natural state."

"... Reporters, curious about why the provincial government dislikes the act, got little help from Campbell during a scrum in his office.

"'Let's put this in context for you,' said Campbell responding to a question from CKNW's Sean Leslie. 'That act was passed in 1882. I would suggest that the world has changed dramatically in the 21st century from what it was like in 1882.'"

Article by Neal Hall in the Victoria Times-Colonist: First nations win court fight over major B.C. power projects

Excerpt: "The B.C. Court of Appeal has issued two major rulings upholding the rights of first nations to be consulted by the government, which will affect two major projects in B.C.

"In one case, the court has struck down a license required to build a massive new hydro transmission line from Merritt to Coquitlam because native Indians were not consulted.

"In the other case, the court ruled there was 'massive' infringement of the right of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council to be consulted in the Kemano Power Project and later expansion near Kitimat that involves B.C. Hydro buying electricity from the Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. aluminum smelter."