Open Letter to Catherine McKenna re BC Ferries

by | Jul 27, 2020 | Environment, Member Submitted Articles, News and Events

Opportunities for a green infrastructure investment in BC Ferries The Honourable Catherine McKenna Minister of Infrastructure and Communities  January 27, 2020  Dear Ms. McKenna:  Re: Opportunities for a green infrastructure investment in BC Ferries.  I have read your Prime Minister’s Mandate Letter of December 13, 2019. I noted with interest that the letter contains the request that “your focus must be on the successful, timely delivery of our growth-generating investments in public transit, green infrastructure…” I am writing you to suggest an investment in that would pay great returns in our country’s attack on climate change.  BC Ferries is a company contracted by our Provincial Government to provide ferry service to coastal communities. Operating 25 routes with 47 terminals, BC Ferries has embarked on a program to reduce the environmental impact of its fleet. The newest four ships to be added will be diesel-electrics that are capable of being totally electric powered. At this time shore power to charge these vessels has not yet been built. Once these facilities have been built, they will take advantage of our Province’s ample renewable hydro-electric generated power.  An investment by our government in shore power facilities would be within your mandate. Historically the federal government has invested in transit facilities and equipment including electric transit buses. BC Ferries is an important part of passenger transit in our coastal communities as transit-ferry connections are being developed in their system. Historically BC Ferries has concentrated on moving motor vehicles, not people. A shift to more passenger traffic facilitated by transit connections will increase the efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of intercity travel.  An...

Name-that-Trail Contest

by | Jul 18, 2016 | Environment, News and Events, Political Activity

Name that Trail! The North Island - Powell River Greens have adopted a trail in the Beaver Lodge Forest Lands in Campbell River. You can submit your idea for the yet unnamed trail (see the red arrow pointing to the new trail in the map below). Email your fantastic trail name ideas to: northislandgreens@gmail.com for a chance to win a  prize from the Green Party.  ...

“Living Green”: An interview with Susan Holvenstot

by | May 28, 2016 | Environment, News and Events, Newsletters, Political Activity, Social Justice

Susan Holvenstot, Green Party supporter  As part of a series of “Living Green” interviews with local Green Party supporters, I had the pleasure of interviewing Comox Valley resident Susan Holvenstot. Susan spent a month this past winter visiting indigenous occupation camps in Northwestern B.C., to prevent the use of these unceded lands for LNG and tarsand oil exports. In her answers below, you will find out how she demonstrated her Green Party values to become an ally of indigenous efforts to stop pipelines and tankers on our coast.   Q. Susan, thanks for taking the time to participate in this interview.  I heard you had a pretty interesting winter. What were you up to? A. I went to two different places in Northwest B.C., Unist’ot’en, near Houston and Lelu Island, next to Prince Rupert, where First Nations people are reclaiming their land. They are building and living in permanent camps in the line of proposed pipelines. I went to visit these two locations and help run the camps for a month during the winter. Q. What are the communities hoping to accomplish with these camps? A. Northern B.C. is awash with industrial development, much of which we aren’t even aware of in other parts of B.C. and Canada. There are dozens of proposals for pipelines and natural gas infrastructure all across Northwestern B.C.. Some of the pipelines are for tar sands oil, but others are for new infrastructure for Liquid Fracked Gas. The First Nations people are at the front lines of stopping this from happening. They have unceded ownership of the land, and are constructing and living in...

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