by Megan Ardyche | Mar 9, 2019 | News and Events, Newsletters
Must Reads from Last Week The Must Reads will not be publishing again until April 14, 2019. Locally NIPR Green Party candidate nomination meeting The nomination meeting at which Green Party members in the North Island-Powell River riding will choose their 2019 Federal election candidate is coming up! The NIPR Greens have never had more than one candidate nominee - this is history being made in 2019, folks! Everyone can attend, though only GPC members can vote. TODAY: March 10, 2019, 2-4 pmLOCATIONS: Black Creek Community Centre and Powell River Library (simultaneously). NIPR CAMPAIGN LAUNCH with Elizabeth May DATE/TIME: March 23, 2019, 3:30-5:30 pmLOCATION: Maritime Heritage Centre, 621 Island Hwy., Campbell River (map) This is the official launch of the 2019 Federal election campaign for the Greens of North Island-Powell River. Elizabeth May has been deemed the Party leader who is the most ethical. She’s also one of the most dynamic speakers. Her events are always well worth attending. Greens and Green-curious are all welcome! Provincially Herring fishery shut down on BC’s coast in 2018, so why not this year? Traditional food is created when a spruce branch is placed in a ball of spawning herring. Photo Gerry KahrmannGERRY KAHRMANN / PROVINCE The February 10 edition of the Must Reads told you that the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) was going to let the herring fishery in the Salish Sea go ahead, despite it being one of the last viable herring spawning areas. Well, on March 3, 2018, DFO shut down that fishery, citing reconciliation and First Nations’ concerns. The Heiltsuk Nation said, ““It’s the first time...
by Megan Ardyche | Mar 2, 2019 | News and Events, Newsletters
Must Reads from Last Week Locally NIPR Green Party candidate nomination meeting The nomination meeting at which Green Party members in the North Island-Powell River riding will choose their 2019 Federal election candidate is coming up! The NIPR Greens have never had more than one candidate nominee - this is history being made in 2019, folks! Everyone can attend, though only GPC members can vote. DATE/TIME: March 10, 2019, 2-4 pmLOCATIONS: Black Creek Community Centre and Powell River Library (simultaneously). Climate Law in our Hands: Courtenay Council decides to send climate accountability letter “We’re not specifically interested in signing a letter that is adversarial, and so what we’re looking to do is actually draft a letter that is more designed to create dialogue and discussion, it’s not going to be as adversarial as the one that was presented to us,” said [Mayor Bob] Wells.” Read more. Now, Courtenay Council is not bringing a lawsuit against the fossil fuel companies, but some jurisdictions are. So, lest you think this is a bit part in the play of global warming action, read this article on the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is going to bat for “Big Oil…Those suits, according to NAM, are a result of a coordinated campaign by activists “to disparage U.S. manufacturers with a focus on America’s largest energy manufacturers.” Never mind that it is the taxpayers will have to foot the bills for global warming-related climate consequences. Read more. How a town dies: Port Alice pulp mill closes Neucel Specialty Cellulose has been dormant since 2015, though had about 20 employees still working. The other day,...
by Megan Ardyche | Feb 23, 2019 | News and Events, Newsletters
Must Reads from Last Week Locally NIPR Green Party candidate nomination meeting The nomination meeting at which Green Party members in the North Island-Powell River riding will choose their 2019 Federal election candidate is coming up! The NIPR Greens have never had more than one candidate nominee - this is history being made in 2019, folks! Everyone can attend, though only GPC members can vote. DATE/TIME: March 10, 2019, 2-4 pmLOCATIONS: Black Creek Community Centre and Powell River Library (simultaneously). Climate Law in our Hands: Courtenay Council decides to send climate accountability letter “We’re not specifically interested in signing a letter that is adversarial, and so what we’re looking to do is actually draft a letter that is more designed to create dialogue and discussion, it’s not going to be as adversarial as the one that was presented to us,” said [Mayor Bob] Wells.” Read more. Kwispaa LNG pipeline It seems this project may be on hold. Read this in My Comox Valley Now and this from energeticcity.ca. “In a letter posted to the Huu-ay-aht First Nations website, the First Nation says they’ve received notification that Steelhead LNG has stopped work on the Kwispaa LNG Project.” The Huu-ay-aht Nation released an open letter to its citizens on this development. However, here’s one perspective that suggests it was never a serious project in the first place. The upcoming meeting on February 27 should be VERY interesting. LNG, Fracking, and the Comox Valley Connection DATE/TIME: Wednesday, February 27, 2019, 7-9 pmLOCATIONS: Florence Filberg Centre, Conference Hall Confirm attendance on Watershed Sentinel’s Facebook page Featuring four speakers and a question...
by Megan Ardyche | Feb 16, 2019 | News and Events, Newsletters
Must Reads from Last Week Locally Comox Valley - The last meet-and-greet with NIPR candidate nominees DATE/TIME: Wednesday, February 20, 6pmLOCATION: Room B, Comox Recreation Centre Go to NIPR’s website and read about the nominees. (On the homepage, just scroll down a bit.) Also read the article in the Powell River Peak from February 8. NIPR Green Party candidate nomination meeting The nomination meeting at which Green Party members in the North Island-Powell River riding will choose their 2019 Federal election candidate is coming up! The NIPR Greens have never had more than one candidate nominee - this is history being made in 2019, folks! Everyone can attend, though only GPC members can vote. DATE/TIME: March 10, 2019, 2-4 pmLOCATIONS: Black Creek Community Centre and Powell River Library (simultaneously). Kwispaa/Steelhead LNG pipeline: Protesters address pipeline proponents in Powell River PIPELINE PROTEST: Steelhead LNG and Huu-ay-aht representatives were at Tla’amin Nation government house for a presentation on a proposed pipeline. David Brindle photo This meeting with Steelhead was apparently meant to be only with the local Tla’amin citizens, not the broader community. The fact that more protesters than Tla’amin citizens showed up seems to have resulted in some tensions in the community. “The protestors, a group of Tla’amin citizens and people from Powell River, are opposed to the pipeline going through Tla’amin traditional territory and criticize the lack of transparency by leadership over discussions with Steelhead. “They’ve kept us in the dark,” said protestor and Tla’amin citizen Koosen Pielle. ‘I think that is where most of the outrage is coming from. How can you have been talking to these people...
by Megan Ardyche | Feb 13, 2019 | News and Events
Blair Cusack Nominee for the Green Party of Canada Candidate for NIPR Much of what I am comes from my parents. My mother was a hard working prairie farm girl who married a soldier and raised four children while moving from city to city, Canada to Europe to Canada. She was often alone for months at a time while her husband was on maneuvers hundreds or even thousands of miles away. My father lived in London during “the Blitz”, fought his war in the convoys, and chose to settle in Canada after the fighting stopped. I like to believe that my parents’ hard work, fortitude and resilience has found some expression in me. My family’s last ‘posting’ was in Calgary where I graduated with a BA in Economics (Natural Resources and Econometrics) and a BEd (Social Studies and Biochemistry). I was born in Montreal and lived in Germany, Quebec City, Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna, Revelstoke and Ottawa. I dug ditches, picked apples, worked as a deck hand, taught high school in three provinces and was a technical analyst in the Petroleum and the Hydro-electric industries. And then I fell in love with Vancouver Island! I dropped everything (except my sweetheart) and moved to the Victoria area, where I found employment at BC Systems Corporation as a programmer/analyst. Before moving to Comox a few years ago, I chaired the Juan de Fuca Economic Development Commission, co-chaired my community land use committee and was president of my community association. Whether leading small groups on the West Coast Trail, or curling for British Columbia at national competitions, my focus has been upon building...
by Megan Ardyche | Feb 13, 2019 | News and Events
Mark de Bruijn Nominee for the Green Party of Canada Candidate for NIPR Much of my passion for the natural world and it’s wonders comes from leaving my urbanized European homeland at the age of 3, and moving to a country with nothing but wilderness everywhere. My father was smitten by it, and our family spent countless weekends and summers exploring the wilds, from our home in the Calgary foothills to the California Sierras. I grew up hiking, canoeing, trail riding and rock climbing my summers away in the glorious Rockies, much of it as a counsellor with a YMCA wilderness camp near Banff. Upon graduating from the University of Calgary with a 1st class honours B.Sc. in zoology, I worked as a fish biologist in the Arctic on Canada’s first major environmental assessment for a pipeline destined to bring Alaskan natural gas to Edmonton. Our work ultimately contributed to the Canadian government’s decision to decline the development application – the huge pipe was never built. Gradually I discovered my real interest lay in helping others appreciate and treasure the wonders of nature. I became a college biology instructor at Mount Royal College in Calgary. Later I completed the training to teach high school chemistry, biology and math, including a stint as school principal. As economics, interests and lifestyles changed, I gathered an eclectic range of skills working as general contractor, sporting goods buyer, healing program coordinator, and employability teacher and coach. But always I returned to education and the natural world as my primary passion. Along the way I discovered an interest in exploring the potential of creative...
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