Must Reads from Last Week

Around the riding

Coming Events

Forests + Climate Change: Town hall Meeting, Community Dialogue

DATE/TIME: May 10, 2019; 6:30-9 pm
LOCATION: Native Sons Hall, Lower Level

Please join Sierra Club BC, the Wilderness Committee and local Comox Valley activists for an evening of presentations on the climate crisis, the state of old-growth and second-growth forests on Vancouver Island and how these two relate to each other, followed by group discussions about how we can build a just and sustainable future in the Valley and across the Island!

Climate change and decades of mismanagement of forests in and around the Comox Valley are and will continue to be major challenges into the future. How can we build interest in meaningful change on both these interconnected issues simultaneously, and with the speed required? How can we do this in a way that benefits everyone and respects the sovereignty of the First Nations in whose territories we live?

These are the questions we want to dive into.

All perspectives are welcome, and we want to issue a challenge that everyone interested taking part in this conversation: try to bring one other person who may not otherwise attend an event like this!

The Wilderness Committee and Sierra Club BC will be on the road during the first two weeks of May, documenting old-growth forests and logging, meeting with First Nations, local governments and communities up and down Vancouver Island.

Comox Valley’s first electric vehicle event

DATE/TIME: May 18, 2019; 10 am - 4 pm
LOCATION: Comox Valley Sports Centre parking lot

Come check out everything you need to know about electric transportation in the Comox Valley! Test drive an electric car or ebike, talk to EV owners, see a Tesla up close and find out about incentives for purchasing electric vehicles. Sign-ups for test drives will be first come, first serve. (Hosted by Watershed Sentinel)

And…New law makes it easier for British Columbians to buy electric cars

Consent Culture training

DATE/TIME: May 19, 10:30-5:30
LOCATION: TinTown (TBA)

From Facebook: “Would you like to learn more about how to talk to people about Consent and Consent Culture? Are you looking for tools to improve your interactions and relationships with others?

Consent culture is defined as one in which consent—and respect for individual autonomy— is considered paramount. But what would that look like? How do we go about creating a culture of individuality within the context of a nurturing community?

In this workshop we will examine:

“Rape Culture” and “Dominance Culture”
What Consent Culture would look like
Specific ways we can, both individually and collectively, work to create cultures of consent.
Examples of consensual communication and skills you can put into practice immediately

This workshop aims to dive into a deeper understanding of consent culture; explore some of the more subtle ways that current cultural norms detract from it; and collectively brainstorm how each of us can work consent into our daily lives.

PLEASE REGISTER IN ADVANCE! Payment is on a by-donation basis, suggested donation $10-$30. No one turned away for lack of funds.

Check us out at www.theconsentcrew.org”

Cowspiracy Screening

DATE/TIME: Friday, May 17, 2019 at 6 PM – 8:30 PM
LOCATION: Powell River Public Library

Cowspiracy is a powerful documentary that explores the connection between animal agriculture and environmental degradation. After the screening there will be a Q&A/discussion. Delicious plant-based snacks will be included! TICKETS ARE FREE BUT LIMITED SEATS ARE AVAILABLE!
Hosted by Meatless Monday Powell River and We are Climate Action Powell River Society

Courtenay-Alberni Green Party EDA holding 2019 AGM

DATE/TIME: June 15, 1pm - 4pm
LOCATION: Port Alberni, at the Hupacasath Hall

NIPR Greens AGM

DATE/TIME: June 22, 1-3 pm
LOCATION: Comox Community Centre, Room B

North Island Pride Festival

DATE/TIME: June 22, 11 am to 3 pm
LOCATION: Spirit Park, Campbell River

Mark your calendars and start planning your outfits. Family Friendly Free Fun for ALL in Spirit Square

& please join us in the evening for the CR Pride Party 2019 w/ Art d’Ecco | Tidemark Theatre!

Comox Valley March for Climate

“More than 300 students across the Comox Valley gathered in front of Courtenay City Hall Friday afternoon to ensure their voices were heard concerning climate change.” The article includes a video of highlights of the march. Read more.

Fires are already an issue throughout our riding

Food security: Volunteers build beds at Campbell River community garden

“The work bee marked the third “build day” of putting the community garden together by Greenways Land Trust, which came to an agreement with the city in 2017 to oversee the development and operation of the site at Charstate Park in Campbell River.” Read more. Also read Charstate Community Garden almost ready for seeds and Work begins on community garden at Campbell River park.

Comox Valley Nurses for Health and the Environment launches website

“As nurses, we want to do our part to help bring awareness, take action, and advocate for the health of people in the Comox Valley and beyond. That is why the Comox Valley Nurses for Health and the Environment (CVNHE) was created and is now launching their website, www.cvnhe.org, which contains a wealth of reader-friendly information including details on upcoming events, such as the “Move2 Electric” electric vehicle extravaganza event on May 18 from 10-4 at the Comox Valley Sports Centre.” Read more.

Single Use Plastics Regulation Bylaw

Do you want to provide feedback on Courtenay’s proposed Single Use Plastics Regulation Bylaw? The City of Courtenay is considering the bylaw, and an important part of the decision-making process is understanding the practices and preferences of both residents and businesses in Courtenay. Feedback is invited until May 17, 2019:

Online Survey for Courtenay Residents: Single Use Plastics Survey for Residents

Online Survey for Courtenay Businesses: Single Use Plastics Survey for Businesses

Provincially

BC Greens convention

DATES: June 7-9, 2019
LOCATION: Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia St, New Westminster

Google map and directions Check it out here. A preliminary schedule is available here.

Gay Pride: Anti-trans events being held on Vancouver Island

A group called Tolerance Victoria posted an item on April 26 about four trans-phobic events being put on in four locations around the Island. The first event was on April 28 in Campbell River. From Tolerance Victoria’s Facebook page:

“We just learned there is a person putting on transphobic events on Vancouver Island in 4 cities. Trans folks are a valuable part of all our communities and it’s not ok to promote hatred towards them or question whether human rights should apply to them. I am sharing the original post here for reference, but in no way do we support their message. If you have the capacity to take action, thank you.”

Venues that rented space for this event:
Campbell River: SportsPlex
Duncan: Island Savings Centre
Nanaimo: Beban Park Recreation Centre
Victoria: Oak Bay Rec: Windsor Pavillion

Sonia Furstenau’s statement on climate emergency

Listen to Sonia. “The UK is the first country to declare a climate emergency. In Canada, 27 municipalities have also declared a climate emergency…We’re not in a new normal - we’re in an altered world.”

Local Clothing Company Donates Shirt Sales to Fight Fish Farms

100% of the profits of from these shirts are donated to Watershed Watch Salmon Society.

“It’s time we take a stand against big business and the government and start putting our environment first,” Noel Fox, Hook and Vice founder, avid fly fisher. Read more.

Nationally

How did the PEI Greens win 8 seats in PEI?

This brilliant interview with Peter Bevan-Baker since the election makes it clear why PEI had this breakthrough. Peter and his party understand that this means doing politics differently from the ground up. This is what Canadians are waiting for. He also makes clear that the climate crisis was not top of mind for voters in PEI. Listen to this interview with Peter Bevan-Baker.

Why [people] just may vote Green this time

“I couldn’t stay in a party that serially broke its promises,” Merner tells Maclean’s, listing other abandoned vows, foremost being electoral reform.” Read more.

2019 Federal election guide: Where the parties stand on everything

“Most parties will release their full election platforms during the campaign itself. But they do release some of their plans in advance; we’ll publish any proposal that can reasonably be considered an election promise. We’ll stick to the four main national parties to start, but reserve the right to add other parties’ proposals.” Mostly the content is “No specific proposals yet,” but this will be something to keep an eye on. Read more.

Federal Politics: Liberal support continues to drop as left-of-centre voters search for alternatives

If you read nothing else this week, make sure you read the results of the latest Angus Reid poll which states, among other things, that “Conservative leader Andrew Scheer (40% approve, 46% disapprove, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh (34% vs 45%) and PM Justin Trudeau (28% vs 67%) all have negative net approval scores. Only Green Party leader Elizabeth May is approved of by more Canadians than disapprove of her (45% vs 34%).”

Youth: Another youthquake?

“In 2017, the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary chose “youthquake” as their word of the year. The OED defines youthquake as “significant cultural, political or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people. As we head towards a federal election this year and as the Government of Canada’s Youth Summit kicks off in Ottawa, we wanted to take a snapshot of the concerns, priorities, and opinions of the youngest cohort of the electorate and assess whether a “youthquake” is brewing in Canada. The organizations that supported this project improve the lives of young Canadians every day. They engage them. Listen to them. Empower them.” Read the report.

Housing: National Housing Strategy? Not!

From April 25, “The Current.” Very interesting.

‘Like a landlord on speed’: Documentary shows how trading homes on the stock market can increase your rent or more likely evict you.

Excerpt: “People don’t realize their home is on stock market, says UN’s special rapporteur on adequate housing. A new documentary argues that housing has become a commodity much like gold, to be bought and sold on the stock market in bulk — and that the practice is driving up rents globally. Fredrik Gertten, director of Push, says that hedge funds can snap up real estate quickly and forcefully. “They have more money than a normal landlord, so it’s kind of almost like a landlord on speed,” he told The Current’s Anna Maria Tremonti. “The result is often an owner who lives very far away from the property, he said. “You can’t knock on his door and talk to him about your problems because your landlord is now a hedge fund … somewhere [in a] totally different part of the world, maybe.” She said the business model isn’t just gentrification, but a financialization of housing, driven by an “unprecedented amount of wealth.” “This is on a totally different scale. They’re buying thousands of units at a time,” she said. It used to take 6 years to afford a home in Toronto — now it’s more than 15 “People living in these places don’t know that their landlord is technically a shareholder, and that their unit is on the Toronto Stock Exchange.” Push premiered at the Hot Docs film festival in Toronto on April 26.

Saskatoon teacher’s rendition of national anthem in Cree hits home for viewers

Saskatoon teacher, Falynn Baptiste, sings Canada’s national anthem in Cree to begin the Fred Sasakamoose hockey tournament. Baptiste’s parents spoke Cree at home and shared the language with her. Read and listen here.

2X Faster: More flooding, rapid sea level rise in Canada

This 5-minute video covers pretty much all factors contributing to and resulting from sea level rise, ocean warming and ocean acidification. But the whole article is well worth reading, and it either contains actual videos or links to videos on the issue of sea level rise.

Excerpt: “The Weather Network is rolling out a three-part series that will analyze how this report will impact each region of the country. This is the second installment of our 2X Faster series and will address how Canada’s lakes and oceans are impacted by global climate change. Canada’s lakes and oceans are important features of the nation’s unique landscape, have significant impacts on regional weather, and shape both the national and local economy.

The biggest Canadian industries including agriculture, fisheries, and tourism, all rely on the health and optimal functioning of lakes and oceans. The warming climate has already caused damaging changes to Canadian lakes and oceans, and a new study from the Canadian government warns that climate change will amplify the damages as water levels in lakes fluctuate, ocean waves and storm surges increase in size, and flooding becomes more frequent.

This article will address how Canadian lakes and oceans will change throughout the 21st century based on the findings of Canada’s Changing Climate Report (CCCR).”

Globally

Fish farms: Broad coalition applauds new bill banning industrial ocean fish farms

“A broad range of groups, including the Recirculating Farms Coalition and Friends of the Earth, applaud a new bill, the Keep Fin Fish Free Act (H.R. 2467), introduced by U.S. Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska). It places a moratorium on commercial permitting of marine fin fish aquaculture facilities in federally controlled areas of the ocean.” Read more.

Good Green news: Amsterdam to ban petrol and diesel cars and motorbikes by 2030

…but, the best news is Diesel cars older than 15 years will be barred next year Read more.

The hounding of Greta Thunberg is proof that the right has run out of ideas

“Over the past few days, something extraordinary has happened in our politics. A bunch of grown men have begun bullying a schoolgirl…She was “chilling”, declared Brendan O’Neill, editor of the hard-right website Spiked, after picking on her “monotone voice” and “look of apocalyptic dread in her eyes”. Given Thunberg’s openness about her Asperger’s, this was a dog whistle if he knew about it, but it was at best crass if he didn’t: the kid’s on the spectrum! Bringing up the rear were the bloggers at Guido Fawkes, trying to eke a three-course meal out of the morsel that Thunberg’s mum performed in the Eurovision song contest 10 years ago – cast-iron proof of “an incredibly privileged background”. This finding has been gurningly spread on social media by none other than that vomiting dustbin of opinions Toby Young. You don’t need to be much sharper than him to observe that he is the son of a baron who rang Oxford University to get his boy a place.” Read more.

How to make capitalism work for everyone

On this week’s Pitchfork Economics, guests Jay Inslee and Fadhel Kaboub join Nick Hanauer to discuss the economics of climate change. “There’s a hell of a lot more jobs in fighting it then denying it.” Take a listen.

Thought of the day:

Consumerism stifles feeling, inducing a state of glazed compliance, dulling our concern both for the living planet it assaults and for other people…it appears to render us politically inactive….Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chain stores. (George Monbiot, “Out of the Wreckage,” p. 65)

Did You Know … Week of May 4, 2019