by Pieter Vorster | Feb 19, 2020 | News and Events, Newsletters
Winter 2020 Newsletter Message from the CEO The Greens of North Island-Powell River (NIPR) Electoral District Association (EDA) Executive have been hard at work since the election. The campaign team worked incredibly hard during the election. Mark de Bruijn, as candidate, probably worked harder than anyone, but right beside him all the way was Mark Tapper, the campaign manager. The campaign had four offices: A pop-up office in Port McNeill, an office in Campbell River, one in Powell River, and another in Comox. That in itself is a phenomenal achievement. Throughout the riding, over 150 volunteers came out to help to varying degrees and in varying capacities. But the campaign is behind us and the Executive is looking forward to how to keep that momentum going. We’ve been working on strategic objectives during January, and we’re ready to take those objectives to Powell River on February 23. If you live on Texada Island or in the Powell River area and you’d like to attend, please RSVP here. Sometime in March and/or April, we hope to do the same workshop in Campbell River, Comox, and perhaps Port McNeill/Port Hardy. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting project. Megan ArdycheCEO The BC NDP are fundraising like crazy, and so there are suspicions that an election might be called before October 2021. Within the NIPR riding, the BC Greens are starting to organize. Powell River-Sunshine Coast Riding Association Annual General Meeting - Powell River Location WHEN: February 29, 3-5 pmWHERE: Powell River Public Library, Meeting Room B, Unit 100 - 6975 Alberni Street.RSVP here. Courtenay-Comox Riding Association Formation Meeting WHEN: March 1,...
by Pieter Vorster | Jan 23, 2020 | News and Events, Newsletters, Political Activity, Social Justice
Media Release January 23, 2020 For Immediate Release NIPR GREENS STAND WITH WET’SUWET’EN Hereditary Chiefs Continue to Protect Territory in Defiance of Court Decision by Tim Larsen, Powell River Members of the North Island-Powell River (NIPR) Greens are united with all Green Party of Canada (GPC) and BC Green members in support of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs in the assertion of their hereditary rights. The chiefs oppose the building of the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline, designed to move fracked gas to Kitimat in northern BC, through Wet’suwet’en territory. Paul Manly, the Green MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith who visited the camp last weekend, says this dispute is a fight for Indigenous rights and climate justice. “We know that this pipeline and the LNG project in Kitimat that it serves are a climate disaster in the making,” he said. “The hereditary chiefs not only need to be consulted, they need to be heard. I stand with these chiefs who have peacefully protested to protect their land and call on the provincial and federal governments to respect the stand they have taken.” Paul Manly on his visit in support of Wet’suwet’en land protectors Although he was in the area and visited the LNG site in Kitimat, Premier Horgan did not meet as requested by the Wet’suwet’en. Horgan is quoted in this CBC article that, “I’m not going to drop everything I’m doing to come running when someone is saying they need to speak with me…I’m not being disrespectful, I’m just saying be realistic here.” “If you’re going to have decent communication with anybody, it’s best to be looking eye to eye,” said...
by Pieter Vorster | Dec 11, 2019 | Letters to the Editor, Member Submitted Articles, News and Events
An Open Letter To Governments of B.C. and Canada Regarding the LNG Canada project, environmental damage and global warming: The B.C. Government has entered into an agreement with a consortium of oil companies to build and extract LNG (liquefied natural gas), process it, pipe it to the coast, and sell it to China. Great! Rather than addressing climate change seriously and taking a leadership role, we get sucked into a short-term monetary gain. You have sold this LNG extraction project to the citizens of B.C. and Canada as a way to fund the climate change fight. The federal government has also become complicit in this project by throwing our tax dollars at it. Both governments have promised to do more to meet climate change goals and claim to be committed to greenhouse gas reduction. Have you actually listened to yourselves? One minute you are talking about the need to do more about climate change (climate “emergencies” are being declared continuously), claiming you believe the science. You say you see what’s happening, and promise to make this fight a priority; however, the next minute you are signing deals to frack gas and build pipelines to boost the sale of dirty oil (dilbit) from Alberta. All to fuel foreign economies. The Government of B.C. website claims this LNG extraction, processing and transport will be state of the art and clean, which leads me to the following questions and comments: How will the “fugitive” gases be monitored, measured and reported? When methane is released into the atmosphere, how much will be allowed and at what point will the process be shut down? ...
by Pieter Vorster | Apr 20, 2019 | News and Events, Newsletters
Must Reads from Last Week Around the riding Comox Valley: Valley government leaders meet with students to hear climate demands Students meet with elected leaders of the Comox Valley at Mark R Isfeld School on April 15th, 2019. Photo by James Wood/98.9 The Goat/Vista Radio “Secondary students concerned about the environment met with an assembly of the Valley’s municipal leaders this afternoon. The students were part of Youth Environmental Action, comprised of students from GP Vanier, Cumberland Community School, Mark R Isfeld Secondary School, and Highland Secondary. With space provided by Isfeld on Monday afternoon, the group hosted the three mayors of Courtenay, Cumberland, and Comox, along with council members from the three communities, schoolboard member Sheila McDonnell, and Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) Area B Director Arzeena Hamir. The meeting between the students and the politicians lasted about an hour, and was guided along by Nalan Goosen, a member of the Isfeld Environment Club.” Read more. Comox Valley: Comox Councillor seeks support in addressing provincial climate emergency On Wednesday, Comox Councillor Alex Bissinger read out a notice of motion that “The Town of Comox formally recognize a climate emergency, and further that, the Town of Comox take a leadership role to work towards achieving carbon neutrality in the region by 2030. “That the Town of Comox consider all projects, procurements and decisions going forward through the lens of climate change mitigation and adaptation. That staff prepare a report to council within six months, with tangible actions, the mayor, council, and town staff can take to address this emergency. And that council seek commitment and financial support from...
by Pieter Vorster | Apr 13, 2019 | News and Events, Newsletters
Must Reads from Last Week Locally Courtenay: BC-wide March to Save our Forests On Saturday, April 6, a cold and windy day, the Comox Valley held a march as part of the BC-wide effort to highlight the fact that BC’s old-growth forests are fast disappearing everywhere. Watch this video from Courtenay. (This is a Facebook post.) Campbell River: Water “The clock is ticking to provide your comments to the Ministry of Environment re: proposed contaminated soil storage near Campbell River’s drinking water supply. See CREC’s list of concerns and supporting scientific evidence – and how to make your voice heard – here: bit.ly/2FMZBNr” Watch Sonia Furstenau in the BC Legislature on this issue. DATE/TIME: April 18, 7-9:30 pmLOCATION: Sportsplex, Room #1, Campbell River Powell River: Earth Day Powell River has LOTS of events for Earth Month. Check them out here. Mark de Bruijn, NIPR’s Green Party 2019 candidate, is going to be in attendance at the Powell River Earth Day festivities, as a guest of We are Climate Action Powell River. Mark will be there from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will be speaking from 12:45 to 1 pm. If you’re heading over to Powell River, make sure you stop by and say “Hey” to Mark! Campbell River: Earth Week Film Festival DATE/TIME: April 23, 7-9 pmLOCATION:Tidemark Theatre, 1220 Shoppers Row ,Campbell River, + Google Map Show your support for Campbell River youth and local environmental initiatives by attending this year’s Earth Week Film Festival! Admission is by donation at the door, and proceeds from the event will support a post-secondary environmental bursary for a graduating School District...
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