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Jane Guarnaschelli Bruton Lunch Buffet Hair Stylist Dinner Buffet The Point Fully licensed • Take out on Hampshire (Athlone Court) FREE delivery after 4:30pm in Oak Bay Village 250.588.7562 90 Gorge Rd W • 250-385-5564 2 December 2013 • FOCUS contents STERLING & GASCOIGNE December 2013 VOL. 26 NO. 3 Certified General Accountants 4 OH, CANADA editor’s letter 4 Rob Ford’s antics aren’t the only—or even the worst—thing wrecking our country’s reputation. readers’ views 6 Leslie Campbell comment 10 10 NO MEANS NO LNG development, heavy-oil pipelines from Alberta and tankers on the coast talk of the town 12–29 mean unacceptable damage to our democracy and the environment. Caitlyn Vernon culture talks 30 12 TOUGH QUESTIONS FOR RICHARD ATWELL the arts in december 32 The leading activist opposed to the CRD’s sewage treatment plan explains why he thinks there’s still hope for a better plan. palette 44 Stephen Andrew coastlines 48 18 THE $25 MILLION STOP SIGN City officials ignored three red lights as they drove Sebastien Ricard’s dreamy design focus 50 into a solid concrete wall. David Broadland urbanities 58 Kim Sterling, FCGA, and Alison Gascoigne, CGA COHEN IGNORED 20 natural relations 60 Experienced • Knowledgeable • Approachable Justice Bruce Cohen demanded urgent government action to save wild salmon. Instead, the situation has deteriorated. Katherine Palmer Gordon finding balance 62 Accounting and Income Tax for Individuals and Small Businesses 22 CRUISE SHIP COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS Do the intuitive benefits of 500,000 tourists evaporate on careful inspection? NEW ADDRESS Simon Nattrass 307 – 1625 Oak Bay Avenue 25 ROLLING THE DICE ON THE SALISH SEA New US studies show a near doubling of risk if Kinder Morgan proceeds 250-480-0558 and tens of billions in economic loss if a major spill occurs. www.sg-cga.ca Judith Lavoie 27 CANADA’S SERENGETI What’s at risk from proposed oil tanker traffic NATURE’S GIFTS through the waters of BC’s Great Bear Rainforest? Alison Watt FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON Aromatic flavourful teas 30 ART AND DECOLONIZATION High quality essential oils Indigenous artists are taking back land, culture and identity. Top quality herbs and tintures for health Chris Creighton-Kelly Soaps & body care products Books, incense and other gifts 44 CAITLIN’S PILGRIMAGE In her life and her art, Caitlin Ambery journeys toward greater connection. Aaren Madden 48 REFLECTIONS ON THE INSIDE Stephen Reid offers insights into addiction and remorse, as well as the justice system and prison life. Amy Reiswig ON THE COVER 50 AN OVERABUNDANCE OF CAUTION “Whale Song” by Caitlin We’re worried about each other’s “mental health” a lot more than we used to be. Ambery, 48 x 36 inches, But calling 911 for someone can be a disastrous approach, acrylic on canvas. See story say victims of our good—or not so good—intentions. on page 44. Rob Wipond 58 PARADOXICAL PATHS TO SOMEWHERE Can Victoria move forward into the past and leave the past behind, all at the same time? Maybe. Gene Miller 60 THE CONSEQUENCES OF RISKY BEHAVIOUR Clearcuts, deer invasions, cougar sightings, and climate change. Briony Penn Celebrating 37 years 62 A MOMENT OF PEACE Christmas can bring out the best in us. Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic 3 editor’s letter Oh, Canada LESLIE CAMPBELL Rob Ford’s antics aren’t the only—or even the worst—thing wrecking our country’s reputation. n November, a draft of an Intergovernmental publicly congratulates others [Australia] on Panel on Climate Change report about the moving backward and dodging their responsi- Iconsequences of climate change was leaked. bility on climate change while people are dying It couldn’t paint a bleaker picture: It describes from climate impacts.” how global warming is already affecting the Finally, another report that came out in world—with starvation, poverty, flooding, heat November, by the Center for Global Development, waves, droughts, war and disease, and predicts ranked Canada dead last of 27 counties on envi- all these things worsening, along with a global ronmental protection, saying: “the United States drop in income, infrastructure failures due to and Canada are the only CDI [Commitment extreme weather, drought leading to farmers to Development Index] countries that are not going broke and food insecurity, ecosystem fail- party to the Kyoto Protocol, the most serious ures, and more violence. Of the latter, it states: international effort yet to deal with climate “Climate change indirectly increases risks from change. That gap, along with high greenhouse violent conflict in the form of civil war, inter- gas emissions and low gas taxes, puts Canada at group violence and violent protests by exacerbating the bottom.” well-established drivers of these conflicts such Yikes. I’m old enough to recall when Canada as poverty and economic shocks.” was seen as a good global citizen. And where is Canada on the climate change front? Well, somehow this brings to mind that IT’S SOME RELIEF TO KNOW THAT MOST image of Rob Ford’s council turning their backs Canadians themselves dislike the direction we’ve on him—shunning him. More and more, Canada’s WE ARE ACTUALLY HATED, been going: Fifty-nine percent of Canadians inaction on the climate change file is earning us “we’re just held in contempt.” think addressing climate change should be a top a reputation as a nation in denial, refusing to priority, with 76 percent in favour of Canada take responsibility for the harm we are causing —Elizabeth May signing on to a new international agreement to others now and in the future. limit greenhouse gas emissions, according to a This past month, Environment Canada announced we would not new poll by Canada 2020 and the University of Montreal. In terms meet even our pathetically unambitious 2020 targets for cutting emis- of priorities for the government, “protect the environment” came in sions. Contrast that with a country like Norway, also a large producer at 8 out of 10—slightly above “strengthen the economy and jobs.” In of oil and natural gas, which is on track to reduce carbon emissions by terms of performance, the Harper government was given only a 40 30 percent below its 1990 levels. percent grade on environmental protection. A new European report ranked Canada 55 out of 58 countries in Fortunately, many Canadian scientists, activists, citizens and even terms of its environmental record. We beat only Iran, Kazakhstan and some politicians are working hard to turn the climate ship around. Saudi Arabia. These Climate Change Performance Index rankings were We certainly have a true climate warrior in Saanich-Gulf Islands based on emissions (60 percent), policy (20 percent), renewable energy MP Elizabeth May of the Green Party. (On November 19, she was (10 percent) and efficiency (10 percent). “Canada still shows no inten- also named Canada’s Hardest Working MP of 2013 by Maclean’s tions to move forward on climate policy and thereby leave its place and L’Actualité.) as the worst performer of all western countries,” the report stated. As I write, she’s in Warsaw for the UN climate talks. Her presence Relevant to BC in light of Christy Clark’s plans for LNG, it also noted: there indicates a passion for doing the right thing that will help those “Recent studies suggest that if all emissions are included, and not only on the international front understand that “the Harper government” emissions from combustion, shale gas has no climate protection advan- does not fully represent Canadians. tage over coal. This, however, is not reflected in the CCPI due to lack May had hoped to be part of the Canadian delegation, but, unlike of data.” Canada’s ranking will therefore likely sink right to the bottom governments before his, Harper chose to send only his Minister of in years to come. Environment Leona Aglukkaq to represent parliament. At the November Warsaw climate summit (COP19), scientists warned May obtained accreditation for the summit from the global Greens, that current policies and pledges would deliver global warming of but that only afforded her limited access as an observer. After she arrived 3.7 degrees celsius—and perhaps worse. During the conference, Canada in Warsaw in mid-November, though, Afghanistan invited her to help was presented with a special award, the “Fossil of Disbelief.” Organizers out their delegation as an advisor. These national government creden- stated: “Canada’s rejection of carbon pricing in favour of an ineffec- tials, she explained “will allow me to be in every room where negotiations tive regulatory approach has been demonstrated to be the wrong take place.” way to actually get emissions down—with the government’s own esti- That same day, May also pinned on one of the small red fabric circles mate putting their projected 2020 emissions 20 percent above their worn by delegates to signify their fasting in solidarity with Yeb Sano, Copenhagen target.