Gary Holman Saanich North and the Islands
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Every Second Strait of Georgia Thursday & Online ‘24/7’ at islandtides.com Uniting The Salish Sea ~ From Coast To Coast to Coast Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Nº 40020421 Volume 21 Number 7 April 9-April 22, 2009 $1 at Selected Retailers Tide tables 2 Saturna 3 Letters 4 What’s on? 5 Bulletin board 11 Five years to protect Great Bear Rainforest The BC government has acted on the promise made three years ago to protect one-third of BC’s globally unique Great Bear Rainforest and develop the foundations for a conservation-based economy in the region. The BC government’s March 31 announcement is greatly welcomed, say ForestEthics, Greenpeace and Sierra Club BC, the three leading environmental groups that have worked with the BC government, First Nations and industry leaders to ensure the promise would be kept. The conservation model demonstrates tremendous ecological and economic gains for the region and a Photo: Henny Schnare, www.henny.ca long-term commitment to ensure the Grandparents and grandchildren gather beneath the Grandmother Tree at Bluffs Park, Galiano Island, see article page 5. health of the rainforest and communities, say the NGOs. ‘ A vision born from environmental Infrastructure projects Gag law upset in court ~ Patrick Brown and economic necessity is becoming a without environmental The BC government’s ‘gag law’, which limited before a campaign period and ending at the end reality on Canada’s west coast,’ said advertising by ‘third parties’ in the 60 day of the campaign period, of an advertising Stephanie Goodwin of Greenpeace. ‘It’s period prior to the 28 day ‘election period’ has message that promotes or opposes, directly or a conservation model that other parts of assessment The federal government has announced that many been struck down by the BC Supreme Court. A indirectly, a registered political party or the the world can look to, a model that request by the government to suspend election of a candidate, including an advertising shows how protection of ecological infrastructure projects funded under the Building Canada Plan will be exempted from federal application of the ruling until after the May 12 message that takes a position on an issue with values and human well-being can be environmental assessment (EA) requirements. election was also refused by the Court. which a registered political party or candidate is advanced without undermining each Changes being made to Environmental Assessment The government is still considering whether associated, but does not include: other,’ she adds.’ Act regulations will allow the Minister of the it will appeal the ruling against the ‘gag law’, but (a) the publication without charge of news, Major milestones achieved are that Environment to ‘streamline’ the EA process by in the meantime appealed the refusal of the an editorial, an interview, a column, a letter, a five million acres—an area half the size substituting the provincial process for the federal one, suspension. That appeal was heard on Friday, debate, a speech or a commentary in a bona of Switzerland—are legally protected provided that the provincial process meets federal April 3. The government was unsuccessful, fide periodical publication or a radio or from logging and $120 million is criteria for factors considered and public participation. however, as Appeal Court Justice Peter Lowry television program; available to First Nation communities to The exempted projects include certain solid waste, upheld the lower court refusal, denying the (b) the distribution of a book, or the help kick-start a new conservation wastewater, and water facilities as well as public government its desired suspension. promotion of the sale of a book, for no less than economy as an alternative to logging transit, railways, highways, and bridges. For projects As a result, ‘third parties,’ a classification its commercial value, if the book was planned throughout the rainforest. located near federally-protected environmentally which includes associations, unions, to be made available to the public regardless of A new system of ‘lighter touch’ sensitive areas, only those with total costs of less than individuals, and in fact anyone who is not a whether there was to be an election; logging, based on Ecosystem-based $10 million, and with environmental mitigation political party, are free to advertise without (c) the transmission of a document directly Management (EBM), has also been measures in place, will be exempted. However, restriction until the start of the ‘election period’, by a person or a group to their members, legislated. This system maintains 50% provincial, municipal, and federal laws and approvals on April 14. employees or shareholders; or of the natural level of old growth forest will still be required. Bill 42, the Election Amendment Act, 2008, (d) the transmission by an individual, on a in the region. This translates to an The government describes an EA as an assessment an amendment to BC’s Election Act and known non-commercial basis on the internet, or by additional 1.7 million acres of forest set of the potential adverse environmental effects of a as the ‘gag law,’ restricted advertising, defined telephone or text messaging, of his or her aside from logging. project and identification of measures to eliminate or as: personal political views.’ All parties involved agree that ‘…the transmission to the public by any mitigate those effects. GAG LAW, please turn to page 3 transitioning from a resource-based The projects chosen for exemption are said to have means, during the period beginning 60 days economy to a conservation-based ‘insignificant’ environmental effects, or those with economy will require more time. environmental benefits. It is estimated that ‘as many as Environmental groups, along with 2,000’ infrastructure projects over two years will be Minor ferry routes: summer fares canned the BC government, industry and First exempted—a 90% reduction in projects under the BC Ferries has eliminated the peak season fares Seasonal pricing was originally introduced Nations, have endorsed a five-year plan ‘communities component’ of the Plan, as well as some on minor routes. Except for the Tsawwassen— some years ago, ostensibly to encourage people that will see the long-term goals of low larger projects. The new exemptions have a ‘sunset’ Gulf Islands run, all other minor route fares will to travel in the off-season. Most passengers said ecological risk and high quality of life in date of March 31, 2011. be the same year-round. they didn’t have a choice as to when they communities achieved by 2014. The new regulations refer to ‘the current global ‘This step,’ said the announcement, ‘has traveled. To meet this goal, annual reports will economic climate,’ indicating that the changes are been taken to help simplify the tariff.’ This may BC Ferries have been encouraging travelers assess progress. The five-year plan particularly aimed at speeding approvals (which will be interpreted to indicate that even BC Ferries’ to use their Experience Card, which gives them includes: milestones for reaching 70% still be required) for ‘stimulus’ projects, but a federal mighty computers can’t keep track of the fares any discounts available, provided they pay in old-growth, maintained over time, from EA will not be compulsory where projects ‘pose any more. advance. The discount they get, BC Ferries 50%; ongoing science-based minimal adverse environmental effects.’ The federal Not that it means that summer fares will be advise, is greater than travelers would get on a collaborative planning; and Minister of the Environment will retain the power to reduced: ‘In moving to a year-round fare, peak group fare, so group fares have been eliminated development of a reserve network order an EA for any particular project. and off-peak rates were blended to calculate the on all minor routes except for outside of the protected areas. The changes are said to draw on past experience 7.25% price cap increase.’ The mathematical Tsawwassen–Gulf Islands, where there were ‘The Great Bear Rainforest is now with EAs of projects in the transportation, definition of ‘blended’ is not given. The fares no discounts anyway. one of the most protected forest regions infrastructure, and communities areas. Normally, such went up again on April 1, slightly softened by FERRIES, please turn to page 10 GREAT BEAR, please turn to page 2 projects require EAs if there is any federal funding. 0 the continuation of a small fuel cost rebate. is available at these SERIOUS COFFEE locations — look for the ‘Island Tides’ yellow boxes or racks inside! Sidney—Beacon Avenue Mill Bay—Island Highway @ Frayne Rd Parksville—Heritage Centre Mall Nanaimo—Across from the Hospital South Duncan—Sun Valley Mall Courtenay—Southgate Centre, Cliffe Ave Nanaimo—Hammond Bay Rd Duncan—Cowichan Commons Mall Port Alberni—Shoppers Drugmart Plaza, 10th Ave Nanaimo—South Parkway Plaza good reading, great coffee — it’s time to get SERIOUS! Campbell River—Island Highway near Larwood Rd Page 2, ISLAND TIDES, Apr 9, 2009 STV - The Pros And Cons ~ Patrick Brown I think any version of a single transferable vote is better than what we have at present—the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system, The Method of Counting Votes because it ensures that successful candidates have a majority of The BC-STV procedure is designed to ‘make every vote count’. the votes behind them. But the proposed version is far from It is not perfect. It considers the first choices of all voters. simple. Depending on the number of candidates and the vote split, it It starts with twenty STV regional electoral areas, each with a considers subsequent choices for many of the voters. number of MLAs proportional to their population—roughly one (1) Determine the quota of votes necessary to get elected.