9, 2012 $2 at Selected Retailers Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Nº 40020421

Gulf Islands Every Second Thursday & Online ‘24/7’ at Connecting the Islands of the Salish Sea Archipelago for 23 years islandtides.com Volume 24 Number 3 February 9, 2012 $2 at Selected Retailers Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Nº 40020421 Photo: Torsten Hranchuk Keeping a watch out for herring. A Great Blue Heron, with unique reddish plumage, hunkers down in the winter wind. It is unclear whether the colour variation is caused by environmental or genetic factors. Funding available for Trust Policy review Ferry Commissioner rejects he Islands Trust has been offered up to $250,000 under three main goals: environmental protection, resource BC’s Coastal Ferry Act from Canada’s Gas Tax Fund to undertake a public stewardship and sustainable communities. Bylaws adopted review of its Policy Statement, a document which by local trust committees and island municipalities must be principles ~ Patrick Brown Tlays the foundation for all the principles, decisions and consistent with the Policy Statement. policies for preserving and protecting the unique amenities ‘Since the Policy Statement was adopted, communities ‘We can find no other examples where the primary and environment of the Islands Trust Area. have changed, new issues and challenges have emerged and responsibility of the regulator is to put the interests of a Linda Adams, Chief Administrative Officer commented a review of the Policy Statement is overdue,’ said Sheila monopoly operator before those of the public.’ that the Islands Trust is delighted with the offer and Trust Malcolmson, Chair of the Islands Trust Council. ‘The This key sentence is buried deep within the BC Ferry Council will decide at its next quarterly meeting whether to previous Trust Council applied for the funding to help with Commission’s report on the Coastal Ferry Act, but its proceed with the review project. ‘This would be a substantial the high cost of going to every Local Trust Area to hear from meaning is unmistakable: the regulatory principles set out undertaking requiring significant commitment from today’s islanders about what it means to ‘preserve and in the government’s legislation are unworkable. trustees, staff and islanders. The process would involve protect’. We knew when we applied for the funding that it Commissioner Gordon Macatee an d Deputy extensive community consultation and is expected to take was up to the new Trust Council to decide whether to Commissioner Sheldon Stoilen, in their 87-page report up to three years to complete.’ proceed.’ presented to Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Adams added that staff will present a range of costs and Canada s Gas Tax Fund supports a range of local Blair Lekstrom on January 24, have stated clearly that the ways of doing the review for Trust Council’s consideration infrastructure’ priorities, including projects that help Act’s ‘price cap’ fare-setting procedure has led to a ‘tipping at its March 6-8 meeting on Gabriola Island, in concert with communities develop Integrated Community Sustainability point’ where increasing ferry fares have reduced traffic, its deliberations on the 2012-2013 budget. Plans. The Islands Trust is among 22 local and regional damaged the communities served, and can no longer The Policy Statement was adopted in 1994 and there governments in British Columbia awarded Gas Tax funding sustain the corporation. 0 have been few changes since then. It spells out policies for strategic planning projects. The terms of reference of the ‘Review of the Coastal Ferry Act’, mandated by last year’s Bill 14, were to review the Act March Trust Council meeting on Gabriola Island ‘as it relates to the regulation of ferry operators’. Bill 14 had slands Trust Council will hold its next quarterly Trust Council invites members of the public to the stated objective of seeking to balance the interests of business meeting March 6-8 at the Haven on Gabriola participate in a town hall session at 11am on Wednesday, ferry users with the financial sustainability of BC Ferries Island. Trust Council Sessions will include: a Riparian March 7. A formal delegation to Council on topics relevant Services Inc (BCFS), the operator created by the Coastal IAreas Regulation presentation from the Ministry of Forests, to the Islands Trust’s work needs an appointment through Ferry Act. Lands and Natural Resource Operations, and discussion of the Islands Trust office prior to the meeting. The application FERRY REVIEW, please turn to page 2 the 2012-2013 budget. deadline for delegations is February 16. 0 is at these SERIOUS COFFEE locations — look for the ‘Island Tides’ yellow boxes outside or racks inside! Sidney—Beacon Avenue Nanaimo—VI Conference Centre Parksville—Heritage Centre Mall South Duncan—Sun Valley Mall Nanaimo—Crnr Island Hwy @ Hammond Bay Rd Courtenay—Southgate Centre, Cliffe Avenue Duncan—Cowichan Commons Mall Nanaimo—South Parkway Plaza Port Alberni—Shoppers Drugmart Plaza, 10th Ave Mill Bay—Island Highway @ Frayne Rd Nanaimo—Hammond Bay Rd CO-OP Campbell River—Willow Point Village Page 2, ISLAND TIDES, February 9, 2012 Commentary by Maude Barlow and Paul Moist Failing to safeguard resource shows AT POINT ATKINSON FEBRUARY private firms our water is on offer Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. uropean trade negotiators were in Ottawa the first Trade rules will complicate water sector regulation and make 0620 15.1 4.6 0204 13.5 4.1 week in February to continue talks with their returning privatized water systems to public hands 1205 9.2 2.8 0634 11.8 3.6 WE8 1719 13.8 4.2 16TH 1118 13.8 4.2 Canadian counterparts toward a Comprehensive prohibitively expensive. 2359 3.3 1.0 1913 3.3 1.0 EconomicE and Trade Agreement (CETA). According to Fail To Protect Water, And Pay Twice 0645 15.4 4.7 0311 14.1 4.3 most accounts, the negotiations are winding down with This is not a theoretical discussion. We can look to Argentina 1247 7.9 2.4 0807 11.5 3.5 TH9 1813 13.5 4.1 17FR 1231 13.5 4.1 differences in only a few areas. for examples of investor protection at work. In response to 2016 3.3 1.0 One area where Canada and the EU differ—but not Argentine attempts to control the cost of private water 0036 4.3 1.3 0401 14.4 4.4 necessarily disagree—is on how water services should be concessions, Suez, Agbar, and other European water 0713 15.7 4.8 0915 11.2 3.4 10FR 1332 6.9 2.1 18SA 1348 13.1 4.0 treated. Where European member states want CETA to companies are claiming $1.2 billion in damages under 1910 13.1 4.0 2112 3.0 0.9 protect their policy when it comes to water, Canada is bilateral investment treaties. 0115 5.6 1.7 0440 14.8 4.5 seeking no such protection. It’s a case of European private In August 2007, the International Center for the 0743 15.7 4.8 1006 10.5 3.2 ICSID 11SA 1419 5.9 1.8 19SU 1457 13.5 4.1 water giants having their cake and eating it too. Settlement of Investment Disputes ( ) ruled in favour of 2014 12.8 3.9 2201 3.0 0.9 In Davos at the World Economic Forum last month, a Veolia subsidiary, Compañía de Aguas del Aconquija, in another private water-related dispute, awarding the firm 0157 6.9 2.1 0512 14.8 4.5 Prime Minister Harper repeated his desire to have a deal 0815 15.7 4.8 1049 9.5 2.9 $105 million in damages. 12SU 1510 4.9 1.5 20MO 1555 13.5 4.1 in place by the end of the year. On January 25, Canada’s 2128 12.5 3.8 2243 3.3 1.0 So, governments pay twice under trade deals in which services and investment offers at CETA negotiations were 0244 8.5 2.6 0540 14.8 4.5 water is not excluded: first through privatizations gone 0851 15.4 4.7 1129 8.9 2.7 leaked by a Quebec network critical of Harper’s free trade wrong, and then again through fines handed out by 13MO 1604 4.3 1.3 21TU 1647 13.5 4.1 agenda. These documents list sectors and policies that 2257 12.5 3.8 2322 3.9 1.2 investment arbitrators. Canadian governments would like to protect from any 0341 10.2 3.1 0606 15.1 4.6 The EU and its member states seem to understand these 0931 14.8 4.5 1207 7.9 2.4 investors’ right challenging public policies that interfere problems better than Canada. The EU Commission is 14TU 1703 3.9 1.2 22WE 1736 13.5 4.1 with profits. 2358 4.6 1.4 proposing to reserve the right ‘to adopt or maintain any The Canadian Union of Public Employees and the 0035 12.8 3.9 0631 14.8 4.5 measure at any level of government with respect to services 0457 11.2 3.4 1245 7.2 2.2 Council of Canadians immediately noted with great relating to the collection, purification and distribution of 15WE 1018 14.1 4.3 23TH 1824 13.1 4.0 1807 3.6 1.1 concern that no province or territory has safeguarded water, including the provision of drinking water, water water services (drinking water and wastewater) from their management, and waste water management.’ In other words, initial offers. This underscores that access to Canadian they protect public services at home, but want their own firms water and wastewater services is a key incentive for the EU to lay siege to public systems abroad.

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