SPRING 2014 The Council of Canadians www.canadians.org ON CANADA’S (UN)FAIR SPOILINGELECTIONS THE ACT BALLOTDoes not give Elections Canada officials the power to compel testimony when investigating election fraud. Does nothing to get to the bottom of the 2011 election fraud or to prevent similarly deceptive activities in the future. Strips key Elections Canada officials of their independence. Stops Elections Canada from running ad campaigns encouraging people to vote. Does not improve democracy in Canada. | FEDERAL P3 WATER FUND FORCES PRIVATIZATION | WANT INFO? TIME TO EMAIL “FRED” ALSO INSIDE: ACTING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE: 2013 ANNUAL REPORT JOSH FOX: FRACKING IS BEING MET WITH A CITIZENS’ UPRISING Editor: Jan Malek Copy Editor: Janet Shorten Design: Amy Thompson Printing: Plantagenet Printing pg. 11 Past issues of Canadian Perspectives are available at www.canadians.org. Contents ISSN 1188-6897 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065620 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Canadian Perspectives The Council of Canadians 170 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 700 pg. 23 pg. 5 Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5V5 Email: [email protected] 3 Letters to the Editor 17 Join Us in Hamilton for the 4 On the Road with Council’s Annual Conference Maude Barlow and Business Meeting October 3-5 5-6 “Unfair” Elections Act Will Do Little to Curb Election 18 Leaving a Proud Canadian Legacy Fraud BOARD OF DIRECTORS 7 Federal P3 Water Fund 19-20 Liquid Pipeline: Extreme Maude Barlow, Leticia Adair, Pam Beattie, Roy Brady, Forces Privatization energy’s threat to the Great Leo Broderick, John Cartwright, Robert Chernomas, Lakes and the St. Lawrence Lois Frank, Andrea Furlong, Garry John, Ken Kavanagh, 8 TransCanada’s Energy East River Sandra Lockhart, Paul Manly, Tracey Mitchell, Moira Peters, Pipeline Our Risk – Their Abdul Pirani, Rick Sawa, Steven Shrybman, Heather Smith, Reward 21-22 Josh Fox: Fracking Is Fred Wilson Being Met with a Citizens’ 9 Chapter Activist Profile: Uprising ADVISORY BOARD Margo Sheppard Duncan Cameron, John Gray, Eric Peterson, Fredericton, New Brunswick 23-24 Free Trade Fatigue Haunts Abraham Rotstein, Mel Watkins, Lois Wilson Transatlantic Corporate EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 10 Chapter Action Updates “Rights” Negotiations Garry Neil 11-15 Acting for Social Justice: 25 Want Info? Time to Email STAFF 2013 Annual Report “Fred” Meena Agarwal, Mohamed Amano, Dave Bergeron, 16 Groundswell: Grassroots 26 The High Price of Precious Elizabeth Berman, Hélène Bertrand, Reem Buhaisi, power in the age of Metals in Guatemala Michael Butler, Mark Calzavara, Daniella Carpio, extreme energy in Dana Chapeskie, Philippe Charbonneau, Kathie Cloutier, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 27 Chapter Contacts Leila Darwish, Brigette DePape, Roger Desjardins, Angela Giles, Harjap Grewal, Andrea Harden-Donahue, Scott Harris, Amyn Hyder Ali, Donna James, Karen Jordon, Meera Karunananthan, Jamian Logue, Aleah Loney, The Council of Canadians believes that political literacy is crucial to regaining control of our Emma Lui, Jan Malek, Jeannette Muhongayire, communities and our country. We encourage you to copy articles from Canadian Perspectives – Brent Patterson, Dylan Penner, Matthew Ramsden, most conveniently fit on one or two pages. If you would like to reprint articles, or if you would Adrienne Silnicki, Carl Stewart, Brant Thompson, like to distribute Canadian Perspectives in your community, please contact us at 1-800-387-7177. Pamela Woolridge 2 Canadian Perspectives Spring 2014 The Council of Canadians | www.canadians.org Letters to the Editor Phil Little and Council of Canadians board member Paul Manly (who is playing the part of “Pierre Poutine”) take part in an action pro- testing Bill C-23, the so- called “Fair” Elections Act, in Nanaimo, B.C. NO MORE LANDFILLS they do with waste industry lobbyists this FEED CHILDREN OR Thank you to the Council of Canadians for needless problem could be solved. FLOG PIPELINES? standing with us to protect water, land and “Is it my job to feed my neighbour’s Harry Baker rural livelihoods against corporate plans child? I don’t think so.” That was the President , Citizens’ Environmental to build privately owned mega-landfills quote from Federal Minister of Industry Stewardship Association – East of Ottawa for commercial and industrial waste in James Moore, resident of B.C., the prov- Russell, Ontario Ontario. We appreciate the Council’s posi- ince with the worst child poverty level tion to defend communities against land- Sue Langlois across Canada where thousands of kids fills (an outmoded and ignorant method President, Capital Region Citizens Coalition go to school hungry every day. Despite a of disposal that began in the mid-1900s). for the Protection of the Environment unanimous motion passed in the House Ottawa, Ontario of Commons back in 1989 to end pov- We are battling a mega-dump proposal erty – a motion that was renewed in in our communities and are working with TIME TO LEGISLATE VOTING? 2009 – Moore states that it is not federal many community activists elsewhere in The “Get out and vote” letter by Judy responsibility to make sure children get a Ontario, all of whom are fighting similar Sumner in the autumn issue of Canadian proper breakfast. schemes. Perspectives calls for a debate on an issue whose time has come. In fact, the issue In the Bible, Cain says to God: “Am I Proponents claim landfills are safe, but a my brother’s keeper?” James Moore has landfill is built by clear-cutting hundreds has been around for a long, long time. Historically, politicians, pundits and news- given us the definitive response from the of acres of trees and shrubs, filling lakes, Conservative government. Hungry chil- wetlands and streams, digging a huge hole casters have bemoaned the low turnout for elections – and matters are worsening. dren can fend for themselves; the govern- below the water table and lining it with ment is too busy flogging pipelines. clay and thin plastic, and then dumping Fewer people are interested in the daily in millions of tonnes of garbage where politic for a variety of reasons, and less Larry Kazdan, it brews a poisonous mix of chemical interested in elections because they cannot Vancouver, British Columbia compounds. It is then covered up and the be bothered to understand the complex company “monitors” the resulting toxic issues at hand, and they are voluntarily join- leachate’s escape. All landfills leak eventu- ing the ranks of the disenfranchised. ally, most within a couple of decades. Then It may be time to cross a philosophical SEND US YOUR LETTERS! the landfill owners buy the contaminated threshold – from staunchly supporting the If you have something to say land, which increases the buffer zone, and right of every Canadian citizen to vote to about an article you have read the landfill is expanded! enacting legislation that will make voting in Canadian Perspectives, or an a legal obligation. While this may raise the issue you think would interest our Despite thousands of complaints from doz- readers, please write to us. We ens of communities, provincial govern- spectre of Big Brother and a limitation to civil liberties, one could easily argue other- reserve the right to edit your letter ments keep allowing these monstrosities for clarity and length. Letters must to be built, run by private interests, owner- wise. We may have to accept that that the times of tolerance for non-participation in include your full name, address monitored, and reported on voluntarily. and phone number. Regulators like the Ontario Ministry of the the exercise of our democracy are over; that Environment approve vague, inaccurate such non-participation is no more accept- SEND YOUR LETTER TO: and misleading applications from these able than the non-payment of taxes, driving Canadian Perspectives companies and then exercise little author- without a licence, or not attending school. The Council of Canadians ity over them. Simply put, we cannot have a functioning 170 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 700 democracy without the participation of Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5V5 Landfills are environmental disasters when Email: [email protected], built, and as they age they become liabili- the electorate, and 52 per cent participa- tion is not representation by the people. Attention: Editor, Canadian ties that are likely to end in catastrophe. If Perspectives government agencies spent as much time Andre Clement seeking real waste reduction solutions as Sudbury, Ontario www.canadians.org | The Council of Canadians Spring 2014 Canadian Perspectives 3 Maude Barlow spoke with activists and members of the media when she visited the encampment in Rexton, New Brunswick (near Elsipogtog) in February. Maude also met with Elsipogtog Chief Aaron Sock to offer the Council of Canadians’ support for blockade efforts to stop fracking. On the Road with Maude Barlow Dear friends, for a movement not only alive and well, but to speak to an economic justice confer- working together to stop these assaults on ence for Italian officials; Istanbul, Turkey, What a winter and spring so far! In all my our democratic rights. I am thankful for our to be part of a global strategy meeting activist life I have never experienced so wonderful hardworking staff, tireless chapter on dealing with corporate investor-state many assaults on so many fronts to every- activists and dedicated board. I am thankful rights; Washington to address allies at thing I hold dear. I am angry! Stephen for strong unions and civil society organiza- the Institute for Policy Studies; Montreal Harper is determined to leave this country tions that have come together to protect one to serve on the jury of the Permanent profoundly changed. another and advance a progressive, forward- Peoples’ Tribunal on the Canadian Mining thinking agenda for this country. Industry; and Porto Alegre, Brazil, to speak He has gutted environmental and fresh- to a government conference about the water protections, closed down research Working together on common causes, we need to keep water in public hands.