What we’re reading

• Coastal black bears in B.C. rely heavily on large old-growth trees and the hollow logs and stumps they leave behind. Decades of logging have removed many of those shelters, so the Haida Nation is building new dens. Read it via Mother Jones / the National Observer.
• Climate issues took a back seat in B.C.’s election. The NDP offered nothing new. The Conservatives weren’t talking. And the Greens were climate-focused but unlikely to form B.C.’s next government. Read this full analysis via the Narwhal.
• “We were promised a paradigm shift…But in so many measurable ways, we’ve seen regression on forestry reform, and we’ve gone backwards instead.” Environmentally conscious voters in NDP stronghold ridings told the Globe and Mail they feel abandoned by the party.
• During his acceptance speech, premier-designate Lorne Doerkson promised “more fibre on trucks” as part of his party’s plan to supercharge B.C.’s economy. The Tyee asks what will happen to B.C.’s old growth under the Conservatives? 
• Deaths linked to wildfire smoke in Canada have exploded by about 275 per cent since the early 2000s. This CBC News article demonstrates the shocking reality of how climate change, the loss of our vital forest ecosystems, and health impacts are not separate issues.
• The southern resident orca whale population is so endangered that the birth of every new calf, shiny black and peachy orange, makes headlines. As countries meet to rescue a global nature agreement, scientists warn of a ‘dramatic weakening’ of Canada’s biodiversity protections. Read more via the Tyee here.
• The First Nations Leadership Council is calling for the newly elected B.C. Conservatives to uphold Title and Rights and keep DRIPA as a framework for reconciliation. Read the media release here.
• “OK, Lorne, You’ll Repeal DRIPA. Then What?” Read this column by former BC Greens MLA Adam Olsen on how a failure to develop a Crown-Indigenous relations policy is not a path to certainty for British Columbia. 
• A new poll shows British Columbians overwhelmingly want government to build new renewable projects over natural gas. Read about the poll here. 
• Experts say oil supertankers are too risky for the Salish Sea. Washington state’s spill prevention program manager says sharp turns and other hazards increase the chance of an accident. Read more via the Tyee. 
• Nine B.C. First Nations are challenging the Pacific Link pipeline national project designation in Federal Court. Read more via the Hub.