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Tag Archive for: Peace River

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Site C: Cranking up the pressure in the final days

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November 30, 2017

Site C has become a pressure cooker and cabinet ministers are clearly feeling the heat.

They’re facing a monumental decision on Site C in the coming days and are facing intense lobbying by pro-Site C, big-money insiders. We’ve been doing everything we can to counter the spin and ensure cabinet makes the right decision on Site C.

In November, we joined Indigenous peoples and allies at the BC Legislature to deliver signatures and solidarity messages from more than 120,000 Canadians and tens of thousands of supporters worldwide calling for the cancellation of Site C. Watch the video recap here:

120,000 Canadians Say No to Site C

The Site C dam tramples on First Nations' treaty rights. It would toxify Peace River fish, flood hunting grounds and obliterate hundreds of graves and ceremonial sites. On November 2, we helped deliver signatures and solidarity messages from more than 120,000 Canadians and tens of thousands of supporters worldwide calling for the cancellation of Site C.Please call your MLA right now and tell them you expect the government to cancel Site C: https://sierraclub.bc.ca/call-now-to-stop-site-c

Posted by Sierra Club BC on Wednesday, November 22, 2017

We also called on the provincial government to consider Site C’s impacts on downstream Indigenous communities and joined dozens of organizations and individuals in signing an open letter urging cabinet to uphold the rights of Indigenous peoples by cancelling Site C. And we worked with a broad alliance citizens’ groups to launch a series of hard-hitting radio ads urging listeners to contact their MLAs about Site C.

And thanks to people like you, hundreds of phone calls have been made to MLAs, and letters calling for an end to Site C have been pouring into Ministers’ and MLAs’ offices from all corners of BC.

Below are a few photos from recent Stop Site C letter-writing parties, hosted by supporters of Sierra Club BC, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, Force of Nature, FightC, Peace Valley Environment Association and other allies in the fight to protect the Peace River Valley.

From Fort St. John to Nelson to Vancouver to Victoria—and points between—we’re sending a clear message that Site C must be scrapped.

Here’s what you can do to keep the pressure on:

  1. Call your MLA now. We’ve set up a handy tool to use that makes calling your MLA really, really easy. Please do it, and share it with your friends.
  2. Use our tool to send an email to the key ministers involved in making the decision.
  3. Write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper. Our friends at Y2Y have set up a very handy tool to make it easier.
  4. Share these tools with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and email – and ask them to send a message too!

Thanks again for all your help in this marathon to protect the Peace – we’re almost there! Keep going!

Please donate today to help us get to the finish line.

 

Site C dam decision a litmus test of government’s commitment to Indigenous reconciliation and rights

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 30, 2017

With a decision on whether to complete or cancel the Site C dam imminent, Sierra Club BC calls for the provincial cabinet to consider its impacts on downstream Indigenous communities.

Responding to an open letter from downstream Indigenous communities calling on Premier John Horgan to cancel the project, Peace Valley campaigner Galen Armstrong said, “If the provincial government’s commitment to reconciliation and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is to mean anything, this government must cancel the Site C dam.”

The government was elected on promises of reconciliation and implementation of the principles of the UN Declaration.

“Site C threatens the land, waters and resources of downstream Indigenous communities with permanent, extensive and irreversible harm,” said Armstrong. “It’s easy to spout the rhetoric of reconciliation and rights, but now those words are being tested by a very real choice.

“This government cannot simply push title and rights aside when they are inconvenient. If it is serious about its commitment, there is no choice but to cancel Site C.

“Sierra Club BC stands with Treaty 8 First Nations and all downstream Indigenous communities who would be negatively impacted by this dam,” said Armstrong. “The people of this region are already facing negative impacts from existing dam development and to make this problem worse by building yet another mega-dam would be a terrible injustice. British Columbia needs to move forward in its relationship with Indigenous peoples, not backward.”

Site C would impact hundreds of culturally significant sites and important hunting and fishing grounds in the Peace River Valley and would threaten water flows downstream in the Peace-Athabasca Delta (protected by Wood Buffalo National Park) upon which the Mikisew Cree depend. UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has called upon Canada to conduct an assessment of Site C’s impact on Wood Buffalo National Park, a World Heritage Site.

When the need for reconciliation with Indigenous communities is combined with the threats posed by the dam to vital farmland, the impact on wildlife and ecosystems, the horrendous cost to Hydro ratepayers and the dramatic reductions we have seen in the cost of renewable alternatives, the balance is decisively tipped in favour of cancelling Site C.

Ninety-four per cent of the province is designated public Crown land; much of this is unceded territory, subject to Indigenous title and rights. Reconciliation for historical wrongs is necessary and important and any plan for our common future must recognize and address the province’s painful shared history.

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Contact:
Galen Armstrong
Sierra Club BC
C: 778-679-3191
galen@sierraclub.bc.ca

Wood Buffalo National Park Receives Worst Conservation Outlook for World Heritage Sites in Canada

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Indigenous communities and conservation groups call for Canada to take appropriate action

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 15, 2017

EDMONTON – This week the International Union on the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released its 2017 World Heritage Outlook – an assessment that looks at threats to the conservation of natural World Heritage sites around the world.

Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP), Canada’s largest World Heritage Site, was classified as having the worst conservation outlook in all of Canada and the second worst conservation outlook of all North American World Heritage Sites. WBNP is the only site in North America to receive a “Significant Concern” rating and to have had a deteriorating conservation outlook since the last review in 2014.

The Outlook report finds that the Peace-Athabasca Delta within WBNP is at significant risk from upstream industrial development. These developments include existing and planned hydro-electric dams along the Peace River in British Columbia – including the Site C dam — and from oil sands development along the Athabasca River in Alberta. The Outlook report also finds that Canada’s management response to the deterioration of the Park is inadequate “in light of the scale, pace and complexity of the challenges,” and recommends that “significant investment in better understanding and monitoring the impacts and risks from industrial development… is needed, as is enhanced water governance across jurisdictions and more meaningful of First Nations and Métis in the management and governance (decision-making) of the national park and its surroundings.”

Concerns about WBNP’s failing ecosystems have received international scrutiny since the Mikisew Cree First Nation filed a petition to have WBNP placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. In July of 2017 the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations requested Canada create an Action Plan that addresses threats to the Park.

“Elders in our community have been concerned with the deteriorating state of the Park’s ecosystem for years. This Outlook report is another wake up call for Canadians and creates more pressure on Canada to take action to better protect and manage the Park,” stated Melody Lepine, Mikisew Cree First Nation’s lead for the petition. “We are asking Canada, Alberta, and BC to start taking action with us to turn this situation around. We also call again on British Columbia to cancel the Site C dam.”

“This Outlook just reinforces the need for better management of ecosystems both within and outside of our protected areas,” says Kecia Kerr, Executive Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s Northern Alberta chapter. “As the Outlook states, ‘it is troubling that well-known and massive environmental management challenges do not receive the deserved attention despite consistent concerns by a wide range of credible actors, stakeholders and rights-holders.’”

The IUCN World Heritage Outlook 2: A Conservation assessment of all natural World Heritage Sites is available here: https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2017-053.pdf

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For more information:

Melody Lepine, Mikisew Cree First Nation, 780-792-8736, melody.lepine@mcfngir.ca
Kecia Kerr, CPAWS Northern Alberta, 780-328-3780 ext. 1, kkerr@cpaws.org
Galen Armstrong, Sierra Club BC, 778-679-3191, galen@sierraclub.bc.ca
Candace Batycki, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, 250-352-3830, Candace@y2y.net
Jule Asterisk, Keepers of the Athabasca, 780 805-1709, keepers.communications@gmail.com
Carolyn Campbell, Alberta Wilderness Association, 403-921-9519, ccampbell@abwild.ca

Sierra Club BC applauds referral of Site C to BCUC

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 2, 2017

Sierra Club BC released the following statement from campaigns director Caitlyn Vernon in response to the referral of Site C to the BC Utilities Commission:

 

“Sierra Club BC applauds the government for following through on its commitment to refer Site C to the BC Utilities Commission.

“This is good news for Hydro ratepayers, who are at last being considered in decision-making, based on real evidence.

“The reality is that we don’t need Site C power, it’s hideously expensive and inevitable cost overruns would be paid for by BC ratepayers, and more environmentally and economically viable alternatives are available today.

“Beyond the cost of Site C, the dam should be stopped to defend farmland and First Nation treaty rights, and to develop renewable energy options for long term employment.

“We were especially pleased to see that the review’s terms of reference call for an examination of other commercially feasible generating projects providing for B.C.’s power needs, as well as demand side management.

“The world is moving away from large scale hydroelectricity, which is getting more and more expensive compared to alternatives. Wind and solar projects across the globe are providing electricity today for as little as one third the cost of Site C power.

“The cost of alternatives continues to plummet. Since 2008, the cost of wind power has dropped 41% and the cost of utility scale solar 64%. Just in the last year, wind has dropped 18% and solar 17%. These reductions will only continue. Globally last year, 55.3% of new generation capacity last  was from sources other than fossil fuels, nuclear and large scale hydro.

“We have questions as to how the BCUC will “consult interested parties” and “obtain expert advice,” and will be seeking clarification from the Minister in due course.

“The Site C dam would flood First Nations graveyards along with farmland capable of providing fruit and vegetables to one million people, which is crucial as climate change threatens our food security. And it would have a huge negative effect on biodiversity in the region. That’s why we’re calling for a stop to Site C no matter the outcome of the BCUC review.

Contact:

Caitlyn Vernon
Director of Campaigns
Sierra Club BC
C: (250) 896-3500

Connections in the Peace

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As I stood on the shores of the Peace River in Northern BC this past spring, I was reminded of the incredible diversity of land and water we hold here in beautiful BC.

Our children and future generations deserve to experience all of this amazing biodiversity. They deserve to know where they live and develop a connection to the place they call home. If we plan to nourish that connection then we must plan to protect it for the future. Children need opportunities to learn how they are part of this place so they don’t feel like they are separate from the rest of life that surrounds them.

As Sierra Club BC’s Environmental Educator for the past 3 years, my job has been to facilitate an opportunity for children to connect with nature in their home place.

Kirsten with Peace Valley farmer Arlene Boon.

This year I have had the pleasure of traveling to Fort St John and visiting the Peace River Valley during the fall and springtime.  My favourite experience was standing beside the Peace River and taking in all the scenery, then speaking with students about how they connect with the Peace and the surrounding area in the community of Hudson’s Hope.

Students shared with me their concerns about flooding and what will happen over the next few years to their home if the Site C dam goes ahead. Students and teachers spoke of the changes they have seen already within their community due to forest fires, the pine beetle infestation and the building of hydro dams. This has all caused changes to the river and the natural landscape.

Life along the river is getting tougher for these folks. Each day brings more challenges for holding onto the farms and forests, and of course their homes along the river. Learn how you can get involved in our campaign to stop the Site C dam and protect the Peace River Valley.

As I spent more time in Hudson’s Hope I soon realized that these students have a close connection to this place. They told me stories about their favourite experiences in nature: fishing, hunting, camping and snowmobiling in the area. Some kids travel quite a long distance to school each day and many spend their time helping out on their families’ farms along the river.

Kids in the Peace River Valley. Photo by Don Hoffmann.

One Grade 5/6 class took me to see a local forest they love to visit. This is a place they said, where “you can always see lots of deer.” Indeed, we saw lots of deer making an appearance in the forest and foraging for food after a long winter. I took walks with students to the toboggan hill near their school each day and we used that space to explore the variety of plants and animals by doing a fun and interactive nature scavenger hunt. I believe one of their favourite activities was rolling down the hill after our closing circle.

One thing I have become very aware of, no matter where you are in BC, is that finding as many earthworms as you can after a rain is truly a favourite activity!

The Peace River Valley holds a dear place in my heart. I send them lots of positive thoughts as the future of the river, the wildlife and the people are at stake with decisions to be made about the Site C dam. Help kids in the Peace protect the places they love – tell Trudeau to halt construction on the Site C dam.

Sierra Club BC’s K-8 environmental education programs delivered in classrooms across the province are all developed to meet BC curriculum requirements and connect kids with nature in their own community. I encourage you to check out our upcoming programs and keep connected to receive updates regarding fall registrations. This has been a very rewarding year for the education team with the hire of our new program manager and the success of our Climate and Place pilot program delivered in the CRD. I look forward to connecting with all of you in the fall. Enjoy a wonderful and relaxing summer in the great outdoors.

Donate today to help us reach more children next year!

UNESCO calls urgently on Canada to protect Wood Buffalo National Park

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New draft decision calls on Canada to conduct a proper assessment of Site C dam and make good on earlier promises.

June 5, 2017  FORT MCMURRAY – The UN’s World Heritage Committee is preparing to push Canada for immediate action to better protect Wood Buffalo National Park following Friday’s release of a strong decision proposed for the 40th session of the World Heritage Committee this summer.

The draft decision calls on Canada to, by February 1 2018, have made progress towards fully implementing all 17 of the recommendations from the fall 2016 UNESCO mission to Wood Buffalo National Park. This includes finally conducting a proper assessment of the downstream impacts of the Site C dam and developing concrete mechanisms to improve water governance for the Peace Athabasca Delta. The draft decision also urges Canada to make good on its promise to develop a major Action Plan for ensuring the Wood Buffalo’s protection and to move more quickly to develop and implement that Action Plan. The absence of a timely action by Canada will result in Wood Buffalo National Park being relegated to the list of World Heritage in Danger.

“Once again the international community is calling on Canada to safeguard Wood Buffalo National Park against encroaching industrial pressures. It’s time for Canada to immediately implement UNESCO’s recommendations and start protecting the Peace Athabasca Delta,” said Mikisew Chief Steve Courtoreille.

“The UNESCO report was a wake up call for Canada. We intend to continue working with the World Heritage Committee to hold Minister McKenna to her commitment to take real action to protect this amazing area,” added Melody Lepine, Mikisew’s lead on its UNESCO petition.

Mikisew’s supporters also welcomed the draft decision.

“This decision lays out what Canada’s governments need to do to live up to their responsibilities under the UN World Heritage Convention to safeguard Wood Buffalo on behalf of the world community,” said Alison Woodley, National Director of CPAWS Parks Program. “It’s a clear message from the UN that the threats facing the park from upstream hydro-electric projects and oil sands development are unacceptable, and that Canada needs to take concerted and immediate action to save this global treasure, working in partnership with Indigenous peoples.”

“We are pleased that the World Heritage Committee is poised to strongly reaffirm its position that the Site C dam poses a threat to Wood Buffalo National Park and the Peace Athabasca Delta, and that impacts from Site C must be understood,” Says Galen Armstrong of Sierra Club BC.  “Sierra Club BC is calling on the Trudeau government to suspend its approval of Site C and order an immediate halt to construction, while Canada assesses the report’s recommendations and implements changes. In the long run Site C simply cannot be built.”

“Canada keeps saying that nothing can be done about Site C, but the World Heritage Commission isn’t buying that and neither are we,” says Candace Batycki of Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. “The incoming BC government has committed to send Site C for assessment by the BC Utilities Commission. Meanwhile Canada is being asked to make every effort to understand the possible impacts of the Site C project on Wood Buffalo. They don’t need a legal mechanism to do that, they just need the will.”

The World Heritage Committee will vote on the draft decision at its upcoming meeting in July 2017.

For more information, visit mikisewgir.com/projects/.

For interviews with Mikisew Cree First Nation representatives:

Melody Lepine, Mikisew Cree First Nation Industry and Government Relations, 780-792-8736, melody.lepine@mcfngir.ca

For interview with environmental group representatives:

Alison Woodley, BSc, MA, CPAWS, 613-203-1172, awoodley@cpaws.org

Caleb Behn, Keepers of the Water, caleb.behn@gmail.com

Galen Armstrong, Sierra Club BC, 778-679-3191, galen@sierraclub.bc.ca

Candace Batycki, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, 250-352-3830

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