Community

Restoring ecological balance on the Southern Gulf Islands

Restoring ecological balance on the Southern Gulf Islands

The Southern Gulf Islands are an ecological jewel in the heart of the Salish Sea. Unfortunately, on a few of the islands invasive fallow deer are having a devastating impact on the natural ecosystems. In the first few years of the 20th century the local hunting club introduced European fallow deer to James Island. The deer were successfully...

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Minister Heyman’s Bamberton Quarry decision betrays the environment and the Saanich Inlet

Minister Heyman’s Bamberton Quarry decision betrays the environment and the Saanich Inlet

I am disappointed by Minister George Heyman’s (Environment and Climate Change Strategy) decision to decline an environmental assessment for the expansion of the Bamberton Projects quarry in the Saanich Inlet.   Minister Heyman failed the environment by not following the precautionary principle as was advised in an exhaustive study of the Saanich...

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Raise Your Voice for Our Environment: Participate in Public Comment Period on Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Expansion

Raise Your Voice for Our Environment: Participate in Public Comment Period on Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Expansion

In April the federal government granted conditional approval of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 port expansion. In order to proceed, the controversial proposal must be approved by the British Columbia provincial government. The provincial Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) is accepting public comments until June 8, 2023. Despite potentially...

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Join Minister Rob Fleming and MLA Adam Olsen at ASK Salt Spring to discuss transportation and infrastructure

Join Minister Rob Fleming and MLA Adam Olsen at ASK Salt Spring to discuss transportation and infrastructure

I am excited to host Hon. Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, this Friday at ASK Salt Spring to discuss transportation issues on Salt Spring Island. I invited Minister Fleming following a visit from Minister Mike Farnworth earlier this Spring where we discussed public safety on Salt Spring. Transportation was repeatedly...

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Unveiling the Hidden Dangers: How AI is Reshaping Our Lives and Government’s Passive Approach Isn’t Helping – BC Green Caucus Takes a Stand!

Unveiling the Hidden Dangers: How AI is Reshaping Our Lives and Government’s Passive Approach Isn’t Helping – BC Green Caucus Takes a Stand!

For months, my colleagues in the BC Green Caucus and I have been discussing artificial intelligence (AI). The AI industry has the power to impact personal privacy and fundamentally change our society and economy. How? That's a problem. We currently have no idea of the extent of the impact. Also, consider that the threats and opportunities today...

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A little summer blogging exercise

A little summer blogging exercise

In December 2018, I started blogging daily. You can find all those posts are in the archives here. One post everyday. Some were long and involved, others short and snappy. Little life observations. As I got to the end of 2019 I had accumulated 365 posts and when I finally achieved my initial goal of posting every day for a year, I abruptly took a...

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Imagining a future with Indigenous riding names & a farewell to the Keating Neighbourhood

In April, I responded to the Electoral Districts Act which added six new ridings to the province and changed the boundaries of dozens more. While my riding, Saanich North & the Islands, remains largely unchanged, we will be losing the Keating neighbourhood to South Saanich. I've represented this community in one...

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Will the BC NDP put an end to over two decades of underfunding in our public education system?

Public schools in B.C. have been chronically underfunded for years. Now, multi-million budget shortfalls are forcing school boards to choose between combining classes, cutting programs, or relocating students. The BC NDP must put the needs of students first. Vancouver School Board is facing a $5.9 million deficit this...

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Indigenous communities must be properly resourced to participate in consultation processes

Last Thursday, I rose in the House to address the lack of funding for Indigenous communities participating in government consultations. For the last several years, a steadily increasing number of referrals have fallen on the desks of First Nations, creating an overwhelming, psychologically intense workload. Meaningful...

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New legislation to remove cap & provide $150M for North-Island Coast Development Initiative Trust

On Wednesday, I introduced private member’s Bill M218, the North-Island Coast Development Initiative Trust Amendment Act. If passed, this Bill would get rid of the $60-million cap on funding for development trusts, and allow the government to provide the North Island Coast Development Initiative Trust the $150 million...

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Wait what? BC NDP didn’t fund key economic development vehicle for Vancouver Island/Sunshine Coast?

It appears the BC NDP are prepared to abandon rural Vancouver Island and coastal communities. Despite spending more than $2.5 billion of so-called surplus money from Budget 2022 on provincial priorities (which I supported), it is unfathomable that the BC NDP has chosen to not re-capitalize the Island Coastal Economic...

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MLA Column: Multiple crises require a coordinated, collaborative response

MLA Column: ICE-T deserves continued funding

Currently, the only regional economic development tool available to rural communities to financially support their local priorities is the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICE-T). As it stands, in the coming months the doors will be closed, and the lights will be off. It is inexplicable. All but two of the ridings in the region are represented by...

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Petition with 700+ signatures calling on Environment Minister to assess Bamberton Quarry

I met with Eric Falkenberg-Poetz, Frances Pugh and Daniel Kenway from the Saanich Inlet Protection Society at the legislature. They gave me a petition to present to the British Columbia Legislature. The petition had over 700 hand-signed signatures, collected by volunteers in a few short weeks. Petitioners are asking...

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