Environment

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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Will the BC NDP ensure its conservation service is accountable & subject to independent oversight?

BC's Conservation Service is a police service. They dress like police, drive similar cars, carry assault rifles & have police-like powers under the Police Act. But conservation officers have no independent oversight. This must change. The lack of oversight has created space for the abuse of power & toxicity...

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Will the BC NDP step up & regulate ship breaking — one of the most hazardous industries in the world?

Baynes Sound produces half of all BC shellfish. It is an important site for the K’omoks First Nation and is federally designated as a Biologically & Ecologically Sensitive Area. Despite this, the province has allowed ship breaking - one of the most hazardous industries in the world - to occur on its shores. Ship...

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Broken promises — when will the BC NDP suspend logging activity in Kwakiutl territory?

The BC NDP have repeatedly promised to protect old growth forests & meaningfully engage with First Nations. They promised a paradigm shift & a deferral on all at-risk old growth. Yet, old growth within this deferral area is actively being logged on Kwakiutl territory. These culturally significant &...

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Will we meet our climate targets? New carbon pricing system for large emitters lacks crucial details

In Budget 2023, the BC NDP announced a new output-based pricing system (OBPS) for large industrial emitters, which would exempt those who pollute the most from paying the carbon tax up-front. After surpassing a to-be-determined emissions threshold, industrial facilities would be forced to pay a fixed rate on their...

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Government is giving $36 million to a controversial RCMP unit while it is under investigation.

The Community Industry Response Group (C-IRG) is an RCMP unit that's been accused of unlawful use of force, arrests, detentions, & assaults. They are facing several lawsuits and an internal investigation for misconduct. And still the BC NDP is allocating them $36M. C-IRG was created in 2017 to support the...

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Is the BC NDP betting our future on carbon credits? Scientists say we can and must do more.

Today, I asked Premier Eby to provide British Columbians with his definition of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. He chose not to answer. Instead, Minister Heyman showcased a fundamental misunderstanding of what scientists have been saying for years. When Premier Eby took his oath he said “we cannot continue to...

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How do the BC NDP justify new LNG projects when experts say we must stop expanding fossil fuels?

Last week, the IPCC released a report delivering a final warning, stating rapid and drastic action are required to keep global warming below the threshold of irreversible damage. The week before, the BC NDP gave another LNG project the greenlight to move forward. This government approved Cedar LNG, claiming the...

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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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BC NDP’s CleanBC Plan in Jeopardy as LNG Projects Clash with Emission Targets

The BC NDP have an LNG problem. They have committed to meet our 2030 and 2050 greenhouse gas emissions targets. They have continually promoted the CleanBC climate action plan, calling it "world-leading" and "award winning." They know that the first half of the LNG Canada project currently being built in Kitimat barely...

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Outrage Grows as Saanich Inlet Continues to be Threatened by Quarry Expansion Despite Expert Warnings

The Saanich Inlet continues to be threatened by the industrial expansion of a quarry at Bamberton. Despite Minister of Environment, George Heyman's suggestion the environmental assessment (EA) process is working as it should, the only reason and EA is even being considered is because the Saanich Inlet Protection...

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BC NDP fails to protect biodiversity while promoting economic values of natural resources above all else

BC NDP fails to protect biodiversity while promoting economic values of natural resources above all else

As I write this, world leaders gather in Montreal for the next two weeks for COP15, the United Nations summit on biodiversity. They are discussing our fractured relationship with the natural environment. For my colleague, Sonia Furstenau (MLA, Cowichan Valley) and I in the BC Green Caucus, biodiversity has been a key issue since we signed the...

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Why is the BC NDP allowing Coastal GasLink to drill under Wedzin Kwa while salmon are spawning?

The Coastal GasLink pipeline controversy continues as the BC NDP allow the company to drill and blast under the Wedzin Kwa (also known as the Morice River) while it is full of spawning salmon. The company faces a host of compliance issues with environmental regulations, meanwhile the Minister of Environment and...

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