Two weeks ago, on this Friday Free For All, I shared with everyone Canada’s mining companies terrible human rights record in other countries, where they are alleged to hired thugs to intimidate, torture, murder, and gang rape, any locals who would dare oppose their mining operations.

Well now the Harper government is clashing with a United Nations Human Rights Panel this week over whether a major international treaty applies to potential human rights violations by Canadian resources companies operating abroad.

Absolutely un-Christian and sickening, that this Harper government would continue to defend mining companies engaged in these brutal human rights abuses… where is the Canada we use to be?

http: //tinyurl.com/oz8wuhw

This is a link to a Globe and Mail article about Canada clashing with the UN Human Rights Committee over this matter. Copy and paste it to your web browser address bar, then delete the space between the http: and the /

Clark seems to forget the only reason she is where she is is because one of her cronies gave up his riding so she could get into government.. her own riding didn’t even want her…. now I am not sure anyone wants her… retirement is looking like a good option for her, she can go join Campbell..

Doing my best Arsenio Hall… things that make you go hmmmmm. I saw this on a parade sign, while I was on a holiday break.

“If a Corporation is a person, is owning one slavery?”

Of course it is BG. The only way out of slavery is to become a corporation yourself!

Please take care out and about this beautiful weekend, it is so tinder dry that simple things such as quadding and dirt biking in the backcountry could start a fire. For the smokers out there please don’t throw your cigarette butts out no matter if you think they have been put out, im still seeing people growing their butts out the window of their cars or while their walking, this is considered littering.

Squirt-gun fights would be an activity that is both cooling to people and unlikely to cause forest fires. You can also use your squirt gun to shoot out any lit cigarettes you encounter.

As we move toward a federal election and it looks like the socialist NDP may win- please take note all you left leaning pinkos: Greece , Spain and Italy are all examples of socialism. It doesn’t work people.Governments do have to pay their debts.And yes Virginia unless the GDP of a country grows your in huge trouble.
These rebellious leftist in power in Greece now are trying to blame the IMF Germany etal for lending them the money.
Good grief sounds like the BC Ndp its always someone elses fault.

The USA and Canada want the Confederate flags not to be sold or flown, because of the ideas of the people that fought under it. Why are we still OK with the Japanese flag been flown, They Caused a lot more grief for mankind the the Confederate government ever did, and had a lot more slaves.

Baldeagle, please don’t forget that the Scandinavian countries are even more socialist and they are among the most affluent and economically successful on the planet. It is also worth keeping in mind that many archetypally capitalist countries, especially the USA, have millions of their citizens living in abject poverty, which is hardly the mark of a successful economic system.
Hope everyone has a safe and cool weekend!

Last week we had a lot of discussion on how we needed the Federal Government to pay us the $800 Million for beetle devastation in BC, and the havoc it has caused to industry in BC.

Then we had a discussion about Site C and the need for this facility because of all the industry in BC now and in the future, and that this power was needed to supply this industry.

So money from the Feds because of devastating industry loss, and billions to be spent by the Province because of the need for power for the ever increasing industry in BC. Hmmmmm.

‘The USA and Canada want the Confederate flags not to be sold or flown, because of the ideas of the people that fought under it. Why are we still OK with the Japanese flag been flown, They Caused a lot more grief for mankind the the Confederate government ever did, and had a lot more slaves. ‘ – shhh..you aren’t allowed to point out the hypocrisy that surrounds all the left wing Libs, every day of the week.

Remember the “HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH” rallies at the CN centre. That was at the end of the NDP reign in BC.That was also the last time they had a sell out at CN Centre.

Krusty, the typically exemplified ‘socialist’ Scandinavian countries have a little more to work with in terms of natural resources than Greece does. And in oil rich Norway, it still costs a Norwegian over twice per litre what it does here in BC to fill up his car’s gas tank at the pumps.

We are said to work almost half the year here to fund everything the government now provides for us. Yet the government’s debt grows, year by year, taking all levels of government across the board. Even when they’re said to have ‘balanced Budgets’. No matter which Party is in power. If one level of governbment’s debt does go down, you can rest assured some other level’s debt has gone up. As has our own, on average.

In Sweden, the government takes, (from what a Swede living there told me once), nearly 80% of your income. And it provides you with a little more for it. The Swedes don’t have Norway’s treasure trove of under-sea oil. But they do have a National Debt, (as does Norway ~ they haven’t paid it off ~ they couldn’t, or there wouldn’t be any ‘money’ in the country under the current conventions of finance). And it grows.

So here’s a question for you, as an admitted socialist. Lets suppose the government took 100% of your income in turn for providing 100% of everything you now can get from it and have to provide for yourself. Would the government be able to do this without an increase in debt, AND, if the debt did have to increase to do it, who would be able to pay it? The government’s already got 100% of your income.

Why don’t you activate more WordPress features for your users of this site? The comment area is terrible, no formatting of text, quotes, link insertion or image? It’s not like registered users will abuse the code, it would greatly improve the interaction of your site.

The Confederacy is no longer a country. The country in which the confederate flag flies is called the United States of America.

Japan is still a country. It has a Japanese flag that it flies legitimately.

Nice to see The City allowing RV’ers to park at CN Place.. for free.. We need more tourists in our City

“”If a Corporation is a person, is owning one slavery?””
———————————————————————–
Owning a small business corporation is oftentimes about as close to being a slave as one can get. It might even be argued, worse. Because the slaves of old, as someone’s property, had to be maintained or the asset value of them was devalued. But so many things put in by government today can devalue business assets, and there’s no direct loss to those agencies doing the devaluing. Nor any real need to maintain the slave who owned them. He doesn’t get severance, nor EI, (except at twice the price the normal wage slave does, if he can afford it), no benefits other than what he can pay for himself. Even if he’s hurt on the job and goes on compensation, WorksafeBC collects anything they pay him back out of future increased premiums, and then some. So yes, it is a type of slavery. But if some people didn’t do it, other people would find themselves a hell of a lot worse off than they are now.

From their cold dead hands will some give up their Confederate flag, stating it’s a part of their history. Try flying a Nazi flag in Germany and see what happens.

Hypocrisy of they highest order.

Who has a new car/truck with an ashtray.

I give up. Who?

—————————-

Following the premise that a corporation is a person (as opposed to the fact that a corporation has SOME rights under the law which are the same or similar to the rights of a person) one has to wonder why corporations who cause the death of a person are not charged with either murder or manslaughter.

Better still, one has to wonder why corporations who cause the death of another corporation are not charged with either murder or manslaughter.

Why stop there? Corporations can rape, steal, harass, and so on, whether to persons or other corporations.

BaldEagle sure we could try that to get rid of Christy but we should have someone we would like to replace her lined up. One of our local MLAs maybe?

gopg2015 Who’s on first.

So June had a net loss of jobs . But we are not in recession ? 6400 jobs gone . Who’s the biggest jobs killer in canada ? Hardy har har harper . The jokes on canada . Hire a clown and things get goofy .

#GPC first Canadian party in history with two sitting members sitting in parliament . Accepted by elections canada as an opposition party but not included in national debates . Is this democracy ? Preston Manning was included with only one seat . Who’s afraid of Elizabeth May ? Harper , mulcair and Trudeau . That’s who . There isn’t enough brains between the three of them to take her on and they know it . Cowards . Plain and simple . Shameless cowards .

Socredible, according to Wikipedia, the maximum income tax in Sweden is 59.7%, not 80%. Still very high, but then that’s the maximum, not the average.
As for your 100% taxation hypothetical scenario, the so-called communist utopia, I have no idea what the answer is. Your question doesn’t appear to take into account business or corporate taxation, so your formula is missing some important variables and is unsolvable. In theory, and admittedly my macro-economics is a little rusty, a system without taxation where everyone pays as they go for every service in use (roads, schools, hospitals, airports, etc.) would be more efficient from the point of view of non-existent administrative costs. However, unless we want to return to a feudal system of lords who own everything and make the rest of us pay to even drive to work for whatever slave wage the lord wanted to pay us, we are stuck with some sort of administrative (i.e. cost of government) costs so that we have a workable infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Scandinavian countries, despite (or because of) their higher taxation structures, enjoy the highest standards of living and life satisfaction rating in the world. Surely you can admit that they’re doing something right?

Frank2 – I moved into a new house and it didn’t have a garbage can, I guess I can just throw my trash on the front lawn?

Its not suprising to see smokers still throwing their butts out the window – look at the cost and health isssues associated with smoking and these people can’t be that bright to begin with.

Krusty . On the right ideology trumps logic . On the left ideology trumps logic . In the middle logic trumps ideology . That’s why none of them can take on Elizabeth May in debates because she has logic on her side . She’s also better educated than the three others combined .

Ataloss. Maybe they don’t want Elizabeth May in the debates because she would never stop talking (babbling) She certainly is a motor mouth.

Fact of the matter is she doesn’t rate on the National Scene and probably never will.

Not sure how you can blame the Conservatives for the loss of jobs. Especially when you consider that it is industry, and business, that create jobs. Not Governments. (Other than civil servants)

Your constant blaming of Harper and the Conservatives for all the ill’s of this Country is starting to become very boring. Try and change it up a bit.

how expensive would it be to relocate the pulp mill thats currently near the downtown area that makes the city and bowl area stink?

Maybe harper just doesn’t like woman in general . PGs unemployment rate jumped a full percentage point . You have two sitting MPs that are supposed to represent Harpervalley . When your bus gets driven into a ditch , do you hold the driver of the bus or its passengers responsible ? Palopu don’t let ideology get in the way of you logic .

@pgbcca1 not a chance of moving them . But the city could sue for damages .

pgbcca1. There are actually three (3) pulp mills in Prince George. Ie; Intercontinental Pulp, and Prince George Pulp and Paper, just across the Nechako River, and then Northwood Pulp further up. They all contribute to the smell in Prince George. In addition you have a chemical plant (Chemtrade) and the Husky Oil Refinery, and FMC Corporation in the same area which also make a contribution.

So where do you want to start??

So Ataloss, you blame Harper for the one percent in PG unemployment increase but then want the city to sue one of our largest employers? Don’t let ideology get in the way of logic alright.

The reason your air stinks is because of economics . The pulp mills get a free pass for using your airshed as dump . They can scub the pollution out but it’s cheaper to just poison its neighbours . Their type of pollution is easy to trace . They would lose in the courts and know it . Just the thought of going to court would have them start to clean up their act . Who do you blame when the bus is driven into the ditch ? The guy in the back seat ?

Lets shut down all industry in PG and live happily on eco-babble pugged into Ataloss’s solar system for power all singing Kumbaya sharing drinks with May listening to her jokes. Hope the organic wine has a kick.

harper also loves asbestos . Kind of says it all .

No seamutt drama queen . I would opt for a much more diversified economy that is not so tied to any one industry . The Alberta economy is more like PGs and that’s a disaster . What have you got against the Boy Scouts seamutt ? I haven’t sung kumbaya since then , fifty years ago . Is kumbaya a con talking point ? No one would run their personal portfolio with only one industry in their holdings . That would be retarded . So why would a whole community do that ? Answer , they are either stupid or run by their one industry . Which one are you PG?

Ataloss you are, “Free To Leave” the city ,province and country if you

don’t like it.

Go smell the roses.

Remember all that eco-babble about what the Mt-Polley spill “might” do to returning salmon well the eco-babble has been rather quiet on that subject of late as it seems they are doing very well though they did put in a caveat of course. Jumbo salmon found near Mt. Polley site

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2015/05/05/jumbo-salmon-found-near-mt-polley-site

I did leave the city because I didn’t like the smell . The roses smell great here . How about yours ?

On derelict building being torn down how about that crime ridden ugly monstrosity Hydro owns on Pickering road? Wonder if Hydro will be a good community citizen and do something.

The little sinking house on 5th ave beside PGI foods was taken down yesterday.. I was fond of watching the one end slowy sink/rot into the ground. Have a great weekend everyone!!

Palopu, husky stinks bad even after their upgrade.. We all know the stink of pulpmills.. Please tell us what chemtrade and peroxychem air pollution smells like.. Not sure I have ever smelt anything other than husky or pulpmills in my 25 yrs working in that area…. Btw fmc was sold awhile back, they have new signs up.

Ataloss. Your such a buffoon. Its one thing to blame the driver of the bus if you go in the ditch, however you should also be aware of the condition of the bus, the road conditions, and the circumstances leading up to going in the ditch. Oncoming traffic, snow conditions, etc; etc;

Your simplistic blaming of the Conservatives for all your problems is and indication of your inability to see the big picture. You know what I mean. Can’t see the forest for the tree’s.

Elizabeth May at best could be described as an anomaly.

Palopu . I would never call you a buffoon . I’d don’t think you are bright enough to be one . I am really amazed that you get the analogy re the bus driver . The party of one only has one driver . You don’t know Liz obviously . Anomalies wouldn’t scare the crap out of harper the way she does . He’s scared stupid of her and so are mulcair and Trudeau . Are either of harpervalleys MPs going to address the unemployment disaster ? I doubt it . Dick and Bob are way to busy working on harper talking points . Talking points don’t put food on the table .

I don’t blame harper for my lack of employment . I don’t need a job or want one . I don’t even really blame him . The ones I hold responsible are the useless idiots that vote against their own self interest . If you are not in the top ten percent of the one percent that he serves and you vote con , you are a useful idiot .

yes, sprinkler ban lifted 5:pm today…

is there a purely socialist or capitalist country in the world? Perhaps we shouldn’t worry so much about the system, perhaps we should focus on who is running it? At the end of the day, doesn’t it come down to intelligence, compassion and responsibility?

We have a dictatorship now.. Not a fan.. Would rather have a democracy.

Hey ataloss you are all wound up this Friday. Keep them guessing but your correct when about the useful idiots.
cheers

When things are going well in Canada Harper goes on foreign junkets and tells other leaders to smarten up and adopt his policies! When things are doing not so well (really bad, like now) Harper goes on foreign junkets to escape domestic scrutiny. As for the other leaders being preached to – nobody listens. No matter what: Red carpets and military bands are sooooo cool!

Very true R2 . We can’t even have democratic national debates or Canadian traditions . Shame on the cons,NDP, and libs . I will not be watching the sham debates . All three of them can screw off.

Tim Ross, The Telegraph: Green energy subsidies spiral out of control

George Osborne to abolish coalition’s green tax target as customers face paying £1.5billion more through their bills to subsidise wind farms, solar panels and biomass plants.

The cost of subsidising new wind farms is spiralling out of control, government sources have privately warned. Officials admitted that so-called “green” energy schemes will require a staggering £9 billion a year in subsidies – paid for by customers – by 2020. This is £1.5 billion more than the maximum limit the coalition had originally planned. The mounting costs will mean every household in the country is forced to pay an estimated £170 a year by the end of the decade to support the renewable electricity schemes that were promoted by the coalition. Tory ministers are said to be “angry” at the scale of the over-running costs. They are blaming the Liberal Democrats who ran the Department for Energy and Climate Change for the past five years for the spectacular failure to control renewable energy programmes. –

http://joannenova.com.au/2015/07/uk-government-cuts-green-subsidies-investment-falls-calls-for-more-subsidies-rise/#comments

Palopu, FMC has not operated a plant in PG in over a year. The plant does not contribute to the smell in PG in any significant way.

Who Killed Marcelo Rivera?

During the evening of June 18, 2009, community leader and anti-mining activist Marcelo Rivera disappeared when he was lured away from a routine trip a few kilometers from his home in San Isidro, El Salvador. Twelve days later, his body was removed from an empty well 27 metres deep. His body had no hair or fingernails, his trachea had been broken and the thumb of his right hand was stuck in his mouth like a baby’s, tied in place with a piece of rope around his naked body. He had been beaten and his face was unrecognizable.

Rivera was a respected member of the community. He founded a cultural centre popular with youth in San Isidro, and had been in charge of the finances of the local chapter of the FMLN, the country’s leftist and currently ruling political party. He had also campaigned vigorously against the El Dorado mining project in Cabanas, owned by Canadian company Pacific Rim Mining Corp., based out of Vancouver.

Vancouver-based Pacific Rim is a publicly traded company that has subsidiaries in El Salvador and the US. The company is a junior exploration company that specializes in gold exploration. Pacific Rim has invested $80 million into the El Dorado project in about seven years.

Apart from Rivera’s death, there have been two assassination attempts that seem to be related to anti-mining activism: In July, a priest who hosts a local radio show used as a platform for his El Dorado anti-mining stance was run off the road. A few weeks later, the leader of a local community development association that is against the mine was shot eight times. Both men now have 24-hour police protection.

And here we have the Harper government defending this, and other Canadian mining companies behind the same kind of human rights violations, before a United Nations Human Rights Panel. I will be posting more examples of Canadian Mining companies’ human rights violations abroad, later on today.

Ataloss; your reference to Elizabeth May, ” She’s also better educated than the three others combined .”. You probably should have researched that a bit before making that statement. All of the leaders of the major political parties are extremely well educated & are very well versed in politics. I’m not sure why you always refer to them as stupid & idiots. They may be a lot of things but stupid is not a word I would use to describe any of them.

Boo to Harper Land ads pushed out this week. Not going to the debate in October might be a good thing then he will not have to lie on public TV. Remember voting for harper is another vote to give up what is left of you democratic freedom. So all the information will be listed at www-harpometer.ca soon for you to see.

You need to read Ms Mays bio . The three others have never missed a meal or accomplished near as much as has Liz . The Globe&munk/mail has kept her out of the debates because Munk knows darn well that the other three aren’t up to muster . I guess the suck ups are hoping for a retirement job along with Mulroney and Baird at Barrik gold .

I’ve heard that for the Site C project that if there is a labour shortage ,temporary foreign workers can be used at the prevailing industry wage. Not sure which trades this is reference to. I believe the prevailing wage mentioned was around $23.00 per hour.

If a non union company receives contracts and sets their wage low I’m assuming that most tradesmen will refuse to accept work at reduced wages. This will open the door to companies saying they can’t get Canadian labourers allowing them to bring in TFW’s at the prevailing wage.

As Canadians are we going to sit back and watch our governments, federally and provincially give away our resources and allow foreign workers to reap the benefits. I’m not against welcoming immigrants into Canada just not the way we seem to be doing it.

I have read her bio along with the other leaders of the major political parties. I’m quite sure if you were to speak with Elizabeth May she would not use the word stupid to describe any of the others.

If any one has accurate info , not based on rumours I’m all ears.

Unless I’m mistaken, here is the educational/professional background for the party leaders:

– Trudeau: Degrees from McGill (arts) and UBC (education). He was a teacher before entering politics.
– Harper: Degree from U of Calgary (economics) and masters from U of Calgary (economics). Seems like he primarily worked for think tanks before entering politics.
– May: Law degree from Dalhousie and honorary doctorate degrees from Mount Saint Vincent, Mount Allison and the University of New Brunswick. Sounds like she did allot of advocacy related work prior to entering politics.
– Mulcair: Law degrees from McGill. Looks like he worked in the legal profession for about 15 years before entering politics.

If I’m giving anyone a nod based solely on their education and work experience, I’m going with Mulcair. Obviously they are all quite bright and as party leaders, they certainly should be.

What would be MUCH more interesting and possibly frightening, is to look at the education and experience for the rest of the MP’s sitting in the house.

Palopu wrote: “Its one thing to blame the driver of the bus if you go in the ditch, however you should also be aware of the condition of the bus, the road conditions, and the circumstances leading up to going in the ditch. Oncoming traffic, snow conditions, etc; etc;”

You missed the key and overriding lesson in driving. ALWAYS drive to the conditions, whether it is your driving capability, the quality of the machinery you are in control of, the conditions around you and the other drivers on the road.

Poor external conditions may be a factor, but it is a factor which points to human error of the driver. A driver should be aware and drive accordingly or don’t drive until the risk is reduced.

Putting that into the context of a politician, a politician at any level should do a self-assessment, and if they find they cannot be a driver, then step down and let someone else do the driving.

But, politicians being politicians, that rarely happens because it is against their very nature.

Wow, quite the political day on the free for all. Here’s hoping the federal Libs and NDP get their poop in a group and get the nominations done and let us now who the candidates are in Cariboo-PG. That parachuting someone in from Surrey a week before the election is….well it’s insulting.

Remember my 1:55 pm comment that referred to; “A few weeks later, the leader of a local community development association that is against the mine was shot eight times. Both men now have 24-hour police protection.”? Well this is what happened to that man:

For the second time in six months, a community leader known for his strong opposition to a Canadian gold and silver mining project in El Salvador’s Cabañas Department has been killed. Ramiro Rivera, vice-president of the Environmental Committee of Cabañas, was gunned down on Sunday, December 20, in the town of Ilobasco. His wife Felícita Echeverría, next to him, died as well, and a 13-year-old girl was wounded. According to witnesses, several gunmen ambushed their vehicle and shot them with assault rifles, despite the presence of two police bodyguards. This follows the late June kidnapping, torture and assassination of Marcelo Rivera (no relation) in the municipality of San Isidro. Both men had been vocal critics of Vancouver, B.C., mining company Pacific Rim’s proposed El Dorado gold mine.

Ramiro Rivera himself was previously shot eight times in a July assault, and had been under 24-hour police protection ever since. The Salvadoran Justice and Security Minister, Manuel Melgar, stated that Sunday’s murder was “very probably” a “pre-meditated matter,” and not “an instance of common crime.” Several other instances of assaults, attempted kidnappings, and death threats against anti-mining activists in Cabañas have been documented over the last six months, including against a local radio station, Radio Victoria, which is now the target of renewed threats. While suspects await trial in some of those cases, no arrests have been made with respect to the “intellectual authorship” of this wave of targeted political violence.

That’s enough of El Salvador examples of Canadian Mining Company’s being complicit in torture and murder, the next examples I post will come from Canadian Mining Companies violating human rights in Guatemala, and I warn you, they will make you uncomfortable, which is my intention.

Sophic Sage

And the proof it was Pacific Rim or one of their executives that murdered this guy is???

What if it was one of the employees who did it all on his own because he finally has a paying job that pulled him out of poverty and this dead activist dude was threatening his way of life?

Or perhaps it’s something totally unrelated that landed the guy at the bottom of a well… gambling debt? Slept with the mob’s boss wife?

You are demonizing an entire industry over your ideology. Did you recently watch “The Rundown” and all the mine owners are like Christopher Walken’s character?

Your left wing ideology is simplistic.

I work in the mining industry and spend a lot of time downtown Vancouver meeting with mine owners.

They are Canadians just like you and me, work hard and are good people, and for the most part proud of their environmental and community work ethics both domestically and internationally.

They know they have to be squeaky clean to get investors.

Your attitude toward mining is typical of people that spend too much time on the periphery protesting everything.

Learn a little more learning. Attend a CIM conference or Roundup in Vancouver.

I did a little research on prevailing wages in Canada. The rate is based on the average between low and high rates being paid.The trade I’m in has a low of $18.00 and a high of $41.00 per hr. That puts the prevailing wage at $28.00 per hour . A Foreign Temporary Worker can be paid $28.00 to take my job. What isn’t taken into consideration is that a first year apprentice is the one making $18.00 per hr, not a journeyman.

Just like everything else in our society nobody will do anything about it until it affects them directly, myself included. How far will we let this go until we do something?

Meant “learn a little more”. Sorry for typo.

Your next example garners the same reply. Prove it was the mining executives that planned this.

Prove it.

Stop citing these so-called examples of “Canadian mining companies being complicit in murder and torture.”

How dare you.

Oldcoot, another factor you should take into consideration is the businesses cost per employee.. For retirement, medical, work safe etc.. Average cost is to double a workers wages.. But how much of these costs do they have to pay for temp foreign workers..betting it’s lots less.. Again there should be no foreign workers in Canada unless it’s under extreme circumstances and they must be on a time length and then sent home. When we transfer people to the states in our company we have to prove they are doing a job that can’t be done by anyone else at that time..then have to pay the government a cost per head of non patriots.

Sorry my comments are making you, and some others, uncomfortable BCGrog.

You say that I am demonizing an entire industry over my ideology. That is simply not so! I am demonizing a fascist right wing Harper Conservative government that is currently clashing with a UN Human Rights Committee over these allegations of human rights violations for which “some” Canadian Mining Companies are being accused. (See the first comment on this discussion thread)

We have a piece of excrement government, at this very moment defending, and sticking up for, Canadian Mining Companies alleged to be involved in the murder, torture, and gang rape of locals who would dare oppose mining operations in their own countries.

One of my future comments will focus on this piece of shite government directing Canadian Embassy officials to provide support to Canadian Mining Companies alleged to be involved in Human Rights violations abroad.

Stay tuned for my next example comment.

P Val .I was keeping it simple for those who can’t imagine what it would be like to clear over $2500 a week. Some would think that is outrageous. I believe the cost to my employer is around the $65.00 an hour mark. What people don’t see is the family sacrifices we make.Working 20 or more days at a time away from home. Often in places where your movements are restricted like a low security prison.

HudBay Minerals, a Toronto-based mining company, is currently being sued in Ontario by indigenous Guatemalans for involvement in murder and gang rapes, and for causing them severe injuries. In November 2012, some of the plaintiffs came to Toronto to testify against the company in court and to inform Canadians about their struggle in speeches given at the University of Toronto.

Eleven Mayan Q’eqchi women are suing HudBay for their gang rapes. They allege there was “negligence and carelessness causing physical and psychological harm.” The women claim that, on January 17, 2007, they “were gang-raped by uniformed mining company security personnel, as well as police and military, during the forceful expulsion of Mayan Q’eqchi families from their farms and homes in the remote community of Lote Ocho. These armed evictions were sought by Canadian mining company Skye Resources in relation to its Fenix mining project, located on the north shores of Lake Izabal, which it operated through its Guatemalan subsidiary, Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel (CGN). The communities believe these evictions were illegal.”

In 2008, HudBay Minerals bought Skye Resources, along with CGN and the Fenix Project. Skye Resources was renamed HMI Nickel and later merged with HudBay Minerals. The merger makes HudBay legally responsible for HMI/Skye’s liabilities and past actions.

Rosa Elbira Coc Ich is one of the women suing HudBay for her rape. In her speech at the University of Toronto, she said: “I bring in my heart no happiness and no joy. I bring great sadness because of HudBay Minerals, a Canadian mining company in my country. No one would be able to live through what I have lived through. I was at home. There were nine men who came to me — members of the police and security forces. They threw me on the ground and sexually abused me. They did things to me that are unmentionable.

“You, especially the women, would you be able to live through that? I struggle for my land, and it is for my land that I have been raped. I am here because I am strong despite everything that has happened to me. I’m here in Canada seeking justice. I cannot seek justice in Guatemala because the only people there who can expect justice are those who have money. I ask you to please help me as though these injustices had happened to you. “Maybe companies like Hudbay have been telling people in Canada that they bring development and benefits to Guatemala. Those are all lies. We have got no benefits from Hudbay. We are here as victims of the abuse of our human rights by this company.”

Yet here we have a Harper government arguing that Canada is not responsible for the actions of it’s companies operating abroad. When are we going to elect a government that shows some accountability and responsibility? We are getting a bad reputation internationally because of these allegations of human rights abuses.

If there aren’t enough people fill jobs in Canada employers should be happy to pay TFW’s top wages to fill positions. If not, is it about beating down wages or getting the help needed?

In order to protect myself, I would like to point out in the last paragraph of my 1:55 pm comment that the word “alleged” be inserted as follows:

And here we have the Harper government defending this, and other Canadian mining companies “alleged to be” behind the same kind of human rights violations, before a United Nations Human Rights Panel. I will be posting more examples of Canadian Mining companies’ “alleged” human rights violations abroad, later on today.

Hey if BCGrog can make corrections to his original comment, why can’t I?

Sophic Sage. Perhaps you should review the mining companies that you talk about and see how many Canadians have investments and stocks in these companies. As you said they are publically traded stocks. So at the end of the day the shareholders are responsible.

Perhaps Ataloss has money invested in these companies, or myself, or others. Should we sell??

As for the bus driver analogy/. Sometime the smart thing to do is drive into the ditch to avoid a much more serious situation.

As for Harper defending Canadian Mining Companies at the UN. You cant get much more open than that. The whole world will know your point of view by the time your finished.

Again, in order to protect myself, I make the following changes to my previous comment dated and timed stamped: July 10, 2015 @ 3:47 PM.

“That’s enough of El Salvador examples of Canadian Mining Company’s “allegedly” being complicit in torture and murder, the next examples I post will come from Canadian Mining Companies “allegedly” violating human rights in Guatemala, and I warn you, they will make you uncomfortable, which is my intention.”

All future comments made by me will imply “Canadian Mining Companies “alleged” to be involved in Human Rights violations”.

Yup, I believe this covers my a$$ from a legal point of view. Its’ open season on the Harper Government, and I am carrying a double barreled shotgun, I just have to remind myself that every time I take a shot at this pathetic excuse for a government, that there can be potential “kick back”.

Sophic Sage wrote; “That’s enough of El Salvador examples of Canadian Mining Company’s being complicit in torture and murder”. Do you have direct evidence that mine executives were complicit in these crimes in El Salvador? If not you are coming perilously close to libel.

A sixteen year old Guatemalan girl, Topacio Reynoso, was murdered on April 13, 2014 near her home town of Mataquescuintla, Guatemala where she was head of a youth movement against mining. Her father, a leader in organizing a municipal vote on the mine, was shot in the same incident and is in hospital in critical condition. This is the latest example of violence and repression allegedly associated with the Canadian-listed mining company Tahoe Resources’ Escobal project.

“Opposition to the Tahoe mine in the surrounding municipalities is so great that Tahoe actually sued the Guatemalan government, demanding that the government do more to protect the mine,” remarks Shin Imai, lawyer for the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project at Osgoode Hall Law School. “Although the Court dismissed the suit, two months later, the government declared a state of siege in municipalities where people had voted against mining and issued arrest warrants for more than a dozen people known to oppose the mine.”

So the question needs to be asked; what level of Canadian political pressure would need to be brought to bear to make the Guatemalan government change its’ mind, declare a state of siege in the municipalities that voted against the mine, and arrest more than a dozen of its’ own citizens known to oppose the mine? How dare these people oppose a Canadian Mining Company operating in their area!!!??? Right Harper???

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/07/10/the-green-mirage-and-con-job/

Learn how billions are being made off the warming con job. Learn how Musk of Telsa is making billions and is after more. You will not see this on CBC, GLOBAL CTV or any other mainstream left news organization.

Sophic, because I value our online relationship so much, I’d like to kindly suggest to you that you take some of your time away from your obsessive “I hate Stephen Harper” agenda and perhaps direct some of your google searches to “seeking counselling for obsessions”!

Seriously!

By the way, a few days ago you offered a challenge to ImFrank, suggesting that you would sit in your idling Chevy Spark EV for two hour. You also suggested that the rest of us can drive off with a Chevy Spark EV for just $25,995.00.

You do realize, don’t you, that the Chevy Spark EV does not idle as it is an electric vehicle?

Also, you do realize, don’t you, that the Chevy Spark EV that you say that you own, is not available for sale in Canada. It is available in the U.S.A. and only in selected markets.

Also, you do realize, don’t you, that the price that you quoted for a car that we can drive off in (which we can’t) is a price in the U.S.A, a price that is quoted in U.S. dollars?

You do realize, don’t you, that your suggestion that I may be brain damaged seems a bit strange, considering that you post incorrect information in an attempt to make yourself appear smarter than the rest of us?

I think that you kinda, sorta blew it, didn’t you!!

Last week I was on my way to work on my motorcycle when I was stopped by the light at Ferry and hwy 16. Some guy in his pickup thought it was ok to stop about 8 feet from my rear end. I looked over my shoulder and said “please don’t stop so close to motorcycles”. He moved closer to me. The light changed and away I went. He tail gaited me all the way to the entrance to the casino where he took a right turn into the casino. I continued on and turned south onto hwy 97. I was accelerating up to the posted speed when I noticed a pickup travelling at excessive speed coming out of the casino exit right in front of me. I changed lanes to avoid a collision but the pickup came right out in front of me into the passing lane of the hwy. Guess who? I changed lanes again and was met with another dick move by this loser. I was able to get by this menace and while passing him and what appeared to be his daddy in the passenger seat, he was shaking his fist and middle finger out the window at me. I yelled at him to pull that pos over. He did. I continued on my way. He then accelerated rapidly zig zagging through traffic until he caught up to me and tailgated me even closer than before. What is wrong with people? Are they losing it completely?

Sophie, if you are going to spend your entire day googling the internet, perhaps you might focus a bit more on what you refer to as the “facts and truths”.

Not saying that you look like a bit of an idiot when you post false information, but some might come away with that conclusion!

As your best online friend, I just want you to know that I’m looking out for you!

You’re welcome!

Now, take some Zoloft, Paxil, Zanax or whatever you have handy and try to get a good nights sleep!

Cheers!

Calls me brain dead, sheesh!!

Nice to see you guys and gals are over the TLM park thingy . I thought for sure you’d make it a two weeker . What the heck are those things you’re offering hart guy ? And what do they do ? And are they legal ?

Speaking of “obsession”

Haha….go bigger AtalosSage. Should the flag of British Columbia come down because it represents when Britain said , this land is now my land ? Just wondering what your thoughts on that are ?

AtalosSage, sounds like sausage, haha!

I never said that I was offering anything Ataloss! perhaps you should focus a bit more on what you are reading, instead of just glossing over the words that are made up of more than two syllables!

“Secret diplomatic emails and briefings suggest the Canadian embassy in Mexico provided “active and unquestioning support” to a Canadian mining company before, during and after it became embroiled in controversy over the murder of a prominent local activist in Chiapas and corruption allegations, according to a report issued Monday by MiningWatch Canada. The study, made available by the advocacy group to the Star and La Presse, is based on 900 pages of documents obtained through Access to Information from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade about its dealings with Calgary-based Blackfire Exploration.”

“In late 2009, three men with links to the company were arrested after the drive-by shooting of Mariano Abarca, who was leading the fight against Blackfire’s barite mine in the often turbulent state of Chiapas.”

“Interesting that an unnamed company executive emailed embassy officials in September 2008, thanking them for everything “that the embassy has done to pressure the state government to get things going for us. We could not do it without your help.”

Again the question needs to be asked; “if” Canadian Embassy staff in Mexico, were alleged to have provided “active and unquestioned support” to this mining company, on whose authority would they have been directed to do so? Someone in Ottawa perhaps? Nice to see our Harper Government providing so much assistance to “some of these companies” of “questionable character” both on the ground in the countries they operate in, and at the international level before the UN Human Rights Committee. *rolls eyeballs.

http: //tinyurl.com/cbvyshr

Copy and paste this link to your address bar, then delete the space between the http: and the /

Since this news blog site does not have an editing feature for the comments we post, I would like to make a correction to my July 10, 2015 @ 12:28 AM comment; specifically this part of that comment:

“Absolutely un-Christian and sickening, that this Harper government would continue to defend mining companies “alleged to be” engaged in these brutal human rights abuses… where is the Canada we use to be?”

That’s why I gave it up dumbfounded I was either going to get hurt by some dumb ass or I wa
s going to end up in jail for beating the crap out of oNE Glad u survived

Sophic Sage. Trying to envision you as the savior of the Canadian political system makes me laugh.

Your constant drivel about the Conservative Government and all the **bad** things it stands for is a joke.

I suggest to you that no one is taking anything you say seriously, and in fact after a while they start to skip parts of your posts because of the **long wind**.

In any event give it your best shot between now and the election. I wish you all the best. :)

Ataloss, I notice that **Lizzy** is included in the Macleans national debate along with Harper,Mulcair,and Trudeau. Hmmmmm. According to you they should not be there because, like, you know, they are scared of Lizzy, right, really scared, like in a big Halloween Boooooo.

Dumbfounded: That incident with the pickup should have definitely been reported. I presume you got his license number. It would be really handy in cases like this to have a GoPro.
I had my share of idiots to deal with when I rode too. Educated a few people as well. I hope everyone can cool off a bit and have a nice weekend.

I believe I have provided sufficient examples of alleged human rights abuses “some” Canadian Mining Companies have been accused of participating in, and in some cases accused by the victims themselves. So on October 19th, when you enter that voting booth, and are about to put your X beside the Conservative Candidate in your area, think about the murdered, tortured and gang raped people of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico, and ask yourself why this Harper Conservative government knows about these alleged human rights abuses initiated by Canadian Mining Companies, yet does nothing to stop or prevent them.

Think about the murders of; Marcelo Rivera, Ramiro Rivera, 16 year old Topacio Reynoso, and Mariano Abarca. Think about the women who traveled all the way from Guatemala to Canada to personally share their claims of being gang raped by uniformed HudBay mining company security personnel, among others. IMO these alleged murders, tortures, and gang rapes will not stop until a responsible and accountable Federal Government is elected, and implements responsible laws and legislation that govern the conduct and actions of Canadian Mining Companies to respect the human rights of citizens in other countries and undertake responsible environmentally sensitive project management in those countries.

I know I may be dreaming that this will happen, we have a long way to go considering we cannot even get “some” mining companies, operating in our own country, to act and operate in an environmentally responsible manner. However, I still hold out hope!

Sophie, as I used to say to Peeps, you must be lots of fun at a party!

Is “sophic sage” the former “charles” who seems to have gone eerily quite of late??
Please take your show on the road to the companies and the individuals you are spewing about, or join Amnesty Int’l or run for the government you decrie and “be the change”.
Man I wish we had a “don’t want to see this” button on this site.Give it a rest.

*quiet*

Two comments that typify an extreme right wing approach towards minimizing and ignoring the serious human rights violations of; murder, torture, and gang rape. All of this is just hohum to the Herr Harper crowd, so why sould we be surprised that he doesn’t give two craps about the 1,200 murdered and missing women in Canada?

No real interest in allegations of Canadian Mining Companies being involved in torture, murder and gang rape, no real interest in 1,200 missing and murdered women in Canada… hmmm… this leads me to believe that Harper and his government are sociopathic, jury is still out on those who support him, but most definitely Harper and his government are displaying sociopathic tendencies.