Green MLAs Visiting Site C
Prince George, B.C. – BC Green Leader Andrew Weaver and his two caucus colleagues Andrew Olsen and Sonia Furstenau are in Fort St. John visiting the Site C dam construction site today.
The trio flew up from Victoria last night and also aim to meet with First Nations, residents and contractors.
In a mail out to supporters, the party says it’s committed to “ban big money, stop risky projects like Kinder Morgan and the Site C boondoggle, and build the emerging economy.”
In an interview with 250News this week, (see previous story here) Weaver called the Site C project “economically reckless” while promoting the idea of a data distribution centre in Prince George and promoted Terrace as a manufacturing centre.
All of this just two days prior to the return of the legislature and the BC Liberals highly anticipated throne speech.
Comments
The Greens actually climbed on a plane; and flew to the northern part of the province to look at the Site C project?! And they think Terrace would be a good fit as a manufacturing centre? What would they manufacture there? I’m sorry for the sarcasm, but Mr Weaver, et al have no clue. The northern economy runs on the resource industry.
During our last NDP reign Vancouver Island was known as “Fantasy Island”, now it’s just called the home of the Newly Wed and Nearly Dead.
Or was. Looks like Fantasy Island may be back. LOL!
I’m sorry for the sarcasm, but Mr Weaver, et al have no clue. The northern economy runs on the resource industry. ” be as sarcastic as you like ,but , relying on the resource industry IS the problem . Btw an industrial park is being built on the airport lands south of terrace and the Chinese have put a great deal of money down . Why ? Because the land for industry has been made avalible at a fraction of the price in the south .
The Chinese have put a great deal of money down???? Perhaps you could back up that statement with some facts.
Really ? You need spoon feeding ?
Really ? You need spoon feeding ? Search ” news for terrace bc airport industrial park ” .
Part of the boom of investment that took place in that area due to the proposed LNG port that isn’t going to happen. They didn’t realize how stupid we are when it comes to resource development.
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.
And thus it will always be until the ‘figures’, those ones with the dollars signs attached to them, are made to properly REFLECT the ‘facts’. So long as they’re detached from them, politics will continue to be the servant of those who control those ‘figures’, and what could be done for the lasting benefit of all will really only be done for the short term benefit of that particular clique.
Site C may, or may not, be a wonderful thing to have. That should be possible to determine based on its projected physical merits and detriments.
But what benefit is it to who for us to have to pay for it more than once? Which is what we’re going to end up doing financially. Haven’t we learned anything about the effects of inflation since the last great spate of dam building in the ’60’s and early’70’s? It is NOT prosperity. It’s simply delaying the payment of ever increasing debt, and that can’t be done endlessly.
Now you see why he only got 3 votes, and Christy won the election. The only way he is getting any say is with the Coup those two jackals formed.
Hit it right on the head X-it! That has always been my stance, and the terms ‘jackets’ and ‘coup’ is verrrry appropriate! Trying to show concern for the North but I think he will fall flat,
Political Coup is right on point and should be viewed as an over throw.
Crusty won did she…actually we all lost.. nothing gets done under a majority gov, less will get done now due to minority one.
Ain’t that the truth!
In my opinion a Green politician calling the most reliable, cleanest and greenest power on the planet a “boondoggle” is really bizarre! Is there such a thing as Green Trumpism?
How is a massive flooded reservoir for a hydro generating facility considered to be green?
How is an electric car, what with the environmentally damaging lithium mines and the massive amounts of energy consumed to both mine and manufacture these cars and their batteries be considered green?
Never mind that some of the electricity for these cars might come from windmills and solar panels, both of which have their own environmental impacts!
Good attempt at a deflection, Hart Guy, but the question was, “How does flooding a river valley make site C it green?” Whether electric cars are green or not is a totally unrelated question.
No deflection at all, ammonra! Just trying to point out the hypocrisy of those that purport to be all things green!
In that case Hart Guy, could you actually answer the question?
Dirtman:”How is a massive flooded reservoir for a hydro generating facility considered to be green?”
It is green by definition: Renewable, non-polluting, based on sun power which heats the atmosphere, evaporates water which falls as rain, etc. The sun has a few billion years of power left! Umpteenth countries in the world supported and practice this method of dam building for hydro power. Of course some land will be flooded, as in China where hundreds of villages together with farmland were flooded and millions of people relocated. Every country which has rivers takes advantage of this clean power! Why can Canada not keep doing what it has been doing all along?
Only politicians can demonstrate willful ignorance for the sake of getting elected!
sorry ammonra, I missed your insistence for an answer! Seems you have a bug up your butt over dams being green, so I guess that I better explain why I think that flooding a valley and creating a hydro-electric dam is “green”!
To answer you, I suggest that you read PrinceGeorge’s response which pretty much mirrors what I would have said. If I had to add anything to it, I would comment that we must not forget the beneficial effect that GRAVITY has on our ability to produce hydroelectric power.
Following PrinceGeorge’s train of thought, all year long, the climate has a cumulative effect on our ability to harness water for use to provide us with electricity.
Our sun heats the earth. Water evaporates, even ice evaporates and the result is an increase in our atmospheric humidity. This increased humidity builds in the atmosphere, creating fog and clouds. Eventually due to a variety of reasons, clouds and fog reach their saturation point and the captured moisture within them is released in some form of precipitation, perhaps snow, perhaps dew, perhaps rain! This release is caused by our good friend GRAVITY!
ammonra, how am I doing so far? Are you keeping up? I’m trying to keep it reeeaally simple for you! Hope I’m succeeding!
So, now we have rain, dew and snow! Now, pay attention because this is really important, our friend Gravity causes rain and snow to fall to earth! Dew, although usually in much smaller amounts will usually evaporate before amounting to sufficient amounts of water to create a downward flow of any substance! So, let’s look at snow! Snow collects over the winter and with the warming weather in the spring and summer, and also to some extent with warm winter chinook winds, the snow melts returning it to a liquid state, water if you prefer!
GRAVITY causes the rain and the melted snow (water) to flow downhill. As it does, small amounts of rain and melted snow collect, building into bigger and bigger flows, collecting in small valleys and flowing downhill as rivers, all due to our friend GRAVITY
The downhill flow of water caused by GRAVITY creates a form of energy, kinetic energy! The power of this energy is awesome. As the water flows downwards, it had the ability to turn large turbines, turbines that are attached to generators. The spinning of the turbines causes the generators to spin and the generators generate electricity! How freakin’ awesome is that!
So, we build dams! The dams allow us to holdback, or store if you will, large amounts of water effectively harnessing for later use the kinetic energy of the water created by gravity! Kind of like a huge, HUGE battery, wouldn’t you agree!
The water in the rivers eventually flows to our lakes and oceans where it once again gets heated by the sun and evaporates back into the atmosphere to start the cycle again, and again, and again, and again, and again and again for as long as our planet and our sun exist!
Yawn! It’s late and I need to hit the hay! I’d go further into detail for you, ammonra, but I think that between PrinceGeorge’s comment and mine, you can catch my drift as to why I consider a massive flooded reservoir (can you say renewable battery) for a hydro generating facility to be green!
ammonra, thought I’d throw in this last tidbit:
“In 2015 hydropower generated 16.6% of the world’s total electricity and 70% of all renewable electricity,[1] and was expected to increase about 3.1% each year for the next 25 years.”
ht tps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity
Seems I’m not the only person that thinks that flooding a valley to create hydro-electricity is green!
Yup, seems on a par with Trumps idea if resurrecting the coal industry in the US.DUH!!
Terrace as a manufacturing TOWN just seems bizarre. It certainly isn’t in what could be called a transportation Hub; whereas Prince George could be called that.
Maybe he got his towns mixed up in his mind? Who knows.
Really ? I don’t see it either but Terrace is close to two deep water sea ports with rail and road access. How close is PG to salt water ?
Did you hear the one about the alfalfa protein extraction plant in the works and much more to come . Just try and buy industrial land . TOWN ? Nay , it’s a city .
Anything that lands at the Rupert port will have to be transported through Prince George anyway, makes no difference that we’re far away.
Can’t send any more bunker fuel guzzling ships up Douglas Channel, don’t yuh know?
I would wish that the authour make efforts to clarify which First Nations are being met by Weaver. Most, with the exception on WMFN and Prophet River have benefit aggreements and contracts with the project.
Actually, media can be pretty bad by just stating “First Nations”. They are not a monolithic block and many support projects around the province…a much unknown fact to many.
…including Weaver.
They should have driven to Fort St. John.
Then maybe they would have a better understanding of BC.
This vast and wonderful province.
Maybe they should have gone straight through to the upper most portion of Canada and stayed there! LOL
They should have walked, or ridden horses. Anything else, especially flying should be verboten to Greens. Practice what you preach.
They should have driven. Maybe you should have told that to Christy and her clowns because she sure as h— does not know what is going on in this province. She seems to think the election never happened. Now she is making all kinds of promises that we know she will never keep. Only a fool would believe anything she has to say.
Sure a lot of sour grapes on this page.
The latest poll says Liberals should step aside.
You got it donerigt.
Cheers
Did you know that the investment community studies every aspect of places they plan to invest in ? They can certainly gauge the mood of PG from an investment perspective by reading 250 comment section . It most certainly turns me off . It’s doubtful that I am alone . It’s like the majority here want to live in the fifties of the last century . I was in PG yesterday . Not a lot of smiles on you guys/gals . I took care of business and couldn’t wait to leave .
You were in town yesterday and you didn’t give me a shout out for coffee? I’m so disappointed! Man, you could have shown me pictures of your green solar power system!
He didn’t have time. Greenies like him have to walk everywhere. He wouldn’t be caught dead using fossil fuels. That would indicate he doesn’t believe what he preaches.
Really..?
Have you ever saw 250 news comments in an appendix for an environmental assessment proposal or business proposal? Besides even if they were included in such proposals they would have to be vetted anyhow before they given any weight. If anything the Buffet/Graham investment metrics kick in because you can get a better deal on your investment when there is negativity in the sector.
Majority here want to live in the 50’s? Hey what is wrong with that? At least you could get shit done back then. Mind you at the same time we don’t need jeopardize the health & safety of people and the environment as compared to the 50’s but at least now we have systems in place to address these issues while getting things done..
“They can certainly gauge the mood of PG from an investment perspective by reading 250 comment section” .. hypocrisy at it’s finest. Seems to me I have heard you scoff at people who have used opinion 250 commenters views as a measuring stick. Now it suits you to do the same?
THey will step aside, following the established procedures for doing so. In fact, they recalled the legislature earlier than normal just to get it done.
The strategy is, Liberals step aside, NDP and Greens go under, next election in one year or under will be a Liberal majority throughout the province.
How does that song go….”Dre-e-e-e-eam, dream, dreaqm, dream, dream, dre-e-e-e-eam.”
Having Horgan and Weaver poised to be in power in BC, and what with that idiot Justin at the helm in Ottawa, the one song that should be on everybody’s mind is “Welcome To My Nightmare”, by Alice Cooper, haha!
You wish.
IMO, this trip is a waste of time. They are there to meet with community members and native leaders that oppose this project! They don’t give a Rats… about anything else.
If these two clowns form government. it will be short lived. Just like in the past!
Someone else on 250 News referred to them as Abbott & Costello. I think that’s about right…..but which one is Abbott?
Weaver should go meet all of the workers to the Site C Dam. Around 200 of them are natives too. Look them in the eye and tell what Too bad you are losing your jobs. He is nothing but a turncoat, More of a NDP, Horgan should have joined him too. Don’t trust them. Total Disaster.
BREAKING: Premier Christy Clark visiting Fort St. John today
Hmmm, I wonder, in the spirit of “Green”ness, did Weaver suggest that they fly up together on one jet instead of separate jets! After all, as the Green Party leader, Weaver should take every opportunity to reduce his carbon footprint, haha!
Who’s corporate jet is she flying on or is she trying to collect more air miles before she gets the boot?
Perhaps Horgan asked the Steelworkers UNION to charter one for her!
I think Weaver wants to flip on Site C and just needs a reason. And I say good on him if he realizes he’s made a mistake and is willing to change his position.
I also think (hope) he has come to the realization that by tying his future to the NDP he’s in a worse position. If he flip/flops and supports the Liberals, anytime the Liberals do something that fits with the Green agenda then he looks good, and he looks like Green has influence.
Hitched to the NDP, anything they do will be seen as an NDP idea. When we go to the next election Green will be seen as a vote for NDP, and if the NDP have screwed up in their first term, his party will be decimated. If the NDP manage to govern responsibility – same fate for the Greens. There is no winning scenario with them supporting the NDP.
Talking about flipping, it is now being reported that the Liberals have adopted the NDP policies of ending corporate (and presumably union) donations and increasing welfare rates. Obviously Christy and her cohorts are completely lacking in ideas of their own. Does their flip flop come with a change of name – the Christy Copy Cat Party (CCCP)? :-)
ammonra, I’m all for raising welfare rates! I suspect however that my way of doing so would be just a bit different from yours!
In my version, we give the boot to those that are using welfare even though they are capable of working!
Let’s assume just for sake of argument, that 50% of the people on welfare are actually capable of working but chose not to as they suffer from an allergy to actually getting a job and working for a living!
So, once we cut off their welfare, we can then DOUBLE the welfare rates for the remaining 50% who legitimately collect welfare!
The benefit of my scenario is that we have doubled welfare rates for those that TRULY NEED IT, and we have done so without raising taxes on working people!
Socialists think that we should just tax everybody and everything more and more in order to give more to those that can’t be bothered to do for themselves!
Laziness should NOT be a valid reason to receive welfare! Wouldn’t you agree?
Flip flop or not! regardless of what comes out of the thrown speech.The NDP and Greens have one agenda, Take power. regardless what all the people of the province want. Their greed will come to bite them in the … before the next election. Really, They have a love-hate relationship and I don’t see these two clowns working together for more than 2 years.
Could turn out to be a good thing all around. Everyone will be watching their backs.
Yes, Hart Guy I agree completely that laziness is not a valid reason for anyone to qualify for Social assistance. I do, however, take exception to your inference that the rate is 50%. It is much less than that, I am sure. Likely down in the 1% or less range. Most Social assistance recipients are not on it for extended periods, but use it in a transitional manner until their lives improve and they find another source of income. There are exceptions, of course, notably ill people who cannot work due to physical or emotional or mental instability. Many of these are often presumed to be lazy when they would dearly love to work but cannot. Others may have no choice, deserted wives with three children under 5 years of age, for instance, where the father does not pay maintenance. The vast majority of recipients do not like accepting it and do so because they have no other choice. I do think that we should get our facts straight on this isse rather than base decisions on unsupported assumption, would you not agree with that?
“I don’t see these two clowns working together for more than 2 years”
That’s long enough to show that the NDP is capable of good governance.
I do like your reference to the Throne speech as being the Thrown speech quite appropriate of the Liberals attitude.
If 99% of the people on welfare are using it as you say in a “transitional manner” then here is an idea…..raise the rates and have a three year time limit for collecting it. For those left they will no longer receive a monthly check but have their rent paid and get a basket of food and personal care items every week.
I suspect though the number of people on welfare on the DTES of Vancouver would decline long before the three years is up. The junkies are dropping like flies around Mardi Gras already, with the extra money the party will carry on for another day or two with many more ODing.
Hart Guy says, “Socialists think that we should just tax everybody and everything more and more in order to give more to those that can’t be bothered to do for themselves!”.
Righties think that we should just tax everybody and everything more and more in order to give more to those that already have more than they can hide in secret offshore tax evasion accounts.
I know which one of the two scenerios is true and which one is coming from the side that can’t quite get over the election results. 😂
ammonra, I’m really really sorry that you take exception to my inference that rate of welfare abuse due to laziness or anything else for that matter is 50%.
Actually, I’m not sorry at all that you take exception, as it was never my intention to suggest that the rate of abuse is actually 50%!
If you read my comment you will see that I stated that for sake of argument, let’s assume that 50% of the people on welfare are abusing the system, so if we cut them off, we could effectively double what we are paying to the remaining 50%, without an increase in costs to taxpayers!
50% and double, both used for ease of mathematical illustrative purposes!
ammonra, I’m surprised that you didn’t make that connection! However, I’m far more surprised (actually I’m not) that you would use an incredibly unrealistic figure, stating that the actual figure is likely down in the 1% or less range!
1% or less? To that I ask only one question, what planet are you from?
Dumbfounded, when you speak of those that already have more than they can hide in secret offshore tax evasion accounts, I’m wondering if you are including former Liberal Prime Ministers jean Chretien and Paul Martin in that group?
hart Guy, I did understand the 50% and double, but using a figure in an illustration is making an inference. If that was not your intent, fine.
As to the 1%, I could be wrong, it could have been 2%. I was going from memory about an investigation conducted many years ago where this was actually looked at, including in Prince George. The outcome of the government investigation was that it would cost more money to recoup the small loss than the loss itself, it was that small.
I’m from planet Checkthefacts, and what is yours?
ammonra, in the same comment you state:
“As to the 1%, I could be wrong, it could have been 2%.”
which you then almost immediately follow up with:
“I’m from planet Checkthefacts”
Haha, for your info, I’m from the planet “Arewehavingfunyet” and I live in the province of “IknowIam”!
Weaver looked a bit tired in the last photo that I saw of him! I imagine that just the mere thought of his current bedmate Horgan is causing him to lose sleep!
A dipper and a (tree) hugger…..not a pretty sight:D
You still don’t get the Greens at all ,ski . The NDP took Union and corperate money last election . The Greens did not . The greens are propping up the NDP and Andrew or one of his unwhipped caucus members could pull the trigger on the NDP anytime they step out of line . Andrew doesn’t owe the LIbs or the NDP anything . The NDP owe everything to the Greens .
The greens blatantly lied through the whole campaign saying they only took donations from individual donors…..until the election was over when they admitted they twisted the arms of multiple property developers for donations in the tens of thousands of dollars. So they too accepted corporate money plain and simple and thereby the biggest hypocrites of the three parties.
Weaver strutting around the province like he is de facto premier is just another indication that we will be back at the polls sooner than later. But like the commercial says….don’t worry about an election unless they last more than 4 hours.
Sparrow ,I was hoping you would eventually get why this narative pushed by the LIbs had no legs . Property developers ARE individuals . Property development corporations are not individuals . There in lies the difference . Geez .
The developers the greens targeted are the ones that owned large private real estate development CORPORATIONS that are either closely held or have a limited number of shareholders.
Individuals that develop a house or two would not have the cash that the greens were trying to strong arm. It is only larger entities like Rennie Marketing Systems that could afford 20 or 30k to a also ran party.
The two largest donations to the liberal party in the last year were from property developers. I won’t spoon feed you and post the link, do a search .
So according to you there is no issue with that as perfectly acceptable for the greens to accept them, then all the whinging you have been doing about liberal fundraising was pointless. Could be you just like to whinge.
Let us remember something, We enjoy some of the cheapest power in the country and the world. Why, because of what WAC Bennett did in the 60’s, he had a vision of building the infrastructure to fuel the economy for the future. He was a visionary, and that is why we have the highway thru the canyon, not a goat trail.
I am past my prime, I know that Site C is not for me. It is for my grandchildren’s economic benefit. I’m not a smart man, but I can see this. Let’s not think it as our immediate benefits. It is a long term investment for the benefit of our grandchildren to have the opportunity to make a decent wage.
Same was true when they built the Coquihalla. Felt to be a huge waste of money. Few are saying that now. Especially those who retired to the Okanagen. Twinning Hwy97 is also visionary and will be completed long after I’m gone. But the generation that get’s the benefit of it will be glad we did.
Agree! These projects are for the future generations to benefit from.
The problem is that Site C is being built for export power to the trump empire but by the time its built will the trump empire still need the power. They are starting up coal fired plants and the fear is that when Site c is complete they will not need our power.
So yes its a project for our grand kids who will live in poverty to pay for this stupid project.
Cheers
Then you shouldn’t be concerned. Shut the project down and in the near future, BC will be buying that coal fired power to keep up with the growth of the lower mainland
That’s patently stupid. The province grows under the new energy model, where electric power generated from fossil fuel resources will be eclipsed by hydroelectric etc.
Stop thinking 4 years out, stop thinking 10 years out – start thinking 50 to 100 years our for your grandchildren.
Seriously? Site C was in the plans long before there was ever a whisper of Trump in the whitehouse.
Welfare is nothing more than channeling our money through those on welfare, and they spend that money in the local stores, etc; A lot of business in Prince George would go under if it was not for the welfare people spending their money.
Let me also remind people that money from taxpayers is not the only source of income for the provincial government. A substantial amount of money comes from resource exploitation and other non-individual taxpayer sources. Since the money for social assistance comes from this source, and since the recipients are co-owners of the resources generating the money, that means they are merely receiving their own money back through the government. It does not come from the taxpayer, it comes from property they, themselves, own.
You don’t think that money helps to pay for schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, etc, etc.
Well, duh! My point is obviously that social assistance recipients are also being paid from their own property.
Interesting train of thought. Just finished watching Downton Abbey. Story about a wealthy family, whose wealth stems from ownership of land, and they actually do no real work. They are in fact an industry in that people are employed to look after them. But other than a birthright, they contribute nothing real to the economy.
So you’re argument has validity. If the resources are held by the Crown in trust for all Canadians, then all Canadians should benefit. Those who choose not to work, benefit much less than those who do. So yeah, I think this holds water. If the welfare recipients were “nobility” instead, we’d have problem at all with them sitting on their ass while we go to work every day to support them.
I agree with that view. Similar view on settling the native land claims so we can have more legal certainty in BC resource sectors.
Two winters ago BC Hydro said we where at the maximum limit for hydro use, winter is when usage goes up.
Yes they said that they were maxed out but it was not true. They were trying to make a case for site C.
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