Revisiting the Big Loss

Friday, September 09, 2005 03:49 AM

Former Premier Bill Vanderzalm phoned the other night to pick my brain on the Alcan issue at Kitimat.

He is heading to the once busy city next month to speak to the Chamber of Commerce and to try and offer them some support in their efforts to stop Alcan from selling power to the US, instead of increasing aluminum production.

I explained my take on the issue suggesting that the deal to turn Kitimat into a power only community with no one living there, all begun back in 1987 , when the company drove some stakes into the ground at Vanderhoof and convinced the public that they were about to build a smelter there .

Well there were to be two smelters, the other one in the area of Smithers where Alcan was also getting some heat.

Vanderhoof rolled over and supported the company. Fed Fisheries sold out, and the fate of the sockeye is being played out every single year as the once $100 million dollar year industry dies before our eyes.

So what did we get?

Well former Premier Glen Clark ensured that Alcan would be safe from the hands of the courts, he, along with Paul Ramsey, set the wheels in motion that prohibited the matter going before the courts, unless of course we the people paid for the trial and the matter of the settlement couldn’t be questioned.

So what have we today in Kitimat? A once bustling little city with a great payroll reduced to boarded up stores and empty homes?

Alcan will be able to pocket $ 1 billion dollars from the sale of the power they now generate over the next 10 years and instead of the people of this province reaping the benefits of our resources, that money will be funneled through the system and a large share out of the country.

We lost and we lost big on that one.

The lesson however still hasn’t helped our way of thinking.

I’m Meisner, and that, is one man’s opinion
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Posted on Friday, September 09, 2005 03:49 AM in Views by Ben Meisner

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Comments

Posted by: Chadermando on September 9 2005 6:52 AM

My opinion is a hydro tax implimented that is sufficiently high that no private hydro opertor could do business in BC.

The tax collected goes to general revenue. General revenue gives social assistance checks to all BC Hydro customers, therefore no NAFTA chapter 11 issues.

The facts are most electricity is produced by gas, oil, coal and their prices are at record highs. Hydro is a sustainable windfall to those that block our rivers and dam our valleys so they can collect free money.

I think its time we raised taxes for that segment of the economy. I also thik its time the provincial government accept its social responsibility of affordable energy through natural resource rebate checks.

Posted by: thales on September 9 2005 3:34 PM

I think we should be a little clearer on who and what caused the loss of jobs.

<i>Privatized all new power generation by imposing a ban on BC Hydro building any new power

Deregulated the electricity system, opening the door to private exports of energy and dramatically reducing the ability of future governments to plan and manage BC's energy needs in the interests of its residents and undermining public control over the electricity system

Allowed the private sector to build transmission lines

Initiated the first in an ongoing series of yearly rate increases

All of these actions are the first steps in a much bigger project to completely dismantle BC Hydro. The consequences of these actions will hit average homeowners and small businesses, those who can least afford it, the hardest.

The costs are tremendous and are only beginning.</i>

http://www.citizensforpublicpower.ca/articles/policy2005.html

You think any of us who think beyond the socialist framework, do not understand to well what a capitalist system does in opportunistic environments? Ones supported by liberalism policies for providing such theft in face of jobs in this province.

On "opportunistic systems" like the smoke screen of "Teresan gas increase", to raise prices before Kinder Morgan gets their hands on it?

The "almighty dollar" is greater then the very public that supports the social framework of this province/country?

But yes, people become complacent and let things role on. You asked for it:)Non?

Posted by: thales on September 9 2005 3:41 PM

Try this one.

http://www.citizensforpublicpower.ca/articles/mt/archives/energy_policy_in_bc/index.html

P.s.Is it possible for Shane to provide a post on html language we can use to highlight, in our posts? Nothing worse then not at least providing quotes to referenced articles for inspection.

Posted by: thales on September 9 2005 3:45 PM

<quote>Bill 39 was next. This legislation split off Hydro's transmission functions into a separate company, the B.C. Transmission Corp.

B.C. Citizens for Public Power are concerned that by setting this portion up in this form makes it that much easier to sell off at some point in the future. "It's sitting out there," says Young, "and it's a nice bauble and can be sold off quite easily."

The language of Bill 39 was "remarkably arrogant," Young adds. He claims <b>Bill 39 puts the government beyond the reach of the courts, where the BCUC or anybody else can challenge the legislation</b>.

All this has "been done in a very hush, very incremental way," but the most outrageous legislation, Bill 85, was saved for last. This jaw-dropper was rushed through the house in the final days of the last legislative session.</quote>

http://www.citizensforpublicpower.ca/articles/mt/archives/2004/03/people_power_wo.html

Posted by: Chadermando on September 11 2005 7:54 AM

Thales thanks for the links. I appreciate that.