Children of the Trees
This past summer I watched two dozen cedars slowly die outside my window in False Creek. In a matter of months, they turned from green to rust, stood like candles ready to be lit on a day of mourning. I watched men climb them with chainsaws, slice them, and feed them to the wood chipper. I sat behind my glass door in vigil.
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Who Has the Right to Cut Old Growth?
The new ‘War in the Woods’ to protect old-growth forest in Fairy Creek and far beyond raises an important issue that has been neglected. By what right are those trees being cut? Who gets to decide?
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Frontline Fundraiser for Land Defenders
From the the Unist’ot’en Solidarity Brigade: Frontline Fundraiser for Land Defenders including the Unist’ot’en and Gidemt’en camps has been extended until Saturday June 19th. Please support the fundraiser if you can, and check out the... Read more
Open Letter: Demand that Trans Mountain’s Insurers drop TMX immediately
From LeadNow: We are in the global week of action to stop insuring Trans Mountain! From Europe to Africa to the Pacific Islands, and all across North America, folks are organizing actions in their communities to help make Trans Mountain uninsurable. Trans Mountain has... Read more
Bill C-12 Tweet-Storm: Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act
There are only a few days left for Parliament to pass Bill C-12, the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, before the summer recess. The amended Bill C-12 is not perfect but it’s a much-needed foundation we can build on to make sure Canada never misses... Read more
The World is Watching: Protect Old Growth Forests in B.C
Indigenous leaders, celebrities and scientists are coming together to demand B.C. Premier John Horgan take urgent action to protect the last old growth forests in British Columbia. Join Mark Ruffalo, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, David Suzuki and more in calling on the... Read more
GVAT is Hiring!
GVAT is hiring! We are looking to hire a full time administrative and social media associate for approximately 23 weeks beginning on or about July 5, 2021. While there will be opportunities to interact directly with a broad range of people involved in the alliance,... Read more
Save the Old Growth Event – Bus Ride Available
We are organizing a luxury tour bus which has a washroom for Saturday’s event; there is plenty of luggage space to accommodate bikes, camping gear and supplies etc. Please let your friends know that the bus can pick up donations at the pick up points. The cost is $20... Read more
B.C. Court of Appeal Decision Spotlights Urgent Need for Reform of Mines Act
The HDCA’s case presented to the Court of Appeal centred on a failure on the part of the province’s Statutory Decision Maker (since renamed Mines Inspector) to consider climate change impacts before approving a mining permit to OK Industries (OKI) for a bedrock strip mine in the Highlands last year, making his decision unreasonable.
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Esquimalt Bag Bylaw Adopted
Esquimalt Council adopted a checkout bag bylaw this week. The bylaw will go into effect on August 13, 2021. After this date, there should be no free bags of any kind given by retailers in the municipality. Only paper and reusable bags will be allowed, and the retailer... Read more
Update: Mount Work Coalition joins Peninsula Biosolids Coalition to Oppose Spreading of Biosolids at Hartland Landfill
On other matters related to the Landfill and Mount Work Park, MWC has become an active member of the Peninsula Biosolids Coalition–a group formed to oppose the spreading of biosolids at Hartland Landfill. Biosolids are a dried, processed product produced from sewage... Read more
What Happened in Kamloops Was Part of a National Crime
Some may find this column disturbing, as it is about the deaths of Indigenous people a century or more ago. Moreover, in quoting from a 1922 report, some of the words used then (e.g. Indians) are not acceptable today. But it is important to quote verbatim. I am grateful to Andrew Nikiforuk, whose June 2 article in The Tyee reminded me of this story.
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The New Morality and Ecohumanism
THE ISSUE DEFINED Humanity is facing an existential emergency unparalleled in the history of life on earth. Major ecosystems are on the verge of collapse, due to human activities. Citizens are increasingly coming to the realization that human beings are not the centre... Read more
Orca Month and the Legal Fight For Captive Whale Freedom
June is Orca Awareness Month in BC, and part of the team’s focus is the struggle to release cognitively advanced, self-aware, emotionally sensitive whales and dolphins from aquariums where they suffer physical and mental harm due to imprisonment.
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BC Government Announcement One Small Step to End Old Growth Logging in BC
Despite today’s announcement by the Province of British Columbia, deferring logging in key areas in Fairy Creek and the Central Walbran, protesters will remain in the Fairy Creek Area. Large-scale logging could still occur in old-growth forest directly adjacent to... Read more
Update: CRD Revised Solid Waste Management Plan
The CRD’s revised Solid Waste Management Plan, modified after consultation with the public, including the Mount Work Coalition, was adopted by the CRD Board on May 12. Among the changes to the original Plan were the following (taken from the CRD document “Proposed... Read more
Getting to Fairy Creek
“Hop on the bus, Gus. Make a new plan, Stan….” Here’s an ambitious project to bus people up to the front line, maybe even daily. Leaving from the Leg, they offer a pick-up stop at Edward Milne School in Sooke. You can be a day-tripper and know you’ve been there. ... Read more
Ending Chronic Homelessness
We can end chronic homelessness in Victoria. It’s going to take the same focused effort that so many have put in over the past year. If close to 600 people can move inside in one year, in the middle of a global health pandemic when everyone is already stretched and stressed, surely we can focus on the people remaining outside and set our sights as a community on what’s known as “functional zero”.
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The Road to Forest Destruction is Paved with Good Intentions Papers
On June 1st, I tuned into the announcement of the BC Government Intention Paper for modernizing forest practices. I had hoped old-growth forests might be thrown a lifeline. No such luck. Premier Horgan and Forest Minister Conroy were all smiles as they described how... Read more
Rainforest Flying Squad Responds to Today’s First Nations’ Request to Defer Logging in Fairy Creek and the Central Walbran Valley
The Rainforest Flying Squad welcomes this morning’s announcement that the Pacheedaht, Ditidaht, and Huu-ay-aht First Nations are calling for logging deferrals on Fairy Creek and the Central Walbran. While it’s a welcome step in the right direction, we, and... Read more
On Climate, It’s Short-Term Pain for Long-Term Gain, Backed by Courts
One of the biggest challenges in addressing climate change is that it’s a very slow-moving crisis. We need to take action now in order to avert problems many years, even decades, into the future, but our system is biased against such action.
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My Heart is Hopelessly in Love with Everything
As we draw near the Summer Solstice the Sun God is at the height of his virility and the Earth Goddess swells with life. It is a time when we are hopelessly in love with Everything.
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The Buzz About Bees
The QMS Eco-club has been working on a super exciting initiative to celebrate our success in getting Queen Margaret’s School declared a Bee School, and supporting the City of Duncan in making a commitment to protecting pollinators, and becoming the first Bee... Read more
Mental Health Needs More Oversight
B.C. is one of the last provinces in Canada that does not licence counsellors. If we need medical attention we can be sure that seeing a doctor means s/he has a degree of knowledge, is backed by the province, has liability insurance, and such. When it comes to... Read more
B.C. Flunks International Biodiversity Targets
Sadly, Ecojustice and the Wilderness Committee gave B.C. a failing grade in four of the five areas they considered: protection and recovery of both species at risk and ecosystems, the protection of natural habitats of all species and ecosystems and other laws to protect biodiversity.
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A Strip Mine In Highlands?
The District of Highlands was established in 1993 to give residents control over development within their community. Twenty eight years later, a strip mine is underway on land zoned Greenbelt, adjacent to Thetis Park and a toxic waste dump site.
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‘Black Wednesday’ for Big Oil as Courtrooms and Boardrooms Turn on Industry
Campaigners sense turning point as shareholders, boards and The Hague act to force Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell to cut pollution. The world’s patience with the fossil fuel industry is wearing thin. This was the stark message delivered to major international oil companies this week in an unprecedented day of reckoning for their role in the climate crisis.
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Biggest Issue Since WWII
The more I follow the good things which are being done by various highly focused and well intended groups and individuals in BC and all of Canada, including – but not limited to the Creatively United, it is obvious that there is NO FOCUS ON OVERALL TARGETS for our... Read more
New Tool Helps Towns Set Targets
A Nova Scotia MP has unveiled an online tool that helps municipalities across the country cut emissions. The system uses a database to gather information about localized energy use and helps users identify their emissions and set targets to reduce them. Creating such... Read more
A Top German Court Toughens the Nation’s Climate Goals, Requiring Explicit Details
In September 2016, the German parliament unanimously adopted the Paris Agreement. The government then translated Germany’s commitments under the agreement into a Climate Protection Law, which was approved by the Bundestag in November 2019 with a wide majority, making Germany the first country in the world with a greenhouse gas neutrality plan.
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When a Tree Falls in the Forest, The NDP Government Hears Not a Thing
Hears nothing, says nothing. So far, the silence of the NDP government and, most notably, NDP MLAs, continues amid the buzzing sound of clear cutting. Once considered the party of social justice, the NDP have joined the ranks where corporate greed trumps public... Read more
A Call for a New Forest Framework in British Columbia
During Season 2 of Climate and the Artist Series, Creatively United sponsored a Call for a New Forest Framework in British Columbia. One of the authors of the letter is Kathleen Code who is Vice Chair of the Ecoforestry Institute Society which manages the Wildwood... Read more
B.C. is now a Biodiversity-Loss Hotspot
There was a time when B.C. was a global leader in fish, wildlife and habitat conservation, said Jesse Zeman of the B.C. Wildlife Federation in a May 10 news release. But now it is “a landscape which can be characterized as at risk, endangered and extirpated,” he said.
Read moreEnlightened Communications – Making All Voices Matter
Season 3 concluded with an all-star panel, featuring bestselling author and award-winning public relations professional, James Hoggan. A tireless advocate for ethics in public discourse and Chair of the David Suzuki…
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Reverie at Wagg Creek
Forest Bathing is a powerful way to connect with Mother Earth and to feel her blessings showering upon you! The next time you are on your favourite forest walk give thanks for all the blessings you have been given by Mother Earth!
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Fostering Behavior Change Minute: How to Select a Behavior to Target
Many of the behaviors that we would like to promote have no outward visibility in our communities. When behaviors such as getting vaccinated are not visible to others, we weaken the likelihood that the action will become normative. Unlike vaccinations, wearing a mask... Read more
We Need a Vaccine Against Olympic and Fossil Fuel Insanity
Two broad themes this week, both from recent headlines. The first is the insanity of the plans for the Olympic Games, and especially the unethical prioritization for COVID-19 immunization of elite Olympic athletes over vulnerable people and essential workers in low-income countries. The second is a couple of astonishing ideas from the fossil-fuel industry and its political supporters in the U.S.
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Get Growing, Victoria!
Learning to grow food at home contributes enormously to food security and our community resilience, and the City of Victoria is responding to a renewed interest in learning to garden. Get Growing, Victoria! provides food seedlings and garden materials to citizens in... Read more
Harvest & Volunteer Coordinator
LifeCycles is seeking a staff person to support harvest coordination, distribution and volunteer training for the LifeCycles Fruit Tree and Farm Gleaning Projects as well as manage volunteers for the broader organization. The successful candidate will work as part of... Read more
What does the Federal Budget mean for the Food Movement?
Article courtesy of Food Secure Canada. The 724-page federal budget tabled on April 19th shows that the social movements working for a healthy, just and sustainable society and food system in Canada are being heard. The budget made significant investments to address... Read more
Is there a 5G Tower Near You?
Here is a map that claims to have locations for 5G transmitters all over the world. You can zoom in to find where they are located near you. In Canada these would be transmitting using the 600 MHz frequency since the milliwave frequencies have yet to be auctioned by... Read more
Greater Victoria Naturehood
Greater Victoria NatureHood, a Nature Canada initiative, has launched Nature in the City: Guide to Many Adventures map! The map’s design tells stories of urban habitats, captivating species and local parks to explore. Detailed environmental information is woven... Read more
Wild Lives Matter
Our Regional Parks and the species that depend on them for survival are at risk. Mountain biking wants more access to our parks and the CRD is hearing from them. These are your parks too so if you have a concern about this please read on and take action!
Read moreClean & Reliable Water Matters
Water is life. A secure and reliable supply of water is essential for all life forms. This webinar explains that water is becoming increasingly insecure and unreliable due to climate change and increased demand by a growing…
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Active Transportation is Good for Mental Health
The physical health benefits of active transportation (walking, biking, public transit) are well known. Compared to cars, there are fewer emissions of carbon dioxide and various air pollutants per passenger mile, fewer accidents and more physical activity — I often joke that includes running for the bus.
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Keep Up the Pressure for Old-Growth in B.C.
Yesterday, new mapping revealed that the BC provincial government has approved 43% more old-growth logging during the period since it received the Old-Growth Panel Recommendations that it promised to implement last fall:... Read more
Artist Brings Personal Social Justice Stories to Light
I was recently gifted a copy of Olga Campbell’s multi-award winning book, A Whisper Across Time, a stunning tribute to her family’s story of the Holocaust told through a sumptuous collection of prose, art and poetry. Olga is a Vancouver writer and artist whose... Read more
223 Interntional Scientists Call on BC Government to Save Old Growth Biodiversity
This is a letter that was sent to the BC Government in 2018, signed by 223 international scientists agreeing that old growth logging should stop. They haven’t listened so here it is again.
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Creating Well-Being, from the Personal to the Planetary
In 1948, the World Health Organization defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.” I find it a good and simple definition. One of its strengths is that it fully recognises both mental and social well-being, with the latter inevitably bringing in our relationships with others — our families, communities and society as a whole.
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