December 31, 2013
Hi,
everyone, Today (December 17tth) we have received news that the Liberal Party of Canada caucus (the Liberal MPs) have brought forth a resolution which will go to a vote at the Liberal Policy convention in Montreal in February, 2014. The resolution states the party will, immediately after the next election, initiate an all-party process including experts and citizens to study all electoral reform options, including proportional representation, and report back to Parliament with a recommendation within 12 months. If the resolution passes in Montreal, it will make the Liberal Party officially open to considering a form of proportional representation, rather than endorsing only another winner-take-all system (Alternative Vote). If you are a Liberal member, please join the resolution website - www.electoralreformforcanada.ca - or share it with Liberals you know.
Um, well, no words of wisdom from the ruling party. December 29, 2013
Hi,
all, Dec.22: The most important provincial election ever...... by Graeme Decarie ....and, no, the big issue is not the
provincial budget. December 28, 2013
Hello, everyone,   Commentary Plan
B: The Emblem of Poor Government Decision-Making (Premier Ghiz) apparently remains unmoved by the spectacle of RCMP officers hoisting and hustling citizens off their own land, and unconscious of the harm he is doing to the RCMP, his own government and the very essence of democracy itself. -- columnist Jack MacAndrew, October 2012. This part has been hard to explain to kids. It's Not an Outlier ---------- December 27, 2013
Hi, all,
I hope you had a great Christmas enjoying some time away from
"regular" things, and enjoying what really matters.
---------- A
scene from the movie often played at Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life: Dec.22: The most important provincial election ever...... by Graeme Decarie ....and, no, the big issue is not the provincial budget. December 24, 2013
Hi, everyone, If time permits in the next couple of days, here are two little items, that are worth watching or listening to (again, if you have been passed them already). Each are just a couple of minutes long: David Mitchell is a British, spending two minutes being funny about a serious topic, our environment (video): Torquil Campbell is the CBC Radio show Q's "roving cultural correspondent". Even though host Jian Ghomeshi is heard goofing around at the introduction about how emotionally-charged Torquil is, Campbell comes across as completely sincere about the topic at hand -- what these proposed changes at Canada Post say about Canada (audio): http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2013/12/19/torquils-rant-what-has-happened-to-canada/ Wishing everyone safe travels, even if it is just to their (still there) mailbox or further afield, and a Merry Christmas! Yours truly,Chris O., Bonshaw PS The Plan B Christmas Party is still rescheduled for Friday, 7PM, Bonshaw Community Centre, and let's hope the forecast improves! December 23, 2013
Hi, all,
A news article worth passing on, applying global to local: Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems. That’s the conclusion of a remarkable new publication from the U.N. Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). - See more at: http://www.iatp.org/blog/201309/new-un-report-calls-for-transformation-in-agriculture#sthash.0y91rcEX.dpuf  Farming in rich
and poor nations alike should shift from monoculture towards greater varieties
of crops, reduced use of fertilizers and other inputs, greater support for
small-scale farmers, and more locally focused production and consumption of
food, a new UNCTAD report recommends. Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems. That’s the conclusion of a remarkable new publication from the U.N. Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report, Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before it is Too Late, included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world (including a commentary from IATP). The report includes in-depth sections on the shift toward more sustainable, resilient agriculture; livestock production and climate change; the importance of research and extension; the role of land use; and the role of reforming global trade rules. The report links global security and escalating conflicts with the urgent need to transform agriculture toward what it calls “ecological intensification.” The report concludes, “This implies a rapid and significant shift from conventional, monoculture-based and high-external-input-dependent industrial production toward mosaics of sustainable, regenerative production systems that also considerably improve the productivity of small-scale farmers.” The UNCTAD report identified key indicators for the transformation needed in agriculture:
IATP’s contribution focused on the effec - See more at: http://www.iatp.org/blog/201309/new-un-report-calls-for-transformation-in-agriculture#sthash.0y91rcEX.dpuf Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems. That’s the conclusion of a remarkable new publication from the U.N. Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). - See more at: http://www.iatp.org/blog/201309/new-un-report-calls-for-transformation-in-agriculture#sthash.0y91rcEX.dpuf Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems. That’s the conclusion of a remarkable new publication from the U.N. Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report, Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before it is Too Late, included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world (including a commentary from IATP). The report includes in-depth sections on the shift toward more sustainable, resilient agriculture; livestock production and climate change; the importance of research and extension; the role of land use; and the role of reforming global trade rules. The report links global security and escalating conflicts with the urgent need to transform agriculture toward what it calls “ecological intensification.” The report concludes, “This implies a rapid and significant shift from conventional, monoculture-based and high-external-input-dependent industrial production toward mosaics of sustainable, regenerative production systems that also considerably improve the productivity of small-scale farmers.” The UNCTAD report identified key indicators for the transformation needed in agriculture:
IATP’s contribution focused on the effects of trade liberalization on agriculture systems. We argued that trade liberalization both at the WTO and in regional deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had increased volatility and corporate concentration in agriculture markets, while undermining the development of locally-based, agroecological systems that better support farmers. The report’s findings are in stark contrast to the accelerated push for new free trade agreements, including the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the U.S.-EU Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which expand a long discredited model of economic development designed primarily to strengthen the hold of multinational corporate and financial firms on the global economy. Neither global climate talks nor other global food security forums reflect the urgency expressed in the UNCTAD report to transform agriculture. In 2007, another important report out of the multilateral system, the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), with contributions from experts from over 100 countries (and endorsed by nearly 60 countries), came to very similar conclusions. The IAASTD report concluded that “Business as Usual is Not an Option,” and the shift toward agroecological approaches was urgent and necessary for food security and climate resilience. Unfortunately, business as usual has largely continued. Maybe this new UNCTAD report will provide the - See more at: http://www.iatp.org/blog/201309/new-un-report-calls-for-transformation-in-agriculture#sthash.0y91rcEX.dpuf Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems. That’s the conclusion of a remarkable new publication from the U.N. Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report, Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before it is Too Late, included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world (including a commentary from IATP). The report includes in-depth sections on the shift toward more sustainable, resilient agriculture; livestock production and climate change; the importance of research and extension; the role of land use; and the role of reforming global trade rules. The report links global security and escalating conflicts with the urgent need to transform agriculture toward what it calls “ecological intensification.” The report concludes, “This implies a rapid and significant shift from conventional, monoculture-based and high-external-input-dependent industrial production toward mosaics of sustainable, regenerative production systems that also considerably improve the productivity of small-scale farmers.” The UNCTAD report identified key indicators for the transformation needed in agriculture:
IATP’s contribution focused on the effects of trade liberalization on agriculture systems. We argued that trade liberalization both at the WTO and in regional deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had increased volatility and corporate concentration in agriculture markets, while undermining the development of locally-based, agroecological systems that better support farmers. The report’s findings are in stark contrast to the accelerated push for new free trade agreements, including the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the U.S.-EU Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which expand a long discredited model of economic development designed primarily to strengthen the hold of multinational corporate and financial firms on the global economy. Neither global climate talks nor other global food security forums reflect the urgency expressed in the UNCTAD report to transform agriculture. In 2007, another important report out of the multilateral system, the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), with contributions from experts from over 100 countries (and endorsed by nearly 60 countries), came to very similar conclusions. The IAASTD report concluded that “Business as Usual is Not an Option,” and the shift toward agroecological approaches was urgent and necessary for food security and climate resilience. Unfortunately, business as usual has largely continued. Maybe this new UNCTAD report will provide the - See more at: http://www.iatp.org/blog/201309/new-un-report-calls-for-transformation-in-agriculture#sthash.0y91rcEX.dpuf Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems. That’s the conclusion of a remarkable new publication from the U.N. Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report, Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before it is Too Late, included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world (including a commentary from IATP). The report includes in-depth sections on the shift toward more sustainable, resilient agriculture; livestock production and climate change; the importance of research and extension; the role of land use; and the role of reforming global trade rules. The report links global security and escalating conflicts with the urgent need to transform agriculture toward what it calls “ecological intensification.” The report concludes, “This implies a rapid and significant shift from conventional, monoculture-based and high-external-input-dependent industrial production toward mosaics of sustainable, regenerative production systems that also considerably improve the productivity of small-scale farmers.” The UNCTAD report identified key indicators for the transformation needed in agriculture:
IATP’s contribution focused on the effec - See more at: http://www.iatp.org/blog/201309/new-un-report-calls-for-transformation-in-agriculture#sthash.0y91rcEX.dpuf Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems. That’s the conclusion of a remarkable new publication from the U.N. Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report, Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before it is Too Late, included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world (including a commentary from IATP). The report includes in-depth sections on the shift toward more sustainable, resilient agriculture; livestock production and climate change; the importance of research and extension; the role of land use; and the role of reforming global trade rules. The report links global security and escalating conflicts with the urgent need to transform agriculture toward what it calls “ecological intensification.” The report concludes, “This implies a rapid and significant shift from conventional, monoculture-based and high-external-input-dependent industrial production toward mosaics of sustainable, regenerative production systems that also considerably improve the productivity of small-scale farmers.” The UNCTAD report identified key indicators for the transformation needed in agriculture:
IATP’s contribution focused on the effects of trade liberalization on agriculture systems. We argued that trade liberalization both at the WTO and in regional deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had increased volatility and corporate concentration in agriculture markets, while undermining the development of locally-based, agroecological systems that better support farmers. The report’s findings are in stark contrast to the accelerated push for new free trade agreements, including the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the U.S.-EU Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which expand a long discredited model of economic development designed primarily to strengthen the hold of multinational corporate and financial firms on the global economy. Neither global climate talks nor other global food security forums reflect the urgency expressed in the UNCTAD report to transform agriculture. In 2007, another important report out of the multilateral system, the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), with contributions from experts from over 100 countries (and endorsed by nearly 60 countries), came to very similar conclusions. The IAASTD report concluded that “Business as Usual is Not an Option,” and the shift toward agroecological approaches was urgent and necessary for food security and climate resilience. Unfortunately, business as usual has largely continued. Maybe this new UNCTAD report will provide the tipping point for the policy transformation that must take place “before it’s too late.” - See more at: http://www.iatp.org/blog/201309/new-un-report-calls-for-transformation-in-agriculture#sthash.lE1VxHlY.dpuf Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems. That’s the conclusion of a remarkable new publication from the U.N. Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report, Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before it is Too Late, included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world (including a commentary from IATP). The report includes in-depth sections on the shift toward more sustainable, resilient agriculture; livestock production and climate change; the importance of research and extension; the role of land use; and the role of reforming global trade rules. The report links global security and escalating conflicts with the urgent need to transform agriculture toward what it calls “ecological intensification.” The report concludes, “This implies a rapid and significant shift from conventional, monoculture-based and high-external-input-dependent industrial production toward mosaics of sustainable, regenerative production systems that also considerably improve the productivity of small-scale farmers.” The UNCTAD report identified key indicators for the transformation needed in agriculture:
IATP’s contribution focused on the effects of trade liberalization on agriculture systems. We argued that trade liberalization both at the WTO and in regional deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had increased volatility and corporate concentration in agriculture markets, while undermining the development of locally-based, agroecological systems that better support farmers. The report’s findings are in stark contrast to the accelerated push for new free trade agreements, including the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the U.S.-EU Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which expand a long discredited model of economic development designed primarily to strengthen the hold of multinational corporate and financial firms on the global economy. Neither global climate talks nor other global food security forums reflect the urgency expressed in the UNCTAD report to transform agriculture. In 2007, another important report out of the multilateral system, the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), with contributions from experts from over 100 countries (and endorsed by nearly 60 countries), came to very similar conclusions. The IAASTD report concluded that “Business as Usual is Not an Option,” and the shift toward agroecological approaches was urgent and necessary for food security and climate resilience. Unfortunately, business as usual has largely continued. Maybe this new UNCTAD report will provide the tipping point for the policy transformation that must take place “before it’s too late.” - See more at: http://www.iatp.org/blog/201309/new-un-report-calls-for-transformation-in-agriculture#sthash.lE1VxHlY.dpuf Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems. That’s the conclusion of a remarkable new publication from the U.N. Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report, Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before it is Too Late, included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world (including a commentary from IATP). The report includes in-depth sections on the shift toward more sustainable, resilient agriculture; livestock production and climate change; the importance of research and extension; the role of land use; and the role of reforming global trade rules. The report links global security and escalating conflicts with the urgent need to transform agriculture toward what it calls “ecological intensification.” The report concludes, “This implies a rapid and significant shift from conventional, monoculture-based and high-external-input-dependent industrial production toward mosaics of sustainable, regenerative production systems that also considerably improve the productivity of small-scale farmers.” The UNCTAD report identified key indicators for the transformation needed in agriculture:
IATP’s contribution focused on the effects of trade liberalization on agriculture systems. We argued that trade liberalization both at the WTO and in regional deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had increased volatility and corporate concentration in agriculture markets, while undermining the development of locally-based, agroecological systems that better support farmers. The report’s findings are in stark contrast to the accelerated push for new free trade agreements, including the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the U.S.-EU Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which expand a long discredited model of economic development designed primarily to strengthen the hold of multinational corporate and financial firms on the global economy. Neither global climate talks nor other global food security forums reflect the urgency expressed in the UNCTAD report to transform agriculture. In 2007, another important report out of the multilateral system, the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), with contributions from experts from over 100 countries (and endorsed by nearly 60 countries), came to very similar conclusions. The IAASTD report concluded that “Business as Usual is Not an Option,” and the shift toward agroecological approaches was urgent and necessary for food security and climate resilience. Unfortunately, business as usual has largely continued. Maybe this new UNCTAD report will provide the tipping point for the policy transformation that must take place “before it’s too late.” - See more at: http://www.iatp.org/blog/201309/new-un-report-calls-for-transformation-in-agriculture#sthash.0y91rcEX.dpuf Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems. That’s the conclusion of a remarkable new publication from the U.N. Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report, Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before it is Too Late, included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world (including a commentary from IATP). The report includes in-depth sections on the shift toward more sustainable, resilient agriculture; livestock production and climate change; the importance of research and extension; the role of land use; and the role of reforming global trade rules. The report links global security and escalating conflicts with the urgent need to transform agriculture toward what it calls “ecological intensification.” The report concludes, “This implies a rapid and significant shift from conventional, monoculture-based and high-external-input-dependent industrial production toward mosaics of sustainable, regenerative production systems that also considerably improve the productivity of small-scale farmers.” The UNCTAD report identified key indicators for the transformation needed in agriculture:
IATP’s contribution focused on the effects of trade liberalization on agriculture systems. We argued that trade liberalization both at the WTO and in regional deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had increased volatility and corporate concentration in agriculture markets, while undermining the development of locally-based, agroecological systems that better support farmers. The report’s findings are in stark contrast to the accelerated push for new free trade agreements, including the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the U.S.-EU Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which expand a long discredited model of economic development designed primarily to strengthen the hold of multinational corporate and financial firms on the global economy. Neither global climate talks nor other global food security forums reflect the urgency expressed in the UNCTAD report to transform agriculture. In 2007, another important report out of the multilateral system, the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), with contributions from experts from over 100 countries (and endorsed by nearly 60 countries), came to very similar conclusions. The IAASTD report concluded that “Business as Usual is Not an Option,” and the shift toward agroecological approaches was urgent and necessary for food security and climate resilience. Unfortunately, business as usual has largely continued. Maybe this new UNCTAD report will provide the tipping point for the policy transformation that must take place “before it’s too late.” - See more at: http://www.iatp.org/blog/201309/new-un-report-calls-for-transformation-in-agriculture#sthash.lE1VxHlY.dpuf Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems. That’s the conclusion of a remarkable new publication from the U.N. Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report, Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before it is Too Late, included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world (including a commentary from IATP). The report includes in-depth sections on the shift toward more sustainable, resilient agriculture; livestock production and climate change; the importance of research and extension; the role of land use; and the role of reforming global trade rules. The report links global security and escalating conflicts with the urgent need to transform agriculture toward what it calls “ecological intensification.” The report concludes, “This implies a rapid and significant shift from conventional, monoculture-based and high-external-input-dependent industrial production toward mosaics of sustainable, regenerative production systems that also considerably improve the productivity of small-scale farmers.” The UNCTAD report identified key indicators for the transformation needed in agriculture:
IATP’s contribution focused on the effects of trade liberalization on agriculture systems. We argued that trade liberalization both at the WTO and in regional deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had increased volatility and corporate concentration in agriculture markets, while undermining the development of locally-based, agroecological systems that better support farmers. The report’s findings are in stark contrast to the accelerated push for new free trade agreements, including the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the U.S.-EU Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which expand a long discredited model of economic development designed primarily to strengthen the hold of multinational corporate and financial firms on the global economy. Neither global climate talks nor other global food security forums reflect the urgency expressed in the UNCTAD report to transform agriculture. In 2007, another important report out of the multilateral system, the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), with contributions from experts from over 100 countries (and endorsed by nearly 60 countries), came to very similar conclusions. The IAASTD report concluded that “Business as Usual is Not an Option,” and the shift toward agroecological approaches was urgent and necessary for food security and climate resilience. Unfortunately, business as usual has largely continued. Maybe this new UNCTAD report will provide the tipping point for the policy transformation that must take place “before it’s too late.” - See more at: http://www.iatp.org/blog/201309/new-un-report-calls-for-transformation-in-agriculture#sthash.lE1VxHlY.dpuf December 22, 2013Hi, everybody,
Some letters in the paper this week worth finding or rereading:
Cathy Grant argues for the mayor and council of Cornwall to wake up and join the 21st century
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Opinion/Letter-to-editor/2013-12-21/article-3551973/Cornwall-council-must-back-transit/1
*Cornwall Council Must Back Transit*
Published on December 21, 2013//, in/ The Guardian.
Editor:
I have just heard that the council is voting tonight (Dec. 18) on whether to end its contract with the transit system. I cannot December 21, 2013
Hi, everyone, December 20, 2013
Hi, all, Plan B was announced two years ago today. You may remember, Minister Vessey making the surprise and surprising announcement of a completely new plan to use all the Atlantic Gateway money on a revised and expanded TCH realignment now stretching from Bonshaw to New Haven. This was several weeks earlier than expected and just a few short weeks after consultation on the three original Atlantic Gateway proposals closed. Vessey said the comments from those consultations said don't go through Strathgartney, but do go north of the CBC tower.When all the comments where finally released -- well after Plan B started -- there were no indications urging the province to go north of the CBC tower. The Guardian inadvertently marks the occasional in the lead of yesterday's editorial, with a pat on the back to Cornwall Mayor Barney Fullerton for clapping Robert Vessey on the back about Plan B. The editorial writer thinks it odd that so few have taken that such a vocal stand. Odd. **And on CBC Radio this morning about 7:40AM**, there will be a bit of coverage of a meeting yesterday. Cindy will be speaking about it with the hosts. Meetings were called for independently after the rains of December 4th by both Peter Bevan-Baker and by Cindy and me on behalf of the Citizens' Alliance and the public monitors. Minister Sherry batched us together, as it was the same group that met with her last year in January about failing mitigations then. We wanted to know their plans for specific areas that were left a mess by such late construction this fall and plans for the spring melt. The bottom line is that Minister Sherry is aware of most of the concerns, has asked for TIR's plans, and we'll talk again in January when they get that. ---------- The forecast looks a bit messy for tonight, but we'll go ahead with the Plan B Christmas party (in case it changes to be much worse and then we will postpone until after Christmas). 7PM, Bonshaw Community Centre. Have a great day, Chris O., Bonshaw December 19, 2013Hi, folks, December 18, 2013
Hi, everyone, If you are having a snow day, and have a bit of time, here are some articles about our forests and our use of them: From the Chronicle-Herald, the Novascotian section, this article from
Nova Scotia biologist Bob Bancroft: Seed Trees Determine the Future of NS Forests A National Geographic film crew flew to the Halifax airport several years ago, hired a vehicle and drove to my place east of Antigonish. These world travellers came to discuss coyotes, but the cameraman’s first question was: “What’s wrong with your forests? They’re scruffy and scrawny.” After clearing or clearcutting land, forest regrowth requires seed sources from nearby trees. When I purchased old farmland in 1975, nature had already been busy reclaiming a little over 22 hectares in eastern Nova Scotia. Different from the original forest, the new tree species growing here were mostly poplars, spruces, red maple, fir and wire birch. Able to grow on dry land exposed to sun, they colonize clearcuts, abandoned old fields and pastures, replenishing the soil with fallen leaves and needles. Many decades earlier a few relics from the original forest had been left to provide summer shade for pastured farm animals. These yellow birch, sugar maple, eastern hemlock, white pine and white ash became vital seed sources. They can germinate and grow in the partial or full shade of a forest. Over the next four decades I favoured their seedlings wherever they grew under the poplar and old field spruce forests. Many sites had no such trees nearby for seed. Planting was the only way to re-establish a more diverse forest. More diversity means a more resilient woods and wildlife. Ninety-nine per cent of the early seedlings or saplings that I first planted were eaten by common woodland animals. Protecting each planted tree with stakes and wire became a necessity for its survival. Those young trees and their cages continue to require regular tending as the trees grow, and openings in the forest have to be enlarged to let more sunlight reach them. The process is time-consuming and expensive, but it works. Many forests in Nova Scotia have been repeatedly harvested without much concern for the following generations of trees. For some reason, we tolerate the privatizing of profits to the forest industry, while ignoring the ecological costs or leaving the public purse to pay for rehabilitating the degraded forest. The pulp industry, supported by taxpayer subsidies, has spent decades cutting down complex forest ecosystems, replacing them with even-age, single-species softwoods. Discussions about biodiversity and species richness have become a farce in the face of this thrust to produce one cheap commodity — pulp. The red spruce is Nova Scotia’s provincial tree, growing in shady sites, and living for 150 to 200 years. How does this square with the 30-year-old sticks on tractor-trailer loads headed for mills? The government’s own harvest guidelines recommend leaving a significant mature forest component. Old trees have become rare, although they are sought out by many wildlife species that need them for shelter or nesting. Are we caretakers of our forests? Forests have become targets of large biomass producers. Some forest material was once left to rot and replenish forest soils after a harvest. Now it’s hauled, ground up and burned. This further degrades our forests, soils and wildlife habitats to subsidize industry energy costs. A recent government-industry agreement for wood on Crown land in western Nova Scotia set the price at $8.20 a tonne. That’s roughly a $16.40-per-cord cost to the industry. A cord of firewood to heat my wood stove costs $120 delivered, with a 60 per cent-plus energy efficiency. The more than 50 tractor-trailer loads of former forest being delivered daily to Nova Scotia Power’s biomass plant in Point Tupper produce electrical energy at a 21.5 per cent rate of efficiency. Yellow birch stands on Crown land in eastern Nova Scotia have become subject to biomass grinding. Is this wise use? What will the industry justify next? This industrial-strength forestry is too tough on the land. It’s not green. The fibre giveaways spell doom for many wildlife species and their habitats. They adversely affect fish in nearby streams, eliminate more valuable, local seed trees and render the sites unsuitable for the new growth of many valuable tree species. The current pace of tree removal severely limits future opportunities to rehabilitate forests cost-effectively. Restoring healthy forests and their wildlife habitats will be more costly without a source of local seed trees. Rehabilitation is needed, not continued ecological degradation of our forests. Nova Scotia needs to restore many valuable, site-suited native trees. To truly sustain ourselves as a species, as well as the wildlife with whom we share this place, the tide of abuse and overuse must be turned. It’s time for us to work along with nature. Bob Bancroft write clearly and knowledgeably; and PEI has very similar issues, but more intensified since our land base is smaller. We are fortunate to have talented people such as Gary Schneider and Darrell Guignion and others working in the woods, trying methods on their own property, leading workshops, etc.I meant to highlight these videos (below) earlier this fall, a year after Gary Schneider of the MacPhail Woods Forestry Project came to Plan B a few days after major tree chopping and bulldozing had started (Friday, October 26th, 2012). This is a beautiful video montage, but heartbreaking, the photos and soft music produced by Island woodsman and photographer Bruno Peripoli. It's about seven minutes long and records the day Gary led a walk in the Churchill area of Plan B. "It is sadly ironic that these machines have just cut a stand of 15-year old Acadian forest that I planted," Gary is quoted as saying. Yes, it was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNYNakCz-mw Here are two "live" short videos recording part of the walk and Gary's comments: Starting out: http://www.frequency.com/video/ecologist-gary-/64416478 A second part by a mixed pile of trees tossed in a stack. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqZdyAKo33Y The wood is unfortunately useless, Gary says, unless it was taken and sorted. Time has passed, and I have lost track -- it is a good question about what happened to those trees. Too late for the Plan B roadbed, but a fantastic resource for anyone in our area with a bit of woods or just interested in it is Restoring the Acadian Forest, by Jamie Simpson, reviewed here: http://ecopei.ca/Book_review_by_David_Coon.htm (The link to purchase it appears dead, but you can ask a local bookseller to order it or purchase it on-line.) Forest cutting for illogical reasons like biomass, roads going through good land, issues like fracking -- comments about land use and protection that the Land Use Policy Task Force would be happy to hear before writing its report to the Minister of Municipal Affairs. landuse@gov.pe.ca And a note that there will be a Plan B Christmas party, coinciding with the "anniversary" that the thing was announced two years ago, on Friday, December 20th, starting at 7PM, at the Bonshaw Community Centre. Bring a snack to share and come have a visit! Yours truly, Chris O., Bonshaw December 17, 2013
December 16, 2013
Hope you had a good snow day! We can make Canada's reality match its image
Canada is blessed with some of the last vestiges of pristine nature on Earth - unbroken forests, coastlines and prairies, thousands of rivers, streams and lakes, open skies, abundant fresh air. Many of us live in urban areas, but our spectacular landscapes are embedded in our history and culture. They define and shape us as people. We are also defined by our Constitution, which is far more than a set of legal prescriptions. It embodies our highest aspirations and values. As our nation's top law, one would expect it to reflect our connection to the land, air, water and wildlife that keep us alive and healthy. Our Constitution's Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives us freedom of expression, equal protection from discrimination and the right to life, liberty and security of the person. But it doesn't mention the environment. How can we fully enjoy our freedoms without the right to live in a healthy environment? Some Canadians are further ahead than others. Quebec's Environmental Quality Act and Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms both include environmental rights. Other provinces and territories - including Ontario, the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut - provide limited environmental rights. Worldwide, 110 countries enjoy constitutional rights to a healthy environment, and 181 of 193 UN member countries support recognition of such a right. Canada and the U.S. are among the exceptions. The sad truth is that Canada fares poorly among wealthy nations on environmental performance. A recent ranking by the Washington-based Center for Global Development puts Canada last of 27 industrialized nations. The Conference Board of Canada rated our country 15th out of 17 industrialized nations for standards on air pollution, climate change, water and other environmental factors. And the World Health Organization reports that 36,800 premature deaths a year and 13 per cent of illnesses and injuries in Canada are related to exposure to environmental hazards - costing us tens of billions a year in health-care expenses and lost productivity. The benefits of constitutional protection of the environment are many and the drawbacks few. In places with such a right, people have legal avenues to protect them from activities that pollute the environment and put human health at risk. For example, Argentina's constitutional environmental-rights protection was used in a case where industrial pollution was seriously affecting the health of people along the Matanza-Riachuelo River. After residents sued the national, provincial and municipal governments and 44 corporations, Argentina's government established clean-up, restoration and regional environmental health plans. It has increased the number of environmental inspectors in the region from three to 250, and created 139 water, air and soil quality monitoring points. There's still much to be done, but three new water-treatment plants and 11 new sewage-treatment plants mean millions of people now have access to clean water and sanitation. Many garbage dumps and polluting industries were shut down. And the local economy benefited. A legal right to a healthy environment is not about hamstringing corporations; it's about ensuring they're run responsibly and that people's health and well-being come first. It's also about ensuring laws are enforced and penalties imposed when they're violated. The total amount of fines imposed under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act from 1988 through 2010 (about $2.4 million) amounted to less than what the Toronto Public Library collected in overdue-book fines in one year, 2009 (about $2.7 million)! And it's not a right-versus-left political issue. Jacques Chirac, France's conservative president from 1995 to 2007, made constitutional recognition of the right to a healthy environment one of his priorities. More than 70,000 French citizens attended public hearings on the issue and France's Charter for the Environment was later enacted with broad support from all political parties. Evidence suggests that stronger environmental regulation spurs innovation and competitiveness, so the right to a healthy environment can benefit the economy. In the aftermath of the Walkerton disaster, Ontario strengthened its drinking-water legislation, which stimulated development and growth of the water-treatment technology sector. Countries with constitutional environmental protection, such as Norway, often enjoy high economic and environmental standards. It won't be easy to get the right to a healthy environment enshrined in Canada's Constitution. But with public support and small steps along the way - such as encouraging legal protection from municipal, regional and provincial governments - we can make it happen. Watch a short video about Right to a Healthy Environment. By David Suzuki with contributions from Ian Hanington, Senior Editor Have a great day, December 15, 2013Hi, everyone,  You can also find the road cameras through the 511 road condition pages: http://511.gov.pe.ca/en/map_report.html (and you have to play with the settings in the upper right hand corner to "enable" camera locations and also the outdated construction warnings....) Have a good snow day, Chris O., Bonshaw December 14, 2013
Hi,
everybody, Editor: In your "Letter of the Day" Mr. S. John Newman suggests large factory farms are a solution to satisfy the ever-increasing consumer demand for affordable food. Well, I have found a simpler and better solution. For the past 10 or 15 years we have bought our beef and pork from the small family farm of David and Edith Ling. The Lings have made a good living, for many years, by growing high-quality, organic beef and pork and selling directly to the consumer. There are many plusses to this simple solution. It is environmentally friendly. It is more humane. We get a better product at a price significantly cheaper than supermarket prices. The farmer gets a fair return for his or her labour, and the money stays in our local economy. What could be better? This solution suggests that we must find a way to connect more and more consumers directly to those who grow the food for us. Sadly, David Ling has recently passed away — but his farming legacy lives on and I hope, as time heals, Edith Ling will remain active in our farming community. Brian Pollard, Charlottetown Take care this weekend, December 13, 2013
Hi, all,
Another string of interesting letters worth a second look: Editor: Environment Canada has said it sees no problem with AquaBounty Tech producing its genetically modified salmon eggs at its hatchery in Bay Fortune. Once approval comes from Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration it will be able to start selling these eggs to hatcheries throughout North America. The USFDA has already ruled the fish/eggs posed no "significant" environmental threat, but public response was so loud it has extended the comments period to allow more debate. The problem is the very significant chance of these salmon escaping and polluting the wild stock. These are Atlantic salmon we are talking about, a species that has been decimated in the wild, and especially in its former territory in North America (every stream and river in Eastern Canada, all the way up to Southern Ontario, once had wild spawning populations; Atlantic salmon also spawn in Iceland, Scotland, Norway, etc.). They are so fragile, and shaky standards in the aquaculture industry have introduced more problems to the wild stock. The escape and spawning of one of these GM salmon could mean the permanent introduction of those genetics into the wild stock; there would be no turning back. There is no ocean-based aquaculture farm that has not lost fish at some point. It will eventually happen. These salmon eggs were developed in Canada, and are produced at the hatchery in Bay Fortune. (Yet the company behind it all is American!). To be clear, the salmon eggs are already being produced in Bay Fortune, and salmon have already been raised; the waited-for approvals are just to allow them to sell their eggs, to whoever wants them. AquaBounty is sending eggs for testing to Panama. The Panamanian test site does not have a great record. In 2008, a storm destroyed part of the facility, according to a filing to the FDA. In 2010, an entire batch of fingerlings died in transit, according to Panamanian officials. The National Environmental Authority in Panama conducted an inspection of the AquaBounty operation in 2012 found violations including failures to submit monitoring reports every three months and a failure to obtain permits for wastewater discharge. Our government is being cavalier about genetic modification. The ramifications of such genetic manipulation would need to be studied for years, even decades, to truly know what the long-term effects will be, yet bureaucrats continue to rubber-stamp GMs based on little or no science other than that of the companies applying for the approval. Like so many other environmental crimes, Canada leads the world in GMs, both research and use. This is not an area I feel comfortable being a leader in. Catherine O'Brien,
Pownal
A few days later came this letter with additional concerns about the fish and
plans for other genetically modified animals: Editor: The letter by Catherine O’Brien on Dec. 2 should set off a siren and a series of flashing red lights. The letter contained a lot of facts that apply to GMO produced salmon such as the absence of studies that are of sufficient length to clearly indicate the absolute safety of these products for consumption. A GMO mini-summit was held last month in the U.S. which outlined many serious problems with genetically-modified organisms. This letter is a follow up to Ms. O’Brien’s letter of Monday. Jeffrey Smith, who was both an interview and an interviewer at the summit, is a world authority on the dangers of GMOs. Regarding GMO salmon he said, “a genetically engineered fish was tested by the Canadian government and when it was put into tanks with other 'Frankenfish' or natural salmon and there was sufficient food, everything was fine. But as soon as they reduced the amount of available food, these ravenous ‘Frankenfish’ started killing and consuming their competitors. He adds … “when Aqua Bounty submitted its research, even the pro-GM FDA asked them to redo it. Then they assembled a team that was handpicked to approve it and to recommend the salmon. Even that team couldn’t recommend it based on the shoddy science and they sent it back for more research. But that hasn’t stopped the FDA from saying, “We have enough research to approve it.” Hopefully they won’t end up approving it. Right now we have more and more supermarkets saying that if it is approved, they will not sell it. Further, in referring to Monsanto and GMOs, Smith says “they have many types of fish in the pipeline waiting to be introduced. They have pigs. They have cows. They want to genetically engineer the mothering instinct out of livestock to put them into factory farms. They basically want to replace nature in its entirety.” In response to the possibility of some of these GMO fish escaping to the ocean Smith said, “if that happens, you might have roving gangs of very aggressive fish completely changing the ecosystem.” People, get informed about GMO products. Dave Campbell, Charlottetown And Mr. Campbell's letter prompted this diatribe, that when the smoke clears, does (perhaps not intended) raise a good point-- namely that the demand for cheap food has propelled both the decline of the family farm *and* the market for GMO-producing corporations to step in with what they claim are solutions: Published on December 11, 2013 Genetic Modifications Insure Future of Salmon Stock Editor: Regarding David Campbell’s letter (Get informed about G.M. on December 7) just makes me shake my head at the lack of knowledge of the uninformed general public, who spout forth the mantra of the anti-genetic modification brigade — against every foodstuff they are able to name. He speaks irreverently of salmon stocks being farmed. If Mr. Campbell wants to consume salmon, along with millions of other inhabitants of this planet, then in a very short time Mr. Campbell, Greenpeace and every tree hugger in the western world would be demanding the fishing of both commercial and recreational salmon stock be banned and or prohibited by all nations. Through the skills of modern science and genetic modification, man has created the ability to end the danger of fishing salmon stocks to extinction. Mr. Campbell’s idea and image of farming fish stock for the benefit of mankind, and the well-being of our planet’s aquatic fellow occupants of the world, appear to be very selfish. He seems to hold the position it is totally irrelevant that we continue to take in unlimited quantities of the commodity from the wild that will lead eventually to the point of their extinction, without any regard or thought for reproducing the species. By farming and protecting the salmon, we ensure the future of the species, for our fellow man. Mr. Campbell then continues to heap scorn on the farmers of livestock. Has Mr. Campbell ever worked 12 or more hours a day, seven days a week, for 40 or 50 years, as most farmers left in the business of agriculture are of that age group? He speaks of factory farming — removing the mothering instinct from pigs and cows. I think Mr. Campbell should first of all understand what he is talking about. All of us in agriculture know he is just spouting male bovine faeces. Just come to our farm or any farm on the Island, the Atlantic provinces, Canada or North America, and see nature’s instincts at work. Let us look at his concept of factory farming. His concept is: the mass rearing or growing of livestock for huge profits by large, multinational conglomerates. The motor industry consists of a handful of manufactures of automobiles. Small companies could not compete with the cheap price of Henry F. and his cronies’ assembly lines, and they fell by the wayside in the ’50s and ’60s. Look at our poor Island’s condition of the small family farm. Hundreds and hundreds of destitute and derelict farms scatter the sides of every rural road. Why? Because the consumer (buyer of groceries) wants cheap vegetables, cheap milk and cheap meat. Has Mr. Campbell ever tried to grow for his personal use, a chicken, a cow or pig? No. And he has no intention of ever doing that, because it is too difficult and the cost is more than the animal is worth. That is why our farms and agricultural way of life is in decline, leading to bigger “factory” farms that are taking over the production of food for the public: small profit per unit, compensated by huge numbers of livestock or acres of production. What option does the small farmer have, other than to cease production before / after bankruptcy? Mr. Campbell, as do most of the protesters against factory farming, has absolutely no qualms against “factory fast food” farms. The golden arches, red haired burger girl, hundreds of pizza joints and deceased hockey player coffee shops. All these establishments are selling mass produced prepared food and drink. Where does the meat, vegetables, and doughnut mixture originate? We just know it comes from “somewhere else” — and don’t ask where. Mr. Campbell and all the anti-G.M. followers are nothing else than blind faith hypocrites, wallowing in self-righteousness, regurgitating the words of others who profess to know just what is right for mankind. S. John Newman, Springfield A bit more information is found here: Have a good day, December 12, 2013
Hi, all,
Letters to The Guardian bring viewpoints that the editorials seldom
consider, and this past week had several fantastic ones. Editor: This letter is in response to Mayor Fullerton’s comments on Plan B, and his commendation to Premier Robert Ghiz and his entire cabinet “for sticking to their vision in the face of considerable opposition.” I’m saddened to see a politician describe ignoring the public as something to be commended. Whether you agree with Plan B or not, I think we can mostly agree that the best politicians are the ones that listen carefully to the electorate. They understand that, though they may be “experts” in “spending public money,” the citizens experience the brunt and grace of political decisions. We are experts in the consequences of political decisions. You are servants. It takes strength and humility to listen carefully. It takes stubbornness and arrogance to “stick to your vision in the face of considerable opposition.” We have no need for condescending leadership. We have a great need for humble leadership, with genuine consultation, genuine public debate and plebiscites for controversial issues. Randy Campbell,
Plan B highway receives C or D Published on December 11, 2013 Editor: I read Mayor Fullerton of Cornwall, his editorial “Plan B deserves an A” recently in Saturday’s Guardian on November 30. Well, I for one certainly disagree with his view of this expensive project and I suspect many more will in the days ahead. Instead of an “A”, maybe it should receive a “C” or “D” as people were also put out of their homes for this project. I think instead of this Plan B Highway by Robert Vessey and the rest of the Liberal Ghiz gang, we now could’ve had a central provincial museum for the province. The province, with its rich history, and especially with the 2014 events coming up, would have been of a “common sense” approach in my opinion. Unfortunately, the foresight didn’t seem to be there for a worthwhile project like this one by this government. I certainly believe the Plan B Highway was not a step in the right direction. I really think our tax dollars should have been spent more wisely by the provincial government from the offset. In the end I think we all need to stand up to the dictators wherever they be. As one gentleman said, “Canada, land of the free because of the brave.” Merry Christmas to all of us who fit into this latter description. Lloyd Pickering, Andy Robb also calls for the establishment of a Provincial Museum, something
much more substantial that 2014 money could have gone for: And related to issues of sidestepping democracy and pushing an agenda
through: No Ombudsman Means No
Answers Editor: I contacted the English school board so I can speak at the public meeting in Summerside on December 17, 2013. I had no response. Students are allowed to pass Grade 12 without studying. They just have to show up for class. There is no provincial ombudsman to investigate the practice of passing students from one grade to the next. The Ghiz government won’t hold school board elections until the next provincial election. Now the Ghiz government is delaying the provincial election until 2016. The Ghiz government changed the Election Act to maintain the two-party system. P.E.I. has no system of recalling politicians. The commission that determines MLAs salaries is fully aware that the Liberals changed the Election Act to require more signatures for a candidate to run in an election yet allowed MLAs a pay raise. Island students score the lowest in Canada. I can’t speak at a public meeting to question the delay in school board elections or the Ghiz government reneging on its promise for a provincial ombudsman. John W.A. Curtis, ------------ Ron Kelly of Charlottetown writes about the
pension reform and circumventing legal challenges: Government Bullies Unions Editor: Comments have been made before about the hypocrisy demonstrated by many members of the legislative assembly in their superficial support for anti-bullying measures in our society. After all, we have seen many instances in the provincial legislature where a form of bullying behaviour has been on clear display. In addition, all current MLAs represent political parties that have benefited from — and continue to employ — a patronage system that is the political equivalent of bullying. Now we have a government introducing legislation that attempts to protect it from the legal effects of its efforts to unilaterally reduce pension benefits and break contracts. In other words, we have a government that is saying: “We’re going to do whatever we want and there’s nothing you can do to stop us! And we don’t care if we have the moral or legal right to do this; we’re going to use our control of the legislative assembly to protect ourselves from any legal challenges to our actions!” Is this not the very definition of a bully? It should be noted, too, that if the Ghiz government really felt that its actions to reduce pension benefits were legal, it would not have to pass legislation protecting itself from legal challenges. That being the case, shouldn’t all Islanders who support the principles of democracy and the rule of law — including Liberal Party members and supporters — be demanding that the Ghiz government resist the temptation to hide behind its intended legislative strong-arm measure and, instead, let the chips fall where they may? If the government is confident that its actions are legal, why not let the courts decide that? Ron Kelly, And Carl Mathis spins a silly and sticky senate
story: Invisible "Duck"
Tape Missing From Rope Editor: So far, no one has asked why the PMO got involved with leaving Ms. Wallin and Mr. Brazeau to dangle on their own ropes, while trying to make Mr. Duffy’s rope invisible. So: Why? Did Mr. Wright imagine the wrong solution, all by himself? Did Mr. Duffy go ask for Invisible Duck Tape for his rope, the better to duck his responsibility for what he had done? The result, of course, is that the Invisible Duck Tape was not transparent. Why not? Ms. Wallin and Mr. Brazeau did not use Invisible Duck Tape and get only an occasional mention in the media. They have made restitution gestures, Ms. Wallin’s’ restitution being larger than Mr. Duffy’s would have been, and have become translucent, if not transparent. If there had been no Invisible Duck Tape, would Mr. Duffy have become transparent? Wrong metaphor? It is not the size of the offence. Being government, the government wastes more money every second than Mr. Duffy cheated out of us over his years in the Senate. Was it the verb, cheat, or was it the attempt to Invisible Duck Tape it over, that caused the furor? By the way, if you look for Invisible Duck Tape at Canadian Tire, you won’t see it. Carl Mathis, More on the genetically modified salmon concerns (and corporate interests) expressed in letters tomorrow -- the Guardian needs to get the first one that raised the issue recently on-line. Take care, December 11, 2013
Hello, all, John Morris is an Island photographer, visual artist, web designer and
photojournalist who spent a lot of time at Hemlock Grove last year, camping,
hiking and documenting. Cinema
Politica Charlottetown and CUPE PEI will host the screening of the film, Capitalism
is the Crisis: Radical Politics in the Age of Austerity, Have a good (cold) day, December 10, 2013
Hi, all, A
look back:  Planted Acadian forest in foreground gets first cut.  Looking west from Peter's Road over Crawford's Brook towards Churchill. (CO photo) And this is worth a re-read: We can stop Plan B Published on September 25, 2012, in The Guardian Editor:I am not a tree hugger. In fact over the last 25 years, I have clear cut hundreds of acres of woods on this Island. It is general practice not to cut pine, hemlock, and oak. They are left to hopefully seed a new generation. I can honestly say I have cut maybe 12 in total of these species over my time. Plan B will destroy more of these ancient trees than I have cut in my whole career. The larch, hemlock and pine in the path of Plan B are rare, born in the 1800s. They may be as old as Canada. I challenge the silent majority to walk this planned highway. Stop and relax under these trees, linger there, think, then walk out and let them be dozed; or speak, say no, and stop this plan. There are many reasons to stop Plan B. This one is closest to my heart. If I can help save this unique part of this Island, I would be glad to be called a tree-hugger. Dana Jeffrey, Long Creek Dana and his wife Deb are heroes of Plan B, dedicating many, many hours to environmental monitoring and building Camp Vision.
Yours truly, December 9, 2013
Hi, everyone,
On Friday the 29th of November, after some heady praise of the group that made
up the Bonshaw Hills Public Lands Committee, the Premier announced that Cabinet
had accepted the recommendations of the Bonshaw Hills Public Lands Committee
including the formation of a "wilderness park". (By the way,
the word "wilderness" does not appear in the draft document,
found here: http://www.gov.pe.ca/tir/bonshawhills )  On the display in the lower right of this photo is a map regarding fracking in New Brunswick, which I think is further expanded here: map of New Brunswick from the "No Shale Gas" folks: http://noshalegasnb.ca/news/about-fracking/nb-fracking/ For those wishing to donate to the legal costs of those in Elsipogtog fighting fracking: http://www.gofundme.com/Saving-Mother-Earth Best wishes, Chris O., Bonshaw December 8, 2013
Hello, everyone,
Some Sunday news bits: Cindy Richards sees the world differently than you and I do. Need proof? On a recent fall day, there she stood, a petite, somewhat forlorn figure next to a chunk of fresh blacktop 20 minutes west of Charlottetown. Behind her, dump trucks rattled and hummed by on the new highway. If she looked to her right, she could see a big pile of red Island boulders. If she looked down, over the shiny new guardrail, she could see half a football field of man-made ground cover, sloping at a 45-degree angle. “It’s hard to imagine, I know, but none of this was here before,” she says over the clatter of 18-wheelers. “There’s 100 feet of rock over what used to be just stream and trees.” Her voice has a wistful tone. To a passing tourist, the geography — stands of beech and hemlock, low rolling hills, the occasional iconic Island farmhouse — is not inspiring, by the province’s elevated standards. Richards’ sense of loss is nevertheless deep. She doesn’t like that a chunk of natural landscape in a tiny province where land is dear was bisected by a highway extension. But it’s the “how” as much as the “what” that turned the Trans-Canada Highway realignment into one of the most divisive issues on the Island since the creation of the Confederation Bridge. For folks like Richards and the realignment’s other opponents, the P.E.I. government’s decision to sink $12 million into the project wasn’t just a waste of money. “It’s plain stupid on a whole bunch of levels,” says Chris Ortenburger, who, along with Richards, was one of the driving forces behind the citizen-based Stop Plan B coalition. The province says it had no choice. Safety is always at the forefront of any discussion about the Plan B project — as it has been dubbed — with P.E.I. Transportation Minister Robert Vessey. After all, RCMP statistics show there were 63 crashes from 2001 to 2010 along the highway section being rerouted. That accounts for about 3.5 per cent of the total collisions on P.E.I.’s leg of the Trans-Canada during that period. More worrisome is that the crash rate along the Plan B section was 50 per cent higher than on the rest of the highway on Island soil. Vessey says the rejigged highway will be safer because 28 accesses have been removed, along with substandard curves and slopes on the road. “I think when people drive the alignment, they’ll realize and judge the whole process on the finished product,” he said in an interview. The plan, though, was a hard sell to Islanders. Two years ago, the government asked the public what it thought of three Trans-Canada Highway realignment proposals put forward under the aegis of the federal government’s Atlantic Gateway Project, set up to improve transportation infrastructure throughout the region. At first, the province opted to spend the Gateway funding from the feds on a new stretch of highway that would have bisected Strathgartney Provincial Park, the island’s oldest, known for lovely stands of beech trees. The outcry was loud enough to drive the Robert Ghiz government back to the drawing board. Eventually, it returned with what became known as Plan B, going around the park instead of through it. That sounds simpler than it is. The top-ography in the area, though gentle, is complex. In some places, heavy machinery had to dig into hills in the road’s path to bring the route down to the right grade. In other areas, hundreds of tonnes of rock had to be used to fill in valleys and build the route up. The upshot: a stretch of highway that sometimes runs between thick walls of rock and at other times features long slopes leading down into deep valleys. On the busiest days, construction crews moved 1,000 loads of dirt and stone. All in all, it’s estimated that trucks hauled more than 70,000 40-ton loads by the time the new highway opened for traffic this fall. Projects like this don’t happen every day in Prince Edward Island, a province with a population of about 145,000 but a debt load of nearly $1.4 billion. The provincial government split the $16-million cost of building the six-kilometre stretch of highway with the feds. That doesn’t include the estimated $4 million the province spent on buying more than 25 properties that stood in the extension’s way. “Plan B,” says Ortenburger, a mother of four, “is an expensive overreaction to fix a couple of curves in a small, indebted province.” It’s not just the suggested lack of fiscal prudence that raised hackles. Plan B’s opponents say the property owners — many of them older matriarchs and patriarchs of the community — felt they had no choice but to sell. Then there was the lack of public consultation throughout the planning process. And last but not least, the environmental fallout: the way the government blasted through some old-growth forest during the construction phase, and the silt run-off that sometimes appeared when it rained. The opponents haven’t taken it sitting down. Placard-waving protesters picketed the legislature. More than 4,000 citizens signed a petition against the project. On a rainy afternoon in October 2012, Richards was handcuffed and in tears as the RCMP cleared out protesters from a camp that was in the road’s path. They weren’t done yet. A teepee was erected on land overlooking the highway construction, and from the encampment — dubbed Camp Vision — Richards and a rotating crew of others kept a year-round watch on the work site. Deep bonds were forged during those long days and nights. “It seems more real than a lot of friendships,” says Larry Cosgrave, one of the group. “Especially the teepee life. You get right down to the basics of survival, and if you can relate and get along that way, I think it’s pretty solid. It’s morphed into ‘Plan Beyond.’” In October, with the entire stretch of new highway open, the teepee came down. The issue, though, lives on. A small group of environmental monitors shows up when it rains to check for sediment running from the construction site into rivers and streams. Equally important, in the view of some of the project’s opponents, is that Plan B has spawned a new enough-is-enough attitude on the Island. As proof, they point to the way that Stop Plan B’s successor, the Citizens Alliance of P.E.I. — described by its organizers as “advocating and organizing for environmental rights and improved democratic process” — seems to be gathering steam on the island. “First, it was Stop Plan B,” says Island environmentalist Daphne Davey. “Now it is Watch Plan B. Then it will be Remember Plan B.” With files by freelance writer Ryan Ross. John DeMont is senior writer and columnist for The Chronicle Herald. ---------- Have a great Sunday, and don't forget the Plan B
Christmas Party is Friday, December 20, in Bonshaw (details to follow): December 7, 2013Hi, everyone, Yesterday, Cindy Richards posted a mini-documentary video summarizing what the public heard from government and the actual efficacy of mitigations resulting from the rain December 3rd and 4th (3 minutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOBoXjpUjys&feature=youtube_gdata ---------- A Little Legislature Math: The 4th session of the 64th General Assembly ended yesterday, a bit after 11AM. You could tell Thursday that these people were getting ready to head home for the holidays in that things went into what could be described in football as the three-minute warning -- everybody starts playing very focused and fast. Friday morning when some MLAs started thanking their staff, the real work was done.
The Legislature sat from November 12th until December 6th -- that was 16 days (four days a week) and about 63 hours total (five hours Tuesdays and Thursdays, three hours Wednesdays and Fridays)
Question Period (QP) is the one major time each day the Opposition (and Independents and Government members) can challenge the Government with inquiries.
Question Period lasts about 45 minutes, but a few of those minutes are devoted to questions from Government members that tend to be "kissy questions" -- a thinly disguised question to a Minister which elicits an announcement which is greeted with great thumping and cheering.
So that leaves about 40 minutes times 16 days, or about 15 hours, for serious one-on-one questioning, No, we didn't factor the ratio of specific questions to rhetorical questions, as that resulting number would be *really* low ;-)
But that's it -- no more direct, accountable questioning by Opposition members to the Government in a public setting. Answers to questions which couldn't be answered in previous QPs were just handed in yesterday like late homework, with the citizen having no idea what the answers were.
After the theatrics of losing two members of the Opposition, the remaining three worked very hard. Steven Myers enjoys the sparring but still gets to the point and listens and responds to the answer he is given -- kudos to him for his work as Interim Leader. Olive Crane continues to ask very pointed questions nobody else will. Hal Perry of the Liberals was cosseted like a wobbly new puppy.
When the house was winding down today, Steven Myers was doggedly following a trail asking about the Transportation Department's acquisition of an 88-acre farm in Brackley (for half a million dollars over the assessed value). He obviously knew where and exactly how much it was bought for, but he wanted Minister Vessey to explain. Perhaps this is the site where Transportation will move "the Government Garage" that is currently by the Hillsborough Bridge? (This new location is not that centrally located, but it is in Mr. Vessey's district). Well, this kind of illumination with government members being put on the spot by Opposition and media right there won't continue until April when the Legislature resumes sitting.
It is worth considering how some kind of representation by proportion could improve discussion and accountability when our current system often results in lopsided majorities that do not accurately reflect the voters' concerns. ---------- Last year Santa greeted the MLAs on the last day of the Legislature and gave the Premier a photo of the beautiful woodcut (below) , but this year, especially after the announcement that the Liberals are pushing the provincial election back six months until Spring 2016, perhaps a visit by Krampus would have been more appropriate (Sinterklaas's elf-like helper who catches the children who misbehaved). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus
Island craftsman Gary Loo's woodcut, depicting the Fractured Flag after Plan B.
Have a great day, Chris O., Bonshaw December 6, 2013
Hi, all, A year ago today CBC got the results of survey they commissioned that showed over half of Islanders were against Plan B. It was a bittardy that they commissioned a poll a couple of months after construction started, but they wanted their own proof of the numbers, which of course echoed those from the citizen-initiated plebiscite and other measures; all of which government chose to ignore. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/45-opposed-to-trans-canada-re-route-poll-1.1129650 Continuing to highlight poor decision-making skills of elected representatives in the PEI government, we have a Transportation Minister who likes the wardrobe, the smart buddies, and the office...   ....but who spent a packet of money we don't have and justifying it by safety claims (when cheaper options were offered). Minister Vessey stood in the Legislature a week ago and read out the numbers: Mr. Vessey: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The summer and fall – Some Hon. Members: (Indistinct). Speaker: The hon. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal has the floor. Mr. Vessey: The summer and fall are busy times for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal as it is the height of our highway construction season. As minister responsible for building and maintaining Island highways and bridges, I would like to provide the House with a brief update on the work we accomplished during the 2013 construction season. Government has paved a total of 92 kilometres of roadway throughout the province, including the 6.3 kilometre Trans- Canada Highway realignment between New Haven and Bonshaw. Approximately $12 million in highway projects was tendered, which, combined with $5 million in matching funds from the federal government, amounted to a total of $17 million in contracts that were awarded. Some of these projects were completed this season and others will be finished next year. We also completed other critical jobs during the season that are important to maintain and improving our road infrastructure, such as installing culvert liners and storm sewers. We replaced or repaired nine different bridges in our province including the Canoe Cove, Crapaud, Emerald, Kentyre Road and Marie bridges. Six more contracts were issued for bridge maintenance, or a total of $5.2 million that was tendered during this past season. As some of you may know, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal is responsible for maintaining 5,338 kilometres of roadways on Prince Edward Island. We also look after 1,389 bridges and highway structures throughout our province. It is important for the safety of every motorist that travels our Island’s roadways that our highways are in the best possible condition. To report a problem on one of our roadways, such as a knocked-down road sign or traffic light, a pothole, or a shoulder or bridge wash-out, visit our website at government.pe.ca/tir. You can also visit 511.gov.pe.ca or call 511 on a touch-tone phone to check on current roadway conditions. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Some Hon. Members: Hear, hear! Speaker: Responding to the ministerial statement, the hon. Leader of the Opposition. Leader of the Opposition: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I did honestly believe that the minister was going to get up and announce (Indistinct) there but it didn’t happen. Anyway, I know that there’s a heavy capital burden on the transportation department, and I know when the capital budget comes down we’re going to be looking for a lot of different projects to see if they’re in the capital budget or not. <snip> ---------- Minister Vessey got in another CBC article yesterday, explaining "recycling": http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/rocks-from-plan-b-highway-to-protect-shoreline-1.2452580 It's meant to be a feel-good story -- some "good" coming out of project, and even Minister Vessey admitting the rocks are surprising unyielding. “The sandstone out there is very hard, probably the hardest sandstone I think the contractor has ever run up against." (Yes, I think the excavator operators who replaced the worn teeth -- estimated at costing $10,000 per week -- would confirm this. This hardness could have been tested beforehand and factored into rejecting Plan B.)
---------- December 5, 2013
Hello, everyone,
The Legislature met yesterday afternoon, even though government offices were closed.
While several MLAs who are ministers drive taxpayer-funded SUVs and pickup
trucks, and some may have stayed in town, it was still surprising they didn't
close for the day with the state of the roads. It's likely government has
a plan for closing the Legislature this week (someone suggested that
"important people" must have holiday travel tickets bought).
Today and tomorrow the Legislature sits, starting at 2PM today and 10AM Friday
morning, if you would like to attend.  Striking failures allowing sediment from Plan B to flow into the watercourses, morning of December 4, 2013; all photos and video from Cindy Richards and Dana Jeffery: Crawford's Stream both upstream and downstream:   Crawford's Brook is especially troubling as the water cascaded into the concrete boxes, dissipates, and resurfaces mid-box:    (looking towards the exit downstream) The water and sediment reappear and continue out the box (right picture)
Across from Crosby's ravine, the fill-storage area released sediment into
the West River alongside Green Road by the little footbridge:   Sediment-rich water was flowing into the (Bonshaw) West River at the
Bonshaw TCH bridge and into the Church. December 4, 2013
Hi,
all, As a former oil and gas engineer and one who has managed hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations in Western Canada and the U.S. for 28 years, I am following the situation in your province with keen interest, having a family connection in Newfoundland. I feel an obligation to bring to your attention some facts from the industry. I support the government with its recent decision for a moratorium on fracking.Contrary to Natural Resources Minister Derek Dalley’s belief, the people are not emotional, but rather motivated to do the right thing for their communities. Actually, obtaining a permanent ban on fracking would be advisable. Although the intent of an internal government review is to gather information, it would be good practice, even best practice, to have it independent, open and based on peer-review science. The claim by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and Black Spruce Energy that 175,000 wells have been hydraulically fractured without water contamination is totally false. From experience, companies deal with such situations by coercing landowners to sign confidentiality agreements or by promising towns and local organizations money for projects, therefore silencing them and avoiding costly litigation and protecting their public image. Everywhere I worked in the U.S. or in Western Canada, those techniques were and are still used today to silence farmers, landowners and municipalities. This is what is coming to Newfoundland if fracking is allowed. Wells by fracking do leak, either during the operation or shortly after, into the aquifer, and all wells will leak over time, again, into your source of drinking water. By the time the people are sick from the contamination and the chemicals, governments and local politicians have changed, companies gone, money is longer available, jobs are gone. The reality of jobs related to fracking, in terms of numbers, is very different than offshore (platform) drilling exploration. Fracking involves a lot fewer jobs at exploration and production stage. We usually sub-contract the work to bring qualified, experienced crews for a short period of time and hire a few locals to perform low-paying jobs such as maintenance, snowclearing and security. Hardly worth the talk about an economic boom if you compare it to what the west coast of Newfoundland will be losing in tourism and fisheries revenues. People working in the industry are people who have mortgages, kids at school and responsibilities, and often turn the other direction when they leave the problems behind. After all, it is not their town. That is why the residents in a posh suburb north of Calgary, where a lot of oil executives live, do not want fracking next to their homes. This has been an issue at home for me as it proves that it is acceptable and safe for others to live with flares, truck traffic, 24-hour noise, the smell of methane — but not for their families. There is something to learn from this. People like me want to retire to Newfoundland and not find that fracking has destroyed the communities and families we left behind. The province is not Alberta and has more to lose than to win with fracking. A permanent ban on fracking looks good from where I stand. ---------- And Monday was a hastily called Day of Action to support the folks in
Elsipogtog, near Rexton, NB, and a group of dedicated Islanders handed out
leaflets and took a photo later:  December 3, 2013
Hi, all, A few interesting things today:The Cornwall Bypass resurfaces: Apparently, there has been talk by government, and $45 million needed. Not sure which "plan" is being talked about, but the mayor has certainly been talking (Guardian letter Saturday saying "Plan B gets an 'A" " and quoted in article yesterday saying public transportation in Cornwall should be scrapped). The same issues are here: the real cost with "fifty-cent" dollars, no specific map shown, farmland and woodlands permanently converted to pavement, what are the real safety issues involved, etc. So it bears watching. ---------- But sometimes our elected officials look at the whole picture: Standing Committee recommends a moratorium on fracking and on off-shore drilling: Last Tuesday, MLA Paula Biggar, who is Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Environment, Energy and Forestry, tabled a report for this sitting of the Legislature based on what they have been doing in the past few months. Committee Members: Paula Biggar, Chair (District 23, Tyne Valley‐Linkletter) James Aylward (District 6, Stratford‐Kinlock) (Opposition) Kathleen Casey (District 14, Charlottetown‐Lewis Point) Bush Dumville (District 15, West Royalty‐Springvale) Pat Murphy (District 26, Alberton‐Roseville) Hon. Steven Myers (District 2, Georgetown‐St. Peters) (Opposition) Hal Perry (District 27, Tignish‐Palmer Road) Buck Watts (District 8, Tracadie‐Hillsborough Park) Sonny Gallant (District 24, Evangeline‐Miscouche) also served as a substitute member. They have been meeting, and *listening*. They have had presentations by Don't Frack PEI and by Save Our Seas and Shores about the concerns regarding fracking and off-shore drilling in the Gulf, pluis ones on what to do for energy when you reduce fossil fuels, and a special presentation by Sylvain Archambault of the St. Lawrence Coalition. (I was at one of the earlier meeting this summer and one of the members asked a really un-bright question saying something like fracking could be done safely, right? That's what the corporations said, after all.) But since then they have heard more and sat around and discussed things; and tabled their report, here: http://www.assembly.pe.ca/committees/getCommittees.php?cnumber=11 (under Committee Reports) Here are the recommendations from the November 26 report (bolding mine): 1. Your committee recommends that Government declare a moratorium on high volume hydraulic fracturing on Prince Edward Island. Your committee is very concerned that hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” for shale gas extraction has not been shown to be safe and is in fact a significant threat to health and the environment. Information provided to your committee indicated that the fluid pumped into the ground in the fracturing process contains numerous different combinations of chemicals, some of which may be toxic and/or carcinogenic. The likelihood of leaks from extraction wells and the permeability of PEI’s sandstone mean that these fluids can spread easily, including into the aquifers Islanders rely on for drinking water. Interaction of contaminated groundwater with surface water would threaten aquatic habitats and fisheries. Hydraulic fracturing also uses volumes of fresh water on par with the weekly usage of a city like Charlottetown just to pump one well. Heavy truck traffic is required to bring water to a well site and to remove the chemical‐water waste mixture after the well is pumped, which raises the potential for spills, not to mention the question of waste disposal. It has been reported to your committee that discussions on fracking in Island communities have revealed a great deal of fear and concern over this method of resource extraction. Indeed, fracking‐related leaks, spills and accidents would be catastrophic for our province, and your committee believes it would be best to prohibit this form of underground gas extraction. Your committee also notes that Newfoundland and Labrador recently declared such a moratorium. 2. A) Your committee recommends that Government declare a moratorium on offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling in Prince Edward Island’s territorial waters. B) Your committee recommends that Government collaborate with the governments of Canada, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Quebec to establish a comprehensive management plan for the Gulf of St. Lawrence that puts a priority on protection of the marine ecosystem. An oil spill or blowout in the Gulf of St. Lawrence would be devastating for the Gulf’s 6,000 marine species, fisheries, coastal communities, and the tourism and seafood industries. Despite advanced technology and learning, there is still no way to guarantee that such a catastrophcan be prevented; the recent blowout in the Gulf of Mexico demonstrates that even an experienced global petroleum concern such as BP cannot negate the possibility of disaster. At present your committee is not aware of any proposals to explore for oil in PEI’s immediate offshore area, though exploration did take place off East Point in the 1970s. A moratorium would demonstrate commitment to protect our part of the Gulf, and your committee notes that Quebec already has a moratorium in place in part of its Gulf waters. However, true protection from the effects of oil spills in the Gulf can only be gained through a joint effort of the five provinces who share it and the federal government. An environmental assessment is currently underway at the Old Harry prospect off the west coast of Newfoundland, and exploration and drilling may occur in the next few years. Old Harry is in the Laurentian trench, a deepwater area where migratory fish and whales come in out of the Gulf; a spill or blowout there would affect many species. The Gulf current patterns carry water (and any contaminants it may hold) from that area southward around the Magdalene Islands and PEI. Spills would not dissipate quickly as it takes roughly eleven months for water to flush out of the Gulf and into the Atlantic. The environmental assessment of the Old Harry prospect is being carried out by the Canada‐ Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, which has been criticized for its conflicting mandate of promoting oil exploration while also ensuring environmental protection. Even if it had a more straightforward mandate, the board is a one‐province entity and should not be tasked with making decisions for a body of water shared by five provinces. For this reason your committee encourages Government to work with the governments of Canada, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Quebec to establish a plan for the entire Gulf that minimizes threats to its sustainability and the people, animals and industries that currently depend on it. 3. Your committee recommends that the Energy Strategy and 10 Point Plan for Wind Energy documents be updated to guide action over the next five years and beyond. These strategy documents were released in 2008 and several of the actions they called for included a 2013 deadline. The worldwide economic downturn certainly affected the capacity to follow through on plans in energy and other sectors, and it would be worthwhile to examine which actions have been completed, which need further work, and which new directions are worth pursuing. 4. Your committee recommends that updated energy policies place an even greater emphasis on promotion of alternative, renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels. It is well known that fossil fuels are major factors in air pollution and climate change. A significant reduction in the use of fossil fuels would benefit our air, water, soil and human health by removing a source of pollution. The burden on our economy would diminish as air pollution takes less of a toll on human health and we become less reliant on imported fuel. In place of fossil fuels, a commitment to renewable energy could position the Island as an energy leader among North American jurisdictions. That commitment must include all aspects of energy management, from generation to distribution to storage. But in doing so the Island would create new economic and employment opportunity, retain our young people, strengthen our communities, attract more visitors and newcomers, and boost our image around the world. 5. Your committee recommends that energy policies put a high priority on conservation and efficiency. Eliminating wasted energy is just as important as generating it in a renewable manner. Public education efforts to promote energy efficient choices at home and at work must continue. Your committee suggests that an expansion of the programs offered by the Office of Energy Efficiency should be considered. 6. Your committee recommends that Government assist however it can in the development of storage technology for wind‐generated energy, and in the promotion of that technology’s usage. PEI is now taking advantage of its capacity to generate energy by harnessing the wind. But the wind does not always blow, and sometimes it blows more than our energy needs require. Methods for storing excess energy for later use as electricity or heat are emerging. Your committee encourages Government to support municipal programs that promote the use of ceramic and hot water heaters for this purpose and to investigate the feasibility of a provincial program. Other means of energy storage, such as in large cement slabs beneath public buildings or refurbished electric vehicle batteries, have been suggested to your committee and are worth investigating for their efficacy and possible use on Prince Edward Island. 7. Your committee recommends that standards of energy efficiency for new construction be established and implemented under the Provincial Building Code Act. Until we are able to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels, we can expect the cost of heating and electrifying public and private structures to continue to rise. Establishing a minimum level of efficiency that is in line with current knowledge and technology will allow the buildings we construct today to better retain the energy put into them in the future. 8. Your committee recommends that Government assist in the development of Island‐owned businesses which find innovative uses for naturally occurring resources. Your committee thoroughly enjoyed hearing of the success that North Atlantic Organics Ltd. has achieved in developing a multi‐purpose agricultural supplement out of the mixed seaweed that is commonly found on Island beaches. Island business people will provide the drive and innovation to bring creative natural products to market. Your committee encourages Government representatives to stay in close contact with these businesses so that timely assistance is available when needed, whether it is in applying for program funding, eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic delays, or providing relevant expertise and advice. Conclusion Your committee extends its thanks to the various individuals and organizations that shared their views in the past several months. It is reassuring to see Islanders putting so much time and energy into issues of environmental protection, renewable resources and conservation. We all have the responsibility of stewardship on behalf of our children and grandchildren. In that last paragraph, she means dedicated, smart Islanders including Ellie Reddin, Irene Novaczek, Andrew Lush, Tony Reddin, Matt McCarville, and others.  Ellie Reddin, from October 2013,, spending countless hours organizing getting government and the public up-to-speed about the real costs of fossil fuel exploration in our area, thinking about her children and grandchildren. The whole report is worth looking at because it also copies the correspondence, including letters sent to PetroWorth and Corridor Resources, trying to figure out who holds what leases (to which it does not appear they have gotten any responses). BUT, government has ignored Committee recommendations before, so people will need to keep this in mind and contact their MLAs with their opinions to see this recommendation is acted on (presumably in the next year). ---------- And a great thing about PEI is when the happy ending of a lost dog story. This dog happens to be owned by Maureen Kerr, who has been working like crazy to get discussions going about the risks of constant exposure to cosmetic lawns pesticides, and trying to tease out whether or not a jurisdiction has the authority to pass a ban. Relief and happiness at your news, Maureen. http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2013-12-02/article-3527343/Doggone-good-tale/1 Best wishes, and let's hope that heavy rain forecast doesn't materialize, Chris O., Bonshaw December 2, 2013
Hello, everyone,
It's good to be back, and apparently a lot happened last week in the
Legislature which can be looked at again this week.  Yesterday we had an inch or so of snow, and much salt was spread, and the plows were out. Unfortunately, the little island at the corner of Green Road and the TCH didn't fair so well:  And a closeup of the island after one little snow:  Cracked concrete curb, Sunday, December 1, 2013, corner of Green Road and TCH, Bonshaw. A bit of damage after an inch of snow. I am sure the Transportation Association of Canada guidelines** recommend this kind of island for this kind of intersection, but this kind of island on this kind of (snowy) Island is going to be pretty beat-up by plows by spring. Broken chunks will undoubtedly end up on some of the roads...hey, that's not safe. But it was nice to be home. Have a great day, Chris O., Bonshaw ** The TAC Guidelines were apparently referenced for Plan B, due to the federal money component. We never saw the Guidelines, as we and the Opposition members were told at the beginning of all this by a member of the Department of Transportation that it would cost us over a thousand dollars to get a copy of if we wanted to see it for ourselves. November 26, 2013Hello, everyone, November 25, 2013
Hi, all,  more here: http://www.gov.pe.ca/lpa/  and sharing a laugh with me over the suggestion that public engagement would be increased if there were an open bar, Englewood School gym, Crapaud, Spring 2013.
more here: http://www.gov.pe.ca/lpa/  The photo used on the framed picture is also on the cover of this document: temporarily unable to upload check facebook site for photo https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=631103336952939&set=pcb.541240542633021&type=1&theater
November 24, 2013
Hello,
all,   In various parts of the vapid Plan B layout, where guard rails have had to be installed in the event of drifting off the road or crashing down ravines, this week there appeared a curious pattern of red signs at one end of the rail, and green at the other. At night they are *very* reflective, and a bit confusing, odd red or green rectangles appearing out of the mist. It is likely they are for the snow plow -- red means lift wing blade and green means to lower it again. ---------- And a big award for being a hardworking hero: Mary Boyd receives Order of Canada  in Saturday's Guardian: http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2013-11-22/article-3498185/Mary-Boyd-invested-into-the-Order-of-Canada/1 Governor General David Johnston invests Mary Boyd, from Mount Stewart, PEI, into the Order of Canada during a ceremony at Rideau Hall Friday November 22, 2013 in Ottawa. Mary Boyd, from Mount Stewart, P.E.I., was invested into the Order of Canada during a ceremony at Rideau Hall Friday. Boyd, who lives in Blooming Point, was made a member in the social service category. Her citation singled out "her contribution to the social justice movement, notably by introducing community-based initiatives to fight homelessness, poverty and underemployment.'' Boyd remains active in forwarding many social causes.Earlier this year, former P.E.I. premier Alex Campbell was one of 34 Canadians named on June 28 as officers of the order, the second-highest grade. He was premier from 1966 to 1978. Have a great day,Chris O., Bonshaw November 23, 2013
Hello, everyone,
Thanks for all the kind remarks from yesterday regarding the Samara Everyday
Political Citizen. November 22, 2013
Hello, all,
Things to cheer about regarding the efforts of people who opposed Plan B: Location: Emerald Community Centre, 1910 Nodd Rd, Emerald, PEI IComments and suggestions are also welcome by email, letter or telephone. A consultation draft is available on the
website: www.gov.pe.ca/landandlocalgovernance.
Guests include 'Full Circle' from Summerside, the Forever Young step-dancers, pianist Herb MacDonald and others. Admission is by donation with proceeds this month going to the PEI Diabetes Association. https://www.facebook.com/events/735605383120957/ November 21, 2013
Hi, everyone,
Farming and Fishing: We are led to believe by certain elements within the lobster industry that the cripplingly low prices being paid to lobster fishermen these last few years is the result of the natural functioning of the “free” market. But is it really? Is it a free market, or an increasingly “controlled” one? Demand for lobster in many parts of the world is strong, consumers are still willing to pay high prices for the product, and we have never had a transportation system so able to move product worldwide as we do today. So what’s up? It might be an over-simplification of the situation to single out one factor, but it does seem that the most serious problem is not with the so-called ‘glut’ that we hear so much about these days, or with the commission buyers, or even with the processors. The problem, it seems, is with the brokerage part of the equation, where activity is overwhelming dominated by one massive firm. In a word, we are talking monopolization. According to my information this firm, Orion Seafood International, based in New Hampshire, markets approximately 70 per cent of all the lobster caught and processed in the Maritimes and Maine. In addition, Orion is also the lifeline for a number of these processing plants, in many instances bankrolling their day to day operations in order to keep them afloat. Orion effectively has a stranglehold on the industry, and because of that is able to control the price paid to the processors for their finished product, which in turn determines the price processors are able to pay the commission buyers on the wharf, and hence the fishermen. Or, as one informant remarked, “If any of Orion’s plants pay a little extra money on the shore, Orion simply tightens their cash flow until they fall back into line. And the same thing happens if these same plants attempt to market some of their finished product on their own, or through other, smaller brokers.” It’s a scenario that is all too familiar: the corporate middlemen between primary producers and consumers thrive. The consumers might or might not receive the benefit of lower prices, while the primary producers — in this case the fishers — are squeezed within an inch of their lives. Island farmers, and former Island farmers, of which there are many, know all about it. The obvious answer is more competition, but when such an entity has so much control it is difficult, bordering on impossible, for competition to gain a toehold. One suggestion is that the Canadian Competition Bureau needs to take a hard look at the situation. Their mandate, after all, is “to give small and medium businesses an equitable chance to compete and participate in the economy.” (official website) That is clearly not the case in the Maritime lobster industry today. They need to determine as well whether the domineering actions of this one company are detrimental to the industry, and to the individuals and communities whose livelihoods depend upon receiving a fair price for their catch. Incidentally, on its official website Orion
trumpets the fact that they are the “driving force” responsible for importing
Maine lobsters into the Maritimes for processing. The conventional media is criticizing MLA Charlie McGeoghegan for expressing his constituents' concerns regarding a tariff. I am not sure the right plan here, but an MLA should be able to voice his constituents' concerns, no? Also, McGeoghegan is paying attention to long-term fishing concerns such as oil and gas exploration in waters around us. ---------- An interesting excerpt from a blog by Brent Patterson on the Council of Canadian's website (November 19, 2013): http://canadians.org/blog/neb-coordinated-intelligence-gathering-advocacy-groups-including-us The Vancouver Observer reports, "Before the National
Energy Board's Joint Review Panel hearings on the proposed Enbridge (Northern
Gateway) oil pipeline, the NEB coordinated the gathering of intelligence on
opponents to the oil sands. The groups of interest are independent advocacy
organizations that oppose the Harper government's policies and work for
environmental protections and democratic rights, including Idle No More,
ForestEthics, Sierra Club, EcoSociety, LeadNow, Dogwood Initiative, Council of
Canadians and the People's Summit." Have a good day, November 20, 2013Hi, all, November 18, 2013
Hello, all,  Yours truly, Chris O., Bonshaw November 17, 2013
Hi,
all, Here are the Top Ten Reasons why people say they LIKE Plan B: 10: I wasn't paying attention when 'driver-ed' covered "steering". 9: It makes it faster to move my harvester from grove to grove. 8: Best darn stretch o' pavement my staff ever dreamed up. 7: I'm not that fussy about scenery. Oh yeah, and that global warming thing...don't make me laugh! 6: When CN pulled out in '89, my dad got $200 million for new highways. I just know I can beat that! 5: It brings back fond memories of kicking protester a**. 4: I'm so excited about how much faster I'll be getting to that red light in Cornwall. 3: I just love to cruise on shale from my own pit. 2: Got a 351 hemi under the hood. Can't wait to see what this baby will do on a decent straightaway. 1: At last... PEI is just like Toronto! This was written about a year ago by Doug Millington, who could possibly be described as poet Will Nixon once was: a droll, suave curmudgeon. But he might be grouchy about the last word, and I apologize if that's the case.Anyway, Doug brought out this carefree list during a wonderful event about this time last year at the Murphy Centre, "A Concert for Change", organized by Catherine O'Brien and emceed by herself and Doug. It was a lovely evening of music, poetry, song, and spoofs, in a room transformed by creative folks and inventive use of snow fence, trespass notices, hardhats, and tree boughs. The idea of the Citizens' Alliance was introduced, and we all got to smile, cry, raise money for legal fees, dance and reconnect. a few photos here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/220834614673617/permalink/368564136567330/ and a YouTube of a beautiful and energetic lament with Roy Johnstone playing fiddle, John Redher's vocals, and Reg Ballagh (doppelganger for a certain construction project manager) on drums. Some happy but frenetic dancing towards the end blocks the view of Roy :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR1gOBmsowE&feature=youtu.be Have a great day, Chris O., Bonshaw November 16, 2013Hi, all,
The movie /Island Green/ was absolutely beautiful and inspiring (the other three Island-made films were great, too). Kudos to November 15, 2013
Hello, all,
A few events coming up: Public Meeting on Land Use Policy The Task Force on Land Use Policy was formed to recommend provincial land use policies. Public discussion and feedback is important. Islanders are encouraged to share their ideas at an open house. The meeting format will be the same as the meetings held in May and June, with a short presentation and small group discussion. Early results of the public opinion survey will be available. Date: Saturday morning, November 23Time: Open House from 9:00 – 10:00am Presentation and discussion from 10:00 – 12:00 noon Location: Emerald Community Centre 1910 Nodd Rd, If you weren't able to get to the ones last Spring (and that is most of us), consider going next Saturday.
And if you want to see why the idea of a land use policy is important, in less
than two minutes, see the Citizerns' Alliance PSA:
Have a great day, November 14, 2013
Hello,
all, As part of its environmental initiatives, the
government announced it will launch a model watershed pilot project. One of the
province's 31 watershed groups will be chosen for this pilot. Government will
work with this group to put together a detailed inventory of the land, water,
and wildlife resources under the protection of the group, and develop a plan
for those resources. Tomorrow night is the screening of Island Green, a short documentary about PEI becoming organic (now *that* would revitalize and make our agriculture sector more unique than other nice ideas like coloured-coded bags of potatoes and lobster paste) at the Arts Guild at 7:30PM. There are no advance tickets, but the doors to the theatre open about 7PM, and somebody there at the desk after 6:30, I think. Admission is $5 Have a great day, November 13, 2013
Hello, all,
Back to politics: November 12, 2013
Hi, all, Plan B mitigation problems continue. Yesterday was a steady rain, out here probably a little over 20 mm, and many Plan B mitigations failed. Of course, being Remembrance Day, the usual contacts where not in offices. The worst parts were sediment getting into clearly from near the footbridge in Bonshaw (from excess fill storage site) and sediment flowing into Crawford's stream at Hemlock Grove.     Churchill: sediment running into stream from (above) drainage from Plan B coming eastward from where Plan B cut into old TCH (by Kingfisher cliff). November 11, 2013.
Apparently yet again no plans were made for how to deal with a large amount of
rainfall over a holiday. A Transportation Department environment person
spoken to later that morning said his phone was off the charger. November 11, 2013
Hi, all,  From the end of the narration: "Plan B: 20 million dollars, an environmental mess, to modernize a few curves in a short highway section of a small, indebted province." Many thanks to those who made the flight and the film possible. To note, from August 2013, a series of photos taken by Stephen DesRoches from another flight over the area: http://www.focusedonlight.com/2013/08/a-new-island-highway-is-born/ Wishing you a very thoughtful Remembrance Day, Chris O., Bonshaw November 10, 2013Hi, everyone,  ----------- And another kind of award-winner or two: From RED: The Island Story book Volume Seven: Fall&Winter 2013/2014, page 36: Minister Sherry -- RED BRICK AWARD The dream, the wish, the hope...words from Environment Minister Janice Sherry in September of this year. Was she channeling her inner Martin Luther King, or writing to Santa Claus? Sadly, she was referring to the effectiveness of measures to prevent silt from running into the streams at the Plan B highway site. We wish, hope...and probably dream...that she read the Environmental Protection Act, and took her role as Minister seriously, standing up for the environment when Cabinet is making decisions, instead of deferring to First Minister Ghiz and his party henchmen, and dreaming about her MLA and ministerial pensions. Sherry's approval a year ago of Plan B, with tough-gal conditions, but with no follow-through besides the wringing of bejeweled hands, typified a weak Minister playing gun moll with the big boys who say this highway project as the perfect way to reward a whole lot of the party faithful by connecting dots on a map. Sherry had the opportunity to rise above the patronage and make the right decision for our island and our children, and she waved it away. CLUNK! Well, there you go, but I heard Minister Sherry's officials did consider shutting one segment of construction down until a problem with runoff was fixed this fall. A gesture, but too little, too late. And *I* would have added a chunk of that award for our lachrymose local MLA gun moll in that getaway car, too. Have a great day, Chris O., Bonshaw November 9. 2013
Hello,
all, Take care, Chris O., Bonshaw November 8, 2013
Hi, all, Another issue of RED: The Island Story Book came out recently.In the REDitorial, David Weale crafts brutal honesty with lyric beauty about the decisions we make regarding our Island's future. an excerpt: << The resistance to Plan B over the past year is a hopeful sign that some Islanders are in the process of drawing that line: of saying enough! There are others who are puzzled, even irritated, by the actions of the Plan B resistors. Why such a fuss over a small project they wonder. Well, I can't speak for the protestors, but I know from being among them that Plan B is a powerful symbol of our willingness to rip open the countryside in order to accommodate the corporate agenda: the symbol of a much larger assault on the environment that is occurring world-wide; and, at an even deeper level, the symbol of a dog-eat-dog world-view that has run roughshod over the spirit of reverence, the way those huge machines are running roughshod over the hills of Bonshaw. >> Tucked in and peeping out are other references to Plan B and its effects (I'll highlight another one tomorrow). RED: The Island Storybook Volume Seven is available at bookstores and many smaller stores. ---------- Today and this weekend is PEI Crafts Council Christmas Craft Fair (among others) at the Confed Centre, featuring many wonderful local artisans. https://www.facebook.com/events/438086906297928/ Fair Hours: Friday, November 8th 11AM - 9PM Saturday, 9th 10AM - 5PM Sunday, 10th 12PM - 5PM admission is $3 And tomorrow's Voluntary Resource Council breakfast may still have space -- call 368-7337 to check. Best wishes, Chris O., Bonshaw November 7, 2013
Hello,
all, An evocative look to the future published on April 18, 2012 in The Guardian Re Plan B to re-route the Trans-Canada Highway: It is sometimes said that even paradise is fraught with serpents. I lived on Prince Edward Island for many years, learned to love its quirks and warmed to the magnificent remnants of the landscape that once was. Another CFA once said to me when we were talking about our adopted home that it was "paradise with serpents." That phrase resonated with me throughout my many years on P.E.I. The recent storm about re-routing the TCH in Bonshaw is precisely one of those serpents, feeding itself and existing on short-term single-issue thinking and opportunistic use of government funds. I am not advocating a return to the past but rather an evocative look to a future where the strengths and values of both the human and non-human inhabitants can thrive in a vision for P.E.I. a hundred years from now. The steady erosion of rural life and the natural environment it depends on has not gone too far; there is time to choose another way. Time to rise up and tell the serpents this isn't good enough. Wake up and smell those few remaining pines and hemlocks, walk on those hills and meet the inhabitants so beautifully described by Ian MacQuarrie in his 1989 book, The Bonshaw Hills. Spend the money on a Cornwall bypass and post, then enforce, reasonable speed limits on the Bonshaw Hills section of the highway. Those trucks laden with inventory for fast-food outlets and the box stores would still make it to Charlottetown safely and on time. Katherine Clough, “Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls
to dance. They awaken us to new understandings with the passing whisper of
their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay
in our lives for awhile, leave footprints in our heart, and we are never ever
the same.” --------- November 6, 2013
Hello, everyone,
Just an update of fracking, near and far, through some headlines. November 5, 2013
Hi,
all, The report suggests the institute’s continuing education program should be a revenue generating operation. The conclusion is pretty simple, really. It would be nice to retain the institute as an important addition to UPEI, as long as it pays its own way. The review was launched following a crisis this spring when UPEI did not renew the contract for Irene Novaczek, the institute’s director, citing cost savings. The institute was founded in June 1985, with a focus on research projects and public engagement activities with an emphasis always on Prince Edward Island, a key element of what makes the university unique. The report noted the current IIS model is unsustainable and that the institute should refocus and pull back from its roles in advocacy and activism and return to its previous mandate of being “an honest broker.” One could conclude the institute was stepping on some toes and it had better become more pliant and obedient or else. A final report on the institute isn’t expected until next year, past the university’s next budgeting process. So any hopes for a revived IIS won’t happen until 2015, unless a fiscal miracle happens. It was suggested by a member of the public on hand for the report’s release that some reasons why the university cannot fund the institute are because of a recent massive building campaign, plus the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars on human rights claims. -- ---------- A great group with lots of interesting events, including: Tonight: http://naturepei.ca/2013/11/04/pei-offshore-islands-their-values-and-future-prospects-gerald-macdougall/ November 4, 2013
Hello, everyone, A Monday Mix: From Daphne Davey, reprinted with her permission: Yesterday at the gas pumps I crossed paths with a man who noticed my Stop Plan B bumper sticker. He asked it that meant the new highway construction, and when I said yes, he said "It's too bad," and made a face. He was in working clothes, 40s, I guess. I mention this because I also met another stranger recently, an older man also in working clothes who was "disgusted." Neither of these people fit the stereotype often promulgated in the media of Plan B opponents. It just highlighted to me how the opposition to this project is widespread in the population, both in age range and "type" of person -- and how the subject continues to bring out strong comments from people. ---------- David
Suzuki coming to PEI on Sunday, November 24,
2013 Description: Join us Sunday, November 24 for a screening of the documentary film Climate Change in Atlantic Canada and a talk by Canada’s best-known environmentalist: David Suzuki. The event begins at 7:00 pm in the Duffy Amphitheatre of UPEI’s Duffy Science Centre. The cost is $22 per person, with proceeds benefiting the Kensington North Watershed Association for a new volunteer climate watchers program. The event is part of a tour of Atlantic Canada sponsored by the David Suzuki Foundation and locally by UPEI’s Climate Research Lab. About the film: Across Atlantic Canada, coastlines and communities are already being adversely affected by climate change due to increasing storm intensity, surging sea levels, coastal erosion and flooding. Preparations are now being made for the super storms of the future, but this will not be easy, as ocean levels are expected to increase over one meter globally by the year 2100 due to melting Polar Regions and warmer waters undergoing “thermal expansion.” This film, shot across Atlantic Canada, represents a consultation with more than 100 stakeholders, and documents their real world experiences and efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Despite being on the frontlines, Atlantic Canadians show that solutions to this pressing global issue are within our grasp, provided we decide to act. The film is directed by Ian Mauro, Canada Research Chair, www.climatechangeatlantic.com. For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit www.davidsuzuki.org/atlantictour. Additional Event InformationLocation: Duffy Science Centre Price: $22.00 ----------And, from Naomi Klein's: : How Science is Telling Us All to Revolt published in The New Statesman on October 29, 2013 In December 2012, a pink-haired complex systems researcher named Brad Werner made his way through the throng of 24,000 earth and space scientists at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, held annually in San Francisco. This year’s conference had some big-name participants, from Ed Stone of Nasa’s Voyager project, explaining a new milestone on the path to interstellar space, to the film-maker James Cameron, discussing his adventures in deep-sea submersibles. But it was Werner’s own session that was attracting much of the buzz. It was titled “Is Earth F**ked?” (full title: “Is Earth F**ked? Dynamical Futility of Global Environmental Management and Possibilities for Sustainability via Direct Action Activism”). Standing at the front of the conference room, the geophysicist from the University of California, San Diego walked the crowd through the advanced computer model he was using to answer that question. He talked about system boundaries, perturbations, dissipation, attractors, bifurcations and a whole bunch of other stuff largely incomprehensible to those of us uninitiated in complex systems theory. But the bottom line was clear enough: global capitalism has made the depletion of resources so rapid, convenient and barrier-free that “earth-human systems” are becoming dangerously unstable in response. When pressed by a journalist for a clear answer on the “are we f**ked” question, Werner set the jargon aside and replied, “More or less.” The rest is here: ---------- November 2, 2013
Hello,
all, There will be a special performance by ACT (a community theatre) of DOUBT, A PARABLE by John Patrick Shanley at Bonshaw Hall, Saturday, Nov. 9, 7:30pm. Each of the two acts will begin with special music performed by ladies of Coro Dolce, under the direction of Carl Mathis. The play is set in 1964, the Bronx. The drama centers around the strict and conservative principal, Sister Aloysius, a progressive-minded priest, a young, naïve teacher, and Mrs. Muller, the mother of one of the students in the school. A tightly woven mystery, this Pulitzer Prize winner is an eloquent, provocative investigation of elusive truth and terrible consequence. Directed by: Brenda Porter and Paul Whelan Music Direction by: Carl Mathis Featuring: Barbara Rhodenhizer (Sr. Aloysius), Renae Perry (Sr. James), Adam Gauthier (Father Flynn), Tamara Steele (Mrs. Muller), and the ladies of Coro Dolce “That rarity of rarities, an issue-driven play that is unpreachy, thought-provoking, and so full of high drama that the audience with which I saw it gasped out loud a half-dozen times at its startling twists and turns. Mr. Shanley deserves the highest possible praise: he doesn’t try to talk you into doing anything but thinking hard about the gnarly complexity of human behavior." The Wall Street Journal Don’t miss this special performance, proceeds of which will be jointly shared by ACT (a community theatre) and the Bonshaw Hall. Ticket Price: $16 Regular, $14 Discount (students, seniors, unwaged) Cash only at the door
---------- November 1, 2013Hi, all,   Compass briefly announces the "controversial Plan B highway...on-budget and on-time" opening, at 2:35min into the broadcast: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/PEI/ID/2415503540/ Transportation was quick to send out press releases: http://www.gov.pe.ca/newsroom/index.php3?number=news&newsnumber=9285&dept=&lang=E In this they link the TIR "TCH Highway Realignment" Updates, which hasn't been updated for over six weeks.... ---------- Today is the LAST DAY to fill out a survey to give your opinions to the Land Use Policy Task Force. It takes a good ten minutes or more, but it is worth their hearing you care about these things. You could consider encouraging them to hold another round of public meetings, since the last were in spring during very busy planting times. The Citizens' Alliance public service announcement on the Land Use Policy Task Force (two minutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--wN0Wyw5JU&feature=youtu.be And the survey: http://www.gov.pe.ca/landandlocalgovernance/survey And what of Horace Carter's Lands Protection Act review? It's done, but it still hasn't been released to the public, pending French translation and making sure the Premier and Municipal Affairs Minister were familiar with the recommendations. ---------- If you are planning on going to the Voluntary Resource Council breakfast fundraiser next Saturday, November 9th, please contact the VRC to reserve your spot. It'll be a great time. The VRC is at 368-7337. Have a great weekend, Chris O., Bonshaw October 31, 2013
Hello,
all, This was when some very brave and determined people made yet one more effort to stop the tree-cutting, this time from the beautiful mature maple and birch woods west of Peter's Road (now cut, the hill lowered, with the sweet little brook at the bottom entombed in a concrete box culvert). The top story from Compass
(October 22, 2012): And from last year:
 Have a great day, Chris O., Bonshaw October 30, 2013
Hi,
all, Atleo’s comments last week on P.E.I. indicate no support for development printed in Monday, October 28th, 2013, in The Guardian The cooling-off period New Brunswick Premier David Alward and that province’s First Nations leaders called for in the wake of violent clashes between protesters and RCMP officers 10 days ago at an anti-fracking road barricade in Rexton, N.B., appears to be coming to an abrupt end.In remarks Friday on P.E.I. and a day earlier at Elsipogtog First Nation in N.B., the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says Aboriginal peoples will not support resource development at any cost. Shawn Atleo made those comments after he met Thursday with leaders of the band battling against shale gas exploration in eastern New Brunswick. No one question people’s legal right to peacefully protest but when cars are destroyed, roads are barricaded, there are alleged threats of violence, and homemade pipe bombs, guns, knives and other weapons are seized by police at the scene, things have gotten way out of hand. Atleo’s comments on P.E.I. indicate there is not much chance for a compromise between the two sides. Atleo said all bands’ treaties must be respected while reiterating support for the Elsipogtog First Nation and defending its attempts to assert their treaty rights and responsibilities over lands and waters. Atleo did hold out a small olive branch when he suggested the situation in New Brunswick provides an opportunity to spark discussion and action on the part of federal and provincial governments. So perhaps there is an opportunity to forge a new and better way to implement the spirit and intent of treaties which exist with the Mi’kmaq. What are required then are meaningful talks on a nation-to-nation, treaty-by-treaty basis between the Mi’kmaq nations like Elsipogtog and other levels of government. Atleo said governments are not fulfilling their treaty obligations now, and even exploration permits for energy companies like what is happening in N.B. are a violation of treaty rights. The exploration for shale gas includes seismic testing, not the controversial method of fracking at this time. But wherever exploration companies try to get
gas and oil to the surface in this day, fracking is usually the preferred
method and aboriginals have good cause to be wary. Best wishes, October 29, 2013
Hello, all,
Several things going on tomorrow, this weekend, and next:
External Reviewer’s Recommendations for the Institute of Island Studies University of Prince Edward Island The three IIS reviewers met in Toronto on September 4, 2013 to review their findings. Their recommendations were submitted jointly on September 10, 2013. An executive summary subsequently was developed and is provided below. Reviewers: Dr. Liette Vasseur Dr. Graham Whitelaw Hon David MacDonald 1. Overarching recommendations 1.1. The Institute of Island Studies (IIS) should continue to exist. 1.2. The mandate of the IIS, as it currently exists, should remain. 1.3. Activities such as policy forums and positioning the IIS as an honest broker should be reinstated. 1.4. The Island Press and the International Journal of Island Studies,both of which are functioning well, should remain part of the IIS mandate. 1.5. Considering the size of the university and the interdisciplinary nature of some units such as the IIS, environmental studies, MAIS, and Climate Lab, UPEI should continue to examine the possibility of a School of Island Studies and Sustainability and develop a three to five year plan to make the School a reality. 1.6. UPEI should maintain an active, transparent and open line of communication with the internal and external communities with regard to the process being completed under this review and future changes in the organization and structure of the IIS. 1.7. Discussions with the province should take place relatively soon to develop a potential agreement for policy relevant research activities. 2. Administration 2.1. The Director of IIS should be a faculty member, employed for a specified term and with a clear mandate. 2.2. If the IIS remains independent, as it is currently, reporting should be done not only through the Dean of Arts, but also through the Vice President, Research and Graduate Studies. 2.3. The Director should not become a member of all the various associations that are interested in having the IIS as a member. It may be more appropriate for the Director to be involved as an observer. 3. Governance 3.1. Given that the current governance structure does not position the IIS to be strategic in terms of activities and involvement of faculty members, the IIS should adopt a governance structure consisting of: 1) an Advisory Council; 2) an Executive Committee or Board of Directors, and; 3) Members 3.2. The Executive committee (or Board of Directors) should include at least (but not limited to) the coordinator of MAIS, a student representative, and two faculty members from the membership. 3.3. Three levels of membership are suggested: internal, associate, and affiliate. 3.3. With a strong Membership and an Executive Committee, the Advisory Council should then be able to play its appropriate role of advising the IIS mainly through strategic planning. 3.4. Faculty members should be encouraged to become active internal members or associates of the IIS and to participate in various projects. 3.5. Incentives (e.g., recognition as project lead and sharing of overheads) should be provided to faculty members engaged in research relevant to the IIS. 4. Educational Initiatives 4.1. MAIS students should be invited to become associates or affiliates of the IIS and activities should be organised by the MAIS coordinator in collaboration with members of the IIS. The Director should be invited to teach at least one course in order to maintain his/her connection with the students. 4.2. UPEI should examine the possibility of developing collaborative degree programs at the international level with other island universities. 4.3. The new initiatives implemented by UPEI regarding space allocation and resource support for the MAIS program, which are most welcome, should be sustained. 4.4. The IIS should partner with the UPEI administration to reintegrate continuing education as one of the activities of the IIS. 5. Administrative and Financial Support 5.1. IIS should be allocated a budget to cover, at a minimum, a course release for the Director, the salary for a full time administrative assistant who would provide support for the IIS and the Island Press, funding to accomplish a few activities and administrative funds for 3-5 years. 5.2. If and when the School of Island Studies and Sustainability becomes a reality, two administrative assistants should be supported to ensure functionality: one for the teaching components and one for the research and outreach components. 5.3. Advancement should work closely with the Director and the Executive Committee of the IIS to develop a fundraising strategy and to ensure that endowed funds be secured for the IIS. 5.4. The continuing education program should be structured is such a way as to be a revenue generating operation. 5.5. Although seeking funding through grants will remain a large component of the IIS, this role should not be limited to the Director. 5.6. Technical support should be provided, ideally under the coordination of a communication committee of the IIS, to update the website as soon as possible. 6. Canada Research and UNESCO Chairs 6.1. The CRC Tier 1 opportunity should be revised to focus on Island Studies and the CRC ad should be posted as soon as possible. 6.2. The proposed terms of reference for the CRC in sustainability and global environmental change should focus on islands as a major vulnerability point for environmental, climate and sustainability issues. Moreover, they should reemphasize the interdisciplinary nature of the position and indicate the high potential of connecting with the IIS, Climate Lab, MAIS and environmental studies. 6.3. UPEI should explore the possibility of nominating a faculty member as a UNESCO Chair in Island Studies. October 28, 2013
Hello,
everyone,
In appreciation of the protesters Published on October 18, 2012Editor: For months I have been reading letters and commentaries in these pages in opposition to Plan B. I mistakenly thought that the volume of letters and commentaries (as well as other initiatives) from both individuals and organizations would be heard and respected by government. Many of those writing expressed well-reasoned and compelling arguments revealing how ill-conceived the project is and how flawed the process has been. The government's assertion that its only concern is the safety of Islanders has a distinctly hollow ring. Many of us just do not believe that this is the primary driving force behind this project. The revelation of questionable practices with respect to accident statistics and the causes of those accidents is disconcerting. Over the months, as I read the letters, I watched the left-hand side of the page for editorial comment. I have been disappointed. In a democracy when government fails to listen to the people, traditionally a free press is an ally in that struggle. The subtitle in your Oct. 4 editorial states: "With no environmental damage expected, why would the province not proceed?" Has the editorial writer not been reading the paper over these months? The environmental damage of this project has been more than adequately - and expertly -spelled out. You are aware that it is the government's environment department that has given the go-ahead to the project. Obviously, their assignment was to find the means of justifying proceeding with Plan B. So all reasoned arguments have fallen on deaf ears and the last resort has been to be at the site in a last-ditch attempt to demonstrate that an irreversible mistake is being made. Those committed protesters are enduring wind and rain not for any personal gain but because they care deeply about our Island. Their efforts are appreciated. Ron Irving, The battle has just begun Published on October 19, 2012Editor: You know, this whole Plan B thing is more than just about destroying P.E.I.'s last remaining old-growth forests, trampling on democratic discourse with citizens, wasting precious resources and driving Islanders further into debt, prompting more severe austerity measures, cutting social workers etc. It's a flashpoint for a growing anger over many years for the complete lack of understanding of how valuable our land resources are: look at nitrates in tap water, putrid green rivers and stinking bays, deep water wells, massive soil erosion, high rates of asthma in Island children, weird and high rates of cancers in the province, hundreds of thousands of trout and salmon in 30 major river kills and on and on and on. This all has to stop. They may have cut down the hemlocks but they unwittingly have set forth a lasting anger and set alight a sacred fire in us all. Change is coming to Prince Edward Island and the real battles over the gift of land we have been given has just begun. I thank the Bonshaw hemlocks and their 200 years of life for this opportunity. John Hopkins. October 27, 2013
Hello,
all,
---------- "Will shale gas
fracking be allowed in PEI?" Editor: It is time for the leaders of each political party in Prince Edward Island to tell us whether they would permit shale gas fracking in this province if their party was to form the next provincial government. And such statements must not attempt to deceive us with language such as, “Fracking will not be allowed unless it is proven safe through an environmental review . . .” because no such proof is possible, and no level of risk is acceptable. In Gasland: Part 2, a recent documentary on shale gas fracking, a pre-eminent expert on fracking, Dr. Tony Ingraffea, Professor of Engineering at Cornell University and a former researcher for Schlumberger, the #1 fracking company in the world, explains in plain language why fracking inevitably poisons ground water. A hydraulic fracturing well is essentially a long steel pipe surrounded by a cement casing designed to prevent natural gas, toxic hydraulic fracking chemicals injected into the well, heavy metals, or methane gas, from migrating into ground water. He believes it is an absolute certainty that ground water contamination will occur due to the eventual failure of the cement casings. In fact, he states that “With hundreds of thousands of on-shore wells and thousands of off-shore wells there's a probability of 1 in 20 that a cement job will fail immediately . . . five per cent of all jobs will immediately show a failure of a cement job and there will be migration of methane.” With the 95 per cent of wells which don't experience an immediate cement casing failure, Prof. Ingraffea claims it will eventually happen as the cement casing cracks and crumbles over time; perhaps after 10 years, perhaps long after the well has been abandoned, but it will surely happen at some point in the future as the cement gradually weakens and disintegrates. Given the fact that ground water contamination is a certainty over time, and given that P.E.I. is 100 per cent dependent on ground water for fresh water, it is clear that such ground water contamination would be both catastrophic and irreversible; no amount of “risk” is therefore acceptable, regardless of whatever environmental protections and economic benefits may be promised. So will the leaders of P.E.I.'s political parties please state publicly their position on this issue so Islanders can vote accordingly? Kevin J. Arsenault, Ph.D., ---------- from Tony Reddin relating protesting:
Peaceful Protestors are
Building Democracy Editor: Regarding the Guardian editorial 'Protest site now history but not cause' Oct. 16th: Many Islanders keep telling me that they are still angered when they see or discuss the Plan B-aloney- which is now a visible testament to the disregard for democracy shown by the Premier and Ministers of the P.E.I. government, including a raid by the RCMP. Now we see a similar situation in Elsipogtog, NB- a peaceful encampment is attacked by RCMP being used to bully protesters and squelch opposition at the request of a provincial premier. Again the protest is against the greedy and short-sighted corporate control that is causing the destruction of our life-giving natural resources. Our society has already caused too much damage to our land and water - we can't allow the disaster of fracking. Some media at Elsipogtog have unfortunately given confusing reports that downplayed the brave sacrifices being made by peaceful protesters to protect the land. Those media reports follow the lead of wealthy large corporations demanding development on their terms. Their so-called 'infrastructure progress' of fossil fuel development, and also highway expansions, is not progress at all- it is destroying the basic infrastructure of life and wasting scarce dollars that should be funding a transition of our society away from mindless consumption and growth. We don't need faster highways, big machinery, fracking, oil pipelines, or military industries- none of these make our lives safer or happier. The legacy of the 'Stop Plan B' Camp Vision is that many more people now see through the lies, and will take action to build a true democracy on P.E.I.- one that is free of corruption and based on co-operation. They share a positive goal of clean water, air and energy to restore our Island and give our children a healthy future. We invite those concerned to attend two upcoming events in Charlottetown: a presentation on debunking the myths of fracking on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 7- 9 p.m., and a workshop on community action Saturday Nov. 2, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Both take place at Murphy’s Community Centre and more information is available at www.atlantic.sierraclub.ca or by phoning 675-4093. Tony Reddin, ---------- And John Hopkins' blistering observation:
"Crude"
contempt And all the while you work with Harper and Alberta to build a risky pipeline to carry tar sands derived bitumen — the dirtiest and most polluting oil on earth — across New Brunswick and this province’s pristine Atlantic salmon river watersheds, so that the Irvings can ship millions of barrels of oil out via a planned tax-payer subsidized Irving supertanker port threatening Atlantic Canadian fishing communities in the same way as the Exxon Valdez; And all while helping push the worst climate change project on the planet through Alberta tar sands based global pollution. If we spent as much time and money on oil production and distribution of the last reserves available worldwide as we did on truly investing in alternative energy sources, hydro, solar, wind, etc. we’d get somewhere. Right now we are all like bad heroine addicts addicted to black sludge. Let it be known that your “crude” arrogance and contempt for concerned people and this planet is appalling and shameful. John Hopkins, ---------- More info? http://www.frackfreenb.ca/nofracksites.html http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/leanne-simpson/elsipogtog-racism_b_4139367.html An excerpt from the above link applicable to many an environmental issue: ---------- Have a good day, October 26, 2013
Hi, all,
The George McRobie lecture is tonight at MacPhail homestead -- tickets still
available ($10 cash at the door). I have become convinced that the connection between health and food, that some see now, will become THE key idea over the next 30 years and will drive not only a change in how and what we eat but of course in how we grow food. In time I think that this may lead to PEI becoming a HAVE province. In my talk I will:
This lecture series is named in honour of Dr. George McRobie, Patron for The Homestead Farm, the new sustainable agriculture entity operating at the Homestead. George McRobie has long been one of the world’s leading proponents of sustainable agriculture and appropriate small-scale technology. Register in advance by phoning
902-651-2789, or emailmacphailhomestead@pei.aibn.com.  ---------- Another interesting blog by Rob Paterson: and just a reminder that the Farmers' Markets are open in Summerside and
Charlottetown (I think the Loo family will have beef today), and Ron Arvidson's pottery and Brenda Jones' illustrations, in an exhibit
entitled "A Natural Focus", are at the Guild gallery until next
Saturday, November 2nd. Have a great Saturday, October 25, 2013
Hello,
all, An excerpt from a Guardian story from last year, October 11,
2012, by Brian MacInnis, when we were all milling around Hemlock Grove.
Full story here: David Weale, author and historian, is watching the events unfold and like many protesters says this is about a lot more than the environment. “This project (the highway realignment) is perhaps the most absurd undertaking in my lifetime on Prince Edward Island,” he said in an interview Thursday while standing near the sacred fire. “And the most poorly handled,” he quickly added. Weale feels there is no good rationale for the project and everybody knows it. In other words the emperor has no clothes, he said. “The reasons put forward have no substance whatever…the reasons against it have all kinds of substance and yet it goes ahead as if it was the other way around.” Weale said he thinks the primary issues for the people in the protest is the environment, “but there is a secondary issue and it may even be the primary issue and that is the disgust of Islanders with how they have been treated, demeaned really, and not been treated with respect…I can’t remember any single politician, any minister whoever acknowledged that these people had anything to say of importance.” Weale said the term “these people” referred to the protesters, but Islanders in general have gone on record from one end of the province to the other through letters to the editor as being against the highway realignment...”I mean I have been watching the political scene on P.E.I for almost 50 years and I have never seen that kind of sustained anger and interest in an issue and still no response (from government). It is as though ‘we don’t care what you say, it doesn’t matter what you say because this thing is going ahead’ well, that is a slap in the face.” That “slap in the face” is what Weale sees as the secondary issue or even primary issue for Islanders’ anger. Weale was front and centre in the debate over the Confederation Bridge, but he could see reason in both sides of the issue. With the highway realignment he is at a loss to see any reason in the decision. “I don’t understand anything about this project. Nothing that they (the government) says makes any sense…it is smoke and mirrors.” Weale said when it is all said and done the issue will “stick (to the Liberals) for sure and it will not be forgotten.” But it may even go deeper than that, he said. In fact, this issue is going to affect the way islanders think of politics in general “because what I hear again and again is ‘well it really doesn’t matter because these kinds of things would happen with either of the two old parties’ and I think that is the ground shift in Island politics right now.” He said the more Islanders he speaks with the more he hears that people are fed up with “patronage based” Island politics. There is a huge cynicism especially among young
people and he sees that they have no interest in traditional politics. He feels
they see it as a dead end and so because of this he anticipates a surge in the
third or fourth parties in the next election.  And every issue of RED since all this has started has had some sort of article or segment clearly (and very beautifully) spelling out what's really going on with Plan B. Perhaps this new issue is no different. Have a good day, October 24, 2013
Hello, all,   But it's not all dig-dig-dig....somebody has a sense of humour, some time, and talent with his excavator:   A bit of an idea where these things are:  Best wishes, Chris O., Bonshaw October 23, 2013Hi, everyone, October 22, 2013Hello, all, Fortunately, the Voluntary Resource Council thinks so, too, accepted the Citizens' Alliance nomination, and Cindy, who has given so much to stopping Plan B and monitoring Plan B, will be honoured with some others from other organizations at their annual breakfast on Saturday, November 9th.
Not snipe-hunting, but maybe looking for the Dedicated Environmental Employee
while documenting some late evening mitigation breaches. July 2013, near
Crawford's Brook. Have a great day, Chris O., Bonshaw October 21, 2013Hello, all,  Maybe the glass trail goes to here:  ---------- Bonshaw resident Teresa Miller is looking for a ride-share: I do not drive, and I am looking for a ride from Green Road -Bonshaw to work DVA-Kent St., Charlottetown, and home 5 days a week, from 7 to 3, or 8 to 4 and if anyone going that way about that time and could take a passenger, would be a big help. I will help with gas, and I do not smoke. This would start November 4th and end March 26, 2014. I will be retiring then. Please call after 5...Teresa Miller 675-2862. Thank you. Have a good week, Chris O., Bonshaw October 19, 2013Hi, all,    Hope you have a great day, Chris O., Bonshaw October 18, 2013
Hi,
all, Protest site now history but not cause Published on October 16, 2013 in The Guardian Islanders now have a modern new highway and a greater appreciation of environment
© Guardian photo by Nigel Armstrong Keith Kennedy and Cindy Richards work Friday to take down a teepee that has been a year-round home for Plan B protesters. The protest encampment has closed for good, now that construction of a re-routed Trans-Canada Highway is nearly complete. The Plan B protest site in the Bonshaw hills once featured a beautiful view of beautiful trees and blue sky, but it now has become a perfect vantage point to look at traffic buzzing up and down a modern four-lane highway. So it is understandable the Plan B protest encampment was taken down late last week.The encampment was a lightning rod in more ways than one. To some people it was a strong physical symbol that backed up all the talk about protecting the environment. It was manned by dedicated individuals who vowed to keep watch over the controversial Plan B construction work. And they did. To other Islanders it was a silly little camp in the woods filled with tree huggers and people with nothing better to do. As with most black and white arguments, the truth lies somewhere in between. Two things are now certain when it comes to the controversy. In spite of all the rallies, media stories, petitions, letters to the editor and protests, the highway project never skipped a beat and work on it plugged along. The final section of the road in New Haven, near the old Fairyland park, will be the last piece of the construction puzzle in the coming days. And what has been built so far is indeed a nice modern highway. The other indisputable fact is that the protesters showed their determination and commitment and stayed until the end just as they vowed. And to the encampment’s supporters, it was a bitter end. Dan Jeffery, one of the stalwart Plan B protesters, says the demonstration touched a lot of people. “We have to stop this government from doing stupid, wasteful things like this,” he told a Guardian reporter the day the camp closed. Another strong supporter, Catherine O’Brien, says they will continue to monitor the highway. “ . . . there are still some problems that are happening with runoff and siltation so we are trying to keep government accountable for that,” she said. Ms. O’Brien also sees a silver lining in the fact a citizens watchdog group, Citizens Alliance, has been formed out of the protest group. “We are keeping an eye on government decisions and policies and we are going to be around for a long time. I think this group has a lot to offer. We really want to make sure that P.E.I. has a better future and these kinds of decisions won’t be made again,” she said. At the height of public discontent last fall the Plan B protest had morphed into a catch-all for just about every complaint people had with government — economic, social and cultural ones. But without a doubt the main issue was the environmental debate over the provincial government’s plan to build a highway through the scenic hills and in the process slash down a number of trees. In the end it was just a highway construction project, although with a price tag of about $20 million a very expensive one. But infrastructure progress is necessary if the province is to maintain and improve our highway system. But both sides in the argument won if you accept
the fact that the Trans-Canada Highway is now a safer place to drive on and
Islanders in general have a greater regard and respect for the environment. The
protesters called their encampment Camp Vision. That’s a fitting name, and
hopefully vision will always be part of the planning when it comes to working
towards progress and protecting P.E.I.’s environment. As one young commentator I know summed it up: A bit wishy-washy and government sucky. There is a lot that could be said about its slant (the idea the opposition was only environmental as opposed to cost, etc.), but it does acknowledge the issue better than it did a year ago when it gave the project two thumbs up. Have a great day, October 17, 2013
Hello, everyone,
Sadness at the news of the passing of another PEI organic farming pioneer and
giant, David Ling.  For any of you who bought David and Edith's beef at the Charlottetown Farmers' Market, you may remember David for his occasional stand-in as seller. I admired his quiet humour then, felt his daughters were lucky women to have him as a dad, and last winter listened to him make an excellent rebuttal comment at the Crapaud Lands Protection Act commission meeting regarding hay and forage crops being called "worthless" by speakers from the PEI Potato Board. Lots of strength to Edith and Kathy and Lisa. The visitation is today from 2-4 and 7-9PM, and the funeral is Friday at 2PM, all at the Central Queens Funeral Home in New Glasgow. ---------- Events: Tonight is the third Save Our Seas and Shores talk, in North Rustico, and Friday is the final presentation at the Farm Centre in Charlottetown: https://www.facebook.com/events/575211705860496/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar and the Breadalbane Environment Committee is presenting a lot of interesting topics tonight, 7PM, Breadalbane Community Centre: https://www.facebook.com/events/247385318742829/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular ---------- Pensions and comments about pensions: And I have meant to mention this for a while: unable to upload :( check facebook for photo ad in newspaper and on-line. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=610228289040444&set=pcb.521403191283423&type=1&theater
What is this asking? I had to read it several times to get the gist, but
basically it is asking for public input by the end of tomorrow on MLAs'
salaries and pensions. Pensions -- I wonder if they are as
underfunded as the rest of the public sector's? Are the plans to alter
them the same as others? https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=610228349040438&set=pcb.521403191283423&type=1&theater 
(also from the 2012 Report)
October 16, 2013 Hi, everyone, temporarily unable to upload, check facebook for photos
Runoff from recent rain left this gully, Fairyland, October 13th, 2013. October 15, 2013
Hi,
everyone, "It's
over now. We realize that." by Nigel Armstrong As the Plan B protest encampment came down last week, the protestors reminisced, got angry all over again, and said they are deermined to face new political challenges.“We are taking the teepee down today because the time has come,” said Dan Jeffery, one of the stalwart Plan B protestors. “We have to continue on with life.” The encampment in what had been a quiet field now overlooks roaring traffic on the newly realigned TransCanada highway through Churchill and Bonshaw. The protesters call the camp located off Peters Road, Camp Vision. They walked to a stream Friday, recalled the events of confrontation and lobby, and sat quietly listing to the stream and wind in the trees. The teepee along with a mobile trailer and a large fire pit was home to protesters all through the winter and up last week. “It was a rare day when there wasn’t anybody here,” said Jeffery. “It’s over now. We realize that.” The group said the teepee poles are destined for a special home, a project they are not yet willing to share publicly. “This is a sad day but look at all the people here,” said Jeffery, looking around at some 30 people coming and going through the site, talking, hugging, sharing stories. “This touched a lot of people,” said Jeffery. “This ain’t over. We have to stop this government from doing stupid, wasteful things like this.” “I think it has come full circle,” said Cindy Richards of the teepee encampment. “It’s a year later and we are cutting it down. “It’s a bit bittersweet,” she said. “I spent a great winter here. This camp represented a lot for a lot of people but as this comes down, new things begin and we are excited about those.” Catherine O’Brien was removed from the area by police one year ago. On the anniversary she is still analyzing protest strategy. “We were removed and given trespass fines,” she said. “I was one of the ones in the grove when the police came in and I refused to leave so was taken out. “I wasn’t expecting police because we had just had a conversation with them a few days before, promising us that we would have time, that they would give us notice. “I regret that we didn’t see what was coming, that we were misled,” said O’Brien. That rainy day last October when police arrived to clear out protesters from the direct line of construction work, many of the protest group had left to get changed out of rain-soak clothing and get warm. “Up to that point we were so organized but everybody was tired,” said O’Brien. “We didn’t have a lot of reinforcements. “I guess I just wish we had a little bit more forward thinking about understanding how to keep our ground and how to try and stay there,” she said. “Whether it would have worked, we might have been taken out regardless, I don’t know.” Like others taking down the camp Friday, O’Brien is looking with determination to the future. “We are still monitoring the highway because there are still some problems that are happening with runoff and siltation so we are trying to keep government accountable for that,” she said. “We also have now the Citizens Alliance, which has been formed out of this group. We are keeping an eye on government decisions and policies and we are going to be around for a long time. I think this group has a lot to offer. “We really want to make sure that P.E.I. has a better future and these kinds of decisions won’t be made again,” said O’Brien. Larry Cosgrave got involved after he walked the proposed highway’s survey line two years ago and could not believe what he saw. “It was going through beautiful land where I did mountain biking and hiking,” said Cosgrave. “It’s not a handful of people against this,” he said. “We hit the road with signs and we did the legislature thing. Look at the video, hundreds in a big circle in front of the Legislature, hundreds of people out here in shifts on the road, there was a plebiscite done with 90 per cent against it out of 5,000 people. “I’m still frustrated and angry, through the whole year, because it’s such a dumb project in all ways, a waste of money, a waste of the environment, waste of what it could have been used to do other good things on the Island,” said Cosgrave. “See, I’m getting angry again.”
photos from The Guardian article: Cindy and Keith taking down the tipi.   Folks at the Grove, Friday, October 11,
2013. Have a good day, October 14, 2013
Hi,
all,  Movie: Diversidad documentary, at AVC Lecture Theatre A, 7PM Tues, Wed, Thurs or Friday: Save Our Seas and Shores event: "Cradled on the Waves: The Gulf at Risk" https://www.facebook.com/events/575211705860496/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming Friday night: Oktoberfest fundraiser for Young at Heart Theatre Saturday: The Vinland Society of Prince Edward Island presents speaker Dr. Gisli Sigurdsson from Iceland on the topic: "Vinland As It Was Remembered in the Icelandic Sagas." 7:30PM, Irish Cultural Centre (BIS Hall) on North River Road. Sunday: Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra -- our local
symphony ;-) Sunday, 2:30PM, Confederation Centre, with Lennie Gallant. October 13, 2013
Hi,
everyone, Multi-modal OK for Plan B Published
on Friday, October 11th, 2013 A domino they have not quite touched on, call it domino 3.5, is the beauty of the location. Why is there vehicle traffic along that road? Why do some park and look? Why do some of the walkers amble along? The place is beautiful! If the multi-modal model will require vigilance on all users, the lovely Victoria Park location is wasted. Imagine what would happen if any of the walkers, runners, cyclists, skateboarders, roller-bladers, ATVers, snowmobilers, SUVers (maybe not all of those) and ice cream eaters should look up from their serious activity to look at a sailboat or the sunset on the water. Chaos! Someone, maybe several someones, would get squished. Don’t fix what ain’t broke. Leave Victoria Park alone. The multi-modal model needs a new location with no view to distract. May I suggest the almost completed Plan B, where the cuts through the hills are deep enough that one cannot see out? Then, we would just add cars and trucks to the serious walkers, runners, cyclists, skateboarders, roller-bladers, ATVers, snowmobilers, SUVers and ice cream eaters. Call it the Plan B muddled-multi-modal model. Carl Mathis,  ---------- Have a great Sunday,Chris O., Bonshaw October 12, 2013Hi, all,  Today that same view looking south at Hemlock Grove is a culvert with 40 feet of grassed shale heading quite steeply up to the road. (The partially closed shutter was from a rough afternoon at the Grove the day before.) Here is a link to a beautiful 3 minute documentary about the police closing Peter's Road Friday, October 12, 2012, and the Rally for Democracy the next day (which was, sadly, while tree harvesters were cutting the eastern side of the grove). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVfo8FteaG0 Richard Baker discussing the situation with a police officer on Friday, October 12, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWduoEkaPfUx ---------- Federico Cahais visited Camp and spoke about it briefly on Compass last night (at 6minutes 15seconds) http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/PEI/ID/2411696502/ (There was probably more coverage on the Maritime 11PM news.) But the "Plan-niversary" last night was filled with warmth, sadness at what is lost, but looking at what we have gained, too. That's due to people like you being involved and staying involved. Have a great Thanksgiving, Chris O., Bonshaw October 11, 2013
(l to r) Unidentified officer, yellow tree harvester coming in, the big cop "in
charge", camper -- Hemlock Grove, Friday, October 12, 2012. (Bring appropriate clothing, and some picnic food and something to drink, a lawn chair, etc.) ---------- Leon's poem Heading for the Hemlocks And: This morning, CBC focuses on a facet of the whole Plan B picture: A Promo on a producer's Facebook page tonight: https://www.facebook.com/pat.martel.100?fref=ts The Plan B arrests... one year later. WAS IT WORTH IT??? Island Morning talks to one of the protesters who was charged last October. Also hear about her experience camping in a teepee over the winter. Friday at 8:15am 96.1 FM Here's the video from last October. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3kao94LEzc :-) to dear Cindy! Best wishes, Chris O., Bonshaw October 10, 2013
Hi, all, Here is a sweet idyll, about an idyllic place, though not without the shadow of the specter."Hemlock Grove - PEI's Newest Gated Community" (1 min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ezvp3_LOg (Even the "realtor" looks like he's enjoying more peaceable, well-conditioned times.) This treasure was put together just about a year ago by two fellows, one who saw more of the cutting edge of the tree-harvester than anyone should.  Enjoy your day and this fine weather (which looks a little drizzly for tomorrow, which is what we were used to), Chris O., Bonshaw October 9, 2013
Hi, all,  Some opponents went down to stop the tree-harvester in Churchill across from Cameron Road, something which had worked the week before. This day, the owner-contractor of this machine thought he would have a little fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqGglvYHmv4 (video taken morning of October 9, 2012) The quality is not great, but you can clearly see what his point was. And despite having a communications officer and several chats between Mounties and protestors, it wasn't communicated to us that the RCMP decided that they were done protecting the protestors; in what can only be described as a haphazard, illogical way, they issued a summons ticket for "not leaving when asked to by an officer" to a handful of protestors and arrested one, much to the media's delight. ---------- Today is the last Farmers' Market in Charlottetown for Wednesday for the season! You can beat the Thanksgiving crowds on Saturday if you can get there today. Take care, Chris O., Bonshaw October 8, 2013
Hello,
everyone, Minister out of touch Published on September 26, 2013 Editor: In a recent CBC article regarding the opening of a section of the Plan B highway realignment in Bonshaw, Transportation Minister Robert Vessey is quoted as saying that “most Islanders support the project.” I’m not sure how he can know that, given the province refused to conduct a plebiscite on the issue during the planning stages. An unofficial plebiscite was conducted, however, with more than 90 per cent of respondents expressing opposition to the Plan B proposal. These results were echoed in a CRA poll conducted in September 2012. I have spoken to hundreds of Islanders over the last year and of those, only two said they supported the project. Everyone else was completely dismayed at the cost of the project and the environmental destruction it entailed, and they were very skeptical about the safety claims. All were stunned by the lack of democratic process and felt betrayed by their politicians. Minister Vessey may want to “believe” that most Islanders support Plan B, but only by listening to all Islanders and not just those who have gained financially from the project would he ever know for sure. Marion Copleston, On the weekend (details, like my camera photos, are a little blurry) Keptin
John Joe Sark came over and lit a sacred fire and performed a smudging
ceremony.  Take care, October 7, 2013Hi, all,  More later, and have a great day, Chris O., Bonshaw October 6, 2013
Hi, all, 
New Haven Campground/Encounter Creek/Fairyland parking lot, photo
taken October 5th, 2012.  The ever-accommodating Shona and Matt Holzer welcomed the rally, photo taken
October 5, 2012.** October 5, 2013Hello, everyone,  Approval of the EIA having been given by Minister Sherry, work was set to begin. Folks started a roadside sign protest next to the entrance to site, and for the next two days, citizens walked up to the machinery so it would be shut down for the safety of the people, a technique that worked until after the Thanksgiving holiday; all the while we continued to call for government to drop the project. Summerside resident and video-blogger Marco Lapegna filmed interviews with road protesters and added his thoughts on October 5th, 2012 (it is 12 minutes long, but quite interesting): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1Ej8u3lFgM Marco (who is off-camera) speaks to the ebullient Cathy Grant, the eloquent Eric MacPhail (no truer words than "...a needless expenditure of public money..."), and across the highway you can see Catherine Russell energetically waving a sign (she organized a honk-fest in town the Friday before). Hope you have a great Saturday, Chris O., Bonshaw October 4, 2013
Hi, all,  ---------- I wasn't able to make it to the showing of "Island Green" last night, and I do hope City Cinema gets it; but also following in Raymond Loo's footsteps is this year's MacPhail Homestead George McRobie lecture, by Robert Paterson, whose blog posting I shared Wednesday. Saturday, October 26, 7PM, is the Georgie McRobie Lecture at the MacPhail homestead. $10, call or e-mail to reserve tickets (small room, tickets will go fast). (902) 651-2789, or sending an email to macphailhomestead@pei.aibn.com Food and Health, Topic of Lecture at Macphail Homestead The Boards of Directors of the Homestead Farm and the Sir Andrew Macphail Foundation are pleased to announce that one of the region’s leading authorities on social innovation will presenting the 3rd Annual George McRobie Lecture at the Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead in Orwell, on Saturday, October 26th. The speaker will be Robert Paterson, business analyst, strategy & social media consultant, author, publisher and innovator. The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with a reception and cash bar, followed by the lecture at 7:00. The title of Mr. Paterson’s talk will be, “Food & Health; the PEI Opportunity.” This special lecture series is named in honour of Dr. George McRobie, Patron for The Homestead Farm, the new sustainable agriculture entity operating at the Homestead. George McRobie has long been one of the world’s leading proponents of sustainable agriculture and appropriate small-scale technology. He was a close friend and colleague of the radical economist E.F. Schumacher, whose landmark book Small Is Possible made such an impact in the latter part of the 20th century. In his talk at the Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead, Robert Paterson will share his experience as an agriculture policy consultant and his recent explorations and research into the connection between the epidemic of chronic illness and the food we consume. He will discuss how the current global food system impacts community health outcomes, the environment and local economies. Robert will help to define for us the connection between food and health and describe why food is the paramount issue. He will also tell us why food that is grown in small operations is key to better health and, further describe how such a food system could scale to meet the demand that will come. The discussion will lead to a specific conclusion and question: What are the steps that small growers on PEI can take to be at the forefront of this revolution? There will be a charge of $10.00 for admission to the lecture. Since space is limited at the Homestead – capacity about 50 people – you should register in advance by phoning (902) 651-2789, or sending an email to macphailhomestead@pei.aibn.com ---------- October 3, 2013
Hi, all,  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=602622063134400&set=pcb.514506668639742&type=1&theater https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=602622126467727&set=pcb.514506668639742&type=1&theater https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=602622196467720&set=pcb.514506668639742&type=1&theater
Former home sites in Churchill, September 29, 2013. Nice of
them to leave a few trees. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=602622299801043&set=pcb.514506668639742&type=1&theater
Home (empty) along TCH/Plan B in Churchill, north and east of Riverdale Road
intersection. Driveway abruptly ends before ditching. October 2, 2013
Hi,
all, << Here is how I see his legacy. This is the Raymond Loo model that we can all build on.
When the tears stop and the hole in our hearts
fills back in, as they will, then the work begins. If you grieve, then please
act. Build the new system in his memory. Paterson, a social entrepreneur and business analyst, has contributed to the
PEICancer.com website, But much sooner: The Charlottetown Farmers' Market is open today, if you have the opportunity to stop by. And: Opening tonight at 7PM at the Arts Guild, running until November 2nd A Natural Focus -- a new work by Brenda Jones (painting) and Ron Arvidson (pottery), inspired by the nature and landscape of Prince Edward Island https://www.facebook.com/events/479477905483809/ Have a great day, Chris O., Bonshaw October 1, 2013
Hi, all,
On October 1st, 2012, Environment Minister Janice Sherry gave her conditional
approval of Plan B, after it went through the Environmental Impact Assessment
process. Minister Sherry one year ago.
unable to upload :( check facebook for photo Fairyland, looking like an open mine pit,
last weekend. It was an unusually warm day, and we heard from a reporter that the announcement was to be made in the early afternoon, and several of us dropped everything to go to the Jones building, to find out the announcement was closed and only a few reporters let in. That spoke volumes. Then we saw the conditions, and thought they couldn't start work on Plan B until they were all met -- wrong! Transportation said of course they could, they just had to work towards them. There was nothing in Minister's Sherry statement saying the 11 conditions had to be met before work could commence. That spoke volumes. Minister Sherry had the opportunity to do the right thing -- pull the plug on Plan B for environmental reasons, take the fall for her government and let them start making amends with voters. That didn't happen. Instead, she gave it a few finger-wagging warnings, kissed it and sent it out the door. This, after *hundreds* of submissions from people like you to the EIA process, many of which I had the privilege to read. I am told several in particular were pointed out to her for their cogent argumentative value. You would have had to be made of stone not to be moved by them, or have your mind made up (or made up for you) not to be persuaded by them. ----- Why did we go through the "public consultation process" of EIA, masquerade as it was? It is supposed to have the outcome of *not* doing the project as a viable option. But in the face of massive corporate (or in this case government) pressure to approve the project, the project herded through the process by "environmental consultants" like Stantec (their hiring an untendered process, by the way), the public's concerns and clear reasoning get marginalized. One objective of the Citizens' Alliance (as we parse out these kinds of things) is to examine how the current environmental protection structures like the EIA process are not working properly and to address these concerns. All of us can stay tuned and stay informed. Hope you have a great day, Chris O., |
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