Thoughts on BC Politics and More

When an annual allowable cut cannot be achieved, data suggests forestry companies cut and run south. With North American lumber prices below break-even costs for many sawmills in Canada and the U.S., plus ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, recessionary conditions in China and declining timber supplies around the world, the global outlook for the forestry industry is not particularly rosy. In British Columbia, once North America’s forest-sector powerhouse, it seems downright dismal. And low lumber prices—a result of inflation and high interest rates squelching North American home building—are only one of a myriad of challenges facing the industry ... CLICK HERE for the full story  

A commentary by the Victoria resident who is host of the Power Struggle podcast and started Resource Works. There’s something about the way we talk about energy that reminds me of my ­grandmother’s kitchen wisdom: “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” This old adage feels particularly relevant when considering Canada’s role in global energy markets, especially regarding liquefied natural gas. Recently, I’ve been pondering a Cornell University paper that casts doubt on LNG’s environmental credentials. Monique Keiran has been too and argues (“Study finds LNG’s greenhouse-gas footprint worse than coal,” Nov. 2) that on the strength of the paper, British Columbia should not provide its LNG to the world. I came to a very different conclusion ... CLICK HERE for the full story

BC's chief electoral officer says the agency is already investigating the mistakes to "identify key lessons learned" to improve training, change processes or make recommendations for legislative change ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Sadly, two and a half weeks after the BC provincial election campaign, those who want to undermine our political process are still at.  PLUS, we also have one who doesn’t even live in our country, never mind our province. I speak of the buffoon running for President of the United States, who has poisoned the well when it comes to faith in the electoral process. Just today alone, comments such as the following, were being made of posts that I shared online: ... all the votes they keep finding has just favoured NDP on in all critical ridings and soon they will flip another riding in favour of NDP, Come on. ... Elections BC has ridiculed British Columbians, and I no longer have confidence or trust in their process and competence regarding the results Then there are others online, with comments like these – who are claiming fraud in the October 19th election: ... Who is the oversight for Elections BC? They should be investigated for election fraud! ... Fraudulent election ... should be red

Involuntary treatment (IT) for people with severe substance use disorder (addiction) is a hotly debated topic. There is skepticism that political expediency is suddenly driving elected officials to support IT when faced with a general public that has had enough of public disorder. But family caregivers have been advocating for a right to intervene for decades, and until now, their pleas have been ignored ... CLICK HERE for the full story

It is time to get worried, very worried, about water ... ... Canada solving U.S. water problems is an idea that has been around since the 1950s. At that time, the United States Army Corps of Engineers suggested Canadian rivers could be diverted to the United States. The proposed project would feed the headwaters of the Colorado River, a major source of water for the southwestern United States. It was believed it would also help stabilize the Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies water to farmers on the Great Plains. This wasn’t the only grand plan for exporting Canada’s fresh water from north to south ... CLICK HERE for the full story    

  Why did a BC NDP election campaign overwhelmingly focused on attacking the character of the BC Conservatives fail to prevent a blue wave that came within 27 votes of toppling the governing party? Partly because voters didn’t much care for, or about, all the New Democrat mudslinging. They were just hopping mad about some very specific issues ... CLICK HERE for the full story

... It is obvious that today’s conditions offer few guardrails on what is an acceptable critique of an elected official. It is time we recognize that democracy is only upheld when we uphold the safety of those who are elected democratically and conduct their work without fear. We need an amendment to the law to signal to the idiots of the world that their day is done. My first stop today would be to ban any social media platform in this country that permits anonymous accounts. How we let this poisonous genie from the bottle nearly two decades ago defies logic, but it changed the game and enabled anyone, anywhere, anytime to pour toxins into civil society with no legal response. It permitted cowards a free shot, as if the targets were assailed while blindfolded, without serious consequences. The absolute spinelessness of those accounts ought to be a crime, nearly as seriously as stalking and child pornography online are ... CLICK HERE for the full story

British Columbia's election agency says it has discovered that a ballot box containing 861 votes wasn't counted in the recent provincial election, as well as other mistakes, including 14 votes going unreported in a crucial riding narrowly won by the NDP. The errors prompted B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad to call for an independent review on Monday ... CLICK HERE for the full story