Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ADAM OLSEN in conversation with Gerry Taylor, biologist & retired civil servant: “Reasoned Compromise and Eco-System Management”




Gerry Taylor joins me for the third episode of The Public Circle Podcast. 

My conversation with Gerry is reflective of many conversations I have with constituents of Saanich North and the Islands, and residents of British Columbia from across the province.

Retired for the past 20 years, Gerry worked for the provincial government for 45 years. He is a biologist with a focus on zoology and a specialty in fish behaviour. As he puts it, he has seen a lot of land, water and resources.

There is a steady flow of retired civil servants who watch the government closely, and with a critical eye.


I am a fairly young man in the political sphere, I am new to provincial politics, and I have a desire to learn from my elders. So, when Gerry and his colleagues offer their time and expertise, I take them up on it.

For those of you who follow my Twitter account (@AdamPOlsen), or this blog, you will know I have been tweeting daily about habitat protection, habitat restoration and how government is organized. Specifically, these are areas that the provincial government is responsible for and can have the greatest impact, and not just for salmon.

The message is clear, it is consistent. It is better to protect than it is to restore. And, while we have good Acts and Regulations, it's the will and actions that matter.

So, it is time to listen to Gerry, and the many others who have come through the door. In short, we need a new paradigm in ecosystem management.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Gerry Taylor!

CLICK HERE ... for Adam Olsen's conversation with Gerry Taylor





Adam Olsen is the Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Saanich North and the Islands

Born in Victoria, BC in 1976, Adam has lived, worked and played his entire life on the Saanich Peninsula. 

He is a member of Tsartlip First Nation (W̱JOȽEȽP), where he and his wife, Emily, are raising their two children, Silas and Ella





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

“4.5 million hectares of forest lands have burned since 2023, and the best they can do is point to a 90-hectare block being salvaged?” ~~ Ward Stamer, Kamloops-North Thompson MLA

Today, BC NDP forest Minister Ravi Parmar made this pronouncement; ‘Removing red tape has sped up permitting, allowing for more wood to be salvaged, quicker’. 4.5 million hectares of forest lands have burned since 2023, and the best they can do is point to a 90-hectare block?    ~~ BC Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer While acknowledging the NDP government has recognized improvements were needed in permitting and accessing burnt fibre in a timely fashion, the reality is, they are barely making a dent in the problem.  This government's recognition that only seven percent of pulp mill fibre came from burnt timber in 2024-25, quite simply put, is a failure. And the recent announcement, just three weeks ago, that the Crofton Pulp Mill would be permanently closing, is proof of that.     Instead of Premier David Eby’s government addressing core issues being faced by British Columbia’s forest industry, they are doing little more than manipulating the facts, ...

A message from BC Conservative MLA Ward Stamer, and the Kamloops – North Thompson Riding Association

2025 was a busy first year. As a Caucus, we worked very hard to defeat Bills 14 and 15, legislation which allows the provincial government to move ahead without environmental assessments on renewable projects, and that also allows cabinet to build infrastructure projects without getting approval from local municipal governments. This is not acceptable to your BC Conservative caucus, and we will continue to press this government for open and transparent projects in the future.  Two things we had success in were having the first Private Members bill passed in over 40 years. The first was Jody Toors Prenatal and Post Natal Care bill, and then there was my private members Bill M217 Mandatory Dashcams in commercial vehicles (passed second reading unanimously and is heading to Committee in February). Regrettably, much of the legislation passed by the government was little more than housekeeping bills, or opportunities to strengthen the ability of Cabinet Ministers to bypass the BC legi...

Wildfire waste plan torched -- Forestry critic Stamer calls BC's wildfire salvage rate 'a failure'

Claims that BC is making progress salvaging wildfire-damaged timber are masking deeper problems in the forest sector, the province’s forestry critic says. Last week, BC’s Ministry of Forests said mills in the province processed more than one million cubic metres of wildfire chips in 2024-25, up from 500,000 cubic metres in 2023 and representing about seven per cent of all processed wood. Kamloops-North Thompson BC Conservative MLA Ward Stamer said those claims of progress ignore the reality that only a fraction of burned timber is being used ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Labels

Show more