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: We underestimate your silence, because our ears are not tuned to hear your wisdom


The BC Green Caucus is committed to changing the current BC NDP approach to managing old-growth forests.

These ancient creatures are the largest and oldest on earth. They are a non-renewable resource, and while the Minister of Forests claims that his Ministry is developing a management plan, they continue to auction off high productivity old-growth forests through B.C. Timber Sales.

We have been asking about the BC NDP approach this past week so in my two-minute statement I spoke directly to our elders....

Today I rise to speak to the ancient peaceful giants, the cedar, fir, hemlock, birch, oak and maple. You, my friends, my relatives, have seen so many generations. From your canopy, a far-away horizon casts long-shadows. A decade for me is like a day for you.

We underestimate your silence, because our ears are not tuned to hear your wisdom.

Our eyes cannot see your roots.

Our fingers made sticky by your sap.

Our noses confused by your beautiful scents.

You're gentle with us, yet we repay you with violence, seemingly ungrateful for the oxygen we breathe and the water we drink. You are the vital life-giving organs of a sustainable existence in this place.

When we stop to learn about you, we understand you live in communities. You sacrifice for each other. And not just those of your own kind, but you coordinate, communicate and collaborate to feed and nurture the other species around you — resilience through diversity.

Your communities are the most generous I have ever visited, yet we cut them down and tear their roots from the earth. You know we prefer your elders — the older, the better — but we'll take your babies too. We just need more of them. We'll plant farms in their place and eagerly anticipate the next crusade.

Ancient peaceful giants, please know that many of us are thankful for your sacrifice. We honour and defend you because we know without you there is nothing.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH -- Focus on the nine things I mentioned. That’s what will allow the Conservative Party to win the next election

IMAGE CREDIT:   Darryl Dyck, the Canadian Press. I thought I had already made up my mind who I would be ranking on my ballot, in the Conservative Party of BC leadership race; now I am not so sure.  That means that, at least for me, and perhaps many others, it’s a good thing voting hasn’t already taken place. There were initially only one or two of the candidates that I thought might be a little too right of centre for my liking, now it seems that list is growing. I consider myself more closely aligned with what used to be called a Progressive Conservative, regardless, I feel more than comfortable within the Conservative Party of BC.  Some, however, in messages to me on my political Facebook page, have been rather, shall we say, a bit mean-spirited in comments they’ve made about my ‘purity’ as a conservative. To tell you the truth, I really don’t care! Some leadership candidates, in comments made online, have also been raising the issue of who is a pure enough conservati...

WARD STAMER -- Those are REAL forestry numbers, not just made-up numbers

The following is a condensed version of remarks Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s made, regarding Forestry, in the BC Legislature, on Tuesday afternoon (02/24/2026)   Let’s talk a little bit, when we talk about Budget 2026, about the forest industry, which is near and dear to my heart. Forestry remains one of British Columbia’s foundational industries. It’s a pillar that built this province. Entire communities depend upon it. Interior towns, northern communities, Vancouver Island regions, the Kootenays, the Lower Mainland, with manufacturing facilities in Surrey and Maple Ridge, just to name a few — everywhere in BC is touched by forestry. One word that was not mentioned in Budget 2026 was forestry. That’s a shame, an incredible shame. It wasn’t an oversight – it was intentional. This government has driven forestry into the ground .... INTO THE GROUND! We can talk a little bit about some of the initiatives that this government has brought forth, to try to resurrect ...

Your government has a gambling problem (Troy Media)

Provinces call it “revenue,” but it looks a lot like exploitation of the marginalized The odds of winning Lotto Max are about 1 in 33 million. You’re statistically more likely to be struck by lightning than to win it. But your government is betting that statistics won’t hold you back; they’re counting on it. Across Canada, provincial governments not only regulate gambling, they also maintain a monopoly on lottery and gaming by owning and operating the entire legal market. That means every scratch card is government-issued, gambling odds are government-set, casino ads are government-funded and lottery billboards are government-paid. And these are not incidental government activities. They generate significant revenues that governments have powerful incentives to expand, not constrain. It would be one thing for our governments to encourage us to engage in healthy activities. We can quibble about whether the government should be trying to convince us to be more active or eat more vegetabl...

Labels

Show more