Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The federal government will unveil the next round of major projects that will get fast-tracked approvals later this week, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday, as Canada tries to stimulate economic activity amid the ongoing U.S. tariff fight. Carney said the list will be unveiled in Prince Rupert on Thursday. The Indigenous-proposed Ksi Lisims liquified natural gas (LNG) project near that city was approved by Ottawa in September and it has since received all the necessary permits to start construction ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Recent developments south of the Canada-U.S. border have kicked off a much-needed public conversation about economic sovereignty that we have not seen for many years. It has brought to light conversations on how BC can reconcile energy development, climate action and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples that have long been deferred or carried out in silos. The status quo approach yields policy confusion and polarization, with covert tradeoffs that jeopardize prosperity for all. The choices we must make now as a province will determine whether we can truly stand on our own feet. Fortunately, there are valuable lessons that can be learned from a region that has remained largely invisible to urban decision-makers, despite quietly powering our prosperity for decades ... CLICK HERE for the full story

BC Premier David Eby has a chance to score a major win for both the provincial economy and his government. By easing the current restrictions on timber harvesting and natural gas development, he can reduce BC’s reliance on U.S. markets and improve affordability — two top concerns for voters. This policy shift would create jobs, help address the cost-of-living crisis and insulate BC from US trade volatility by diversifying its trading partners ... CLICK HERE for the full story

A coalition has been formed in British Columbia with the goal of keeping energy “affordable and dependable.” The BC Coalition for Affordable Dependable Energy (BC CADE) was launched on Wednesday. BC CADE director Bill Tieleman said the coalition is drawing support from many different sectors including small and large businesses, labour and non-profit organizations . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

Relax, everybody. Nobody is coming to take your gas furnace away. The BC government seeking input from contractors on the idea of banning natural gas as a stand-alone home heating source by 2030 in new homes is nothing more than greenwashing. That’s what it’s called when large companies and political parties set distant targets years in the future to be carbon neutral, emissions free, or some other nice-sounding, environmentally friendly outcome. This now standard marketing practice also goes by another name: virtue signalling . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

During a housing crisis for availability and affordability, the BC government is offering a plan to make new homes more expensive to build and live in. ... The BC government seeking input from contractors on the idea of banning natural gas as a stand-alone home heating source by 2030 IN NEW HOMES is nothing more than greenwashing. That’s what it’s called when large companies and political parties set distant targets years in the future to be carbon neutral, emissions free, or some other nice-sounding, environmentally friendly outcome. This now standard marketing practice also goes by another name: virtue signalling ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Indigenous communities are increasingly becoming partners and owners in major natural resource projects across the country. Resource Works has been excited to be involved in that movement through our annual Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase, where we convene Indigenous experts to discuss Indigenous partnerships in major projects and across the Canadian economy. Under a proposed federal program, even more, Indigenous communities could become partners and even owners in major natural resource projects, from oil to natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Whatever you think of the carbon tax as a policy, it’s days may be numbered. The same government that introduced it delivered the potentially fatal blow. All because of home heating oil. And all with seemingly little thought. Consider this: on October 24, in response to an opposition Conservative MP asking that the carbon tax be removed from home heating, a government minister rejected the idea. Carbon taxes “put more money in the pockets of Canadians”, he said, and removing the tax would “make pollution free again.” Fair enough. Agree or disagree, this has been the government’s main argument for years. But just three days later, the prime minister removed the carbon tax from heating oil in order to “lower energy bills for Canadians.”1 It was a stunning reversal. And a highly damaging one ... CLICK HERE for the full opinion piece

Cabinet ministers are facing heat from premiers and the federal opposition over exempting home heating oil from the carbon price for the next three years, a policy that primarily benefits residents in Atlantic Canada. Despite that, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal pollution price will remain in place for other forms of home heating. “There will be no more carve-outs coming,” Wilkinson said on his way into cabinet on Tuesday. At the same time, Manitoba MP and Prairie Economic Development Minister Dan Vandal said the government would have “good discussions on this” when asked about a carve-out for Manitoba as he entered cabinet ... CLICK HERE for the full story

  B.C.’s Green Party leader is dismayed Alberta’s fossil fuel “war room” is targeting Nanaimo, B.C., for its leadership in phasing out natural gas hookups to reduce the community’s emissions. After a summer of record-breaking wildfires and sustained heat and drought, every level of government needs to be seeking solutions to the climate crisis, not sabotaging those that do, said Sonia Furstenau, the Greens’ leader and MLA for Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. “What is needed from all leaders, governments, across all jurisdictions right now are tangible solutions,” Furstenau said ... CLICK HERE for the rest of the story

... Nanaimo has become a lightning rod in the province for the controversial issue of banning natural gas as a primary heating source, even though other municipalities, such as Victoria and Saanich, have already approved earlier adoption of zero-carbon rules and others are considering it. When Nanaimo council initially voted on the issue last month, the result was close, at five to four. Monday’s vote was five to three, with one member absent, and no one had changed their vote, despite a huge volume of letters from opponents of early adoption. Many came from supporters of the Alberta-based Canadian Energy Centre ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Residents in Ontario should expect to pay another $3,300 a year per household if natural gas is removed from the grid, according to a newly released report authored by economist Ross McKitrick. According to the report released by LFX Associates, Costs and Benefits of Phasing out Gas in Ontario’s Electricity Sector , a gas phaseout by 2030 would also cause Ontario’s GDP to fall between 3.0% and 3.6%, and cost 17,000 to 25,000 jobs. The report combines estimates of power cost and blackout risk from Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator with analysis from a detailed model of the national economy. The report also shows that phasing out natural gas would achieve no net environmental benefit. Air pollution from Ontario’s electricity sector already fell by 98% between 1991 and 2020 and contributes just under 0.008% of total global GHG emissions. “We’ve seen the baseless push from the green movement to eliminate natural gas from the grid and, as this report confirms, i...

  When Nanaimo recently voted to ban FortisBC’s natural gas hookups from new buildings, Alberta’s infamous pro-oil and gas “war room” launched a cross-border political campaign to reverse the move.  The Canadian Energy Centre (CEC) is a publically funded provincial corporation created by former Alberta premier Jason Kenney to protect and promote the fossil fuel industry.  The CEC has launched a hardball lobbying push on its associated Support Canadian Energy website urging oil and gas supporters to flood Nanaimo city council with letters to press the local government to reverse its decision.  The Alberta agency targeted the small municipality of Nanaimo after its city council recently decided to accelerate the phaseout of FortisBC gas hookups in new buildings to meet B.C.’s mandated climate targets ... CLICK HERE for the full story

New construction won’t be allowed to have natural gas as a primary heat source as of July 1, 2024 — six years before the provincial target   Newly built homes in Nanaimo won’t be allowed to have natural gas as a primary heat source as of July 1, 2024.   Following the lead of other B.C. municipalities, such as Saanich and Victoria, Nanaimo council this week approved speedy implementation of the province’s zero-carbon step code, a B.C. Building Code update to limit greenhouse gas emissions from new construction ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Tracy Redies, MLA for Surrey-White Rock The last few days have been extremely troubling ... and don’t bode well for our Province ... and our country. CN Rail, which moves $250 billion in goods along its railway, shut down its Eastern tracks because the police and governments were not enforcing the law. VIA Rail has canceled its trains across the country. The West Coast express and several key thoroughfares in the Lower Mainland and elsewhere were blockaded with tens of thousands of commuters impacted. Delta port closed down. The parliament buildings in Victoria were almost impenetrable at one point this week with employees, MLAs and officers spat on, pushed, and bullied all the time having obscenities yelled at them just for trying to go to work. A constituency office, open to do work for the community, occupied by 50 or more protesters, saying ‘ This is war’ . A lone constituency assistant barricaded herself in the bathroom of the constituency o...

From Prince George this morning, our BC NDP government had the audacity to tell us they are 'leading by example ' as .... many government buildings will become smarter and more energy efficient in an effort to tackle climate change, thanks to the Province's new CleanBC Government Buildings Program . " The B.C. government is leading by example and walking the talk when it comes to building a better future for British Columbians ," Jinny Sims, Minister of Citizens' Services, was heard to say. " The new CleanBC Government Buildings Program will help government facilities consume less energy, reduce emissions, create local jobs and save British Columbians money ." Well that's easy for her to say and do, and easy for John Horgan’s government -- they're using OUR tax dollars to do it, and that’s definitely easy.   They just go in to the piggy-bank called general revenues, which they continue to fill by increasingly our mone...