Thoughts on BC Politics and More

WorkSafeBC investigated the companies building two major pipelines, the LNG Canada facility and the Site C dam because inspectors suspected they were systematically and illegally preventing injured workers from getting compensation. However, earlier this year each file was closed by an official who decided there was a lack of evidence that the companies had contravened the Workers Compensation Act ...  CLICK HERE for the full story

The BC NDP government took another step in its urgent push for more electrical power last week, with a second call for independent power projects in as many years. The Site C dam on the Peace River, bitterly opposed and then grudgingly completed by the NDP, is only now coming into full operation. And it’s not enough to keep up with demand, as industrial power applications pile up and BC is forced to import electricity from the U.S. Meanwhile, the province pushes ahead with policies that require even more electricity ... CLICK HERE for the full story

In 2024, four energy mega-projects totalling $80 billion to $100 billion in private and public sector investment in B.C. were either completed and commissioned or substantially completed. With the wind-down of construction activity on the Coastal GasLink pipeline, Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, Site C dam and LNG Canada, B.C.’s most significant economic driver—the resource sector—is now poised for deceleration and lower economic growth in the coming years, according to economists and business leaders. “We don’t have a lot of projects that are currently in play that will take over from LNG Canada and Site C once they’re complete" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

This week, David Eby announced a massive electrification plan to supply industrial customers, residences, transit systems and more with clean power. The problem is, BC doesn’t have enough electricity as it is, a problem exacerbated by the NDP’s own policies ... CLICK HERE for the full commentary

  Firstly, the answer is NO to the question being asked of every politician in Canada right now. I have barely left my house in Tsartlip during the holiday season never mind the city, province or country.   Former Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips said no one was more disappointed than he is about his shocking decision to fly to the Caribbean for a little COVID-19 vacation. [ 1 ] I hope he enjoyed it while it lasted, I was home dodging rain drops and celebrating the holiday season with my family via video chats.   Facing bias, stigmas and fallacies: There is not a more poignant example of a bias we need to extinguish than the stigma of people who suffer from poor mental health and addictions. In the coming year we are going to have to get real and honest about the crisis of anxiety, fear and depression plaguing our society. It’s hard to imagine that in our world that offers anything you want for a price you can afford, that there is still so much sadness. ...

  Please note ... this exchange occurred on Tuesday August 11 th , 2020 The overall health of the Site C project has been classified as "red," facing serious cost overruns and schedule delays. Site C is proving to be a colossal waste of money, and we can't afford to just keep digging when we don't know how deep the hole will go. Today I asked the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources when this government will draw the line on the cost overruns at #SiteC, and reconsider the cost burden they're asking British Columbians to shoulder. I also asked if the Minister would clarify on the record that the cost uncertainties with Site C are largely due to geotechnical instability and not COVID-19.   [Transcript] -- SITE C POWER PROJECT A. Olsen: To nobody's surprise, we've recently found out that the Site C dam is in serious trouble. The overall health of the project has been classified as "red," meaning that it is facing serious...