Excerpt: "There's the B.C. Ministry of Environment. Surely it can be depended upon to look after public interests in the great outdoors British Columbians like to boast about. Unfortunately, we know from other matters such as the Eagleridge case and the South Fraser Perimeter Road that the Environmental Assessment Act is only invoked after the decision has been made."
This is not a dam, either
Written by Administrator
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Click here
to see another recent picture of the construction site on the Ashlu River.
It takes a lot of imagination to characterize this as an "environmentally benign" project.
Video: Hundreds of Rivers Are Being Given To Private Corporations
Written by Administrator
Saturday, 13 October 2007
Film by Conrad Schmidt ("Five Ring Circus") with excellent video footage of the Ashlu River. Includes interviews with Gwen Barlee of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, NDP Environment Critic Shane Simpson, Adriane Carr of the Green Party, Elaine Golds of the Burke Mountain Naturalists, and Tom Rankin of Friends of the Ashlu. Tens of billions of public dollars being given to a few private hands to build private renewable energy assets which will never stop making money for the private owners.
According to BC government this is not a dam.
Written by Administrator
Friday, 12 October 2007
Click here
for a recent picture of the construction site on the Ashlu River.
This is a dam on a river that was saved by due process and then given to a developer friend of the Premier of BC. The regulatory process and the environmental processes are a farce.
Ruining a highly productive salmon river would cause the public to react and so the government spares no expense to keep the truth from the public.
Under Gordon Campbell's BC Rivers are being given away. Absolutely no one is speaking for the public who own the electric energy system, the rivers, wind , thermal and tidal sites all being given away since 2002.
Ashlu River Near Squamish BC
Written by Administrator
Monday, 06 August 2007
One river led interested members of the public to know that hundreds, over five hundred rivers are involved in a scheme to take public wealth. The people of BC expressed their decision in a drawn-out zoning process when a private water power license holder applied to build a power house on the Ashlu River. The local public, the regional public, the local government and the regional government decided to keep the Ashlu River as it is, a Wild Spirit Place, free from industrial development. MOnths after the Asholu was saved the provincial government gave the river to Ledcor Industries a close frind of the Premiers's and the Environment Minister. There are hundreds of BC rivers in the scheme to take public rivers and turn them into private perpetual profit machines. The provincial government of BC made a law eliminating all zoning controls giving the Ashlu away over the strong objections of the population. Bill 30, the Ashlu Bill as it is called was denounced by all of the local governments of BC when they voted at their 2006 convention calling for the Bill to be rescinded. A private company now occupies the Ashlu and has begun destroying it and the grizzly bear habitat, the fish habitat and the Wild Spirit Place. The Ashlu is fighting back as the massive bus-sized drill continues to get stuck and to fail in its forward progression. The dam site is moving forward quickly as dam sites on dozens of rivers are proceeding without public oversight. Canada eh? No one speaks in defense of the public assets. Those who are suppose to protect the public are doing the opposite.
Global TV Story about Private Power Projects
Written by Administrator
Monday, 02 July 2007
A story by Mike Chisholm on Global TV about the Ashlu and Pitt Rivers and private power projects. Includes interviews with Tom Rankin and Joe Foy. MP3 clip
The Ashlu Tunnel
Written by Administrator
Tuesday, 12 June 2007
This is a view of the beginning of a seven kilometer tunnel being drilled through Ashlu mountain at the Ashlu River near Squamish for a private company, who undersized the project to use easier approval rules and then who were denied a zoning change by the local regional government after a long, well-attended public re-zoning process. Then the Government of BC gave the project to Ledcor of Vancouver, a backer of the governing party, a huge construction company and owner of many private water power licences.
49 Megawatts
Written by Administrator
Tuesday, 12 June 2007
A film showing the scenic, wildlife, and
recreational values of the Ashlu River, and the
destruction that has taken place.
Click here to view the QuickTime video.
Live from the Ashlu River
Written by Administrator
Tuesday, 12 June 2007
Witness the death of the river and destruction of
grizzly bear habitat, April 2007. Click here to view the QuickTime video.
BC's River Piracy
Written by Austin Boyd
Thursday, 01 March 2007
A select few industrialists and their politician friends are withholding vital information about BC Hydro that could destroy the Crown corporation and send power prices soaring. Billions of dollars worth of electric power contracts are being negotiated in secret and supporting legislation passed through orders in council, with no public debate.
Premier Gordon Campbell is not allowing the public, or even municipal governments which most closely represent the public, to have input on any private hydroelectric developments, following passage of Bill 30. As a result, various stakeholder and citizen groups are now organizing their own meetings to examine the facts.
Click here
Click here
