Issuu

NOVEMBER 2012

Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians speaks out against pipelines A3

Big North FREE PRESS

Clark opens cancer centre

DELYNDA PILON

newsroom@pgfreepress.com

Most people’s lives have been touched by cancer in some way, and Premier Christy Clark is no exception. Her mother won the battle against skin cancer and breast cancer, ultimately losing her life to brain cancer. Clark said she understood how important it is to be near your support group and for your loved ones to be able to be close to you when you are struggling with the disease. Every morning during her mother’s battle with brain cancer she would drive to the Royal Columbian Hospital, help her mother shower and eat, then put her to bed. After work she would pick up her son and they would go see her mother. Clark would feed her dinner and help her brush her teeth. Her mother may not have survived her final battle with cancer, but Clark said she did get to spend those final days with her in the best possible way. “It was her final gift,” she said. “Now families in Prince George will also have that gift.” With tears in her eyes, Clark shared her story during the grand opening of the B.C. Cancer Agency Centre for the North on Oct. 29. In a room filled with proponents who worked hard to make the centre a reality, local and provincial dignitaries as well as many of the 82 proDe Ly nd a PILON/ Fre e Pre s s fessionals who will staff the centre, she talked about the importance of a community coming Premier Christy Clark toured the radiation unit at the B.C. Cancer Agency Centre for the North during its grand together with a vision, then bringing it to life. opening Monday. Patients will begin treatment at the centre Nov. 1. “This is something you have needed in this community for a long time,” she said. He added the centre is a key part of the northern can- such a clinic could become a reality was 2015. She added the province has the best cancer survival cer control strategy. Bond said they knew that just wasn’t fast enough. rate anywhere in North America, thanks in great part In addition to being on time and below budget, the “Northern B.C. has been asking for equity in health to the B.C. Cancer Agency and the specialists who work centre, he said, will enhance service across the cancer care for a long time,” Bond said. there. care continuum through the north. Over the time it has taken to make the centre a reality, Prince George now has the most recently built clinic, Dr. Michelle Sutter broached the subject of a local she said she was asked about it many times. one of six throughout the province, filled with state-of- cancer centre when she noticed there was an abnormal “It’s not a matter of if,” she said she told people. “It’s a the-art equipment. number of mastectomies being performed in the North. matter of when. And when is today.” “But the real difference is the people who work in the “Women were unwilling to leave their support sys“Everyone south of Williams Lake told us it couldn’t building,” she said. “It is these people and their passion tems,” she said. be done,” Bell said. for wanting to save lives ... that is what makes the differThe initial meeting with local MLAs Pat Bell and “When people tell northern British Columbians it can’t ence.” Shirley Bond led to several more, until Dr. Charles Jago, be done, they just roll up their sleeves. Today proves we Prince George Health Authority board chair Wynne someone who has garnered a great deal of respect among can get it done in northern B.C.,” Bond said. Powell said that for the first time in the north, the newly a range of people, was put in charge of a steering comConstruction for the centre began in July of 2010, with constructed centre will allow patients to undergo radia- mittee, advocating for the project. a capital cost of $91.5 million. The first patients were tion therapy. A first report by the committee projected the earliest expected to walk through the doors on Nov. 1.

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It was forgivable, but let’s admit that Hyundai’s everpopular Santa Fe SUV was starting to get a bit grey at the temples. Despite its excellent reputation, the time had come for its maker to do a redesign that would help it stay competitive with all the new products hitting the market. Fear not, though: the Santa Fe has not changed dramatically. It still remains a just-right-sized SUV that will satisfy consumers. What’s great news for 2013 is that there will be two versions of the Santa Fe. Indeed, Hyundai has decided to drop the Vera Cruz — a longer and beefier version of the Santa Fe will be offered in replacement. The 2013 Santa Fe will be available with front- or allwheel drive. The base engine will be the 2.4-litre, four-cylinder engine or it will come with a new 2.0-litre, turbo four or a V-6 engine that will be offered in the long-wheelbase version. All use a six-speed automatic transmission, while the maximum towing capacity will be 1,587 kg.

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Once upon a time there was a little car maker that changed the game when it arrived on our shores in 1985. It went on to make many improvements and is still a part of the imports story nearly thirty years later. The Korean Hyundai was first known as a producer of small economy cars, but today Hyundai has a full array of cars and light trucks to offer, starting with the good-looking Accent subcompact, available as a hatchback or sedan. The company’s true star this year is the compact Elantra, an already popular sedan now offered as a coupe or a sporty GT hatchback for 2013. We can’t ignore the popular Sonata, a mid-sized sedan available with one of three four-cylinder engines including a turbo and a hybrid-electric version. Then comes the bigger Genesis sedan, a rear-wheel drive powered by a V-6 or a V-8, also available as a coupe with the same V-6 or with an optional turbocharged fourcylinder. If you are looking for a majestic-looking luxury sedan, ask your Hyundai dealer to show you the full-sized V-8 powered Equus. And don’t forget to take a look at Hyundai’s latest offering in the sports car segment, the futuristic looking Veloster, powered by a regular or turbocharged four-cylinder engine. We could also talk about all the light trucks that your Hyundai dealer has to offer, starting with the smaller Tucson, a compact SUV that needs no introduction since it has become one of the most popular in its segment. And this year, Hyundai is introducing an all-new redesigned Santa Fe mid-sized SUV that will also be offered as a seven-passenger version to replace the former Vera Cruz model.

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Barlow speaks out on pipeline DELYNDA PILON newsroom@pgfreepress.com

You shall not pass! Maude Barlow, chairperson for the Council of Canadians, quoted the famous line, issued by the wizard Gandalf in Lord of the Rings when confronting a demon, to illustrate the firmness citizens need to show in order to stop further pipeline projects from expanding and snaking across the province. Barlow, along with Caleb Bain and Sven Biggs, were the featured speakers during the No Pipelines! No Tankers! Solidarity Speaking Tour which visited the university on Oct. 30, filling the Canfor Theatre with city residents interested in learning more about the adverse effects of pipeline expansion. Barlow said people must stand in solidarity against not only the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, but the Kinder Morgan expansion and the Pacific Trails pipeline as well. The Northern Gateway is a twin pipeline project with one carrying bitumen west and another carrying condensate east along a 1,177 km path that goes through northern B.C. to Kitimat where it will be shipped via tanker to China. The Kinder Morgan expansion would increase the capacity of that already twinned pipeline from 300,000 barrels per day to 850,000 barrels per day and increase tanker traffic along B.C.’s coast line. The Pacific Trails pipeline is about a 460 km pipeline that would carry liquefied natural gas from northeastern B.C. to Kitimat. Barlow, a Canadian author and activist, said the pipeline projects in B.C. are part of a larger agenda being set in Ottawa, facilitated by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. “Harper has a very clear plan,” she said, adding he intends to create a Canadian superpower based on mineral extraction and natural resources. She said she has learned a lot about Harper and his philosophy over the years, pointing out he was once the head of the National Citizens Coalition, a group she characterized as being very right wing. “They have fought pretty much all the progressive causes,” she said. Pointing out that if you take into consideration the number of people who actually voted versus the of-age population of Canada, among other factors, in effect only about 25 per cent of Canadians voted for Harper. Barlow inferred this may make

De Ly nd a PILON/ Fre e Pre s s

Maude Barlow, chairperson of the Council of Canadians, spoke on pipelines and politics at UNBC Tuesday night. the Conservative majority a oneterm government and quoted Roger Douglas, a Minster of Finance in New Zealand, saying when that is the case you should ‘hit ‘em hard, hit ‘em fast and hit ‘em all at once. This, she said, is what Harper is doing. She said he is eviscerating the infrastructure in Canada that protects the environment. Tools protecting democratic proceedings have been thrown out the window. Inspectors have been cut, Parks Canada has received devastating cuts, science centres and research facilities have been shut down and the environmental department has been gutted. He is doing this, she said, to remove any blocks in place that would stop large energy companies from setting up shop in Canada. Simultaneously, she said, Harper is negotiating as many free trade agreements and investment agreements as he can. She pointed out Canadians have only seen the wording of a trade agreement with China that could be law within a few days. “There has been no vote, no public debate,” Barlow said. And the agreement would be in place for 31 years. Combine this with Chapter 11 of the NAFTA agreement, which gives corporations the right to sue any level of government if any public policy or government action denies them investment or profit opportunities, and a serious concern arises. Barlow talked about what a

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Chinese company, armed with the same clause within that country’s free trade agreement, could do if it invested in the oil sands with the understanding the pipeline would be built, and then it was not. She pointed out, China is a communist superpower, meaning investment companies are state owned. “We are calling on premiers to say something. We’re really under the gun here trying to stop this,” she said. From gutting the Fisheries Act, she said, to drafting free trade agreements, Harper is putting the country at risk. “It seems like an act of treason to me,” Barlow said. “And I don’t say that lightly.” The pipelines, she said, are the arteries of the oil sands. “If we can’t stop them we can’t stop the tar sands.” If we don’t stop the oil sands, she said, it is the end of climate. She said even if everything went perfectly every time within the operations of the pipeline, building it would still end tragically. “It would still be a Canadian carbon bomb in another part of the world.” “We need to come together,” she. “We need to come together with First Nations.”

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Andrea Fuentes pauses to consider her next cut in her “untamed spirit” themed pumpkin at CNC’s pumpkin carving and Halloween costume event on Oct. 31. Her pumpkin’s face shows the good and bad sides, she says, “kind of like marrying a guy you like and finding out he’s not so nice.”

Bentley steps down After over 40 years in the banking industry, Brian Bentley, Integris Credit Union CEO, has decided to retire on June 30, 2013. Bentley brought extensive experience to the role at Integris. He began his financial career as a personal lender with HFC, Trans Canada Credit, and the Royal Bank of Canada in the early 1970s. In 1975, he switched to commercial lending, becoming a small business lender with the Bank of Montreal and then the Royal Bank of Canada. In 1985 he joined First Heritage Savings Credit Union where he was responsible for a large commercial/personal branch in the Fraser Valley with over $200 million in loans. He was also responsible for a large full-service insurance office, a financial planner, and a small credit union branch in an adjacent community. In 1996, he moved to Prince Rupert to take up the posts of chief operations officer and chief credit officer for Northern Savings Credit Union. In 2000, he came to Prince George as the chief executive officer of Prince George Savings Credit Union, which at the time had assets of approximately $150 million. In 2003, talks began between Prince George Savings, Nechako Valley Credit Union in Vanderhoof and Quesnel and District Credit Union to see if there was any appetite to work together. On June 1, 2004, Integris Credit Union officially came into being, with seven branches in five communities and assets of approximately $350 million, and Bentley became the CEO of this new organization. Under his leadership, Integris has grown to over $512 million in assets and over $1 billion in assets under management. It has a full service insurance agency and a financial planning subsidiary with a substantial portfolio. As an employer, Integris placed sixth in the 2008 BC Business Best Companies to work for in B.C. and in 2009 Integris came in second. Integris has won or been nominated for several other awards in our communities such as Health & Wellness Innovator, Employer of the Year, Green Award, and Customer Service.

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Pipeline spill effects focus of hearing DELYNDA PILON newsroom@pgfreepress.com

Data Northern Gateway collected on the effects of a spill on fish, particularly salmon, was questioned Oct. 31 afternoon during the joint review panel hearings, which convened again in Prince George on Oct. 29. Richard Overstall, a lawyer with the Northwest Institute for Bioregional Research, asked several technical questions of Northern Gateway, showing particular interest in the model they used to determine spill effects on fish like salmon. He asked if the model accommodated where the salmon were within the river and their reactions depending on the day and time. “In the model, we actually assume that any receptor could be present at

any location in the water column,” Dr. Matthew Horn, a Northern Gateway expert witness, said. “The sensitive receptor is present at any location within the river so, therefore, it can experience the highest concentration, have the largest effects.” Overstall also asked about hypothetical spills on the Morice River, which has a high concentration of salmon, and whether or not the model created by Northern Gateway took into account a major spill. He pointed to an area where a spill could affect a number of streams that run off the Morice. The location of the hypothetical spill did not occur there, he was told, because valves along either side of the river in that area would actually result in less oil spilled. The location that was chosen, Horn

said, would produce the highest spill volume. Overstall asked if they could have chosen, instead, to have the hypothetical spill in an area where there was a high concentration of fish to study the effects on fish population. “We chose this region of the Morice, in general, because it is a high consequence area. “This is a sensitive river,” Horn said. Jeffery Green, another expert Northern Gateway witness, said they chose four hypothetical release locations first, then deliberately focussed on the Morice River because many groups, including First Nations, had expressed concerns. The area Overstall was referring to when he asked why it had not been chosen as the hypothetical spill area,

he said, had very little to do with the specific biological effects. They could have gone further upstream, he said, but they wanted to choose what they felt was the reasonable worse case effect. “The third and I think really important point is we considered all species to be present and to be sensitive. So, again, we’re looking not at very specific species of fish, we’re looking at -- as fish life stages and species that are sensitive and fish life stages and species that are less sensitive,” Green said. “And so by doing those two, I think we fairly capture all of the concerns that you would have for very specific species of salmon and that’s the approach we took to get to the four scenarios and then the specific location.”

Northern Health studies camp life and the effects it has on the health of workers KYLA CORPUZ Northeast News

The resource industry the North has continued to grow over the last decade – and with it, industrial work camps. An industrial work camp

is a “work place and living space,” which is sometimes located outside of town, near an operational oil and gas or mining site. Camps can accommodate anywhere from 50 to 1,000 people and the impacts it has on

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workers’ health has triggered concerns with the Northern Health Authority. “When considering the determinants of health in a population health approach, industrial camps are an important work setting that merit attention and health resources,” states a report, conducted by NHA, called Understanding the State of Industrial Camps in Northern BC: A Background Paper. It also adds that it is challenging to gain a full understanding of the impact camps have on workers’ health, surrounding communities and health services. Charles Jago, NHA’s board chair, said it’s difficult to gather the information because there isn’t much of it that exists. “I think the camps are established for mining and oil and gas, they’re in a different industry,” he said. “There are different regulations and requirements, they report to different agencies, there is no central source that we are aware of within government or elsewhere where you can chart the development of these camps.” Northern Health’s latest report is the first and only documented piece with combined information on industrial camp life. “We’ve had to go to multiple sources to put

camps now have search dogs to ensure the camps stay dry. “There’s no bringing anything to camp.” He noted that it’s usually the “remote camps that aren’t looked after quite as well.” However, the report states that even though there are stringent corporate policies in place and designated dry camps, alcohol use is still “prevalent.” Drinking alcohol in the camps has potential to result in “on-the-job” accidents, anxiety and stress. “These and other factors such as social isolation and lack of integration among new or temporary workers and permanent residents of host communities can lead to struggles with problematic use of substances,” the report states. On a scale of one to 10, the labourer who spoke with the Northeast News rated the quality of life in camps at a five to six, with one being the poorest. “It can be pretty secluded sometimes, depending on the camps.” Camps vary in size, based on how big the project is. The bigger the job, the better the camp, he said. “In the larger camps they do try to put in an effort. In the smaller camps, not so much, they’re moreso temporary. The permanent camps will have recreational rooms for people to be physically active.” The NHA report states that the industrial camp regulation is being looked at again; however, it is unlikely that additional responsibilities regarding general health and wellness or health promotion will be included in any future versions.

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together the information that is contained in this first report. I think it’s a significant phenomenon, that over time … government will be disciplined in terms of monitoring this kind of thing – but right now there is no central source and the researchers have done a tremendous job to pull together the information that has been presented.” However, it’s not complete. “We have a lot more questions than we have answers,” said Jago. “So the study you have right now is the first shot at [trying to get a sense of the scale and scope of industrial camp activity]. Mainly it’s identifying location and looking at the overall health issues related to camp life.” According to the report, camps located around Fort St. John have a “party”-like atmosphere, which then translates to drug and alcohol use. “Overall, these types of camps can have ‘negative consequences’ for individuals, families, and the communities where they live,” states the report. However one oil and gas labourer, who has been in the industry for the past decade, said the scene has changed for the better. “Most of the camps I attend are strictly monitored with being a dry camp.” He said that he doesn’t notice the drug prevalence as much as he did when he first started out, adding that bigger

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BIG NORTH 7

BIG NORTH FREE PRESS - NOVEMBER 2012

Sinclair hammers mining plan

De Ly nd a PILON/ Fre e Pre s s

B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair says the temporary foreign worker program has become exploitative.

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VICTORIA – B.C.’s 85 MLAs have begun disclosing their travel expenses, posting total amounts charged on their government-issued credit cards but not the details of where they drove, flew or dined. The B.C. legislature’s internal finances are being dragged into the 21st century in response to a damning report from Auditor General John Doyle released in July. The audit found that MLA credit card bills were being paid without receipts, and the legislative assembly hadn’t produced financial statements despite a 2007 recommendation from the previous auditor general. In response, the Legislative Assembly Management Committee, chaired by Speaker and Penticton MLA Bill Barisoff, began holding its meetings in public. Two new financial officers were hired to address what Doyle described as “pervasive deficiencies” in financial accountability of legislature operations. The management committee authorized the first release Wednesday, showing six months of expenditures for each MLA up to the end of September. The report breaks spending down in categories, including accommodation, daily meal allowance and three categories of travel. MLAs representing districts farthest from Victoria generally run up the highest expenses. Leading the pack in the first report is Robin Austin, NDP MLA for Skeena, with $53,606 in

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expenses from April to September. Austin’s total includes $19,486 in “Speaker approved travel,” including a trip to Colombo, Sri Lanka in September to attend a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference. Speakers, deputy speakers and legislative clerks typically attend these conferences, aimed at strengthening parliamentary practices around the world. Routine expenses include the “capital city allowance,” for which most MLAs who live outside Greater Victoria claim $1,000 a month without receipts. With receipts, out-of-town MLAs can claim up to $19,000 a year for rent, mortgage or hotel accommodation while in Victoria on legislature business. MLAs are also eligible for $61 a day for meals while in Victoria on legislature business. Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell racked up $11,597 in travel expenses, Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond spent $6,230, Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad’s travel bill topped $39,653, while Cariboo North MLA Bob Simpson’s travel costs were $25,511. MLA expenses are to be posted quarterly from now on at www.leg.bc.ca/mla/remuneration/travel_expenses.htm where the first reports are posted. Cabinet minister travel expenses are reported separately on the B.C. government’s “open government” website initiated by Premier Christy Clark. They receive similar accommodation and meal payments to other MLAs, but they are paid by their ministries and do not show up on the new disclosures.

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able now and in the future. He said labour, companies and the government must be brought to the table and work together. “The union movement led to some of the best training in the country,” he said. “We need to put money into really upgrading the machinery. There needs to be a major public investment in that, and we need more apprenticeships.”

The temporary foreign worker program not only exploits the imported tradespeople but undercuts wages and makes it more difficult for Canadians to get local jobs according to B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair. Sinclair visited the College of New Caledonia on Oct. 26 to talk about the permits HD Mining will use to bring 200 Chinese people to Tumbler Ridge, employing them as underground mine workers in the coal mine being constructed there. Sinclair said the province needs the mines, however they must bring an economic benefit to the people of this province. Having the Chinese invest in a mining project is fine, he said, but the biggest benefit that comes from those mines is the wages locals earn, then spend in their communities. “But the companies are trying to get cheap labour and ignoring the local labour market,” he said. On average, miners earn between $34 and $35 per hour, but the company is only obliged to pay according to their local scale, meaning somewhere between $20 and $25 per hour. Sinclair mentioned the possibility of job buying, a recent allegation set to be investigated. “It’s un-Canadian for the employer to have that much power over that person,” he sa id. He added the temporary foreign worker program originally allowed the person to work in Canada for six months. The time limit has been changed to four

years. That is no longer temporary, Sinclair said. If foreign labour is necessary, he said they should bring the workers in as immigrants so they can have the same rights and privileges as Canadians. “We have seen an influx of temporary foreign workers at all levels.” He said there are actually a higher number of temporary foreign workers in Canada now than there are immigrants. “All the jobs that they are filling are permanent jobs. The program is completely skewed from what it once was. Put a moratorium on it right now.” Immigrants, on the other hand, no matter what country they are from, would be welcomed. “Temporary foreign workers are wrong. Wrong for the workers and wrong for the country. The Chinese company never made one effort to train locals. They always planned to hire temporary foreign workers. And the government knew from the beginning they were coming.” Sinclair pointed out that the Northern Miner, the place where industry posts job openings, never received one posting from HD Mining. “There was never one word in Northern Miner,” Sinclair said. “Lift the permits. If workers are needed, then bring them in as immigrants and give them the rights and privileges of Canadians.” The rights, he said, for appropriate wages and the privilege to join a union if they wish. Sinclair added it is time for the focus to be directed on training locals to fill the positions avail-

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