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Ashlu River Near Squamish BC |
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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 06 August 2007 |
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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was denounced by all of the local governments of BC when they voted at their 2006 convention calling for the Bill to be rescinded.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. |
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Consequences of Privatization |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 22 June 2007 |
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Dr. Majorie Cohen of Simon Fraser University has written two very important papers on the disasters to be expected if the corporations get away with BC power and achieve their goal of breaking the public monopoly. If they do they would demand deregulation and receive for themselves the public wealth from public rivers without public compensation in perpetuity.
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Official Policy of the Squamish Lillooet Regional District |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 22 June 2007 |
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Click here to view a PDF of the official policy of the Squamish Lillooet Regional District on independent power projects. |
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Written by Doug Morrison
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Sunday, 26 February 2006 |
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A letter to the editor published in the Squamish Chief:
The Ledcor Ashlu IPP rezoning should be rejected again for all the same good reasons of community, recreational and tourism values that still apply as they did in January 2005.
And in rejecting the rezoning, SLRD directors should rest easy that they are also standing up for the greater good of the all businesses and families in British Columbia as well. Because despite the insinuation of the catch phrase “We need the power” constantly used by IPP proponents and Ministry of Energy, which is helping them force the rezoning, this electrical power is ultimately not for British Columbians. After a brief contract with BC Hydro which quickly recovers all the capital costs of the project, private power can be sold to the North American market for many times our B.C. prices, using our own transmission lines to facilitate the export.
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