Site C hunger striker marks 10 days by Bronwyn Scott, March 22, 2016, Alaska Highway News
Kristin Henry has never set sights on the Peace River in person, but the Vancouver resident says her resolve to see the Site C dam shelved isn’t waning as she marks 10 days of a hunger strike in protest of the project.
Henry is among a handful of people camping outside BC Hydro’s Vancouver office to protest the $8.8-billion dam. They’re asking for construction and clearing to be halted “at least” until the Treaty 8 court cases wrap up.
After 10 days without food, Henry says her body is growing weary and her mind confused.
“There’s just something about the whole project in general … it’s a project that really hits home with me, it’s so related to so many different issues and so many things that need addressing, that it’s one that I’m willing to put it all on the line for,” Henry said in a phone interview Monday.
Food security is something Henry is passionate about. She says her hunger strike is in solidarity with Treaty 8 First Nations, and that she will not give in until construction of the dam is halted.
“We’re living in a world that has almost more polluted land than not, and more polluted water than not, and I seriously get worried looking forward 20 years at what it might look like, with polluted water and polluted lands, not having access to beautiful fresh food, and only having GMO or processed foods around. That scares me,” she said.
Henry called news of a B.C. Supreme Court injunction to remove campers blocking construction at the historic Rocky Mountain Fort earlier this month “heartbreaking.”
“We’re all feeling a little desperate and upset about what we can do to stop this horribly unnecessary project,” she said.
Sage Birley, a fourth generation Peace Region farmer, is among a handful of Henry’s supporters who have fasted in solidarity with her at her camp.
“The hard ask from the camp is to halt construction … and to recommend the project go back to the BC Utilities Commission for a full review,” Birley said.
“Especially because Justin Trudeau is talking about this new nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations people, and despite that, he’s completely disregarding Treaty 8’s rights, and the fact that they are before the courts right now.” [Emphasis added]
Alberta energy minister links Trans Mountain pipeline support for Site C dam electricity by Geoffrey Morgan, March 15, 2016, Financial Post
“Both Premier Notley and I have been clear – if a pipeline to the West Coast cannot be secured to expand our energy markets it is unlikely we will need to import electricity from British Columbia to power our industry,” McCuaig-Boyd said.
CALGARY – Alberta’s energy minister linked British Columbia’s support for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to Alberta’s support for a B.C. Hydro electric dam during a speech Tuesday.
Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd said it is possible for pipeline giant Kinder Morgan Inc. to address British Columbia’s concerns over its plan to expand a pipeline network between Alberta and metro Vancouver to carry an additional 590,000 barrels of oil per day at an estimated cost of $5.4 billion.
In exchange, McCuaig-Boyd repeated earlier statements that her province would be open to purchasing electricity from B.C.’s planned Site C hydroelectric project [Make taxpayers pay for Site C electricity and related transmissions lines to give to multinationals to power their tarsands operations, LNG and fracking?], which is estimated to cost $8.8 billion.
“Both Premier Notley and I have been clear – if a pipeline to the West Coast cannot be secured to expand our energy markets it is unlikely we will need to import electricity from British Columbia to power our industry,” McCuaig-Boyd said. [Emphasis added. Threat or bribe?]