Recent data suggests we don’t. Decreased load forecasts give us more time to consider less costly energy options. Do we need the $8.9-billion Site C dam? When we promised to dig deep into the megaproject and asked what you wanted to know, that was one of your big questions. And it’s an issue that’s been […]
Features
First Nations members on Site C: ‘You don’t consult after you make the decision’
Despite many meetings, some Treaty 8 members say the consultations should’ve focused less on compensation and more on protecting treaty rights. “There’s spiritual sites all over this place,” says Chief Roland Willson of the West Moberly First Nation. “Anywhere around here you put a shovel in the ground and start digging, you’ll find arrowheads, remnants […]
Why BC Liberals Blocked Usual Independent Review for Site C
People are still questioning BC Liberals’ review of Site C. Politicians wanted to avoid tough questions about need for project, future costs, critics say. Why is the biggest megaproject in B.C. history, the $8.8-billion Site C dam, going ahead without the standard review by the B.C. Utilities Commission to determine if it’s actually needed and […]
Is Site C Really ‘Past the Point of No Return?’
Cancelling unneeded, expensive, high-risk dam still smart choice, former CEO, economist say. It’s a lot of work getting a riverbank ready to hold a 15-storey earthfill dam. That’s what Site C crews have been focused on for the last 21 months. It’s mostly prep-work, so there are only a few permanent installations. Everything else will […]
What do you need to know about the Site C dam? Let’s investigate together.
I spent all summer reporting on the megaproject, and still have so many questions. So I’ve teamed up with The Tyee and Discourse media to investigate it, leading up to the May 9 provincial election. See the full first story on The Tyee or Discourse Media. For the next few months, leading up to the provincial election […]
After years of decline, caribou herd shows signs of recovery
A caribou cow in a pen near Chetwynd. The new mother was one of 17 animals released back into the wild July 15 as part of a program to restore caribou populations. Garrett Napoleon and Harley Davis walk up from their cabin with several bags of lichen, collected by community members from under the rock pines between Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge, where there are hoards of the food stuff.Over the last few weeks the herd has been weaned off a diet of pellets of fats, minerals and protein back to plain
Brewing a burgeoning business in Peace Region
GP Brewing president Matt Toni and head brewer Jim Lague in their newly opened tasting room.Grain Bin Beer and GP Brewing Company both opened early this year into a market previously untested for its appetite for local craft beer. Both teams did what research they could to make sure there was enough interest to sustain a business, but ultimately opened their doors on faith. Both have already surpassed early sales expectations.“We’re where we thought we’d be one to one and a half years in,” said
Paddle for the Peace takes on new political urgency
Green leader Elizabeth May calls Site C ‘a monstrosity,’ says Trudeau must seek new advice on damDipping a paddle in the Peace River, the red-orange canoe glides down the water. Hundreds of other boats float beside, behind and ahead towards Bear Flat, where BC Hydro is working to purchase farmland to realign Highway 29 in preparation for the Site C reservoir.It’s cold and quiet, this peaceful river, but powerful currents boil from under the surface, rushing from the Rocky Mountains all the way e
Q&A: Dr. Harry Swain, former Site C panel chair becomes outspoken opponent
Dr. Harry Swain knows more than most about the Site C dam. With a Ph.D. in economic geography and 22 years of federal civil service under his belt, Swain spent two years as chair of the federal-provincial joint review panel tasked with evaluating the environmental, economic, and First Nations impacts of the largest public works […]
Spirit of the Peace Pow Wow unites young and old
Young dancer initiated On Sunday, 13-year old Trevor Penner, stood at the edge of the Taylor arena waiting. As a circle of drummers beat on one large drum, singing together, Josh Matwiy stood with him, ready to accompany Penner through his initiation into pow wow. “It means a lot to me because I’ll be recognized […]