A crowd of over 100 people gathered at Centennial Lodge in Queens Park on Wednesday, March 25 to Save Our Rivers. The meeting was sponsored by the New Westminster Environmental Partners and the Council of Canadians and featured Rafe Mair, a former Minister of the Environment, Damien Gillis, a film maker and Joe Foy of the Western Canadian Wilderness Committee. All three were passionately opposed to the privatization of British Columbia’s rivers. Damien showed graphic footage that he shot of the environmental destruction that these massive projects wreck upon the pristine wilderness. From the Kootenays to the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island to the north of the province river after river were being destroyed. After watching his films it became obvious to the audience that these projects were anything but “green”.
Rafe Mair, a former Social Credit cabinet minister, called the giveaway of our rivers to private corporations by the Campbell government a “scam”. He described the lies and half truths that the Campbell government used to justify these projects. “We don’t need this power.”, he said “It is all to be exported to the U.S.”. He described the rivers as being the life blood of the province and the spiritual connection we should have with them and the fish that swim in them.
Joe Foy talked about how this was a plan to destroy BC Hydro by having them buy the power at high prices from the private operators and then have to sell the power at a loss. He reminded people that in fiscal year 2009 BC Hydro will contribute $500 million to the BC government, money used to fund our hospitals and our schools. He also warned that by giving private corporations control of the water in our rivers we were in danger of having to allow bulk water exports to the U.S.
All three speakers described the need to defeat the Liberal government in the election to be held on May 12. This was the only way to stop the further destruction and giveaway to private corporations of our vital natural resources. They urged people to call Gordon Campbell and their MLAs, write letters to their local papers and inform their family and friends or what is happening. For more information people can go to saveourrivers.ca
