“When all resources – food, wildlife, trees, fuel – are destroyed, man will not be able to eat money.” – Native American Proverb

Posted on by Laila

It was back in  2009 when I first started blogging about the Northern Gateway project, with a post about Enbridge’s “stealth marketing” techniques. Lower than low, they planned to target children with pipeline propaganda disguised as educational information…presented by the former mayor of Prince George, Colin Kinsley.

Of course now it’s 2012 and after so many years, the debate over this project is finally regular food for thought by pundits, protestors and politicians across Canada -and rightfully so. It’s yet another sell off to the Chinese and finally someone called it like it really is.

If you haven’t read it yet, Terry Glavin did an outstanding job of summing up exactly how our governments are kowtowing to the Chinese in a rather slavish manner with respect to Enbridge and other initiatives. He even talks about the whole Richard Fadden/CSIS/Chinese influence over Canadian politicians incident -something I’ve blogged about with great interest in the past.  And I applaud him for all of it – thank you Mr. Glavin, for asking the tough questions no politicians seem to want to answer. Not even here in B.C.

Our provincial liberals have long cultivated with great effort, a business relationship with China that goes far beyond what our current farce of a premier has initiated. To hear Christy speak, you would think she had just recently discovered China herself, and she has gone to great lengths to pander to the Chinese overseas to continue what her predecessor Campbell started.

Even worse, in a time when jobs are growing ever more scarce because of this continual offloading to China, the federal and provincial government even allowed a Chinese mine to open here in BC – and bring Chinese workers with them…that was brought to our attention back in October of last year by Sarbjit ( Bobby) Deepak , a reader up north who is outraged by the hypocritical government policies and actions perpetuated by each BC Liberal in office.

“When all resources – food, wildlife, trees, fuel – are destroyed, man will not be able to eat money.”

So we have a pipeline threat up north, we have mines with foreign workers, logs disappearing whole into freighters overseas, what else could they sell and plunder?

Ah, don’t forget arguably one of our most precious treasures here in BC, some of the best, most fertile farmland in the country…and it all ties in- again- to the ports and trade with China.

The headline screams ” Port’s hunger for farmland a ‘declaration of war’. “

 Metro Vancouver politicians are up in arms after Port Metro Vancouver CEO Robin Silvester told them more Agricultural Land Reserve farmland should be sacrificed to make way for more port expansion and the jobs that will bring.

 Silvester made the presentation Thursday at a special strategy session of the Metro board in Chilliwack, where he described the ALR as emotionally but not economically important to the region and said more must be done to ensure land is available for industry.

 Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie said it’s clear Port Metro Vancouver wants to rework the ALR and press ahead with further industrialization of farmland.

Interesting to note that even the dubious and calculated land purchases of BC rail in the Delta heartland is mentioned,something that again, plays into the port expansion and trade with China.

And yet, to what end will it be that the vast majority of British Columbians will  get it? What I see is the same people, protesting the same causes over and over again, tirelessly and without relent… but what about everyone else?  What will it take to wake the masses up on a scale that we take back what our families have worked for to make this fine province, this fine country, what it is?

Even the North American Perimeter agreement, the first real step towards integration with the United States of America, was too confusing for most people to understand, let alone get up in arms about. This too, in my opinion, is a serious matter that went all but untouched by local media, even though the implications are far reaching and affect each of us in one way or another.

It was portrayed as a way to enhance border security against all those horrific threats to North America meaning the United States of course, and make it easier for truckers to get across the border, however the less talked about portion of the agreements is the most alarming. And when you look at the Regulatory Council Cooperation Action Plan, it’s all about streamlining business and approvals for cross border business and initiative.

Read this excerpt from an email that came to me back in December ( and I do apologize for not being able to blog about it until now)

Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Subject: Are you ready for a new Environmental Assessment Act in Canada?

You know, this re-assessment of the Environmental Assessment Act may have much to do with the new Border Security agreement announced today.

There is much of this agreement that is NOT being discussed in the press. I highly recommend that everyone read the document released in Feb regarding what this agreement covers.

http://www.borderactionplan-plandactionfrontalier.gc.ca/psec-scep/assets/pdfs/RCC-CCR_Eng.pdf
Appendix 2 (beginning on page 21) in the PDF link above discusses various parts of the agreement.

There are 4 categories which will undergo change:

1) Agriculture and Food,
2) Energy and Environment,
3) Transportation and
4) Health and Consumer Products.

As an example, the Energy section lists this as one strategy:

“Streamline permissions for and construction of new cross-border energy infrastructure, e.g., a single Canada–U.S. regime for permitting oil and gas pipelines.”

See what I am saying? Canadian environmental guidelines will be changed in a big way

Bingo. I’ve read all the documents easily available on the American government site and I agree that the vast majority of the agreement sets us up for integration with the US, and makes it easier for the US to send their goods to Canada, thereby bettering their economic outlook… yet possibly making it harder for Canadians to know what it is they are buying and what is in it.

For example.Canada and the States have very different views to hormones in livestock thus sold as meat to consumers, and in milk and milk products. This new agreement suggests that Canada and the US should create joint guidelines to facilitate trade between our countries… see where I am going here?  It is not a good thing, in my opinion.

Phew. Yes, I know, it’s all so much at one time, but it must be said. This is my truth.

Harper must go. The  BC Liberals must go. And if the BC NDP intend to lead this province they had better be ready to come out swinging on a variety of real issues, with real solutions, because the BC Conservatives are gaining popularity in many areas of the province in spite of being led by Reed Elley, a perceived “religious zealot”. ( for the record, Mr. Elley sent me a lovely message on facebook last year, stating that while we may not agree on all issues, he admired and respected that I get the important dialogues started. Considering our vast differences on many issues, I found that a very admirable overture – and a strategic one as well. )

It’s up to each of you to continue to spread the word, to urge others to explore, learn and inform and demand accountability from all politicians, at all levels.

Your province depends on it.

13 thoughts on ““When all resources – food, wildlife, trees, fuel – are destroyed, man will not be able to eat money.” – Native American Proverb”

  1. Thank you for bringing up this very important subject Laila. It is extremely important that people begin to understand how this is a downward spiral for our sovereignty. You bring up the subject of food standards, it’s not just the hormones, as horrific as that is, but the introduction of further Monsanto GMO’s, pesticides and insecticides that are currently banned in Canada.

    As Harper hinted to the 1%ers in Davos, he plans to privatize science in Canada. Corporations will pay scientists to do science that supports profits rather then the pursuit of truth and knowledge to be applied for the betterment of society as a whole. (I don’t see Sinopec or Chevron spending money to develop free energy, for example). He also wants to withdraw Government involvement in Regulating Food and Industrial safety and allow Industry to self regulate.

    At the same time, Peter MacKay signed a new agreement with US Homeland Security to allow further encroachment of the US Military and civilian police onto Canadian soil. This is ominous to me as Obama signs in new laws regarding indefinate detention without due process under the law and open-ended spying on citizens. When Harper characterizes BC citizens as “enemies of the state”, I have the chilling sense that the next word he uses will be “eco-terrorists” and that this evil man will not hesitate to send in Canadian and US military and police to quell the civil unrest that is sure to follow the seemingly inevitable approval of the pipeline.

    Now would be good people, wake up your neighbour!

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    1. Exactly. The new agreements allow much more than what it reported in most stories, and encroaches on far more than most imagine. The potential for degradation of our food regulations is incredibly alarming, and frankly, I hate American pesticide laden produce already, wouldnt want to see MORE in Canada.

      The thought of a singular environmental oversight agency alarms me as well. Imagine the Americans have direct say in what happens here in Canada….

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  2. Harper gave a speech in new York, at the Council of Foreign Relations meeting. This was Sept. 25/2007. I don’t know how, anyone couldn’t see Harper’s evil agenda? Border security, my @$$.

    Isn’t Harper a Reformer? Was his party not, the Northern Foundation Party? This was in 1989. Harper is no Conservative. Did not Deb Grey say, Harper is still a Reformer?

    You can’t wake Canadians up, with a stick of dynamite. Who listened to Fadden’s warning? You could see all of this unfolding, for a very long time. Factories, logs, mills, oil and gas, mines, all given to China on a silver platter. Child labor in China, is just pennies a day. And Canada was only too eager, to exploit the labor of those children. Do you know? A Chinese apple factory, won’t hire anyone unless they sign a document, that they won’t commit suicide. Way to go Canada!!!

    Prince Rupert was expanded, to take the huge freighters from China. The CN, rails the Chinese goods, to an expanded rail yard to store the Chinese junk. The goods are then switched out from there, for what ever destination.

    The Chinese are sending their people to school, to learn English, they will work the BC coal mines. If any of the seven mines going in to Northern BC are Chinese, they will bring their own miners. Remember, China’s labor is real cheap.

    The Chinese, especially in Vancouver want Mandarin Immersion schools, because there are so many of them. They want their history and culture taught.

    China bought a huge chunk of the dirty tar sands a long time ago and just recently, more. Now Harper is trying to force Enbridge pipeline, who has had 804 spills, very badly cleaned up spills at that. Harper will force the dirty Chinese tankers on BC. We will have a polluted wasteland, and totally destroyed marine life. Forced on us, for China’s benefit and to hell with the BC people.

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  3. I forgot. China is also crowding the China sea. The Philippines are asking the U.S. to help arm them, against China. There are islands there loaded with resources. Looks like China wants to claim them as theirs.

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  4. Wicked smart woman, this is an important grouping of links that I am sending to everyone in my list.I have missed your writing very much, check in daily even when you say you are writing.Ps, it was nice to meet you last night too,can’t believe we live in the same hood! Keep at it and hope to see you again sometime ; )

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  5. I keep my eye on your regional research and journalistic genius eveyday Laila. Keep up your amazing work and blog….we all need you in this province…..especially now … in these terribly frightening times!.

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  6. I agree with the concerns you put forth but have to wonder how many other fellow Canadians are on the same page.

    How many people from the lower mainland go into Washington State on a regular basis to buy dairy and other food products to save a few bucks? Too many in my estimation and none of them seem to be too worried about growrth hormones and genetically modified foods.

    How many Canadians gladly put down their money to buy goods made in China to save a few cents or get the latest offering from Apple, Sony, or pretty much any other manufacturer of electronic products? It seems the majority of us. We lament the jobs lost from North America and other jurisdictions that created meaningful and well paying employment while we still reward the companies that are responsible for the job losses by continuing to buy their products.

    Railing against countries over certain standards regarding food, labour or human rights means absolutely nothing if we continue rewarding them by supporting them with our purchasing behavior.

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    1. Thank you for the kind words Doug,much appreciated, and lovely to see you here again! ( although my own absence has been just about as long..lol)

      Crankypants, I hear you and worry about that myself. I do know a lot of people who buy south of the border, most do not however, buy milk eggs and meat, at least the people I know. They do buy dry goods and household items. I do think there are enough people thinking about what they are putting into their bodies that if they discovered that a change to food standards here was imminent, there would be an outcry. The problem is that the information Canadians need to know is not being presented to them… and frankly,reading those agreements and plans is beyond most citizens.

      I agree we need to alter our purchasing behavior.As much as I can, I buy local, used or on consignment and from ethical companies… if there is such a thing!Any suggestions on how to get people on board?

      Brad,it was nice to meet and chat with you too and I am so sorry my puppy jumped on your nice jeans! She’s getting really good at everything,but the jumping is a hard one for me. Ah well, she is only 13 weeks old, so I guess there is still lots of time for her to learn! I am sure we will run into each other again on your way back from the gym. Thank you for the kind words!

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  7. Good to see you back Laila, and with a vengance too. Keep up the good work as you know that we will never see any of this stuff in the MSM.

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  8. How is it that a person from the oil industry is elected Prime Minister and nobody notices when he advocates for the continued, deliberate subjection of Canadian citizens to the poisons and toxins associated wtih the tar sands, to the point of death, and not only advocates for continuing it, but dubs it “Ethical Oil” and calls concerned Canadians who are against it “enemies of the country?” And will likely call out the Canadian military to attempt to muzzle dissent when the bulldozer blades are being put in the ground. I can’t for the life of me understand why every single person in this country isn’t calling for his head. What is the matter with people? They seem stoned and oblivious. Even if they can’t find compassion in themselves for others, if nothing else, you’d think they’d care about the health of their own children.

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  11. One word – water, because I think that will become another “commodity” we will end up exporting to the States or China to our detriment.

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