All the News, that's -
Well......NEWS!

BC Mary recently stated over at the bible of all things BC Rail related that -

I've found more BC news in the past week, since discovering Terrace daily online -- THAN I HAVE IN THE PAST 5 YEARS OF READING THE 3 CANWEST DAILY NEWSPAPERS IN VANCOUVER & VICTORIA.

In an e-mail to me she later elaborated as follows:

It was a pleasant surprise to discover that besides TERRACE DAILY ONLINE, there's also KITIMAT ONLINE DAILY telling the news we should be hearing. Maybe there are other small, local news services like this which are keen to get their real stories out. To my way of thinking, it raises a new possibility for restoring British Columbia to good health.


Is it possible that we should be building a province-wide News Network instead of trying to revitalize one of the old political parties or trying to create a new political party? I'm hoping that some of you will agree. Then comes the hard part: organization. And after that, the local expertise to keep the news coming.


Already this week, these gentle little online services have told us important things we didn't know: that Gordo is implicated in buying off the Haisla on BC Hydro; that Alcan's Kemano project may soon be only an IPP power supply and not a smelter; and that when EuroCan shuts down, it will enrich the riding of the Forest Minister Pat Bell.

Considering the fact that this blog and her Legislature Raids were both started as a response to the frustration about the cone of silence that Canwest and the other so-called media in our province had lowered over the entire BC Rail issue, it shouldn't be surprising that she, and I, are gratified to find media that do recognize and report on these issues. She suggests some kind of network that incorporates these humble but "real" journalistic outlets, their readers and we of the blogosphere, to help counteract the toxic influence of the Asper and Public Affairs Bureau controlled "Lame Stream" media represented by Canwest/Global, CTVGlobemedia and all the rest who treat the Fraser Institute as relevant.

I've started a new category over to the right in my Links section, currently named "Genuine Newspapers." This section is for newspapers, often community based, that consider the issues affecting their readers more important than the latest Asper/PAB talking points memo and have someone wiser than Kirk LaPointe or Lucinda Chodan making the decisions about just what qualifies as news.

I invite readers to submit suggestions regarding other media outlets that remember the press can and should be an important part of democratic society. Canwest and Black affiliates most likely need not apply!


Recently in Real Papers

Is It Kemano Completion Time?

The only possible multi billion dollar investment, if that is what is coming, would be to do with the Kemano hydro electric power generation facilities. On Friday the BC Wilderness Committee released a news item on the BC Provincial Government ordering BC Hydro to purchase more power from private independent producers, 6000 gigawatt hours.

Government Orders Hydro to Buy Power

Requiring BC Hydro to purchase power that it doesn’t need is an idiotic decision and a gift to the private power industry. Three months ago, the BCUC said buying this power was not in the public interest, and yet the BC government is ignoring their own regulatory watchdog and ordering BC Hydro to spend billions of dollars on power we don’t need.

Kitimaat Offices Searched

BC Premier Gordon Campbell was implicated in the trial when Wilson acknowledged writing him a letter claiming he fulfilled his part of their conspiratorial arrangement to keep the Haisla from interfering with the electricity purchase agreement between Alcan and BC Hydro during the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) hearings.

Wilson also admitted the signature of the highest Haisla Hereditary Chief supporting Alcan in the BCUC application was a fake and the stamp used to fake his authorization was improperly used.

If the RCMP have now raided the Kitamaat Village Council offices; a BC legislative assembly, and if this has anything to do with Steve Wilson and the alleged fraudulent deal he had made with BC Premier Gordon Campbell, the entire Haisla First Nations Trial, which resumes Monday, may be a small precursor to the BC Rail sale to CN Rail 'Fraud trial', which resulted after the BC Provincial Legislature was raided.

Are the political leaders of BC really involved in corrupt, fraudulent activity? We will continue to dig and report on what turns up. We have been informed the RCMP wish to keep this quiet as their investigation is ongoing. The Haisla community consists of only approximately 750 people. Quiet is unlikely.

Lawyer Starts Laughing in Haisla Trial

During the arguments being made as to whether or not an aboriginal elder could provide testimony on the culture and traditions of their first nation group, which would be considered as expert by the Court in making decisions, the lawyer for the Plaintiffs (Steve Wilson and the Kitamaat Village Council), Roger McConchie, burst out laughing after the Judge, Justice Punnett stated his friend, the lawyer for the Defense, Daniel Burnett, “Just wants to establish that [the court] existed.”

It was a classic case of theater watching this lawyer belittle all of the attempts to legitimize the Hereditary Chiefs and the aboriginal culture in a Canadian Court.

Justice Punnett even seemed amused as he chuckled along. He also, however, had to acknowledge the antics of McConchie continuing to jump up and object every time the defense team, Morris Amos and Burnett, started to ask a question or the witness on the stand began to answer, were becoming obstructive to the process

Lumber Giants Don't Like CN Anymore?

Now let’s see, these mills are complaining about a monopoly by CN rail but yet, want to have the government create one for them? That’s double speak operating at its finest.

It’s rather strange that a few rag tags with no lumber experience could see through the plan that CN put forward and the Liberal government tripped through its shorts to okay, but lumber barons who earn a million dollars a year couldn’t see the future. All the more reason that they shouldn’t be put in charge of our forests.

Eurocan Closing - Blow to the Entire North

Eurocan was not getting sufficient chips to enable it to operate efficiently, bearing in mind that the Port of Prince Rupert has been the area from which a lot of raw, round logs, are being exported . There are ships full of product heading out of the country to be milled overseas and there is little that either Eurocan, the Province or for that matter the federal government could do about it.

These local papers usually have engaged comment threads following articles dealing with items of local interest. It is illuminating to read comments by people involved and affected by the decisions of the Campbell Crime Family. By the time comments have passed the gamut of the Chodans and LaPointes of Canwest, there generally isn't much left but more of the same. Getting a letter published in the dead tree version of the Times-Colonist or Vancouver Sun may be more difficult than having an article published is for their (choke) professional journalists - of course we readers don't have the advantage of a Ms. Chodan or Mr. LaPointe pointing out what we are supposed to say (and not say)!