nationalobserver--2020-10-14--Canadian Andrew S. Wright's "Price of Oil" shortlisted for international Wildlife Photographer of th

Canadian Andrew S. Wright's "Price of Oil" shortlisted for international Wildlife Photographer of the Year award

The black , skeletal `` nodding donkeys '' pumpjacks are crammed into a yellow , dry moonscape of California 's Kern River oil field , near Bakersfield .
A small glimpse of the mind-boggling 15,000 oil wells .
The photo , titled `` The Price of Oil '' by Vancouver-based photojournalist Andrew S. Wright , was one of 100 photos out of 50,000 submissions selected by the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition this year .
Organized by the UK-based Natural History Museum , the international competition has been showcasing the best of wildlife photography for over 50 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inaugural award in 1965 .
`` I was pretty thrilled , '' said Wright .
He been entering his photos for the past 15 years , and this year was the first year his work was selected among the `` highly commended '' photos .
A blunt depiction of the `` thirst for oil '' Jaime Rojo , a conservation and environmental photographer and judge at this year 's competition , said Wright 's `` Price of Oil '' photo was selected both for its visual composition and the story it tells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is often a combination of both ( photo composition and subject matter ) , but the visual aspects almost always come first , '' Rojo told Canada 's National Observer .
`` In this particular image , the subject matter played an important role .
It has a shocking composition , for sure , and the distortion caused by the heat adds to the dystopian atmosphere ; but it is the story behind it that caught my attention .
Our thirst for oil is bluntly depicted here . ''
• New technologies show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada • BC Liberals say they would accelerate LNG export projects Wright is one of several Canadian photographers whose work made the Wildlife Photographer of the Year selection , including Garth Lenz ' `` World of Tar , '' and will be showcased along with 100 photographs for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum from November 21 through May 2 .
The competition 's photo selection , which is covered by major newspapers around the world , gives photographers the rare opportunity to break through social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental conservation , he said .
`` The competition is one of those vehicles or platforms that transcends so many people 's universes .
So it 's critically important , important place for sparking discussion , '' he said .
The story behind the photo Wright took the photo in 2015 as part of his `` GroundTruth '' project , which tracks the fossil fuel infrastructure needed to support the modern consumer lifestyle , and the impact on the natural world ( the project was exhibited in Vancouver in 2018 ) .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and decided to stay awhile longer to capture images of one of California 's most iconic oilfields .
`` I was traveling to the island of Anacapa , which is off the coast of Los Angeles in the Channel Islands to document the bird recovery that happened from a previous invasive species eradication almost 15 , 20 years ago , '' he said .
`` Bakersfield had been on my list for quite some time .
And so that was a perfect opportunity to delay my return . ''
He arrived on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temperatures spiking to around 40 degrees Celsius , and drove around the oil field , where he saw signs warning of deadly hydrogen sulfide , or 'sour gas ' , a corrosive and highly toxic substance .
To get an aerial view of the pumpjacks , he went to a public panorama ridge lookout in a park and got a direct telephoto shot of the oil field .
He said the photo he took reminded him of the paintings of L.S .
Lowry depicting the 18th century Industrial Revolution , during which workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repetitive tasks alongside machinery in factories .
`` I compared it to the Lowry paintings — hundreds of humans grinding away , hundreds of machines grinding away for the benefit of humanity , '' he said .
Winners and losers in the transition off fossil fuels Although Wright is a passionate conservationist , he credits the oil and gas industry for dramatically improving human well-being in many parts of the world , and hopes the photo will spark conversations about what it will take to transition off oil in a way that does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cold .
He said if the transition is n't done humanely , it will spark civil unrest and destabilize societies .
`` There 's a consequence of big systemic changes — there are going to be winners and losers .
We have to do a better job about making it more winners and a lot less losers , '' Wright said .
He recalled the suffering of coal miners under British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , and the failure of politicians to `` champion the change and make sure everybody is brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it , we use 100 million barrels a day of oil globally , '' he said .
`` That level of infrastructure that , you know , allows Amazon to deliver your trinkets in the front door .
If you want quality of life to endure , we 've got a big job of building a century 's worth of infrastructure development in a decade . ''
Wright hopes his photo , along with others selected for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest , will shed light on the urgency of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate crisis .
`` In its many years of history , this competition has done a great job in evolving and adapting to the growing concerns of the public about environmental issues , '' he said .
`` That an image like 'The Price of Oil ' is awarded and featured in this year ’ s exhibit speaks about the commitment of this institution to bring important topics such as the climate crisis to the broader audience . ''

The black, skeletal "nodding donkeys" pumpjacks are crammed into a yellow, dry moonscape of California's Kern River oil field, near Bakersfield. A small glimpse of the mind-boggling 15,000 oil wells. The photo, titled "The Price of Oil" by Vancouver-based photojournalist Andrew S. Wright, was one of 100 photos out of 50,000 submissions selected by the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition this year. Organized by the UK-based Natural History Museum, the international competition has been showcasing the best of wildlife photography for over 50 years, with natural historian David Attenborough presenting the inaugural award in 1965. "I was pretty thrilled," said Wright. He been entering his photos for the past 15 years, and this year was the first year his work was selected among the "highly commended" photos. A blunt depiction of the "thirst for oil" Jaime Rojo, a conservation and environmental photographer and judge at this year's competition, said Wright's "Price of Oil" photo was selected both for its visual composition and the story it tells about natural resource extraction.
"It is often a combination of both (photo composition and subject matter), but the visual aspects almost always come first," Rojo told Canada's National Observer. "In this particular image, the subject matter played an important role. It has a shocking composition, for sure, and the distortion caused by the heat adds to the dystopian atmosphere; but it is the story behind it that caught my attention. Our thirst for oil is bluntly depicted here."
Wright is one of several Canadian photographers whose work made the Wildlife Photographer of the Year selection, including Garth Lenz' "World of Tar," and will be showcased along with 100 photographs for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum from November 21 through May 2. The competition's photo selection, which is covered by major newspapers around the world, gives photographers the rare opportunity to break through social media "bubbles" and draw attention to environmental conservation, he said.
"The competition is one of those vehicles or platforms that transcends so many people's universes. So it's critically important, important place for sparking discussion," he said.
The story behind the photo Wright took the photo in 2015 as part of his "GroundTruth" project, which tracks the fossil fuel infrastructure needed to support the modern consumer lifestyle, and the impact on the natural world (the project was exhibited in Vancouver in 2018). He was in California to document conservation efforts, and decided to stay awhile longer to capture images of one of California's most iconic oilfields. "I was traveling to the island of Anacapa, which is off the coast of Los Angeles in the Channel Islands to document the bird recovery that happened from a previous invasive species eradication almost 15, 20 years ago," he said. "Bakersfield had been on my list for quite some time. And so that was a perfect opportunity to delay my return." He arrived on a sweltering day in June, with temperatures spiking to around 40 degrees Celsius, and drove around the oil field, where he saw signs warning of deadly hydrogen sulfide, or 'sour gas', a corrosive and highly toxic substance. To get an aerial view of the pumpjacks, he went to a public panorama ridge lookout in a park and got a direct telephoto shot of the oil field. He said the photo he took reminded him of the paintings of L.S. Lowry depicting the 18th century Industrial Revolution, during which workers were pulled into long hours of soullessly repetitive tasks alongside machinery in factories.
"I compared it to the Lowry paintings — hundreds of humans grinding away, hundreds of machines grinding away for the benefit of humanity," he said. Winners and losers in the transition off fossil fuels Although Wright is a passionate conservationist, he credits the oil and gas industry for dramatically improving human well-being in many parts of the world, and hopes the photo will spark conversations about what it will take to transition off oil in a way that doesn't leave workers and communities out in the cold. He said if the transition isn't done humanely, it will spark civil unrest and destabilize societies.


nationalobserver--2020-10-15--Vancouver farmers markets look back — and ahead — after pandemic summer

COVID-19 didn ’ t stop Brad Bennick from finding eager customers for his new water buffalo gelato at Vancouver ’ s farmers markets this summer .
“ It took a while for people to try it , but now ( sales ) are going well , ” said Bennick , co-owner of Tesfa Farms in Surrey , where he raises water buffalo for dairy and meat production .
That ’ s a good sign for Vancouver ’ s farmers markets , which , like most grocery stores , appear to be weathering the pandemic well .
With restrictions on customer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hygiene precautions , it wasn ’ t a record-breaking year — but Vancouverites ’ commitment to local food kept the markets afloat .
“ It ’ s a mixed bag , ” said Laura Smit , executive director of Vancouver Farmers Markets , the non-profit that administers the city ’ s nine neighbourhood markets .
“ For some ( vendors ) , it ’ s been a really challenging year .
And for others , it ’ s been a really encouraging year.
” Roughly 250 vendors sell at the markets , peddling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced across B.C .
They run year-round , with seven different locations scattered across the city during the summer that are consolidated into two once winter hits .
• New technologies show potential for renewable energy job growth in Canada • BC Liberals say they would accelerate LNG export projects • What ’ s in B.C.
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Like grocery stores , farmers markets were designated as essential services provincewide early in the crisis .
In Vancouver , that meant there was only a week in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t easily purchase local food while Smit and other organizers figured out the new social distancing rules .
“ We learned really quickly that people love their local food , and that they believe it ’ s important to support our local producers , ” she said .
Smit said social distancing restrictions and lockdowns cut traffic to the markets by about half , especially in March and April , while sales remained strong for vendors who did attend .
She said when averaged across the spring and summer , the total value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent despite significant reductions in the total number of visitors at the markets .
The drop in visitors didn ’ t stop the creation of dauntingly long lines .
Limits on the number of people allowed in the markets at one time , mixed with six-foot social distancing requirements , saw many queues stretch hundreds of metres beyond the markets ’ gates , even as the organizers strived to keep people flowing through the market and wait times manageable , Smit said .
“ But then , of course , there are some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of different reasons , ” she said .
“ So we jumped at the opportunity to do some online pre-orders , and I think we reached more people than who would have come and sat in line.
” The next decision the organization might have to make will be around mask-wearing , she said .
The outdoor markets are relatively low-risk spaces , so masks currently aren ’ t required , though they ’ re recommended .
“ It ’ s a mixed bag , ” said Laura Smit , executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vancouver ’ s nine neighbourhood # farmersmarkets .
“ For some ( vendors ) it ’ s been a really challenging year .
And for others , it ’ s been a really encouraging year.
” “ We can , in some cases , wear a mask , and that communicates a level of care .
And when ( one person ) wears a mask , others do , too , ” she said .
As for the vendors , Smit said their experiences have really varied , and not always predictably .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — as opposed to the bigger and more sinuous setups that more established or larger vendors use — have done remarkably since visitors are trying to avoid crowds .
And for some , that bump has been a lifeline .
“ A lot of these small businesses rely on their market income ( especially because ) some folks supply restaurants .
( Those sales ) went down significantly at the beginning of the season and haven ’ t come up to normal.
” Big sales for small stalls aren ’ t the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Markets with 30 vendors or under , as opposed to the roughly 50 at larger locations , saw similar visitor numbers as previous years — and stronger sales .
That has shaped Smit ’ s planning for this year ’ s two winter markets , which open in November and will be divided into sections , and for summer markets in 2021 .
Still , despite the upheavals that have characterized 2020 , for Bennick and his water buffaloes , at least something has gone according to plan : He figured out how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contaminating the milk ( usually dairy farms , regardless of the species being milked , separate the cows and calves at birth to keep the calves from suckling ) .
“ The 2020 vision was to try to keep ( that mother-calf ) bond intact .
It ’ s one thing the pandemic didn ’ t get in the way of , and actually made easier , because I had an excuse to work long hours and had nowhere else to go , ” he said .
Except , that is , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @

COVID-19 didn’t stop Brad Bennick from finding eager customers for his new water buffalo gelato at Vancouver’s farmers markets this summer. “It took a while for people to try it, but now (sales) are going well,” said Bennick, co-owner of Tesfa Farms in Surrey, where he raises water buffalo for dairy and meat production. That’s a good sign for Vancouver’s farmers markets, which, like most grocery stores, appear to be weathering the pandemic well. With restrictions on customer numbers and extra expenses associated with increased hygiene precautions, it wasn’t a record-breaking year — but Vancouverites’ commitment to local food kept the markets afloat. “It’s a mixed bag,” said Laura Smit, executive director of Vancouver Farmers Markets, the non-profit that administers the city’s nine neighbourhood markets. “For some (vendors), it’s been a really challenging year. And for others, it’s been a really encouraging year.” Roughly 250 vendors sell at the markets, peddling everything from brussels sprouts to blueberry strudel produced across B.C. They run year-round, with seven different locations scattered across the city during the summer that are consolidated into two once winter hits.
Like grocery stores, farmers markets were designated as essential services provincewide early in the crisis. In Vancouver, that meant there was only a week in early March when city dwellers couldn’t easily purchase local food while Smit and other organizers figured out the new social distancing rules. “We learned really quickly that people love their local food, and that they believe it’s important to support our local producers,” she said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Smit said social distancing restrictions and lockdowns cut traffic to the markets by about half, especially in March and April, while sales remained strong for vendors who did attend. She said when averaged across the spring and summer, the total value of sales dropped less than 10 per cent despite significant reductions in the total number of visitors at the markets.
The drop in visitors didn’t stop the creation of dauntingly long lines. Limits on the number of people allowed in the markets at one time, mixed with six-foot social distancing requirements, saw many queues stretch hundreds of metres beyond the markets’ gates, even as the organizers strived to keep people flowing through the market and wait times manageable, Smit said. “It’s a mixed bag,” said Laura Smit, executive director of @VanMarkets, which administers Vancouver’s nine neighbourhood #farmersmarkets. “For some (vendors) it’s been a really challenging year. And for others, it’s been a really encouraging year.” “But then, of course, there are some folks who can’t come for a lot of different reasons,” she said. “So we jumped at the opportunity to do some online pre-orders, and I think we reached more people than who would have come and sat in line.” The next decision the organization might have to make will be around mask-wearing, she said. The outdoor markets are relatively low-risk spaces, so masks currently aren’t required, though they’re recommended. “We can, in some cases, wear a mask, and that communicates a level of care. And when (one person) wears a mask, others do, too,” she said. As for the vendors, Smit said their experiences have really varied, and not always predictably.
Newer, smaller vendors with simple stalls — as opposed to the bigger and more sinuous setups that more established or larger vendors use — have done remarkably since visitors are trying to avoid crowds. And for some, that bump has been a lifeline. “A lot of these small businesses rely on their market income (especially because) some folks supply restaurants. (Those sales) went down significantly at the beginning of the season and haven’t come up to normal.” Big sales for small stalls aren’t the only success stories of the COVID-19 era. Markets with 30 vendors or under, as opposed to the roughly 50 at larger locations, saw similar visitor numbers as previous years — and stronger sales.


nationalobserver--2020-10-15--America’s QAnon problem is infecting Canada. What should we do about it?

In September , adherents to the far-reaching and baseless QAnon conspiracy — which falsely alleges the world is controlled by a Satanic cabal of pedophiles who are plotting against U.S. President Donald Trump — joined anti-mask and anti-vaccine protests in Montreal and Vancouver .
In July , a heavily armed military reservist from Manitoba who had posted memes on Instagram about the QAnon conspiracy rammed his truck through the gates of Rideau Hall .
Minutes away from Parliament Hill , Rideau Hall is the official residence of Canada ’ s Governor General , and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is the third of a series of stories Emma McIntosh is writing as part of National Observer 's special coverage of the U.S. election .
Read the second story here .
QAnon started in October 2017 , named after an anonymous poster going by “ Q ” on the far-right message board site 4chan who claimed to be a high-level government official with details on a secret war .
Spiralling off an earlier conspiracy theory called Pizzagate , Q ’ s messages started as elaborate and far-fetched defences of Trump .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that an embattled minority of people who know “ the truth ” are fighting back against elites and corrupt politicians — have caught on worldwide , spreading to mainstream social media platforms .
“ There ’ s something unique about QAnon , ” said Amarnath Amarasingam , an associate professor at Queen ’ s University and associate fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization , who co-authored a recent report on QAnon for the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point .
The unfortunate cultural import from the United States has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though violent incidents with links to the conspiracy theory are still relatively rare .
But QAnon has gained new prevalence here amid COVID-19 and the American presidential election , which presents a peculiar set of problems , experts say .
On Oct. 4 , a political candidate in Saskatchewan resigned after clicking “ like ” on social media posts supporting QAnon .
And a group of people that includes QAnon believers remains camped out on Parliament Hill after making headlines last month for attempting to place NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh under a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greatest responsibility is keeping Canadians safe .
To fulfil that responsibility , our government and agencies must keep pace with evolving threats and global trends , such as the growing concerns of ideologically motivated violent extremism or the dissemination of hate speech , ” said Mary-Liz Power , a press secretary for Blair , in a statement .
When asked by Canada ’ s National Observer whether the scenarios it ’ s considering involve violence carried out by QAnon supporters , the Prime Minister ’ s Office directed questions to the office of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , Trudeau said the Canadian government is readying itself for possible “ disruptions ” following the Nov. 3 vote .
“ You might actually see some people engage in more violence , ” he said .
However , Amarasingam is more concerned , arguing that the conspiracy has the potential to eventually become more of a threat .
An election loss for Trump , for example , could be seen as an urgent call to action for QAnon supporters , he added .
“ It ’ s an issue that merits watching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing that ’ s going to bring down civilization as we know it , ” said Phil Gurski , a former senior strategic analyst at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service ( CSIS ) and the president and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting , whose specialty is typically Islamist extremism .
So far at least , the conspiracy appears to be far less prevalent north of the U.S. border .
And although the FBI has designated QAnon a domestic terror threat in the U.S. , Canadian authorities have so far made no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the United Kingdom and Australia , is one of the top countries producing QAnon content besides the U.S. , according to a July report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue , a global think tank that studies extremism .
In a statement , NDP public safety critic Jack Harris said the government should be “ vigilant ” in assessing risk levels and in asking social media companies to act .
The Conservative Party of Canada declined to comment on whether the government should be doing more about QAnon .
“ Canadians can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the skills and resources necessary to detect , investigate and respond to both criminal and national security threats.
” “ The government should be very clear with social media platforms that they have a responsibility to ensure that their platforms aren ’ t being used as a tool to spread dangerous and baseless conspiracy theories , ” Harris said .
For many of its followers , QAnon has proved to be addictive .
In thousands of posts , or “ Q Drops , ” since the original in 2017 , the anonymous person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messages for the reader to interpret .
In general , the idea — however unsubstantiated and untethered to reality — is that Trump is fighting a secret war against a Satanic cabal of pedophiles , members of the global elite , who run a global child-trafficking network .
The conspiracy also alleges that an ever-growing number of celebrities and politicians are involved , including former presidential candidate and first lady Hillary Clinton , and even high-profile Canadians like Trudeau .
It ’ s the type of conspiracy that thrives in the disinformation-rich environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Though it sounds as silly as conspiracies from decades past — think Area 51 or the moon landing — some people have stopped laughing , he added .
“ They have suspended their powers of analysis , they have suspended their powers of critical thought , and they are taking it as true , ” he said .
“ They are taking it as a call to action.
” The fact that followers must interpret Q ’ s hazy messages to attempt to understand them creates an almost religious element , said Amarasingam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posts can gather large followings on social media , with information eventually circulating from darker corners of the internet to mainstream platforms where it reaches a wider audience .
“ In a way , QAnon supporters have become like prophets … interpreting a sacred text , ” he said .
The so-called Q drops are also cryptic enough that international audiences can find whatever meaning they want .
For example , Vice documented attempts to fit the murders of Toronto billionaires Barry and Honey Sherman into the conspiracy in 2018 .
The real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the moral outrage inherent to its core ideas .
“ If you truly believe that the world functions a certain way , that there are actually children being enslaved , the response would be the same for all of us , ” Amarasingam said .
“ They come to accept a reality that would mobilize any of us .
It ’ s just that we ’ re not seeing the same reality.
” This has spawned several serious incidents in the real world .
In 2018 , for example , a 30-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a 90-minute standoff with police , four guns and 900 rounds of ammunition in his car .
He was arrested without incident , and in letters to senior government officials after the fact , he used a QAnon slogan .
In 2019 , a 24-year-old from New York said in court that QAnon drove him to kill a mob boss .
In Canada , there has been one similar incident : that of the Manitoba reservist who crashed his truck through the gates of Rideau Hall .
It ’ s not clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident , but the fact that the man had shared two QAnon-related posts on social media did indicate he had dipped his toes in the waters of the conspiracy theory .
In the U.S. , the conspiracy has also driven dozens of congressional candidates to run for office this fall .
“ It ’ s become this political-social movement , ” Amarasingam said .
“ Because they have Trump on the inside , they feel like they can join him in the struggle and burn it all down from the inside.
” We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level in Canada — the Saskatchewan candidate , for example , has denied being associated with QAnon and said “ liking ” posts isn ’ t equivalent to being a follower .
But QAnon still appears to be growing in North America and beyond .
The ISD Global report found “ major spikes ” in online QAnon activity in March .
Part of that is likely to be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic , which upended much of our normal lives , Amarasingam said .
Not only were a ton of people at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a computer than usual , but many had also been thrown into uncertain economic circumstances .
Lack of social trust and an uprooting of norms have both historically been risk factors that make people more susceptible to conspiracy or extremist movements , he added .
“ A lot of people ’ s response to ( COVID-19 ) was … a sense of chaos , ” he said .
“ A lot of what we thought we knew , we didn ’ t believe in anymore.
” In times of trouble , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame , former CSIS analyst Gurski said .
A polarized election in the U.S. and rising levels of hate make it a “ perfect storm , ” he added .
“ We ’ re already in an environment where a lot of people are afraid , they ’ re upset , they ’ re angry , at either real or perceived lack of action by their government when it comes to COVID , when it comes to the economy , and the U.S. election.
” The ISD Global report also pointed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factor .
Researchers have said they believe Russian-backed organizations are attempting to amplify QAnon content online in the run-up to the vote , seeing it as an opportunity to sow division in the U.S .
The FBI has identified QAnon as a domestic terror threat .
“ The FBI assesses these conspiracy theories very likely will emerge , spread , and evolve in the modern information marketplace , occasionally driving both groups and individual extremists to carry out criminal or violent acts , ” the agency said in a memo first reported by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the election draws nearer , the document noted .
The view from Canada is different .
“ The RCMP is aware of this movement , however , the RCMP does not investigate movements or organizations for their ideological dispositions , ” RCMP spokesperson Cpl .
Caroline Duval said in an emailed statement to Canada ’ s National Observer .
“ We investigate criminal activities by those who threaten the safety and security of Canadians.
” Gurski said he wouldn ’ t disagree with the RCMP ’ s view and that he believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of critical momentum in Canada the way it has in the U.S .
The Rideau Hall incident is just one example , and the public doesn ’ t have a lot of information about what led to it , he added .
Though QAnon exists here , it hasn ’ t reached the same proportions as it has south of the border .
Canada also lacks open-carry gun laws that exist in many U.S. states , which make for a more dangerous set of circumstances , he added .
“ I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be high on the list ( of priorities ) right now , ” Gurski said of QAnon .
“ Could it change ?
Absolutely.
” How do you stop an online conspiracy movement ?
It ’ s very difficult to reason with QAnon adherents directly , Amarasingam said .
“ The same systems of expertise or knowledge that we turn to , to explain fact and fiction , they dismiss it in its entirety.
” It ’ s also difficult to identify them or count how many people are involved — in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement has coalesced both online and in real life with other right-wing causes , meaning a lot of people dabble in it without fully going along , said Barbara Perry , director of the Centre on Hate , Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University .
It ’ s now linked to broader white supremacist , anti-Semitic , anti-authority and anti-vaccine movements , and it ’ s easy for people to passively participate in a low-risk way by “ liking ” and “ sharing ” content .
“ It ’ s a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people jumping in and out of conspiracy platforms ... taking on the pieces that seem to help them make sense of their lives , ” Perry said .
For example , QAnon supporters joined with another far-right group called the Yellow Vests in 2019 protests in Ottawa , Perry said .
And QAnon believers are part of a fringe group that has camped out on Parliament Hill since Canada Day , which attempted last month to execute a “ citizen ’ s arrest ” on several people and accosted federal NDP Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , QAnon content has often been buried among other right-wing causes .
“ As it goes internationally , you may see more of that , ” Amarasingam said of QAnon blending with other far-right ideologies .
It needs to adapt and align with other movements to keep gaining momentum , he added .
It ’ s also important to remember that most people who believe in QAnon will never become violent , Gurski said .
No one has really figured out how to stop fringe conspiracy theories , especially once they hit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movements give us an idea of where to start .
Priority one : Booting QAnon off major social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter .
“ It has become just as problematic as when ISIS was thriving on Twitter and Facebook in 2013 and 2014 , ” Amarasingam said .
Platforms have now started to do just that .
Twitter took steps to limit QAnon content in July , and Facebook initiated a crackdown this month that saw top QAnon influencers deleted there and on Instagram .
One top QAnon influencer in Quebec @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of followers was kicked off Facebook in that sweep .
Extremely dedicated QAnon believers will likely attempt to regroup , both on the same platforms and others that may inhabit darker corners of the internet , Amarasingam said .
“ They just kind of chase their tail for a while .
That ’ s generally a good thing , ” he said , adding that it ’ s better they spend time making new accounts than spreading their messages .
Removing them from the biggest platforms can also limit the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your unsuspecting grandma , for example , is unlikely to seek out Q drops on 4chan , but might unwittingly encounter QAnon posts shared by Facebook friends who didn ’ t realize what they were disseminating .
Though conspiracy theories always have hardcore believers , the people they want to win over are the “ mushy middle ” who aren ’ t firm adherents but might uncritically accept portions of it , Perry said .
In some ways , the “ genie is out of the bottle ” already , Perry said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and find ways to get around restrictions on platforms , and conspiracy movements can use the crackdowns to lend credibility to complaints that their movement is being silenced .
Amarasingam said so far , crackdown efforts appear to be making a difference , cutting out some of the most prominent QAnon voices and groups .
But whether the changes will work in the long term is unclear — social media platforms must stay vigilant to prevent conspiracy theorists from regrouping , he added .
“ It ’ s really a question of sustained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added challenge , he said , is that QAnon believers tend to be middle-aged or older .
In the past , anti-extremism programming has been aimed at men in their 20s who are vulnerable to some types of radicalization — strategies used there likely won ’ t work on older people , he added .
“ We haven ’ t actually thought about what that looks like , to try to help old people , ” he said .
Of course , the outcome of the presidential election is also likely to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Trump victory could legitimize the movement , Amarasingam said .
But a Trump loss — which polling indicates is more likely — could also galvanize it , depending on whether the president commits to a peaceful transfer of power .
Gurski said it ’ s likely that CSIS and the RCMP are watching the issue .
“ If there ’ s any indication that it might be veering towards violence , it would be taken seriously — if , and this is a big if , the resources are available , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be taken from somewhere.
” In an interview with Canada ’ s National Observer editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood last week , former CSIS director Richard Fadden called for a royal commission on the problem of disinformation .
And although Canadians are quick to dismiss extremism at home as the work of a “ couple nutbars , ” he added , the country could benefit from open conversations about such problems .
“ I do n't mean to exaggerate , but democracy is not going to work unless people are able to compromise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me , there 's rather less of that , ” Fadden said .
Governments could also think bigger , Perry said .
Older people are influenced by their peers , much like any other age group , so could labour movements and employers , for example , be mobilized to help ?
Perry also said governments could look at legislation aimed at stopping disinformation , and even take steps to redefine terrorism .
“ We really have to get to the adults , ” she said .
“ They ’ re more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve got to find ways to disrupt that .
”

The unfortunate cultural import from the United States has been kicking around Canada for years, though violent incidents with links to the conspiracy theory are still relatively rare. But QAnon has gained new prevalence here amid COVID-19 and the American presidential election, which presents a peculiar set of problems, experts say.
On Oct. 4, a political candidate in Saskatchewan resigned after clicking “like” on social media posts supporting QAnon. And a group of people that includes QAnon believers remains camped out on Parliament Hill after making headlines last month for attempting to place NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh under a “citizen’s arrest.”
In September, adherents to the far-reaching and baseless QAnon conspiracy — which falsely alleges the world is controlled by a Satanic cabal of pedophiles who are plotting against U.S. President Donald Trump — joined anti-mask and anti-vaccine protests in Montreal and Vancouver.
In July, a heavily armed military reservist from Manitoba who had posted memes on Instagram about the QAnon conspiracy rammed his truck through the gates of Rideau Hall . Minutes away from Parliament Hill, Rideau Hall is the official residence of Canada’s Governor General, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s temporary residence is on its grounds.
This is the third of a series of stories Emma McIntosh is writing as part of National Observer's special coverage of the U.S. election . Read the first , second , fourth , fifth and sixth stories here.
QAnon started in October 2017, named after an anonymous poster going by “Q” on the far-right message board site 4chan who claimed to be a high-level government official with details on a secret war. Spiralling off an earlier conspiracy theory called Pizzagate, Q’s messages started as elaborate and far-fetched defences of Trump. But broader themes in QAnon — the idea that an embattled minority of people who know “the truth” are fighting back against elites and corrupt politicians — have caught on worldwide, spreading to mainstream social media platforms.
“There’s something unique about QAnon,” said Amarnath Amarasingam , an associate professor at Queen’s University and associate fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization, who co-authored a recent report on QAnon for the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.
However, Amarasingam is more concerned, arguing that the conspiracy has the potential to eventually become more of a threat. An election loss for Trump, for example, could be seen as an urgent call to action for QAnon supporters, he added.
“It’s an issue that merits watching, but it’s not the thing that’s going to bring down civilization as we know it,” said Phil Gurski, a former senior strategic analyst at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the president and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting , whose specialty is typically Islamist extremism.
So far at least, the conspiracy appears to be far less prevalent north of the U.S. border. And although the FBI has designated QAnon a domestic terror threat in the U.S., Canadian authorities have so far made no such distinction here.
Canada, along with the United Kingdom and Australia, is one of the top countries producing QAnon content besides the U.S., according to a July report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a global think tank that studies extremism.
When asked by Canada’s National Observer whether the scenarios it’s considering involve violence carried out by QAnon supporters, the Prime Minister’s Office directed questions to the office of Public Safety Minister Bill Blair.
Last week, Trudeau said the Canadian government is readying itself for possible “ disruptions ” following the Nov. 3 vote.
“You might actually see some people engage in more violence,” he said.
“Our greatest responsibility is keeping Canadians safe. To fulfil that responsibility, our government and agencies must keep pace with evolving threats and global trends, such as the growing concerns of ideologically motivated violent extremism or the dissemination of hate speech,” said Mary-Liz Power, a press secretary for Blair, in a statement.
“Canadians can be confident that our security agencies have the skills and resources necessary to detect, investigate and respond to both criminal and national security threats.”
The Conservative Party of Canada declined to comment on whether the government should be doing more about QAnon.
In a statement, NDP public safety critic Jack Harris said the government should be “vigilant” in assessing risk levels and in asking social media companies to act.
“The government should be very clear with social media platforms that they have a responsibility to ensure that their platforms aren’t being used as a tool to spread dangerous and baseless conspiracy theories,” Harris said.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, pictured in Ottawa in 2018. Blair's office said the government knows it must keep pace with evolving conspiracy movements like QAnon. File photo by Alex Tétreault
QAnon activity has increased amid COVID-19, U.S. election
For many of its followers, QAnon has proved to be addictive. In thousands of posts, or “Q Drops,” since the original in 2017, the anonymous person or people behind QAnon have left vague messages for the reader to interpret.
In general, the idea — however unsubstantiated and untethered to reality — is that Trump is fighting a secret war against a Satanic cabal of pedophiles, members of the global elite, who run a global child-trafficking network. The conspiracy also alleges that an ever-growing number of celebrities and politicians are involved, including former presidential candidate and first lady Hillary Clinton, and even high-profile Canadians like Trudeau.
It’s the type of conspiracy that thrives in the disinformation-rich environment created by Trump, Gurski said. Though it sounds as silly as conspiracies from decades past — think Area 51 or the moon landing — some people have stopped laughing, he added.
“They have suspended their powers of analysis, they have suspended their powers of critical thought, and they are taking it as true,” he said. “They are taking it as a call to action.”
The fact that followers must interpret Q’s hazy messages to attempt to understand them creates an almost religious element, said Amarasingam. People who “translate” the posts can gather large followings on social media, with information eventually circulating from darker corners of the internet to mainstream platforms where it reaches a wider audience.
“In a way, QAnon supporters have become like prophets … interpreting a sacred text,” he said.
The so-called Q drops are also cryptic enough that international audiences can find whatever meaning they want. For example, Vice documented attempts to fit the murders of Toronto billionaires Barry and Honey Sherman into the conspiracy in 2018.
The real power of QAnon, however, comes from the moral outrage inherent to its core ideas.
“If you truly believe that the world functions a certain way, that there are actually children being enslaved, the response would be the same for all of us,” Amarasingam said. “They come to accept a reality that would mobilize any of us. It’s just that we’re not seeing the same reality.”
This has spawned several serious incidents in the real world. In 2018, for example, a 30-year-old man from Nevada blocked off a bridge during a 90-minute standoff with police, four guns and 900 rounds of ammunition in his car. He was arrested without incident, and in letters to senior government officials after the fact, he used a QAnon slogan. In 2019, a 24-year-old from New York said in court that QAnon drove him to kill a mob boss.
In Canada, there has been one similar incident: that of the Manitoba reservist who crashed his truck through the gates of Rideau Hall. It’s not clear how much QAnon may have influenced the incident, but the fact that the man had shared two QAnon-related posts on social media did indicate he had dipped his toes in the waters of the conspiracy theory.
Not too many QAnon sightings over this past week, but here are some from Alberta and Saskatchewan.
More #YellowVestCanada rallies are scheduled for tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/URGY8LdVW0 — Michael Bueckert (@mbueckert) January 5, 2019
In the U.S., the conspiracy has also driven dozens of congressional candidates to run for office this fall.
“It’s become this political-social movement,” Amarasingam said. “Because they have Trump on the inside, they feel like they can join him in the struggle and burn it all down from the inside.”
We haven’t seen anything on that level in Canada — the Saskatchewan candidate, for example, has denied being associated with QAnon and said “liking” posts isn’t equivalent to being a follower.
But QAnon still appears to be growing in North America and beyond. The ISD Global report found “major spikes” in online QAnon activity in March.
Part of that is likely to be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which upended much of our normal lives, Amarasingam said. Not only were a ton of people at home and spending more time in front of a computer than usual, but many had also been thrown into uncertain economic circumstances. Lack of social trust and an uprooting of norms have both historically been risk factors that make people more susceptible to conspiracy or extremist movements, he added.
“A lot of people’s response to (COVID-19) was … a sense of chaos,” he said. “A lot of what we thought we knew, we didn’t believe in anymore.”
In times of trouble, many people tend to look for someone to blame, former CSIS analyst Gurski said. A polarized election in the U.S. and rising levels of hate make it a “perfect storm,” he added.
“We’re already in an environment where a lot of people are afraid, they’re upset, they’re angry, at either real or perceived lack of action by their government when it comes to COVID, when it comes to the economy, and the U.S. election.”
The ISD Global report also pointed to the Nov. 3 U.S. election as an important factor. Researchers have said they believe Russian-backed organizations are attempting to amplify QAnon content online in the run-up to the vote, seeing it as an opportunity to sow division in the U.S.
The FBI has identified QAnon as a domestic terror threat. “The FBI assesses these conspiracy theories very likely will emerge, spread, and evolve in the modern information marketplace, occasionally driving both groups and individual extremists to carry out criminal or violent acts,” the agency said in a memo first reported by Yahoo News. Those incidents may increase as the election draws nearer, the document noted.
The view from Canada is different.
“The RCMP is aware of this movement, however, the RCMP does not investigate movements or organizations for their ideological dispositions,” RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Caroline Duval said in an emailed statement to Canada’s National Observer.
“We investigate criminal activities by those who threaten the safety and security of Canadians.”
Gurski said he wouldn’t disagree with the RCMP’s view and that he believes QAnon hasn’t yet reached a level of critical momentum in Canada the way it has in the U.S. The Rideau Hall incident is just one example, and the public doesn’t have a lot of information about what led to it, he added.
Though QAnon exists here, it hasn’t reached the same proportions as it has south of the border. Canada also lacks open-carry gun laws that exist in many U.S. states, which make for a more dangerous set of circumstances, he added.
“I would argue … (QAnon) wouldn’t be high on the list (of priorities) right now,” Gurski said of QAnon. “Could it change? Absolutely.”
I been doing what I can as well... retweeting , commenting on the MAGA. Very sad and scary. Rally here in Ottawa on Saturday against masks... MAGA and QAnon were there, so they are trying to bring their message across the border. pic.twitter.com/6kSVRwJsza — Dragon Navigator 🌊 🇨🇦 (@grock1963) August 30, 2020
How do you stop an online conspiracy movement?
It’s very difficult to reason with QAnon adherents directly, Amarasingam said. “The same systems of expertise or knowledge that we turn to, to explain fact and fiction, they dismiss it in its entirety.”
It’s also difficult to identify them or count how many people are involved — in Canada and in the U.S., the movement has coalesced both online and in real life with other right-wing causes, meaning a lot of people dabble in it without fully going along, said Barbara Perry, director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University. It’s now linked to broader white supremacist, anti-Semitic, anti-authority and anti-vaccine movements, and it’s easy for people to passively participate in a low-risk way by “liking” and “sharing” content.
“It’s a little bit of cherry-picking going on in terms of people jumping in and out of conspiracy platforms ... taking on the pieces that seem to help them make sense of their lives,” Perry said.
For example, QAnon supporters joined with another far-right group called the Yellow Vests in 2019 protests in Ottawa, Perry said. And QAnon believers are part of a fringe group that has camped out on Parliament Hill since Canada Day, which attempted last month to execute a “citizen’s arrest” on several people and accosted federal NDP Leader Singh. On Facebook, Perry said, QAnon content has often been buried among other right-wing causes.
“As it goes internationally, you may see more of that,” Amarasingam said of QAnon blending with other far-right ideologies. It needs to adapt and align with other movements to keep gaining momentum, he added.
It’s also important to remember that most people who believe in QAnon will never become violent, Gurski said.
No one has really figured out how to stop fringe conspiracy theories, especially once they hit the mainstream. But past studies of extremist movements give us an idea of where to start.
Priority one: Booting QAnon off major social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
“It has become just as problematic as when ISIS was thriving on Twitter and Facebook in 2013 and 2014,” Amarasingam said.
Platforms have now started to do just that. Twitter took steps to limit QAnon content in July, and Facebook initiated a crackdown this month that saw top QAnon influencers deleted there and on Instagram. One top QAnon influencer in Quebec who disseminated COVID-19 conspiracy theories to tens of thousands of followers was kicked off Facebook in that sweep.
Extremely dedicated QAnon believers will likely attempt to regroup, both on the same platforms and others that may inhabit darker corners of the internet, Amarasingam said.
“They just kind of chase their tail for a while. That’s generally a good thing,” he said, adding that it’s better they spend time making new accounts than spreading their messages.
Removing them from the biggest platforms can also limit the number of people who see conspiracy content — your unsuspecting grandma, for example, is unlikely to seek out Q drops on 4chan, but might unwittingly encounter QAnon posts shared by Facebook friends who didn’t realize what they were disseminating.
Though conspiracy theories always have hardcore believers, the people they want to win over are the “mushy middle” who aren’t firm adherents but might uncritically accept portions of it, Perry said.
In some ways, the “genie is out of the bottle” already, Perry said. People can easily switch up their language and find ways to get around restrictions on platforms, and conspiracy movements can use the crackdowns to lend credibility to complaints that their movement is being silenced.
Amarasingam said so far, crackdown efforts appear to be making a difference, cutting out some of the most prominent QAnon voices and groups. But whether the changes will work in the long term is unclear — social media platforms must stay vigilant to prevent conspiracy theorists from regrouping, he added.
“It’s really a question of sustained pressure,” he said.
An added challenge, he said, is that QAnon believers tend to be middle-aged or older. In the past, anti-extremism programming has been aimed at men in their 20s who are vulnerable to some types of radicalization — strategies used there likely won’t work on older people, he added.
“We haven’t actually thought about what that looks like, to try to help old people,” he said.
Of course, the outcome of the presidential election is also likely to have an impact on what happens next. A Trump victory could legitimize the movement, Amarasingam said. But a Trump loss — which polling indicates is more likely — could also galvanize it, depending on whether the president commits to a peaceful transfer of power.
Gurski said it’s likely that CSIS and the RCMP are watching the issue.
“If there’s any indication that it might be veering towards violence, it would be taken seriously — if, and this is a big if, the resources are available,” he said. “Those resources have to be taken from somewhere.”
In an interview with Canada’s National Observer editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood last week, former CSIS director Richard Fadden called for a royal commission on the problem of disinformation. And although Canadians are quick to dismiss extremism at home as the work of a “couple nutbars,” he added, the country could benefit from open conversations about such problems.
“I don't mean to exaggerate, but democracy is not going to work unless people are able to compromise, dialogue and talk. It seems to me, there's rather less of that,” Fadden said.
Governments could also think bigger, Perry said. Older people are influenced by their peers, much like any other age group , so could labour movements and employers, for example, be mobilized to help?
Perry also said governments could look at legislation aimed at stopping disinformation, and even take steps to redefine terrorism.
“We really have to get to the adults,” she said. “They’re more set in their ways ... We’ve got to find ways to disrupt that.”


nationalobserver--2020-10-15--Deferral areas in B.C.’s new old-growth forest plan a good first step, but not enough

This is the second piece in a three-part series on B.C .
's new old-growth forest management plan .
You can read the first piece here .
On Sept. 11 , the B.C .
government unveiled its new approach to old-growth forest management and released the findings of an independent panel report detailing its previous efforts .
Here are some of the main takeaways on what the new plan gets right and what still needs to be done to protect the province 's old-growth forests : The work must be done in partnership with Indigenous governments .
This requires funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in B.C .
have disregarded , undermined and ignored the governance rights of Indigenous nations .
It ’ s good to see the panel and the B.C .
government recognizing that steps for old-growth and biodiversity must be done with the full involvement of Indigenous Peoples .
This is paramount .
Making it a reality will require significant funding to take economic pressure off communities and enable time for planning and decision-making before logging permits are issued .
Hereditary chiefs of the Ahousaht , one of three Indigenous nations in Clayoquot Sound , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Tofino in the presence of environmental groups and other guests .
Photo by Clayoquot Sound Conservation Alliance • New technologies show potential for renewable energy job growth in Canada • BC Liberals say they would accelerate LNG export projects • What ’ s in B.C.
’ s new plan to manage old-growth forests ?
On Sept. 11 , the B.C .
government announced that logging would be deferred for two years in nine areas .
Critics point out that temporary deferrals are not equivalent to long-term protection .
While this is true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Indigenous nations and the B.C .
government to work together to determine what future might be possible for the land and all the beings that depend on it .
It is not appropriate for the B.C .
government to forge ahead with protected-area designations on Indigenous land and waters without support , as so often happened in the past .
It is critical to enter any discussion about the long-term future of these deferral areas with sufficient creativity , courage and funding to ensure that there is a wide range of economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider our reciprocal relationship with the land and the value of maintaining ecosystem services , such as fresh water , a stable climate and salmon habitat .
The initial deferral areas are a good first step , but more are urgently needed .
Deferring logging in Clayoquot Sound is fantastic news for the last large and largely intact old-growth rainforest region on Vancouver Island , but more such areas are urgently needed , writes @ JensWieting .
A quick review of the map of areas set aside from logging shows that the total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s overall land base ( 0.37 per cent ) and not evenly distributed ( none in the northern part of the province ) .
It does , however , include some spectacular and largely intact rainforest landscapes , such as Clayoquot Sound and the inland rainforest in the Incomappleux .
Deferring logging in Clayoquot Sound is fantastic news for the last large and largely intact old-growth rainforest region on Vancouver Island .
While about a third of the region was already protected as parks , about two-thirds were still in various logging tenures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This milestone was only possible because of the leadership of the First Nations in the region working to secure a future for their people and for the land and waters in their territories .
Critics note the deferred areas include a significant amount of second-growth forest .
It is important to consider , however , that ensuring a high level of ecological integrity and resilience requires setting aside entire landscapes , watersheds or regions from industrial activity .
Including younger forests and non-forested areas can provide connectivity and protection for species that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deferring logging in larger areas could also allow governments time to review conservation options , preventing other industrial activities that threaten the integrity of ecosystems , such as energy or mining projects .
That being said , the areas set aside from logging only go a tiny way towards what the independent old-growth panel recommended , and if we are to maintain biodiversity , more deferral areas are urgently needed .
The Goat River valley near Prince George is one of the few remaining intact inland rainforest areas in B.C .
but is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deferral areas .
Photo by Taylor Roades For important context , the Last Stand for Biodiversity report shows that only 415,000 hectares of the last old-growth forests with big and very big trees remain across the province .
Overlaying the locations of these at-risk forests and the 353,000 hectares where logging has been deferred shows only 3,800 hectares of old-growth forests that belong to these at-risk stands received temporary protection .
Defer logging of all at-risk old-growth , not only select areas .
There is value in deferring logging in larger areas that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk .
But ignoring the thousands of smaller unprotected areas of at-risk old-growth forests is not an option .
They need a coherent interim solution approach .
The independent panel recommendation is clear : “ Until a new strategy is implemented , defer development in old forests where ecosystems are at very high and near-term risk of irreversible biodiversity loss.
” The panel also describes in detail which forests are at risk and the values they hold .
It did not suggest choosing some of these at-risk areas and allowing logging to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deferral areas , the panel recommended using other mechanisms to defer logging of at-risk areas , including : • Instruct BC Timber Sales , the provincial agency responsible for a fifth of the volume logged on public land , to cease development and defer selling timber in these areas • Decline to authorize new permits or licences in deferral areas • If necessary , establish regulatory provisions and incentives to enable deferrals The panel urged the provincial government to act on these recommendations as quickly as possible .
But in the four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the province has not used the full range of options to defer logging .
The panel also recommended bringing management of old-growth forests into compliance with existing provincial biodiversity targets and guidelines immediately .
The panel describes a number of examples of old-growth forests that are still being logged , despite strong evidence that they should be saved to meet existing requirements .
This is an unacceptable situation that requires the immediate deferral of logging certain types of old-growth .
This is the second in a three-part series .
Next : Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and why we need a change in forest management overall , not just for old-growth .

This is the second piece in a three-part series on B.C.'s new old-growth forest management plan. You can read the first piece here. On Sept. 11, the B.C. government unveiled its new approach to old-growth forest management and released the findings of an independent panel report detailing its previous efforts. Here are some of the main takeaways on what the new plan gets right and what still needs to be done to protect the province's old-growth forests: The work must be done in partnership with Indigenous governments. This requires funding. For too long, land-use decisions in B.C. have disregarded, undermined and ignored the governance rights of Indigenous nations. It’s good to see the panel and the B.C. government recognizing that steps for old-growth and biodiversity must be done with the full involvement of Indigenous Peoples. This is paramount. Making it a reality will require significant funding to take economic pressure off communities and enable time for planning and decision-making before logging permits are issued. Hereditary chiefs of the Ahousaht, one of three Indigenous nations in Clayoquot Sound, shared their land-use vision in January 2017 in Tofino in the presence of environmental groups and other guests. Photo by Clayoquot Sound Conservation Alliance
On Sept. 11, the B.C. government announced that logging would be deferred for two years in nine areas. Critics point out that temporary deferrals are not equivalent to long-term protection. While this is true, a deferral allows time and space for Indigenous nations and the B.C. government to work together to determine what future might be possible for the land and all the beings that depend on it. It is not appropriate for the B.C. government to forge ahead with protected-area designations on Indigenous land and waters without support, as so often happened in the past. Deferring logging in Clayoquot Sound is fantastic news for the last large and largely intact old-growth rainforest region on Vancouver Island, but more such areas are urgently needed, writes @JensWieting. It is critical to enter any discussion about the long-term future of these deferral areas with sufficient creativity, courage and funding to ensure that there is a wide range of economic options available to communities. Decisions must consider our reciprocal relationship with the land and the value of maintaining ecosystem services, such as fresh water, a stable climate and salmon habitat. The initial deferral areas are a good first step, but more are urgently needed. A quick review of the map of areas set aside from logging shows that the total area is small compared to B.C.’s overall land base (0.37 per cent) and not evenly distributed (none in the northern part of the province). It does, however, include some spectacular and largely intact rainforest landscapes, such as Clayoquot Sound and the inland rainforest in the Incomappleux. Deferring logging in Clayoquot Sound is fantastic news for the last large and largely intact old-growth rainforest region on Vancouver Island. While about a third of the region was already protected as parks, about two-thirds were still in various logging tenures and are now temporarily protected from logging. This milestone was only possible because of the leadership of the First Nations in the region working to secure a future for their people and for the land and waters in their territories.
Critics note the deferred areas include a significant amount of second-growth forest. It is important to consider, however, that ensuring a high level of ecological integrity and resilience requires setting aside entire landscapes, watersheds or regions from industrial activity. Including younger forests and non-forested areas can provide connectivity and protection for species that roam larger areas. In addition, deferring logging in larger areas could also allow governments time to review conservation options, preventing other industrial activities that threaten the integrity of ecosystems, such as energy or mining projects. That being said, the areas set aside from logging only go a tiny way towards what the independent old-growth panel recommended, and if we are to maintain biodiversity, more deferral areas are urgently needed.


nationalobserver--2020-10-15--Green coalition says more federal action needed for habitat, wildlife protection

The Trudeau government can boost jobs and economic growth by stepping up funding for habitat restoration and protected wildlife areas , according to a coalition of more than two dozen environmental and conservation groups in Canada .
The Green Budget Coalition — made up of 25 organizations such as the David Suzuki Foundation , Ecojustice Canada , Environmental Defence , Équiterre , Nature Canada and WWF-Canada — published a roadmap Wednesday for a federal green recovery that it says can capitalize on this “ defining moment in history.
” The coronavirus pandemic , its economic fallout and its impact on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no full federal budget delivered for 2020 , has created an unusual situation requiring solutions that must centre on climate and biodiversity objectives , said coalition co-chair David Browne in an interview .
While he said multiple federal parties have put forward great ideas on nature-based solutions , or harnessing Canada ’ s ecosystems for climate mitigation and habitat restoration , those ideas need to be supported by bold investments .
“ There is no commitment , ” he said .
“ That ’ s really something we ’ re pushing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommending at least $ 1 billion for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change and degradation over 10 years .
The group said this could result in two megatonnes of emission reductions per year .
The Trudeau government can boost jobs and economic growth by stepping up funding for habitat restoration and protected wildlife areas , according to a coalition of more than two dozen environmental and conservation groups in Canada .
This investment can generate new jobs within six to 18 months in regions that have been impacted by a drop in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil and gas or wood products .
These include agricultural , northern and Indigenous communities , the coalition said .
Drawing from data sourced from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , the group argued job creation from habitat restoration projects is higher than from oil and gas investments , “ and could be even higher than job creation ( return on investment ) for alternative or renewable energy or energy retrofits.
” “ Habitat restoration activities are effective at generating jobs and economic returns : as many as 33 jobs per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which result in localized employment benefits with higher-than-average wages ; similar to the construction industry at large , ” it states .
Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson 's press secretary Moira Kelly said in a statement that the government was committed to “ conserving , restoring , and protecting Canada ’ s biodiversity , wildlife , and habitat.
” “ Expanding the world ’ s conserved and protected areas is critical not just for stopping the loss of nature and biodiversity , but also to fighting climate change , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's commitment of $ 1.3 billion to protect wildlife and its promise to protect 25 per cent of Canada 's land and oceans by 2025 , and 30 per cent by 2030 , as well as protections for species at risk and “ continuing Canada ’ s leadership in nature conservation.
” Browne also noted the government investments in species at risk — this August , for instance , Wilkinson announced $ 2 million over four years for Kootenay Connect , a program meant to help protect habitats in four areas in B.C @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coalition wants to see a much broader “ national restoration program ” managed by Environment and Climate Change Canada that is focused on wetlands , grasslands and other areas as a means to achieving its 2025 promise .
“ If you want to move along to 25 per cent protected ( areas ) by 2025 , what ’ s it going to take to get there , and are you going to put your action and money where your promise is ?
” asked Browne .
Last year , the government announced a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million homes .
The coalition wants to go far beyond this : $ 10 billion for energy efficiency and reducing fossil fuels in “ schools , hospitals , social housing , and residential buildings.
” Similarly , the government ’ s investment in the electrification of transport — money for zero-emission buses and charging infrastructure — should be scaled up , too , to the tune of $ 4.8 billion over five years , a figure that includes $ 700 million for the transition to zero-emission vehicles .
There are other recommendations for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five years for key biodiversity and ecosystem concerns for the Great Lakes , the St. Lawrence River and Lake Winnipeg , as well as initiatives on plastic pollution and toxics .
Browne said the coalition understood that investments in a green recovery need to be balanced against other realities in Canada .
But he said the initiatives would pay off over the long run .
“ I think a lot of the recommendations we ’ ve put in there are a good use of taxpayer dollars to benefit Canadians , ” he said @

The Trudeau government can boost jobs and economic growth by stepping up funding for habitat restoration and protected wildlife areas, according to a coalition of more than two dozen environmental and conservation groups in Canada. The Green Budget Coalition — made up of 25 organizations such as the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice Canada, Environmental Defence, Équiterre, Nature Canada and WWF-Canada — published a roadmap Wednesday for a federal green recovery that it says can capitalize on this “defining moment in history.” The coronavirus pandemic, its economic fallout and its impact on Parliament, including the fact that there was no full federal budget delivered for 2020, has created an unusual situation requiring solutions that must centre on climate and biodiversity objectives, said coalition co-chair David Browne in an interview. “We think there are clear numbers around job creation and economic growth,” said Browne, who is also the director of conservation for the Canadian Wildlife Federation. “There are health and psychological and physiological health benefits to (tackling) toxics, parks, and pollination services for agriculture, and we think those benefits are quantifiable and worth their investment.”
While he said multiple federal parties have put forward great ideas on nature-based solutions, or harnessing Canada’s ecosystems for climate mitigation and habitat restoration, those ideas need to be supported by bold investments. The Trudeau government can boost jobs and economic growth by stepping up funding for habitat restoration and protected wildlife areas, according to a coalition of more than two dozen environmental and conservation groups in Canada. “There is no commitment,” he said. “That’s really something we’re pushing for an investment in.” The coalition is recommending at least $1 billion for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change and degradation over 10 years. The group said this could result in two megatonnes of emission reductions per year. This investment can generate new jobs within six to 18 months in regions that have been impacted by a drop in demand for natural resources, such as oil and gas or wood products. These include agricultural, northern and Indigenous communities, the coalition said. Drawing from data sourced from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the group argued job creation from habitat restoration projects is higher than from oil and gas investments, “and could be even higher than job creation (return on investment) for alternative or renewable energy or energy retrofits.”
“Habitat restoration activities are effective at generating jobs and economic returns: as many as 33 jobs per $1 million invested, most of which result in localized employment benefits with higher-than-average wages; similar to the construction industry at large,” it states. National restoration program needed, group says Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson's press secretary Moira Kelly said in a statement that the government was committed to “conserving, restoring, and protecting Canada’s biodiversity, wildlife, and habitat.”


nationalobserver--2020-10-15--Scarcity is the point, says critic of Ford’s back-to-school fail

When one harkens back to those halcyon days before COVID-19 , remembering the vicious fight over school funding cuts the Ford government wanted to impose helps frame the Progressive Conservatives ' response , says one longtime observer of changes to educational funding .
Erika Shaker , an Ottawa-based parent with a high schooler and a child in elementary school , is struggling to navigate the challenge of working and keeping children educated during a pandemic .
She 's also the national office director at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and editor of its journal on education , Our Schools/Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ontario ’ s elected officials to listen to the legitimate concerns of parents and staff , and their failure to plan or provide adequate funding , has meant those who can afford it are retreating from in-class learning , further undermining the system .
“ It ’ s a frustrating thing because society has become increasingly unequal , and as we underfund those social programs and public institutions that can provide a basis from which we should be able to overcome inequality , they are unfortunately reinforcing it , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we will see is a shoe-horned voucher system or charter system come out of this , ” she said , pointing out that parents hiring at-home teachers or tutors and forming “ learning pods ” with neighbours and friends may , in a future reckoning , want to be paid back from the public purse .
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’ s new plan to manage old-growth forests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Policy Alternatives worries that the Ford government 's back-to-school plan is pushing privileged parents out of public education .
Photo supplied by Erika Shaker Shaker worries that “ the public perception will be ‘ I want to be compensated for the private money and the private time I have had to put into maintaining what 's normal for my kid.
’ ” “ That 's the first step to vouchers , ” she said .
“ Learning pods are a first step to charter schools , the question is whether or not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charter schools and voucher programs are much more prominent in schooling in the United States , where they are presented as offering partners choice and flexibility and helping to shrink the size of government .
Charter schools are publicly funded but operationally independent of their school district , while vouchers are government funds redeemable for fees at a school other than the public one a student can attend for free .
Ford and his education minister , Stephen Lecce , have boasted of spending $ 1.3 billion to reopen schools safely , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shaker 's CCPA colleague Ricardo Tranjan has dismantled those calculations in recent blog posts .
“ I am very concerned that what we will see is a shoe-horned voucher system or charter system come out of this , ” says @ ErikaShaker , national office director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives .
When the province 's tally was still at $ 882 million , or “ nearly $ 900 million , ” it was counting $ 496 million in unlocked reserves that , in fact , amounted to only $ 153 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out in late August .
Those reserve funds held by school boards could have been earmarked for other projects that would no longer get that money , Shaker noted .
She said the Ford government is taking advantage of the fact that more fortunate schools can pass a proverbial hat among parents and raise $ 20,000 in a night , but others can not , and now is a time to push for that to be fixed .
“ We can talk about the need for equitable funding , we can talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it is your kid and your kid 's classroom and your neighbourhood school , parents will line up to do what they can , ” she said .
So by failing to plan , has the provincial government planned to fail ?
“ I think there are a fair number of parents who might think that ’ s precisely what ’ s happened , ” she added .
“ Because so much of this was predictable .
“ What has been intentional is the reluctance to fund the recovery adequately , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depressing to see so much of what was on the bargaining table just before COVID-19 interrupted intermittent strike action turning up in pandemic response measures .
Ontario teachers and supporters on a picket line earlier in 2020 , before the pandemic .
Photo supplied by Erika Shaker Teachers in Ontario schools — elementary and secondary — were striking almost weekly in February and March in a protracted fight over the government ’ s push for a new collective agreement to include mandatory online learning for high schoolers and enlarged elementary class sizes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ students who joined their picket lines , Shaker said .
“ And then the shutdown happened.
” The four big unions were quick to call off the withdrawal of service that had been one of their main weapons in negotiations , and all had signed collective agreements by May that kept class sizes steady and meant two mandatory online courses for high schoolers .

When one harkens back to those halcyon days before COVID-19, remembering the vicious fight over school funding cuts the Ford government wanted to impose helps frame the Progressive Conservatives' response, says one longtime observer of changes to educational funding. Erika Shaker, an Ottawa-based parent with a high schooler and a child in elementary school, is struggling to navigate the challenge of working and keeping children educated during a pandemic. She's also the national office director at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and editor of its journal on education, Our Schools/Our Selves. Shaker says that the reluctance of Ontario’s elected officials to listen to the legitimate concerns of parents and staff, and their failure to plan or provide adequate funding, has meant those who can afford it are retreating from in-class learning, further undermining the system. “It’s a frustrating thing because society has become increasingly unequal, and as we underfund those social programs and public institutions that can provide a basis from which we should be able to overcome inequality, they are unfortunately reinforcing it,” she said. “I am very concerned that what we will see is a shoe-horned voucher system or charter system come out of this,” she said, pointing out that parents hiring at-home teachers or tutors and forming “learning pods” with neighbours and friends may, in a future reckoning, want to be paid back from the public purse.
Erika Shaker from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives worries that the Ford government's back-to-school plan is pushing privileged parents out of public education. Photo supplied by Erika Shaker Shaker worries that “the public perception will be ‘I want to be compensated for the private money and the private time I have had to put into maintaining what's normal for my kid.’” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “That's the first step to vouchers,” she said. “Learning pods are a first step to charter schools, the question is whether or not they will receive public funding.”
Both charter schools and voucher programs are much more prominent in schooling in the United States, where they are presented as offering partners choice and flexibility and helping to shrink the size of government. “I am very concerned that what we will see is a shoe-horned voucher system or charter system come out of this,” says @ErikaShaker, national office director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Charter schools are publicly funded but operationally independent of their school district, while vouchers are government funds redeemable for fees at a school other than the public one a student can attend for free. Ford and his education minister, Stephen Lecce, have boasted of spending $1.3 billion to reopen schools safely, the most per-pupil of any province, but Shaker's CCPA colleague Ricardo Tranjan has dismantled those calculations in recent blog posts. When the province's tally was still at $882 million, or “nearly $900 million,” it was counting $496 million in unlocked reserves that, in fact, amounted to only $153 million of new money, Tranjan pointed out in late August. Those reserve funds held by school boards could have been earmarked for other projects that would no longer get that money, Shaker noted. She said the Ford government is taking advantage of the fact that more fortunate schools can pass a proverbial hat among parents and raise $20,000 in a night, but others cannot, and now is a time to push for that to be fixed.
“We can talk about the need for equitable funding, we can talk about how fundraising makes it worse, but when it is your kid and your kid's classroom and your neighbourhood school, parents will line up to do what they can,” she said. Planning to fail? So by failing to plan, has the provincial government planned to fail?


nationalobserver--2020-10-15--Indigenous lobster fishery in N.S. presses on despite violent confrontations

DIGBY , N.S .
— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to do more than send tweets to settle a violent dispute over an Indigenous-led lobster fishery in Nova Scotia , a First Nations chief said Thursday .
`` Actions speak louder than words , '' Chief Mike Sack of the Sipekne ’ katik First Nation told a news conference Thursday in Digby , N.S.
, located about 40 kilometres from where a lobster pound was damaged by protesters .
`` They ’ re sitting in their offices , safe as can be , saying , 'We need safety out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Sack said .
`` Do your job .
Protect Canadians ... Don ’ t just tweet about it . ''
RCMP have said about 200 people were present at two violent clashes Tuesday outside lobster pounds in New Edinburgh and Middle West Pubnico .
Describing the events as a hate crime , Sack asked Trudeau to send additional law enforcement personnel to the area to ensure the violence is contained .
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What should we do about it ?
• Why some environmentalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Canadian Andrew S. Wright 's `` Price of Oil '' shortlisted for international Wildlife Photographer of the Year award `` This truly is systemic racism , '' Sack said when asked about the RCMP ’ s actions .
`` Does Trudeau care about our people ?
Does he care about reconciliation ?
They talk about it , but I don ’ t see any actions towards it ...
The RCMP dropped the ball . ''
The chief said his council has decided to take legal action against those who are interfering with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We ’ ll go after everyone , '' he said , adding that his First Nation is considering calling in Indigenous warriors from across the country .
The non-Indigenous protesters say they are opposed to the band ’ s decision to start a commercial lobster fishing business that has operated outside the federally regulated lobster season since mid-September .
Sack argues Indigenous people in Atlantic Canada and Quebec have a treaty right to fish where and when they want , based on a 1999 Supreme Court of Canada decision that cites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1700s .
Many non-Indigenous critics , however , cite a clarification issued four months after the 1999 ruling , stating the Mi ’ kmaq treaty rights would be subject to federal regulations to ensure conservation of the resource .
The RCMP confirmed Thursday they had increased the number of officers in the area following the violent incidents on Tuesday night .
RCMP Sgt .
Andrew Joyce said he couldn ’ t comment on reports circulating on social media suggesting there were more confrontations in New Edinburgh late Wednesday , though he did say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sack of the Sipekne ’ katik First Nation said Thursday his council has decided to take legal action against those who are interfering with the band ’ s self-regulated lobster fishery .
# NovaScotia # Mikmaq `` What we ’ re hoping for is a peaceful resolution to this very important issue , '' Joyce said in an interview .
`` For me to speculate ... how long ( the RCMP ) will remain ( in New Edinburgh ) , I certainly don ’ t want to go down that road . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marc Miller said he found the images of Tuesday night ’ s violence alarming .
`` We ’ re talking about a fundamental right to earn a moderate livelihood , that is a right the Mi ’ kmaq are entitled to exercise , '' Miller said .
He noted that `` moderate livelihood '' has never been defined in a way that ’ s acceptable to all sides and said non-Indigenous fishers need to be involved in the discussion .
`` The risk , if we don ’ t get this right , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begets violence , and that is unacceptable , '' he said .
Meanwhile , Sack said his council opposes a plan by a Mi ’ kmaq activist to sell `` livelihood lobster '' outside the Nova Scotia legislature on Friday .
The chief said the event was not approved by the band council as part of a system for sales it is setting up , and he suggested it could derail talks with government officials .
Cheryl Maloney , a former president of the Nova Scotia Native Women ’ s Association , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draw attention to the fact that provincial regulations prevent the sale of seafood caught by people who do not hold a valid commercial fishing licence .
`` This provision is unconstitutional since it excludes Mi ’ kmaq from selling lawfully caught fish under the Peace and Friendship Treaties of 1760-1761 and represents an infringement of their right to a livelihood , as affirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada , '' Maloney said in a statement .
Sack said the Mi ’ kmaq fishery will continue despite the damage done to the holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fisher ’ s boats and damage to vehicles in recent weeks .

DIGBY, N.S. — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to do more than send tweets to settle a violent dispute over an Indigenous-led lobster fishery in Nova Scotia, a First Nations chief said Thursday. "Actions speak louder than words," Chief Mike Sack of the Sipekne’katik First Nation told a news conference Thursday in Digby, N.S., located about 40 kilometres from where a lobster pound was damaged by protesters. "They’re sitting in their offices, safe as can be, saying, 'We need safety out there.' Then send enforcement down," Sack said. "Do your job. Protect Canadians ... Don’t just tweet about it." RCMP have said about 200 people were present at two violent clashes Tuesday outside lobster pounds in New Edinburgh and Middle West Pubnico. Describing the events as a hate crime, Sack asked Trudeau to send additional law enforcement personnel to the area to ensure the violence is contained.
"This truly is systemic racism," Sack said when asked about the RCMP’s actions. "Does Trudeau care about our people? Does he care about reconciliation? They talk about it, but I don’t see any actions towards it ... The RCMP dropped the ball." The chief said his council has decided to take legal action against those who are interfering with the band’s self-regulated lobster fishery. "We’ll go after everyone," he said, adding that his First Nation is considering calling in Indigenous warriors from across the country. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The non-Indigenous protesters say they are opposed to the band’s decision to start a commercial lobster fishing business that has operated outside the federally regulated lobster season since mid-September.
Sack argues Indigenous people in Atlantic Canada and Quebec have a treaty right to fish where and when they want, based on a 1999 Supreme Court of Canada decision that cites treaties signed by the Crown in the 1700s. Chief Mike Sack of the Sipekne’katik First Nation said Thursday his council has decided to take legal action against those who are interfering with the band’s self-regulated lobster fishery. #NovaScotia #Mikmaq Many non-Indigenous critics, however, cite a clarification issued four months after the 1999 ruling, stating the Mi’kmaq treaty rights would be subject to federal regulations to ensure conservation of the resource. The RCMP confirmed Thursday they had increased the number of officers in the area following the violent incidents on Tuesday night. RCMP Sgt. Andrew Joyce said he couldn’t comment on reports circulating on social media suggesting there were more confrontations in New Edinburgh late Wednesday, though he did say no arrests were made. "What we’re hoping for is a peaceful resolution to this very important issue," Joyce said in an interview. "For me to speculate ... how long (the RCMP) will remain (in New Edinburgh), I certainly don’t want to go down that road." In Ottawa, Minister of Indigenous Services Marc Miller said he found the images of Tuesday night’s violence alarming.
"We’re talking about a fundamental right to earn a moderate livelihood, that is a right the Mi’kmaq are entitled to exercise," Miller said. He noted that "moderate livelihood" has never been defined in a way that’s acceptable to all sides and said non-Indigenous fishers need to be involved in the discussion. "The risk, if we don’t get this right, is that people will die ... Violence begets violence, and that is unacceptable," he said. Meanwhile, Sack said his council opposes a plan by a Mi’kmaq activist to sell "livelihood lobster" outside the Nova Scotia legislature on Friday.