Reconciliation used to bypass local democracy
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Summary
Some residents of Powell River, British Columbia are worried about a proposed name change, claiming the municipal process has not abided by Canadians' basic democratic rights and freedoms under the guise of reconciliation. Prime Minister Mark Carney was accused of siding with Hamas over Israel. The Trans Mountain expansion has pumped $12.6 billion into Canada s oil industry.
Transcript
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Powell River residents say reconciliation is being used to bypass local democracy.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney was accused of siding with Hamas over Israel.
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The Trans Mountain expansion has pumped $12.6 billion into Canada's oil industry.
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Hello Canada, it's Monday, August 11th, and this is the True North Daily Brief.
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We've got you covered with all the news you need to know.
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Let's discuss the top stories of the day and the True North exclusives you won't hear
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Some concerned residents of Powell River, British Columbia are worried about a proposed name
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change claiming the municipal process has not abided by Canadians' basic democratic rights
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and freedoms under the guise of reconciliation.
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The Tlalaman Nation, whose traditional territory includes parts of the Sunshine Coast, is urging
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the city of about 15,000 to drop the name Powell River in the name of reconciliation.
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Long-time resident Pat Martin, writing for the New Westminster Times, raised the issue
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of how delegations and municipal affairs were handled surrounding the controversial decision
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Martin and others say the process is being shaped by unilateral decision making, a lack
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of meaningful consultation, and encroachment on basic liberties, including freedom of
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The town of Powell River takes its name from the nearby body of water named after Israel Wood
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Powell, BC's first superintendent for Indian affairs.
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Those advocating for the town's name to be changed cite his role in the establishment of
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Some institutions even appear to have preemptively adopted the name change, well ahead of a non-binding
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Powell River's Visitor Information Center, for example, has already rebranded itself as the
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Quathet, a Tlalaman word, means working together and now replaces Powell River entirely.
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Upon arriving at the Visitor Center, a newly installed Tlalaman poster instructs visitors
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to identify your intentions and willingness to abide by Tlalaman protocol.
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Staff have admitted they cannot explain what those protocols entail.
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So, Walid, are there any recent cases where democratic process and the local concerns of private
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property owners are being overlooked in the name of reconciliation with First Nations?
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We've seen similar tensions play out all over British Columbia and across Canada, but
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especially in BC, where reconciliation policies are implemented in ways that appear to bypass
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One example came this spring, actually, at Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, where BC parks
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actually closed the park to non-Indigenous campers for an extended period to, quote,
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recognize the importance of the area to local First Nations.
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The closure was abrupt, there was no meaningful public consultation, and effectively restricted
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public access to crown land based on heritage, on race.
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That sparked a wave of criticism from hikers, small business owners in the tourism sector,
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We've also seen cases where municipal land acknowledgements or Indigenous territorial claims
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get inserted to official documents like annual reports or public signs, street signs, without
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And when residents or councillors raise concerns, they're brushed off as nitpicking.
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In some municipalities, new bylaws are being passed that limit what citizens can say at
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council meetings, particularly if they challenge reconciliation narratives, like the unmarked
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grave stories, which to many is a chilling effect on free speech.
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So, while the stated goal of reconciliation and the process in these cases has sidelined open
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debate, and ignored the principle that decisions affecting the whole community should involve
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the actual whole community, that's what makes Power River part of a much bigger trend we're
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Reconciliation, or at least reconciliation, politics over democracy.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney has drawn criticism for his recent comments regarding the conflict
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in Gaza, appearing to side with Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization,
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rather than with Israel, a long-standing Canadian ally.
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During a press conference on Friday, Carney was questioned about Israel's actions in, quote,
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taking over Gaza City, despite the factual inaccuracy within the question itself.
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Carney said, quote, this action is not going to contribute to an improvement in the humanitarian
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It is going to put the lives of the hostages at greater risk.
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We reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire.
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We reiterate our call for Hamas to immediately return all the hostages and their remains.
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We reiterate that Hamas has no role going forward and will continue to work with our
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allies to contribute what we can to achieving those outcomes.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weighed in saying, quote,
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Gaza will be demilitarized and a peaceful civilian administration will be established.
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One that is not the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, and not any other terrorist organization.
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This will help free our hostages and ensure Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future.
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Former Independent MP Kevin Vong weighed in on the, quote, genocide happening in Gaza.
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He showed that previous democides, which occurred during the Holocaust, Rwandan genocide, Armenian
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genocide, and Kabodian genocide, all saw population decreases of 63%, 81%, 78%, and 25%, respectively.
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Conversely, the population in Palestine has increased by 450% between 1949 and 2023.
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How effectively has the Liberal government handled the Israel-Gaza conflict?
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Yeah, Waleed, well, if you were hoping that the Liberals sided with Canada's ally of over
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seven decades, Israel, then of course, quite poorly.
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This is because Canada has repeatedly sided with the terrorists of Hamas in Gaza instead
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For example, tensions escalated after Canada joined the United Kingdom and France in issuing
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a joint statement in May condemning Israel's military operations in Gaza and warning of potential
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targeted sanctions if those operations continued.
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And Hamas publicly welcomed the statement, calling it a significant step in the right
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direction, marking the second time the group had thanked Canada.
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Critics such as the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and opposition politicians like
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Pierre Paulyev argued that such endorsements risk legitimizing Hamas and weakening Israel's
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Carney has also pledged to support recognition of a Palestinian state, firstly at the UN General
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He has tied this position to a vision of a two-state solution and called for reforms within
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the Palestinian Authority, including excluding Hamas from governance, ending payments to
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convicted terrorists' families, and committing to demilitarization.
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Jewish groups such as the Sijjah and B'nai B'rith Canada have warned that granting recognition
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before these conditions are met is dangerously premature and could embolden Hamas while undermining
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The Prime Minister has maintained that Canada supports Israel's right to self-defense, but
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has framed his calls for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid access as essential to addressing the
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His government says more than $300 million in humanitarian aid has been allocated, but
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In fact, I just, two days ago when I was writing this article, I looked at the UN's data on
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how much food was getting through, and I think around 88% of food deliveries had been intercepted
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So, opposition leader Pierre Poliev and other critics have used Hamas's public expressions
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of gratitude as evidence that the government's stance is being exploited by a terrorist organization.
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The Israeli government has also pushed back, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting
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foreign calls to halt operations until Hamas is dismantled and hostages are released.
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And remember, on October 7th, 2023, Hamas carried out its deadliest ever assault on Israel,
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killing more than 1,200 people, wounding thousands, and taking 240 civilians hostage.
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The group, which governs Gaza, has a long record of breaking ceasefires, diverting humanitarian
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And one more thing I'll just mention quickly is, yeah, Carney, remember on July 31st, which
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was the day before Trump's tariff deadline, came out with a statement saying he would recognize
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the Palestinian state, which Trump, U.S. President Donald Trump, absolutely despised.
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And he publicly stated that that would harm trade negotiations.
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So in a way, they're Carney-sided with Palestine and Hamas instead of Canada, because as you
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well know, we got the fifth worst tariff rate in the world.
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The Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion has reportedly boosted Canada's oil industry, generating an
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estimated $12.6 billion in new revenues and providing a fiscal uplift for governments,
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The expanded pipeline, operational in May 2024 after years of delays and cost overruns, has
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improved market access for Canadian crude, raising prices and increasing export volumes,
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Alberta Central is a financial service provider for credit unions in the province.
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The $34 billion pipeline expansion connects Strathcona County, Alberta to Burnaby, British Columbia,
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It boosted capacity from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day.
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The federal government bought the pipeline for $4.5 billion in August 2018 under then-Prime
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Minister Justin Trudeau, a deal that included both the existing TMX and the expansion project.
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Construction began in 2019 after overcoming regulatory and legal challenges, and it was
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completed in May 2024, six years behind schedule, becoming the first new pipeline to the West
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Alberta Central's findings indicate expanded access to United States refineries and overseas
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markets, including China, which has reduced the discount on Canadian heavy oil.
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The report estimates Alberta alone could see $5.4 billion in additional tax and royalty revenues,
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representing nearly 7% of provincial revenues in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
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So, Waleed, everyone in the political sphere seems to talk a lot about pipelines, but has
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there been any actual progress lately on the development of another pipeline?
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Look, to be fair, there is some sort of rhetorical progress, but it's all talked for now.
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In Alberta, Premier Daniel Smith has led the way in confirming that her province is working
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on a plan for a new crude oil pipeline from Alberta to the port of Prince Rupert in British
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She's speaking with major pipeline companies to either form a partnership or choose one
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company to lead the project. The idea is for the pipeline to carry about 1 million barrels
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of oil per day and to give Canada more options for selling oil overseas, instead of relying
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so heavily on our next-door customer, the United States.
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Smith has said the project would also be linked to a major carbon capture project, and she believes
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federal rules will need to be changed so approvals can happen faster.
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In Ontario, the provincial government has just started the process of studying the idea of an energy
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corridor running from Western Canada to the East, otherwise known as the East-West Corridor.
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This can include new pipelines to bring oil and natural gas from Alberta to refineries in
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southern Ontario, and possibly to a new deep-sea port on James Bay.
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The goal is to prove Canada's energy security, create jobs across the country, and reduce
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dependence on foreign infrastructure, while also including Indigenous consultations and
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So, no new projects for now have broken the ground yet, but both Alberta and Ontario are
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actively taking steps that could lead to major projects if they receive the political support
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from the government backing off, and financial support from the private sector as well.
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