Secrecy surrounding Site C drives call for the release of information regarding its status

🎧 Listen in your podcast app: Apple Podcasts / Google Play

Listen to the News Update

New in this update:

Legal petition filed by West Moberly First Nation regarding Site C

The former chair of the Joint Review Panel into Site C says it's time to draw back the veil of secrecy surrounding the ten and a half-billion-dollar project, the largest ever in BC's history. Harry Swain says the cost of the project represents twice the amount of revenue it will collect over twenty years. He points out BC Hydro has not filed its last two quarterly reports into Site C's progress with the BC Utilities Commission, and the Premier has refused to release two independent reports into whether the dam can be built safely.

"I think Mr. Horgan is in quite a dilemma right now. If all the advice that he's been getting from BC Hydro, from consultants and so on was to the effect: 'yes this can be safely built, yes the price is going to be acceptable. If that were the case, there would be no secrecy, there would be no reports out back. we would have had an announcement by now about where we're going to go. and the fact that it's taken this long means it’s highly controversial within the government because those assurances aren't there.”
—Harry Swain, former chair of the Joint Review Panel into Site C.

Meanwhile, the West Moberly First Nation has filed a legal petition to force the government to release that information. Roland Willson is also urging Horgan to suspend work on the dam until cabinet makes a decision on the project. The Premier has not responded.

Province focused on the culturally safe delivery of COVID-19 vaccine for First Nations

BC's Provincial Health Officer is promising Metis people that health officials are working on ensuring the COVID-19 vaccine rollout will be a culturally safe experience. Dr. Bonnie Henry spoke at a panel discussion at the annual general meeting of Metis Nation British Columbia over the weekend. She said officials are planning for 172 vaccination clinics that will begin mid-March. The acting Chief Medical Officer for the First Nations Health Authority says it is in discussions with the province on how to make mass vaccination clinics culturally safe. Dr. Shannon McDonald says clinics on reserves have including blessings of the vaccine and the time needed to ensure those receiving them feel confident about what's happening to them.

"I know the province's goal is to maximize the number of people that can be vaccinated, but we also want to make sure that the people who walk in the door are happy with what happened when they're inside the doors before they go home.”
—Acting Chief Medical Officer for the First Nations Health Authority, Dr. Shannon McDonald.

Metis and other Indigenous people ages 65 and up will be eligible to get their shots at the same time as clinics begin for non-indigenous people over the age of 80.