The ban on hydraulic fracturing defies science that says the practice is safe. And it means turning away from billions in profits
Nova Scotia's wrong-headed ban on fracking denies the province a golden economic opportunity. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is used to extract oil and gas from deep underground rock formations. Fluid is injected into formations with enough pressure to fracture the oil-and-gas-bearing rock. The Nova Scotia Energy Department has been told that the province sits on…
Chief Reginald Bellerose of Muskowekwan encourages First Nations to find the correct balance between politics and business
To Chief Reginald Bellerose of Muskowekwan First Nation in southern Saskatchewan, the wave of the future belongs to Indigenous entrepreneurship. “Our entrepreneurial spirit has been dormant. We must re-ignite that spirit,” said Bellerose, the 13-year chief of the small Anishinaabe community on Treaty 4 territory. For the 49-year-old, the key is changing laws to unleash…
Solving this seemingly intractable problem should be quite simple, but simply increasing funding will only make the problems worse
Pondering the crisis so many First Nations communities face over water quality, you can’t help but think of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: “Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.” The ironic dilemma of the mariner is obvious in more than 90 per cent of Canada’s First Nations communities. Most…
When we consider the source of electricity, the invasive nature of copper mining for batteries and components, and other factors, the jury is out
In the push to normalize electric vehicles, many forget it’s not the end of the road as far as environmental impact is concerned. Presumably, those using electric vehicles or hybrids are motivated by a desire to improve the environment, especially by reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Many owners of these vehicles derive satisfaction and…
Forward-looking Indigenous governments realize that transparency is the only way to improved social and economic conditions
It’s distressing that Indigenous activist Harrison Thunderchild has been forced to go to court to make leaders of Saskatchewan’s Thunderchild First Nation disclose expenditures. Parliament passed the First Nations Financial Transparency Act in 2013, when the Conservatives were in power. The law made chief and band council salaries and benefits public information, as well as…
First Nations should take an inventory of their cultural, spiritual and ecological assets, then develop ways to present them to tourists
Many years ago, I learned an important lesson about tourism while travelling on Via Rail. As a first-class passenger, I enjoyed sitting in the dome car, where I could get a full view of the countryside. At one point, I zoned out and someone was trying to get my attention. Pointing outside, he gestured at…
The Alberta premier really shouldn't be touted as a role model for young girls
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley must apologize to all Albertans for engaging in sexist gender stereotyping in the legislature. Instead, she’s taking a page from the state representative who seemed to think it best to make light about the perpetuation of anti-Semitic stereotyping in the Oklahoma legislature. In 2013, Oklahoma State Rep. Dennis Johnson got into hot water…
Governments only role should be to ensure that intellectual property (IP) rights are protected
Human ingenuity – often motivated by profit – is generally miles ahead of government regulations in resolving problems in society. Take, for example, the issue of orphan wells in Alberta. In September 2016, the Alberta Energy Regulator said there were 84,100 inactive oil and gas wells in the province. The collapse of oil prices and…
Indigenous communities should have the same access that private sector parties are demanding
The legalization of marijuana in Canada in July 2018 gives the federal government an opportunity to bring communities – including Indigenous ones – into this lucrative sector in a big way. For example, Manitoba’s Opaskwayak Cree Nation recently took a major stake in a medical marijuana company. OCN purchased $3 million in shares in National…
Bands under the oversight of the act should take steps toward financial self-sufficiency now, in preparation for eventual self-government
Splitting Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) into two departments means one will be in charge of negotiations with First Nation communities and the other will be responsible for service delivery. Presumably that means the negotiating department can focus on signing self-governing arrangements with more bands under the Indian Act. As a result, the economic future…
Nova Scotia's wrong-headed ban on fracking denies the province a golden economic opportunity. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is used to extract oil and gas from deep underground rock formations. Fluid is injected into formations with enough pressure to fracture the oil-and-gas-bearing rock. The Nova Scotia Energy Department has been told that the province sits on…
