Tootfinder

In positive democratic news (for once!) the results of the BC Electoral Reform Committee and a recent EKOS poll of BC residents about Proportional Representation is very encouraging!
The question, as always, is whether we can convince the government in power, this time the BCNDP, to advocate for what the people clearly want and feel they deserve!
#BCPoli #CanPoli #CdnPoli #ElectoralReform #Democracy #ProportionalRepresentation #Polarization

There were actually a lot of good recommendations from that Committee report, the one on PR was just the final one! Here's a few more.. including some that local #Fediverse proponents could dig into! @… was on the Committee.
—>FEDI ADVANTAGE<— “The Committee heard about a number of issues related to
the electoral information environment. Members recommend
that the provincial government collaborate with Elections
BC and the federal government to review existing legislative
and regulatory measures related to misinformation,
disinformation, and hate speech during elections, including
**mechanisms to ensure the timely removal of harmful content** (**emphasis added)”
—> FEDI ADVANTAGE<— “To better address challenges associated with social media and emergent technologies such as artificial intelligence, Members recommend establishing a working group to propose amendments to BC’s privacy and election legislation. To better protect all users, the Committee recommends requiring digital platforms to act with a duty of care and establish clear safety-related requirements such as data privacy, platform design, and content policy. The Committee also heard about concerns regarding foreign interference, and recommends that these be considered by the Electoral Integrity Working Group.”
—The Committee heard about the critical importance of
civic education to ensure the public’s understanding of
democratic institutions, processes, and participation. The
Committee recommends strengthening civic education
in the K-12 school system with input from experts and a
greater emphasis on applied learning.
— the Committee suggests enhancing data collection by requiring proactive enumeration on an annual basis and ensuring that registered parties and candidates can access poll-by-poll results. Elections BC should review and improve
voter registration practices and communication, as well as
access to and public awareness of voting opportunities. With respect to expanding voter eligibility, the Committee supports further examination of extending voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds as well as permanent residents in BC.
— Committee Members recommend modernizing the candidate nominator verification process, requiring Elections BC to collect and share voters’ contact information with registered political parties and candidates, and strengthening measures related to access to multi-unit buildings for candidates and their campaigns.
Full report to the Legislature: #BCPoli #CanPoli #CdnPoli #ElectoralReform #Democracy #ProportionalRepresentation #Polarization

"Severe drought across Western and Midwestern Canada has wiped out pasturelands, leaving ranchers unable to maintain their herds."
severe drought. weird. I'm
sure that's fine. let's build another global warming pipeline so Premier Smith doesn't threaten to leave Canada.
#canpoli #cdnpoli #abpoli #bcpoli #climatechange #endfossilfuels
https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/article/canadian-butchers-feeling-pressure-as-beef-prices-stay-high-amid-historically-low-cattle-herds/

fyi: 82% of the #bcndp delegates (740 valid votes cast)
voted against having a leadership convention!
iow: Premier Eby's leadership is solid and safe.
#bcpoli

first ballot vote! (required at all non leadership conventions)
"should a leadership election be called"
I sense a positively negative response ;)
#bcndp #bcpoli

If you are trying to figure out the Cowichan Lands court ruling and what it means for private property, this article by the CBC's always-excellent court-reporter Jason Proctor, is, again, excellent.
This tidbit was particularly illuminating and should raise questions as to why we are in this state of 'panic' now:
"Back in 2017, Canada's Attorney General sought an order requiring the Quw'utsun to notify third-party homeowners, but the judge overseeing proceedings at the time rejected the application after the Quw'utsun said they weren't seeking title or possession of any private lands.
"However," Justice Jennifer Power wrote, "my decision does not prevent any of the defendants from providing informal notice to private landowners if they wish to do so.””
ie. Richmond, the Province, and others should have told the landowners not only that this court process was happening, but most importantly that *their property titles* were not being threatened!
#Indigenous #FirstNations #BCPoli #CanPoli #Reconciliation #Property
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cowichan-aboriginal-title-land-ownership-9.6965257

…oooohhhhh this s____t FINALLY might start hitting the fan! I, and many others, have been pointing out the monopoly that BC company ConAir has over firefighting contracts for Canadian governments for years.
Coulson Aviation has been doing firefighting aircraft for decades and has never been picked by its own home province on a long term contract.
The bias has been glaring.
Looks like they're going to fight it out in Court in Saskatchewan!
#BCWildfire #BCPoli
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/government-overpaid-firefighting-planes-manufacturer-says-1.7630608

this is craaaaazy.
"B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad admitted to reporters at the legislature on Thursday that during a meeting earlier in the week, he had ordered his caucus leadership to search MLAs' phones to determine if one of them was leaking information."
#BCPoli #BCCP
https://www.albernivalleynews.com/news/rustad-admits-to-searching-bc-conservative-mla-phones-8299025

Beaverton is hitting it out of the park today.
"Danielle Smith uses notwithstanding clause to declare herself Premier of BC”
"“This is a matter for the courts, probably,” Carney said. “It’s not my place to get involved in interprovincial issues. Unless the extraction industry asks me to. Wait, have they asked? No? Not yet? Okay, then let the courts handle it until then.””
lol
(and the Eby "quote" about First Past the Post lol!)
#ABPoli #CanPoli #CdnPoli #BCPoli
https://www.thebeaverton.com/2025/11/danielle-smith-uses-notwithstanding-clause-to-declare-herself-premier-of-b-c/

The BC Green Party has a new leader! 25 year old @…
This youtube link should be cued up to the 21m50s mark when she starts her inaugural speech as leader!
Big Congrats to her!
#BCGreens #BCPoli #CanPoli #GreenParty
https://www.youtube.com/live/psZhiP6JsaQ?si=72Nvlyy-buUh07TD&t=1310

Leader of the BC Greens @… has some choice words.
"This pipeline will never happen, and we'll make f*ing sure of it”
👍👍
#CanPoli #CdnPoli #BCPoli #Greens #GPC #EndFossilFuels #ClimateChange #ClimateEmergency
https://mastodon.social/@emilylowan/115623697970750137

Fascinating that BC's population dropped marginally (2154 people) last quarter ... but it still had the second highest inter-provincial migration of any province!
If we're anything like Alberta, then it's a good bet the biggest source of decline was in temporary international residents.
#CanPoli #Immigration #Population #CdnPoli #BCPoli #ABPoli

Thank God for the good and sane people defending their traditional territories in BC's north coast.
“As the Rights and Title Holders of the Central and North Coast and Haida Gwaii, we are here to remind the Alberta government, the federal government, and any potential private proponent that we will never allow oil tankers on our coast, and that this pipeline project will never happen,” Slett said."
#FirstNations #CanPoli #CdnPoli #Pipeline #ABPoli #BCPoli #CanPoli
https://globalnews.ca/news/11544657/bc-first-nations-dismiss-pipeline-mou/

this resolution might be of interest to the tech crowd. "AI Guardrails"
We will see if the NDP Government takes the issue up in the coming legislative sessions. (there is not always a one-to-one relationship!)
#bcndp #bcpoli #ai #regulatoon

premier!
"you just never know when an election might happen"
oh boy!
#bcndp #bcpoli #ndp #politics

I'll reserve full judgement for when the actual agreement is public... but here's the hot-take on the 75% reduction in methane emissions in 10 years.
Which emissions?
And show me a target Canada has ever hit.
Details. I want details, plans, concrete actions to make it happen.
#CanPoli #CdnPoli #ClimateEmergency #ClimateChange #LNG #Oil #BCPoli #ABPoli
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/pipeline-agreement-includes-new-target-of-75-per-cent-cut-in-methane-emissions/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

I've always been pretty non partisan... or at least on the fence between orange and green.
Attending the #bcndp convention as a delegate is definitely a big step for me. It's going to be a seriously interesting weekend!!
#bcpoli #ndp #politics

May this haunt Mark Carney for his entire tenure as Prime Minister as #TMX did for Trudeau.
Our federal Liberal and Conservative revolving door governments are simply incapable of extricating themselves from oil…
Canada will continue to literally burn because of it.
#EndFossilFuels #ClimateSellout #ClimateEmergency #CdnPoli #CanPoli #BCPoli #ABPoli

Waiting for the announcment and press conference, the CBC live blog has this nugget:
"Alberta's deficit was initially $1.3B in the February budget, then grew to $6.5B by summer and has likely swelled even further with weak oil and natural gas prices."
Is there an Albertan leader of any party willing to utter the words:
"Maybe the vagaries of Oil and Gas prices is not what we should base our provincial budget on. Perhaps it is time to look at something else.”
#ABPoli #Oil #Gas #LNG #OilPipeline #NorthernGateway #HaidaGwaii #BCPoli
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/livestory/alberta-ottawa-memorandum-of-understanding-energy-deal-pipeline-bc-9.6993431

Details of the MOU as reported by CBC. Hot Take:
It's a sh_t show of oil soaked hopeium and climate defeatism.
- Shovels in Ground by 2029 *(may this be forever extended)
- Tanker Ban will be lifted if the project is approved by MPO *(Coastal First Nations setting rhetorical fire to MPO in 3-2-1)
- July 1, 2026 deadline for submission to MPO *(OIL CANADA DAY)
- 75% methane emissions cut on 2014 levels from methane by 2035 *(*shaking head* We are VERY GOOD at hitting 10 year targets *shaking head*)
- "both sides commited to net-zero by 2050” (implied via CCS) *(carbon capture and storage? should be Carney Can't Stop -- Emissions)
- industrial carbon price of $130 -- down from $170
*(Oil Industry - Very Poor)
- Alberta exempt from fed O&G emissions cap and clean electricity regulation *(Woop Coal! Let's Mine the Rockies!)
- No private proponents have been announced. *(Hear No Evil)
- No pipeline path/route has been announced. *(See No Evil)
#TMX #EndFossilFuels #ClimateSellout #ClimateEmergency #CdnPoli #CanPoli #BCPoli #ABPoli
Since multiple Ottawa CBC reporters seem utterly incapable of understanding what First Nations groups are what in BC here are some facts about the Coastal First Nations. It has existed since 2003.
https://coastalfirstnations.ca/about/
"The Great Bear Initiative Society (a non-profit society under the BC Societies Act), also known as Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative (CFN), is an alliance of First Nations on the North Pacific Coast that includes the Gitga’at, Gitxaała, Haida, Heiltsuk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Metlakatla, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv First Nations. " Their territories span on the mainland coast of BC from the top of Vancouver Island to the Alaska Border including Haida Gwaii.

Given the chance, I think her words could resonate in a Provincial election against both the David Eby #BCNDP and the Rustad #BCConservatives (and whatever other parties happen to pop into existence).
It was nice to see a leader actually genuinely congratulate and lift up her rivals in the contest. A rarity these days in too many party leadership races!
Key lines from her speech:
"take on this province's billionaires, largest corporations, and big oil... who take far more than they give.
"democracy is in retreat around the globe, but I am encouraged to see young people in BC fighting back.”
"the BC Green Party has solutions”
"the BC NDP.. are making decisions based on scarcity and fear”
"David Eby... rolling out the red carpet for Donald Trump's inner circle of oligarchs to buy and control even more of our province”.
"The NDP's big idea… to double down on raw resource exports.... no manufacturing, no innovation, no vision for a future beyond more foreign billionaires ripping and shipping our resources while families wait for the wealth to trickle down.”
“while workers wait for fair wages and homes we can afford, the BC NDP doubles down on MAGA backed fossil fuel projects, ignores the need to obtain consent, and refuses to care for our community members”
”The horrors that we are witnessing now are the death rattle of the old world.”
"it is up to us force a new world through”
"We can build a plan to take back the public wealth that has been looted with real taxation on the ultra wealthy”
"Build on our massive advantage of renewable energy… create thousands of jobs”
"will reclaim BC's economy for working people… together we can build a resilient thriving province that respects indigenous sovereignty and our planetary boundaries.”
“we are worthy of better, and worthy of hope. When we learn to believe that again, we can win.”
@…
#BCPoli #BCGreens #CanPoli #CdnPoli #RenewableEnergy

Today former Conservative BC MLA Dallas Brodie introduced a bill to ban territorial acknowledgments from public events and places including schools and the legislature itself.
You can find her proudly posting about it on X (at Dallas_Brodie) I won't link it.
It's as bad as you think it would be.
It's not a bad thing to acknowledge and respect the fact that people lived in BC/Canada for millenia before European's got here.
It's not a bad thing to acknowledge and try to repair the deliberate harm that was done in that process.
(the bill was voted down at first reading by a voice-vote)
#racism #FirstNations #Colonialism #BC #BCPoli #BCCPC #BCNDP

“"Why should a person be entitled to drive again after that?" she said.”
Indeed... why do people get away with a slap on the wrist even when they kill someone with their vehicle!?
#BCPoli #Canada #Driving #law
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/xaviers-law-speeding-driver-penalties-death-1.6434929

Pleasantly Surprised!!
"Cryptocurrency mining – another sector with large electricity demands – would be banned.”
Unfortunately unsurprised:
"starting next year, the province will open up bidding for artificial intelligence and data centres that will be capped at a total of 400 megawatts of power over a two-year period. Prices will be set by regulation.”
#BCPoli #Energy #Electricity #AI #bubble
https://archive.ph/TJ6sy#selection-2589.0-2589.88

If you want to see what is possibly the most dangerous “maritime cross roads” in Canada in terms of weather, geography, traffic, environmental impact, and all the rest:
I have annotated a map near Gill Island.
We don’t know the pipe route. If it’s Kitimat rather than Rupert because a route exists, this is where tankers would go.
#canpoli #northcoast #BC #BCPoli #cdnpoli #climatechange #hecatestrait #haidagwaii #coastalFirstNation #abpoli #MOU #carney #daniellesmith
https://mstdn.chrisalemany.ca/@chris/115625289502543789

Hearing from NDP leaders in Ontario and Manitoba.
Premier Kinew says the way to respond to Trump’s America First agenda isn’t Canada First, it’s Humanity First. Drawing big applause.
I honestly forgot that the NDP was actually the official opposition in Ontario!
#bcpoli #bcndp #onndp #mbndp #canpoli #cdnpoli

a huge moment for sovereign Aboriginal title in Canada.
How it will impact private property owned by non-Indigenous is unclear at least to me right now. But the Conservatives are freaking out insisting people will be evicted from their land.
Which is... of course.... VERY IRONIC
#bcpoli #haidagwaii #haidanation #canpoli #indigenousRights
https://www.albernivalleynews.com/news/bc-supreme-court-rules-haida-nation-has-sovereignty-over-haida-gwaii-8240806

Oh look, the #BCNDP Government finally noticed the Post-Secondary system is collapsing. *slowclap*
Can hardly wait for that report next spring... maybe I will still have a job by then...
PS: I have a crazy idea: perhaps post-secondary should be majority-funded by government, not by exploitative international tuitions that can just *disappear*)
PPS: Domestic enrolment is not declining in any significant kind of way in the sector. From the “State of Post Secondary Education in Canada 2025” by Alex Usher:
"This decline in per-student funding is therefore not primarily a result of a significant decline in total funding; rather, it is a result of expenditures remaining more or less
constant while enrollments increased.”
WHICH IS WHAT EDUCATORS HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR DECADES
#layoffs #education #educationIsaRight #PostSecondary #VIU #BCPoli #CanPoli #CdnPoli #University #College
https://albernivalleynews.com/2025/11/25/b-c-launches-independent-review-of-post-secondary-education-system/

Long post! #immigration #TFW #BC #CanPoli #CdnPoli #BCPoli #University #ForeignWorkers
I’ve been looking for hard numbers on foreign workers/international student workers. This story on cuts at Coast Mountain College in Prince Rupert surprisingly included examples!
As of March 28, 2025 (presumably in Prince Rupert):
McDonald's: 50 of 80 employees on temporary visas
Safeway: 50% of its 78 staff
Save On Foods: 35%
Tim Hortons: 30%
Skeena Taxi: 60%
Chances Casino: 55%
Crest Hotel: 35%
Three other local restaurants were 100% per cent reliant on temporary foreign workers.
— I want to make clear — I am not 'anti-immigrant’ — I am anti-business using cheap, exploitative, labour.
I am also against public universities/colleges (and thus government) relying on exorbitant tuitions to fund domestic programs, also admitted by a former President of CMC here!
"“Pursuing international students was a strategy developed when I chaired the board at Coast Mountain College," Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond said. "It wasn't a money grab, but rather a tactic to build out a broader offering of courses for the sake of local students. Pond added that he suspects the restrictions on foreign students will limit what the college is able to offer to Prince Rupert students.””
Governments and public institutions thave gotten drunk on international tuition to pad education budgets just like businesses have got drunk on high profit margins from hiring low-cost TFWs and raising consumer prices!
It's a money grab on both ends and in the middle are exploited immigrants and young Canadians looking for work.
"Many businesses struggle to recruit residents or convince Canadians from other regions…resulting in heavy reliance on international students and temporary foreign workers to pick up the slack."
This is a Business-Industry lie! Try applying for a minimum wage job! It's damn near impossible.
Con/Lib Government did this!
https://www.albernivalleynews.com/news/college-struggles-worker-supply-fades-as-immigration-changes-hammer-bcs-northwest-8247783

literally as I finished this post I got an email from my own employer on more cuts to the International student unit.
It's happening everywhere. The chickens have come home to roost.
There is a reckoning happening in government policy on immigration, education, health care, and the purpose of government to fund services and support workers.
Do we choose the door to the right: shut-the-borders-and-do-austerity
Or the door to the left: Reform immigration and labour laws, eliminate exploitation, encourage education and fund it through taxation of corporations and the rich.
I know which one I would prefer.
#immigration #TFW #BC #CanPoli #CdnPoli #BCPoli #University #ForeignWorkers