2025 Canadian Political Thread

Survey shows weak support for Metro Vancouver megacity
https://www.biv.com/news/commentary...support-for-metro-vancouver-megacity-11546053

AI Overview:
Increased Corruption Potential:
• Reduced Oversight & Centralization: In a notable case, a commission found that the amalgamation of South African intelligence branches had "disastrous consequences" because it created a highly centralized structure controlled by a "super-director-general" who lacked clear legal oversight, making abuse and corrupt intentions easier to execute.
• Greater Scale for Misuse: Larger, amalgamated organizations may present opportunities for larger-scale corruption due to the increased amount of resources and complexity involved, which can make auditing and public scrutiny more difficult without robust external checks and balances.
• Political Alienation: Some research suggests that amalgamations can lead to increased political alienation among citizens due to the larger size of the new municipality, which may reduce local engagement and oversight, creating an environment where corruption can more easily thrive undetected.

Decreased Corruption Potential:
• Improved Controls in Larger Entities: An alternative argument is that smaller organizations may have less formal audit control and fewer people to detect graft, making it easier to be corrupt on a smaller scale. Larger, consolidated entities might be able to implement more sophisticated and professional anti-corruption measures.
• Efficiency & Accountability Goals: Amalgamations are often proposed with the intention of improving governance effectiveness, transparency, and accountability by streamlining services and making processes more efficient.

Mitigating Factors:
• The presence of strong external checks and balances (like an effective Inspector General or Auditor General), clear legislation, and a people-centered doctrine are crucial for preventing corruption regardless of the organizational structure.
• Conversely, a lack of transparency, weak enforcement mechanisms, and a culture that normalizes an "unholy alliance" between corrupt business and politics will foster corruption in any setup.

Ultimately, amalgamation itself is a structural change, and the potential for corruption is determined by the governance framework and ethical environment in which it operates.

Me: Against amalgamation. Communities each have their own character and I wouldn't disrupt the freedom of choise.

Based on notes from AI Overviews below and environmental concerns I oppose another crude pipeline through British Columbia in favour of refinary and finished product pipeline construction. Also exportable wholesale and retail packaging of motor oils.

Approximate cost per kilometre to build finished product pipeline, one to $2 million per kilometre. Edmonton Strathcona processes 200,000 barrels per day. Just 893 kilometres of finished product pipeline in Canada. Energy East pipeline cancelled in 2017 over low oil price under $100 per barrel. US banker JP Morgan suggests oil prices dropping to $30 in 2027 over projected oil glut. Finished product pipeline cost one to $2 million per kilometre to build. The Trans Mountain pipeline's current capacity is 890,000 barrels per day at 100% capacity currently 80%. Railway tanker car typically hold 700 to 821 barrels. Refinery construction typically $30,000 to $50,000+ per barrel of capacity for new, large-scale projects. Canada imports 490,000 barrels per day of crude oil. Typical motor oil container sizes range from 1 quart (or 1 liter) for consumer-sized bottles to 5-quart jugs for larger vehicles, and much larger industrial volumes like 55-gallon drums or 275-gallon tanks for professional use. $50 billion for another crude pipe through BC.

Ottawa messaging for B.C. pipeline gets even more confusing

Justin Trudeau set a benchmark of free, prior and informed consent by First Nations along the route. He got agreement with many, but not all. And then he went ahead with the project anyway, saying despite the lack of unanimous consent it was nonetheless in the national interest.

“I think if you look at the TMX, there was very extensive consultation, there was very significant support from First Nations—it wasn't 100 per cent unanimous, but it was pretty strong,” Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said. “And there was a process that went through that the court said there was appropriate consultation, and there's a net benefit.”

https://www.biv.com/news/commentary...bc-pipeline-gets-even-more-confusing-11561440

Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson

AI Overview
Ships a primary method for transporting bulk refined fuels and oils, using specialized vessels called "tankers" for both crude oil and refined products. Different sizes of tankers are used, with larger ones typically carrying crude oil and smaller ones, known as product tankers, handling refined products like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

The US exported $107 billion worth of refined fuel in '23. Singapore & India each exported $55 billion worth of refined. Really don't want anymore crude pipes in Canada throwing away national income and good technical careers of the downstream energy sector. At $3 million per kilometre a finished product pipeline from Edmonton Strathcona to the BC north coast would cost about $3 billion. Plus pumping stations. Considerably below price of a crude pipe. Build crude oil refineries Alberta.

Domtar Crofton pulp and paper mill doesn’t sell its goods—absorbent packing, hygiene products and other paper products—to the Americans, and so its decline isn’t being driven by the ongoing softwood lumber tariffs.

New Democrats have been furious with Domtar since it embarrassed the premier in early 2023. Eby showed up to Crofton to announce $18.8 million in transition funding to save 100 jobs—only to have Domtar turn around and lay those workers off anyway once he left. The governments had to fight to get their money back.

Privately, the NDP think Domtar is a bad actor in a forest industry full of them; large, multi-national companies that siphon profits out of B.C. forests to reinvest in other countries while discarding British Columbia jobs.

https://www.biv.com/news/commentary...oblems-start-with-victoria-not-trump-11572788

In a province full of timber, wood chips, underbrush and burnt wood, a pulp mill can't find reasonably priced feed stock. US based Domtar Crofton mill site and equipment up for sale. Long before Trump, US keeps heavy tariffs on BC softwood products predominately because of low stumpage fees BC charges mills as a subsidy.

Stumpage is not low in BC.

As I said Wakeup, "long before Trump". If stumpage fee up since NAFTA and pre-Trump tariffs still on BC softwood products then BC just suffering one more undeserved tariff hit. A diversified economy doesn't suffer so much. I'm still wondering why Ontario and Quebec, the traditional source manufacturing in Canada, an absent source of products for BC housing construction. And most everything else brought in by wealthy immigrant buyers.

This is a good overview of forestry in BC, but it applies to all Canada.
-Mass Clear-cutting hidden from population.
-Bad Forestry Management by governments
-Difficult future of forestry as there are no more good trees left, except on protective lands (Prov Parks, National Parks, Protective environments etc), the logging corporations are going after those areas now.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/top...S&cvid=69316be7f794432a991c75f7ad996cd2&ei=90

Isn't there some law in Canada where if you use Royal and Crown, you need the permission of government to use it?

So if they go outside of Canada, can they still use the name?

Just asking for the Royal Bank etc.

This could escalate, will we be ready😵‍💫

The US exported $107 billion worth of refined fuel in 2023. Singapore & India each exported $55 billion worth of refined. Really don't want anymore crude pipes in Canada throwing away national income and good technical careers of the downstream energy sector. At $3 million per kilometre a finished product pipeline from Edmonton Strathcona to the BC north coast would cost about $3 billion. Plus $1 billion for planning, pumping stations and cost overruns and $1 billion for a 20,000 barrel per day bitumen refinery. Environment friendly and considerably below price of a crude or bitumen pipe.

Inside China’s New Fentanyl Pipeline: From Mazatlán Through Vancouver to Los Angeles

Chinese Communist Party–linked criminal networks have spent decades building a durable base in British Columbia.

Canada Border Services Agency does not disclose inspection rates. Believed that fewer than two percent of containers are imaged and fewer than one percent are physically opened and searched. Canadian sources also pointed to significant weaknesses in “bonded” warehouses in the Vancouver port ecosystem.

“So it implies there have got to be several more superlabs in Vancouver that your police either haven’t identified or haven’t publicly identified—because what is the purpose of sending all these precursor chemicals if there’s not?”

“We’re looking to collaborate with China, because it’s not an indictment against the Chinese government, per se,” RCMP liaison officer Kevin Brosseau said. “It’s companies, chemical companies in China, that are engaged in this kind of conduct.”

https://www.thebureau.news/p/inside-chinas-new-fentanyl-pipeline

So then Kevin, either Chinese government involved in criminal activity in Canada or Chinese government not involved in criminal activity in Canada.

Bloc Québécois wants Liberal bill amended to remove religious exemption from hate speech laws

"The reality people shouldn't be using the Bible, the Qur'an or the Torah to escape from committing a hate crime or claim that the hate — what would otherwise be a hate crime — is done in the name of a religious text."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/c9-hate-speech-religion-9.7001891

Youtube video: Justice Minister Sean Fraser

The Bloc Québécois is actively pushing amendments in the federal government Combatting Hate Act (Bill C-9), most notably to remove the Criminal Code's "good faith" religious exemption for hate speech, arguing it protects hateful content in religious texts or discussions. Bloc MP introduced C-373 leveraging support for C-9 to get change.

No Bible-thumping in Canada if passed.

B.C. is exploring the possibility of building a copper smelter and refinery as critical minerals increasingly become a national security issue.

B.C. produces about 54 per cent of Canada’s copper, yet has no copper processing facilities, so nearly all copper concentrate from the province is shipped overseas for processing.

According to a Government of Canada statement on Wednesday copper smelting produces emissions of heavy metals, including arsenic and lead.

https://www.biv.com/news/resources-...melter-to-move-up-mining-value-chain-11650876

Both arsenic and lead have commercial value and can be expected to be recovered with copper. Gold and copper nearly have the same melting temperature. If you can recover gold in BC you're recovering copper. In the financial point of view gold mining recovers any mineral of value in the processing of gold.

licks2nite said:

B.C. is exploring the possibility of building a copper smelter and refinery as critical minerals increasingly become a national security issue.

B.C. produces about 54 per cent of Canada’s copper, yet has no copper processing facilities, so nearly all copper concentrate from the province is shipped overseas for processing.

According to a Government of Canada statement on Wednesday copper smelting produces emissions of heavy metals, including arsenic and lead.

https://www.biv.com/news/resources-...melter-to-move-up-mining-value-chain-11650876

Both arsenic and lead have commercial value and can be expected to be recovered with copper. Gold and copper nearly have the same melting temperature. If you can recover gold in BC you're recovering copper. In the financial point of view gold mining recovers any mineral of value in the processing of gold.

Click to expand...

The Japanese smelters have worked hard to prevent us from building a local smelter. BC has typically been the source of clean copper concentrates (with low or no arsenic, low lead, etc.) that they can mix with crap they buy elsewhere. So they have often given good T&C terms. Right now treatment charges from the Chinese smelters are negative. I would agree that having a smelter is a good idea but even better if you had plants that produce wire and tubing.

Reconciliation takes a turn. I haven't been following the argument much, but when a distant centralizing body such as a UN resolution interfers in the philosophy of my local government my hackles go up.

BC conforms to distant UN proclamation to experience Cowichan land claim on residential property owners along the river at Richmond BC. Elsewhere, Transport Canada steps in to halt aboriginal attempt to prevent a nearby helicopter company from flying over aboriginal land. Clearly, centralization insights confrontation and lawfare. Depletes human resources desperately needed to address far more urgent matters. Food, energy and border security. Interprovincial trade. Casting and fabricating of components securing manufacturing of the most common everyday products seen everyday everywhere. Staying out of wars.

Today is the 250th anniversary of the defeat of American forces trying to take the city of Quebec by assault. It was the first serious defeat of the newly formed American Continental Army. America, trying to impose its will on Canada, was repulsed. America still constantly works to take Canada down, especially now under Trump and his minions.