A RIVER PILGRIMAGE TO THE TAR SANDS – Part Four

This is the final instalment in a four-part series by RAVEN supporter Terry Dance-Bennink, following her travels to the heart of the Alberta tar sands.  We would like to thank Terry for this informative contribution!Part Four:   Lessons learnedAfter a disheartening visit to Alberta’s tar sands, Terry Dance-Bennink reflects on what can be done to support…

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A RIVER PILGRIMAGE TO THE TAR SANDS – Part Three

Part Three:   Don’t drink the water Terry Dance-Bennink spends time with First Nations families suffering from the toxic air and water in Fort MacKay and interviews Dr. John O’Connor who says don’t drink the tap water!First Nations hospitalityThe dirt road into Fort McKay is a bumpy ride. It’s currently being expanded and paved and is…

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A RIVER PILGRIMAGE TO THE TAR SANDS – Part Two

Part Two:   Black gold fever In part two of her river pilgrimage to the tar sands, Terry Dance-Bennink writes about the highway to hell, black gold fever in Fort McMurray, and the toxic tailings lakes. The highway to hell Highway 63 is weird – like nothing I’ve ever seen. We drove north for several hours…

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On the Tyranny and Tragedy of Government Ownership in Canada

A guest post by Josef Kuhn, Naturalist-Ecologist-Elder (Thanks to Josef for submitting this blog, in the context of the current federal environmental review panel hearings into the fate of Teztan Biny/Fish Lake and the New Prosperity gold-copper mine proposal.) One of the principle areas of disrespect, distortion and dishonesty that I encountered when working as…

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The Most Important Tar Sands Case You’ve Never Heard Of

Written by Carol Linnitt for The Narwhal. See the original piece from 2013 here.  The Beaver Lake Cree Judgment: The Most Important Tar Sands Case You’ve Never Heard Of Sure they’re bad for the environment, for human health, and for wildlife, but we rarely stop to wonder if the Alberta tar sands are in fact…

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Gathering Steam…. updates on BLCN and Fish Lake

Some important developments in both our key programs to share with you.  For both, we currently have a bit of time to raise the funds that will be needed.  It’s the pause that refreshes, so to speak.BEAVER LAKE CREE MOVE TOWARDS TRIAL DATEIn the category of “Patience is a virtue,” we bring you this update. …

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New Prosperity Mine application found deficient again

Tsilhqot’in Chiefs: company should fold up their tent and move onMarch 28, 2013, Tsilhqot’in Territory: Today the Tsilhqot’in Chiefs responded to the announcement by the Federal Review Panel for Taseko Mines Ltd.’s controversial “New” Prosperity Mine proposal that the company’s application remains deficient.  The Panel has issued a second deficiency statement and once again refused…

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The Tsilhqot’in Go to Ottawa

What that means and why it is important to their rejection of the Prosperity mine proposalOn Thursday, January 24, Canada’s top court issued a decision granting the Tsilhqot’in First Nation permission to appeal a ruling that rejected its claim to aboriginal title over 440,000 hectares of land.  Here is a synopsis of why there was a collective…

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