A REVIEW OF THIS YEAR'S JOHN WICK CHRISTMAS MOVIE

Roll film:

"That 'Fucking Nobody' . . . is John Wick." (Sheesh the guy drives worse than I do) He said they saw John Wick kill three men in a bar one night, with a pencil, and bury them in his basement (like John Wayne Gacy); It was a long night. Included sledgehammering. Ya sledgehammering does make it a long night, even for John, uh, Wick. "And you steal his car and kill his fucking dog." Yeah. No kidding. Killing the dog was overkill, and a sorry assed Russian bad guy move. "Son. you need a cleaner. May I suggest a lawyer I know with impeccable credentials? Not just credentials. Reputation." John Wick is gonna get ya. Fuck yer cleaner. John Wick just killed 10 or 20 Russian lawyers and frat boys. Nasty business suit wearing commercial law practicing Russian fucking lawyers. Maybe Ukrainian. I don't know for sure. Fuck he's shooting them and strangling them and stabbing them. John Wick. Sharp as a cue ball and just as dangerous. "Wick's at the Continental." John Wick hasn't been in the local speakeasy for 5 years. That's not the word on the street. Just the chick behind the bar. An entire company of former KGB is waiting at a snazzy nightclub for John Wick, and this plot is moving faster than an Elon Musk Falcon 9 Russian kid should be wearing an armored fucking bathing suit. But the kid just doesn't get it. "You stole my car you killed my dog I break your neck." At least two dozen men have died for this 5 month old beagle puppy. And this is far from over. It's like a grudge of some kind. Ya know. Like the kind I hold. Anyway, this whole Russian / Ukrainian mob scene has to start over by the end of this movie. No doubt about it. Talk about dragging shit out. Crazy. Absolutely fucking psycho. Just shot a guy point-blank in the face, number 50. This guy is a McDavid AND a Draisaitl all wrapped up in one shooter. But he isn't much of a hit with the dance crowd. How the Ukrainian lawyer's son keeps escaping is the pull. John Wick approaches the hotel clerk with a large gapping hole in his side, and of course the rule is, "Nothing to see here, all witnesses please exit stage left." Gapping holes slight impediments. Yes, plural. Those Ukrainian mobsters don't stop shooting if you're still breathing. And the fuckers hire your sister to take you down. The filthy animals. (Home Alone) A surprise twist has the Russian Church operating as a money laundering front in the downtown of, where is this, Edmonton? Yah. Edmonton. John Wick just killed a dozen people in the Church. I presume they are bad guys. And Lawyers. A couple of priests. Okay he left and burned all the cash in his wake. This puts him in hot water with the Treasury Department. But they're Liberals in charge so the money's worth nothing. We must be nearing 200 bodies. This is Shakespearean, Churchillian, Stalinist, and Nazi, all rolled into one. Wick is taken down. It's not over (I am aware of sequels). Did John Wick want to be captured? "Do you know what was in that vault?"

"The remains of tampered witnesses?"

"Don't get smart with me, John, I am not a purchased judge." But John Wick escapes. The ability of the Russians to sustain a defense is kind of unRussian in this movie. It's like John Wick is some kind of foreign Rasputin and immune from Russian/Ukrainian/unscrupulous lawyer death wishes. (Note: No Jewish mobsters are harmed in the conduct of this review, until now.) John Wick is closing in on the puppy killer / car thief. There must be more to this rage than a puppy or a Bondo Ford from the Sixties. I know the back story is his wife is dead. The puppy didn't replace her. The puppy was new. It was a puppy. At the end, the belligerent-sister-like chick is still dogging John Wick, as persistent as her promiscuity and John Wick's herpes. He stick a knife in his leg. I didn't see who did it. Nobody did. But Merry Fucking Christmas there's a knife stuck in his leg. John Wick got an upgrade from the shitty Mustang out of an insurance settlement. This horrific driver is back behind the wheel. "What's fucking wrong with this guy?"

Took long enough. Is there a doctor in the house? One with a couch and a good ear for personality disorder? It's like this show has sequels inside the show. Sequels of killing sprees. In the end, actual end, John Wick broke into a pound and got another dog. There are no more bad Ukrainian lawyer mobsters left in Edmonton. Citizen X neither confirms nor denies these are the contents of the movie John Wick.

Population rates in decline is a world problem, not one just for Japan

The population story of now: "THE COVID-19 BABY BUMP - National Bureau of Economic Research says, The 2021 baby bump is the first major reversal in declining U.S. fertility rates since 2007 and was most pronounced for first births and women under age 25, which suggests the pandemic led …"  

We’ve Had a COVID Baby Boom. Will It Last? | BU Today | Boston University

The declining birthrates in the U.S. are happening elsewhere in the world, practically everywhere except parts of Africa.   What this means is people will become more valuable. 

It means wars stop and migrations become trickles.   Countries need people to stay to support their societies.  

It means declining productivity. Fewer people to construct houses, maintain power infrastructure, do the heavy lifting.

It is a serious problem, a way larger concern than climate change. It is a way larger concern than what form of energy we are using.  

No place in the world will be immune from the sudden deficiency in numbers of people.

The population story of now: "THE COVID-19 BABY BUMP - National Bureau of Economic Research says, The 2021 baby bump is the first major reversal in declining U.S. fertility rates since 2007 and was most pronounced for first births and women under age 25, which suggests the… https://t.co/KC42FtxJv2

— Citizen X (@MackMcColl222) December 22, 2024

A Short History of Fiat Currency Failures:

It looks familiar.

America is headed for disaster, with no money for anything, unless the government overspending is addressed https://t.co/a75jYDaTMd

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 19, 2024

What other times have currencies collapsed? Historically speaking? This is a fundamental question. Allow me to do a google search. There are two with which I am totally familiar. The German mark of the Weimar Republic in the 1920s saw run away inflation, when it so happened to cost a couple of wheelbarrows worth of marks to buy a loaf of bread. The other currency collapse was in South Vietnam during the end of occupation by the French and the arrival of Americans to defend democracy in the world by reducing the population of Vietnam. Two currencies collapsed. The piaster, and the US dollar. Nobody saw it, but the result was the so-called oil crisis, when the price went from $2USD per barrel to $40USD a barrel. That sound like a currency collapse to anybody else? Anyway. They are ugly events. Currency games.

9 Currencies That Have Collapsed https://hardmoneyhistory.com/history-of-fiat-currency-failures/ 

 The point is, history is something often seen to be repeating. Is it going to happen now? Is currency collapsing? A world currency of considerable dominance since post-World War II, for idiots that is 1945. 

 I suspect a guy like Elon Musk can arrive on a scene and stop entropy in a nation, and a world. Let's say it's been done. Churchill stopped Hitler. That is an example. 

 Can Elon Musk single handedly stop a runaway train? Like Superman, or Spiderman when it's a urban transportation train. Good question. I feel like answering it. Yes. He can. Because he can add things like trillions, and subtract them. So we're gonna see a miracle. Like a movie. 

 AS SEEN ON TWITTER:

A Short History of Fiat Currency Failures: 9 Currencies That Have Collapsed https://t.co/lUklIqjEVU

The point is, history is something often seen to be repeating.

Is it going to happen now? Is currency collapsing? A world currency of considerable dominance since post-World War… https://t.co/8dcEooiLoo

— Citizen X (@MackMcColl222) December 20, 2024

The consensus in Canadian journalism is Trudeau is delusional

The main corp of daily journalists and pundits in Canada are now of a single mind about Trudeau; they say, he is fraught with psychopathic traits and delusions.

They don't say he's surrounded by sycophants but those are the only people hanging around psychopaths.

Sycophants… https://t.co/AbpTKN2GZF

— Citizen X (@MackMcColl222) December 19, 2024

BC Salmon Farmers Concerned About Fiscal Update:

Reckless Policy Decisions Compound an Expected Dire Fiscal Forecast 

Liǧʷiłdaxʷ TERRITORY/CAMPBELL RIVER, BC -- December 16, 2004 -- The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA), representing thousands of workers across British Columbia, is deeply concerned about the grim picture painted by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Freeland from the Trudeau government today. 

The government's reckless actions exacerbate our ballooning debt and stagnant economy as Canadians face rising living costs, higher food prices, and a weakening Canadian dollar. The estimated $9 billion taxpayer-funded cost of phasing out the BC salmon farming sector is another example of costly political gimmicks over sound economic policy. 

Despite clear scientific evidence, the decision to ban current marine net-pen salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029 is driven by political motivations rather than long-term, responsible planning. This policy ignores the real-world consequences for thousands of workers, First Nation communities, and the broader economy.  

Less Work, More Foreplay, For Japanese

Driverless vehicle future terrifies people

Citizen X

@MackMcColl222]

It's true. People cannot see the automobile for what it is. A conveyance. People see it as an extension of the arms and legs. An automobile becomes an organic feature on their body when they climb in behind the wheel. The ego becomes deeply entwined with the automobile. It is a deeply personal ego attachment. 

 Not all people see the automobile in this light. Kids whose parents died in car accidents might not have the same ego attachment. I must confess, I have had my leg ripped up by an Oldsmobile 98. And I have had my pelvis crushed by a runaway front left wheel of a 4X4. My ego attachment to the automobile is scant. I could care less if I ever saw another automobile as long as I live, even though, I own one. 

 If the whole schmear of automobiles disappeared, to be replaced by less malign forms of transport, including self-driving cars, I would see it as cause for celebration. In Canada, says Google, "In 2021, the number of motor vehicle fatalities was 1,768; up 1.3% from 2020 (1,746). The number of serious injuries increased to 8,185 in 2021; up 4% from 2020 (7,868)." (Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics: 2021 https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transportation/statistics-data/canadian-motor-vehicle-traffic-collision-statistics-2021…)

The Unauthorized Story of Trudeau-Singh Coalition Government

"Fake Programs By Fake People": The Unauthorized Story of the Trudeau-Singh Government's Legacy of Promising Everything and Delivering Nothing.

A 🧵.

From "free dental care" to "affordable housing" to "$10/day childcare" the legacy of the Trudeau gov't will be one of fakeness. pic.twitter.com/n5RIDbFx2C

— Alex Zoltan (@AmazingZoltan) December 13, 2024

Mowachaht/Muchalaht Title Declared to B.C. Court

 Notice of Claim

"The. . . First Nation has Aboriginal title to its lands and that B.C.'s Forest Act and Land Act will no longer apply to Mowachaht/Muchalaht lands once title is declared." Vancouver Island First Nation whose ancestors met explorer Capt. Cook in 1776, only to see the disappearance of land, resources, and sovereignty, sues province of British Columbia

       Citizen X 

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/vancouver-island-first-nation-whose-ex-chief-met-capt-cook-files-claim-against-b-c/ar-AA1vLaGz?ocid=socialshare

Squirrel guest introduces hisself

Anti-salmon farming radio ad removed for false advertising

CAMPBELL RIVER, BC – The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) expresses gratitude to Pattison Media for taking swift action to stop airing a factually incorrect radio advertisement by Wild First, an anti-salmon farming organization.
In the advertisement, Wild First claimed that wild Pacific salmon are “on the brink of extinction.” This sensationalist claim is false, with recent research and peer-reviewed studies confirming a record-high abundance of wild Pacific salmon in the ocean since recorded history. The advertisement then called for the removal of ocean salmon farms to protect wild Pacific salmon.

“False advertisements by Wild First mislead the public, particularly consumers who rely on accurate information to make informed choices about their food,” says Brian Kingzett, Executive Director of the BCSFA. “The spread of this misinformation undermines the significant contributions salmon farming provides to our communities, economy, and environment and is unfair to the hardworking professionals who contribute to this sector.”

Salmon farming plays a vital role in supplying a healthy and sustainable protein to consumers worldwide. British Columbia's salmon farmers are recognized globally through the Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index for their commitment to sustainability and responsible aquaculture practices. They adhere to stringent regulations and follow best management practices to ensure the well-being of their fish, wild Pacific salmon, the surrounding marine environment, and the communities in which they operate. Canada's best science and multiple commissions and federal studies continue to support that farming salmon does not present more than minimal risk to wild Pacific salmon.

This is not the first time Wild First advertisements have been removed due to false information. The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) recently announced that Wild First’s anti-salmon farming billboards around Ottawa were removed due to false advertising. CTV News Vancouver also removed a news segment with anti-salmon farming advocates that contained false information, after the BCSFA filed an official complaint

“The continued spread of misinformation by Wild First and other anti-salmon farming organizations emphasizes the need for responsible advocacy based on facts and science,” says Kingzett. “We commend Pattison Media for their commitment to promoting accurate information and ensuring that false advertising is promptly removed.”

The BCSFA remains committed to promoting accurate and science-based information regarding salmon farming. We urge the public to seek reliable sources and engage in open dialogue to better understand the benefits and sustainable practices of this vital sector.

ABOUT THE BC SALMON FARMERS ASSOCIATION

BC salmon farmers are committed to reconciliation, and all farms operating in BC are currently done in agreement, negotiation, or established partnerships with First Nations in whose territories we operate. These agreements are founded upon recognizing First Nations’ right to exercise jurisdiction over the land, resources, and waters within their territories.

Farm-raised salmon generates over $1.2 billion for the provincial economy supporting thousands of jobs. Additionally, farm-raised salmon provides a nutritious and sustainably produced protein with a low carbon footprint that contributes to Canada’s food security and Blue Economy.

The BC Salmon Farmers Association represents over 60 businesses and organizations throughout the value chain of finfish aquaculture in BC. Our members account for over 95% of the annual provincial harvest of farm-raised salmon in British Columbia.

For more information, visit bcsalmonfarmers.ca.

BC Indigenous Coalition lobbies Ottawa on the salmon farm industry ​

OTTAWA -- Chris Roberts, elected chief councillor, Wei Wai Kum First Nation, based out of Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, in coastal British Columbia, spoke in Ottawa today.


"It's through our rights and title that we must have a say on how, if and what kind of salmon farming can take place in our territories, in our backyards, where we have lived for millenia.

"After the disrespectful and damaging decisions to close salmon farms in my territory the Laichwiltach People, in the Discovery Island without proper consent of the rights holders, we at the coalition can no longer trust that the minister Murray can deliver a thoughtful, unbiased transition plan for the remaining salmon in our sovereign territories.

"That is very worrisome as I stand here with my brothers and sisters . . .

"We as First Nations, we are the original environmentalists, not the fancy downtown activists that you hear about.

"Our people have been looking after wild salmon for thousands of years, and we continue to do so through our guardian programs and our monitors, and we will continue to do so.

"People 5,000 km away will not be making political activist driven decisions for ancient nations that have been stewards of our lands and waters and resources, since time immemorial.

"Now we know there are divergent views on salmon farming among First Nations on the coast of British Columbia. And that's their right. But it's also our right as First Nations to be able to say, YES.

"If a nation can say no to a resource extraction development activity in their territory, they should be able to say yes. And that's because it's done on their terms, on terms that are set out by the laws and traditions of our people.

"Those laws and traditions guide how business is carried out and how things are to be monitored properly.

"This enduring stewardship obligation that I talk about is bestowed to all of us by the Creator of the territories that we call our home, all across Turtle Island.

"And we must respect each other as sovereign nations, and trust in each other that we will uphold those. And when we disagree, we should come together nation-to-nation to talk about our difference of opinion to find areas of compromise, and to seek to understand how we might be able to move forward collaboratively.

"The DFO minister Murray's decision to close all salmon farms in the Discovery Islands, against the wishes of the right's holder nations, in our case the Laichwiltach people, has set a dangerous precedent.

"Not only does it mean that the rest of the transition planning process for the sector is unstable, it threatens salmon farm operations in the rest of the territories where the nations want those farms to operate.

"More importantly, her decision has threatened rights holder First Nations ability to pursue their self-determination, and their right to economic reconciliation by allowing outside influences to make decisions in our territories.

"Just a little bit more about the proposal that was put forward from the Laichwiltach Nations, we were seeking to understand what the impacts are, every sector, every single activity in our territories have an impact, and it's our responsibility to understand what those are, to determine if we can come to grips with it and manage them in a way that is sustainable, and in keeping with our true values and traditions.

"It's really sad that our proposal was unaccepted, because it's a lost opportunity. The opportunity that existed was to advance our guardian watchmen programs, our fisheries stewardship technicians, to directly participate in the research and monitoring to evaluate the impact from salmon farming on the environment and on wild salmon.

"I am not going to deny those exist, but as we talk about a transition, as this government likes to call it, we wanted to be on the front lines of what that would be, to embrace new innovations and the possibility of new technologies that could be implemented to reduce or eliminate the risks to wild salmon.

"And the fact that our proposal was disregarded is troubling. It sends a signal that I don't know if there was ever a genuine interest in supporting a transition.

"And so to just kind of mandate something to land-based in this case, it doesn't make sense to me, because there's a lot of evidence and investment across the world where this has been attempted, and maybe it will be figured out one day, but if we talk about a transition and going towards something better, we have to embrace and work with what we have now.

"To try and flick it off like a switch I think it flies in the face of what is required to have investment in research and development and bring new innovations.

"So we call on Prime Minister Trudeau to pass a critical file on to more responsible and unbiased minister to complete. We strongly recommend the minister of Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation, the Hon Mark Miller, for this job.

"We are also fathers and mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, like you, who want to see our families succeed and communities thrive and have a promising future.

"Like you, we want our people to have good jobs, and like you we want everyone to be able to afford healthy food and put food on their tables for their families.

"The government of Canada is on a dangerous track, with policy decisions to close sustainable farming in our waters. They are suggesting that we grow Canadian salmon on land, even the B.C. government says it's not feasible, and at this point in time it does not make sense.

"We have with us, an example here, the salmon that you see, it was not grown in Canadian waters, where it could have been or should have been. It was not grown in any of our territories, where it could have been and should have been.

"It was not processed by workers in the community of Klemtu of the Kitasoo/Xai'Xais, or the community of Port Hardy on north Vancouver Island, because Minster Murray has severely impacted the production of the salmon farming industry by closing down farms in our territory, and we're concerned of the track that might continue on with the rest of the coast.

"The piece of salmon was flown all the way from Norway or Chile, thousands of kilometres away, and when you think about the net effect and of citizens of the planet that we care for, of climate change, and carbon emissions, how is that sustainable?

"And because of decisions by Minister Joyce Murray, this costs you and your family more on your grocery bills to put this healthy meal on your table for your family.

"I'm not sure what the price of it says, but I think, uh, yikes!" he looks at the label on the package, "It's $55 for this slab of salmon, something that would have previously costed around $30.

"And this piece of salmon is going to become even more unaffordable for you and your families if these decisions continue, not only because it's imported from far away, but because we no longer have the jobs of farming salmon in the communities.

"And we have also been fishing nations, it's engrained in my blood for several generations. But we are also salmon farming nations as we stand here together, and we are coastal nations.

"And we should have the right to say what happens in our territory.

"This is an important job that we have, and I am reminded by some of my Elders and people in my community that often have a difficult time coming to grips with various industries, because of their perceived impact, but when we talk about it, we're reminded that, as newcomers came to our territories, balance has been disrupted from day one, and we have constantly had to adapt to changing times.

"A lot of the things that are being sought to protect are the commercial salmon industry, which I am proud of my family's participation for many years, but an industrial full scale commercial fishery on the whole coast of British Columbia with countless canneries dotting the coastline, that was not our way as a people, but we were participants in that and we embraced it.

"Unfortunately, our rights to make decisions on how that fishery would be managed were not recognized early enough and we are suffering the consequences of a vast reduction of salmon on the coast.

"So when we look at a new industry like salmon farming, we're also meeting it head on, embracing it for the opportunity that it could be, and ensuring that things are happening on our terms.

"And that's very important because each nation is distinct and unique, and have their own set of laws and values that must be upheld, for this industry to continue."

Firewood CMTs an Anthropological Oddity

In the days prior to the Industrial Revolution First Nations built canoes to travel the extensive waterways of the Pacific coast. Each dugout canoe was manufactured out of a single cedar tree and these dugout war canoes were designed for ocean voyages of long duration.

 Sometimes during these journeys canoeists ran afoul of the weather. The water on the Inside Passage is a reasonably constant 6 or 7 degrees Celsius but the weather varies and rainfall is a potential threat all year long, especially from October to March. Dealing with these wet conditions called for planning, which included the invention of the 'firewood CMT,' a form of culturally modified tree (CMT) found on remote islands and inlets of the Pacific Coast of Canada.

 "Knowledge of the history of forest use is crucial for understanding the development of forests, which in turn helps to understand how societies react to forest development," said Rikard Andersson, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. "Culturally modified trees (CMTs), recorded in the western U.S. (and Canada), northern Scandinavia, and south-eastern Australia, are features that can be dated precisely, and they bear witness to unique events of human activity."

 David Garrick is a Canadian anthropologist with specific expertise in CMTs in west coast rainforests. "These artefacts define the First Nations communities in a practical way. They had camps all over the place, often at the mouth of a river. If they were taking a three-day voyage by canoe and it started raining they would pull out of the water, but how would you start a fire?"

David Garrick and his son Aki gaze at Johnstone Strait

 An essential CMT would be found ashore where they could and often did make land and find the firewood CMT, each site containing a dry source of wood. The travelers would find a small cavern dug above the roots inside a massive cedar tree trunk. "They would peel shreds of the dry cedar found inside the hollowed trunk and they would ignite a fire inside the tree."

 These firewood CMTs were commonplace, "There's one found at every encampment." Garrick has studied these peculiar modifications from Banks Island all the way to Kitkatla. He and others have found abundant evidence of a kindling source that provided instant fire to travelers. For the past three decades David Garrick concentrated on the study of humans interacting in forests  on the Pacific Coast.

 He found a perfect place to do CMT research on Hanson Island, about 15 km south west of Alert Bay, B.C.. He set up the Earth Embassy in the heights of the 4 sq. km. island and he worked under the auspices of the Yukusem Heritage Society (composed of four First Nations from the Broughton Archipelago and Johnstone Strait).

 "If you keep the ecosystem intact it becomes a living laboratory and a living museum, and a living classroom." For further study, "We have a post-secondary learning opportunities in the area. We have trails into all kinds of nooks and crannies on Hanson Island."

 Garrick's laboratory on Hanson Island has been a welcome presence in the First Nations of coastal B.C. because his research provides a good history lesson about cedar usage in the culture and economy of the people. For instance a 'core-popped' cedar tree looks like a traumatic injury to those who pass by, but core-popping was no problem to First Nations, instead, it was a marker of time, "What happened to the cedar tree core was caused by a memorable event like a potlatch."

 First Nation forest use went into a state of chaos for a period after contact with Europeans and the anthropology is specific about describing the trauma, "After epidemics reduced the population of Indigenous people, you see the sickness of the people reflected in the cedar peelings. Suddenly there are one-tenth the number of people available to peel cedar tree bark or cultivate and harvest other plants in the cedar groves."

 Garrick's work will continue on Hanson Island where he equipped others to teach everyone from small groups of First Nation students to the First Nation CMT researchers who identify the evidence of occupation and prior use in traditional territories. He maintained beautiful gardens at the Earth Embassy and he had members of the multi-nation Society trained to cut and maintains trails to the instructive cedar groves that will stand in perpetuity on Hanson Island.

David Garrick and Mack McColl cross Hanson Island summer 2008

April is Construction Month

Carpenters' Regional Council of BC

By Mark Derton, CRC of BC President

This year, B.C.’s construction industry celebrates the fourth annual Construction and Skilled Trades Month in April.

I would like to thank and recognize the sacrifices and important efforts made by our members every day in every region of B.C. When the women and men of our union lace up their boots and head out the door to provide for their families, they contribute to the economy, help sustain jobs in other sectors, and help build the community. In B.C., up to $100 billion in construction projects can be underway at any given time, which represents over 8% of the province’s gross domestic product.

Our industry was declared an essential service throughout the pandemic, and CRC members have consistently provided their talents and commitment to contractors and clients, working safely under Covid guidelines and additional regulations. Large projects have introduced strict safety protocols, and we have had to adapt new practices. There have been very few cases of Covid-19 in the construction industry, with union jobsites being among the safest. Thank you for staying safe and looking out for each other.

The construction sector and trades-workers are set to play a major part in the province’s post‑pandemic economic recovery plan. Skilled tradespeople are going to be crucial and relied upon for major industrial projects and massive infrastructure investments.

Today, the CRC is busy training the next generation of construction workers to carry on the important work UBC members have been doing in B.C. for over 100 years.

Submitted by CRC of BC and Canada to McColl Magazine

Major Economic Damage, Job Losses, If Salmon Farm Licenses Are Not Renewed

  Feb. 23rd, 2022

BC COASTAL COMMUNITIES FACE MAJOR ECONOMIC DAMAGE, JOB LOSSES IF SALMON FARM LICENCES ARE NOT REISSUED BY DFO CAMPBELL RIVER, BC –

NEW ECONOMIC ANALYSIS REVEALS MORE THAN 4,700 JOBS and $1.2 BILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AT RISK IF 79 LICENCES NOT REISSUED

BC Salmon Farmers Association

The BC Salmon Farmers Association have released an independent economic analysis outlining the consequences to BC’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous coastal communities if 79 salmon farming licenses are not reissued by the federal government by June 2022. The report by RIAS Inc. found BC would lose more than 4,700 jobs, $1.2 billion in economic activity annually, and $427 million in GDP if these licences aren’t renewed.

An additional $200 million in economic activity and 900 jobs would be lost outside of BC. Federal aquaculture licences at 79 BC salmon farms are due to expire on June 30, 2022. Eighty per cent of these salmon farms operate in agreement with the First Nations in whose territories they operate in. For these salmon farms to continue producing a sustainable alternative to declining wild salmon stocks, while working with First Nations, their licences must be reissued by the new Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Minister Joyce Murray.

In December 2020, former DFO Minister Bernadette Jordan failed to reissue licences for salmon farms operating in the Discovery Islands, creating economic hardship and uncertainty for many of BC’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous coastal communities. In making her decision, Minister Jordan ignored the scientific consensus that salmon farms do not pose more than minimal risk to wild Pacific salmon, as well as her own department’s advice.

The decision is currently before the courts in the form of a judicial review. If the 79 licences up for renewal are not reissued, Indigenous and non-Indigenous coastal communities will face even greater devastation. “Coastal communities in BC deserve better, especially during an ongoing pandemic that has already caused severe stress, mental health strain, and economic pressure on many families, households and communities,” says Ruth Salmon, Interim Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association.

“After years of instability and concern, these communities deserve a secure and prosperous future,” says Salmon. To minimize any further loss to coastal communities, BC Salmon Farmers need legitimate reissuance of all 79 licences. The reissuing of these licences would drive BC and Canada’s economic recovery, deliver on Indigenous reconciliation, support the restoration of wild salmon populations, safeguard Canada’s food security and sustainability, enhance Canada’s contribution to climate change mitigation, and align with the federal government’s Blue Economy agenda as outlined in the 2021 Speech from the Throne. “We invite Minister Murray to visit the affected rural, coastal communities to better understand the integral role salmon farming plays to the socio-economic wellness of these small towns,” says Salmon.

Find the full report here: https://bcsalmonfarmers.ca/licences/

Find the Impact Map on Coastal Communities here: https://map.bcsalmonfarmers.ca/

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: BC’s salmon farming sector is the provinces #1 seafood export, #1 agri-food export, and is designated an essential service by Federal and Provincial governments. BC Salmon Farmers hold agreements with 17 First Nations on B.C.’s coast. 79 (all remaining) federal finfish aquaculture licences will expire on June 30, 2022. More than 4,700 well-paid jobs are at risk in communities like Courtenay, Comox, Cumberland, Port Hardy, Port McNeil, Tofino, Ucluelet, and Port Alberni. About the BC Salmon Farmers Association: Farm-raised salmon is B.C.’s highest valued seafood product, the province’s top agricultural export, and generates over $1.6 billion towards the B.C. economy, resulting in thousands of jobs. The B.C. Salmon Farmers Association represents over 60 businesses and organizations throughout the value chain of finfish aquaculture in B.C. Our members account for over 95% of the annual provincial harvest of farm-raised salmon in British Columbia.