Vancouver Aims to Kick Gender Inequality Before Women's World Cup In 2015

Parks Board resolution aims to improve leadership in sport for women.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Nov. 28, 2012) - The Vancouver Parks Board has passed a resolution to improve leadership and participation opportunities in sport for women in time for the Women's World Cup in 2015. The decision comes after Hall of Fame soccer player, Carrie Serwetnyk, launched a campaign called Why The Women's World Cup Matters, aimed at using the global sporting event as a catalyst to create social changes for girls and women on and off the field.

"This is a major victory for girls and women in Canada because it is the start of what we hope will be the creation of Title IX type laws that dramatically shifted the sporting culture in the United States twenty-five years ago," said Serwetnyk. "The World Cup has the power to captivate nations and break long-held social barriers. I saw it happen in South Africa and now we're going to inspire it here in Vancouver and across the nation."

The Parks Board resolution was read by Commissioner Sarah Blyth, and states:

Recognizing that women are underrepresented in leadership roles, staff will work with the City of Vancouver, Women's Advisory Committee, Vancouver Field Sport Federation, Vancouver Sport Network and all of our sports partners to look at ways to improve participation in sport for women in Vancouver by 2015.

WATCH VIDEO (Parks Board Resolution on YouTube): http://ow.ly/fDYVb.

"Vancouver is a host city for the World Cup, but when you look at almost every leadership and business position around soccer, it is completely dominated by men and almost impossible for women to break through. This is unacceptable and the city agrees," said Serwetnyk. "Most men in the game are earning half of their salaries off the backs of girls and women through player and coaching fees and "family package" sponsorship dollars without women ever benefiting."

Serwetnyk founded Why The Women's World Cup Matters following the Olympic bronze medal match in August. Her goal is to raise equality issues not just in sports, but in all areas where women struggle for equality such as wages, professional development and political representation.

Why the Women's World Cup Matters will be hosting a fundraiser at the London Pub in Vancouver on Thursday, November 29, from 6pm - 11pm. Donations for school, First Nations programming and national symposium events will be accepted.

For more information visit www.wwcmatters.com.

Contact Information

Why The Women's World Cup Matters Carrie Serwetnyk Founder 604-551-7006 info@wwcmatters.com www.wwcmatters.com

Are Progressives Insane?

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. If last night’s by-election results are any indication, then Canadian progressives are certifiable.

For all their talk of support for evidence-based policymaking, progressive parties are overlooking a major piece of evidence: they can’t win elections without each other. That’s the lesson the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties learned in the early 2000’s, and it’s the lesson that the Liberal, NDP and Green parties will learn someday too, hopefully sooner than later. I say this as a non-partisan, progressive-leaning voter, deeply concerned about the direction our country is heading in under the current Conservative government.

While I respect differences in policy among progressive parties – things we should always discuss and debate - what I don’t understand is the need for ideological purity on a host of small issues, while we lose out on the big ones.

While progressives were arguing over excrement in Victoria (the city pumps its raw sewage into the ocean), the Conservatives shut down the section of the Department of Oceans and Fisheries responsible for monitoring marine pollution – just one step in an unimpeded march against science. At this rate, there won’t be any evidence for progressives to argue over, let alone make policy on.

Most progressives can probably recite in unison the most egregious Conservative assaults on Canadian science and democracy over the past two years: Cancelling the long-form census, the omnibus crime bill, the federal government’s lawsuit against Vancouver’s supervised injection site, the gutting of the Fisheries Act and Canadian environmental laws, and the list goes on.

Pardon my language, but if we agree on these issues, why can’t we get our shit together enough to forge a new political alliance? Let’s call it the Liberal Democratic Party of Canada. Progressives can and will argue about the name, and they can and will argue about the issues, but that’s what a political party does. That’s what the Conservatives do. Their coalition includes Reformers and Progressive Conservatives, and many of them strongly disagree each other, but they also understand that in order to win on the big issues, they have to swallow their ideological purity and work together.

Currently the Liberals and the NDP are deluding themselves into believing they can win on their own, while the Green Party is playing its role as a single-issue party a little too strongly (they actually need a larger progressive party in power to advance their issues). Last night’s by-election results prove that divided, we fall. The Liberals were dismal in Durham and Victoria (ridings in the provinces they need to win in), and the NDP narrowly fought off a Green challenge in Victoria, while doing poorly in Durham, and barely registering in Calgary.

Together, a progressive coalition would have taken Victoria, Calgary Centre and given the Conservatives a run for their money in Durham (probably winning there too if residents actually felt that their votes would change government).

The next time someone from a so-called progressive political party asks me to support a specific policy issue, I will respond with a question: "What’s your policy on merging with other political parties?" If they respond negatively, so will I: "Don’t waste my time."

Together we can accomplish so much more.

Troy Media columnist Andrew Frank is a public relations consultant and an instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in the School of Business and the Environmental Protection Technology program. To find out more, visit www.andrewfrank.ca

Gitga'at First Nation Reacts to BC North Coast Shipping Incidents

Two close calls in less than 48 hours show just how risky Enbridge oil tankers and pipeline project is.

HARTLEY BAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Nov. 23, 2012) - Arnold Clifton, Chief Councillor of the Gitga'at First Nation issued the following statement in response to reports of two shipping incidents in the last 48 hours on the BC North Coast.

"These incidents show that an oil spill is just waiting to happen if the Enbridge pipeline and oil tankers project is ever approved. These were close calls involving container ships, but what if they had been oil supertankers carrying two million barrels of crude bitumen?"

The latest incident, involving the Tern Arrow, a deep-sea container ship, took place inside Gitga'at territorial waters in the Great Bear Rainforest, and follows the grounding of a container ship in Prince Rupert Harbour earlier this week.

"The ship lost power and drifted for three hours in Laredo Sound," said Clifton. "This is the same place that a ship hit Wilson Rock in 1980. These are the same coastal waters that Enbridge is proposing to bring more than 225 oil supertankers through every year. How many close calls will we have then, and how will our coastal communities survive?"

Contact Information

Andrew Frank Communications Officer Gitga'at First Nation 604-367-2112

Fortune Minerals Back in the Spotlight as Protests Target Coal Mine Planned in BC's Sacred Headwaters

HAZELTON, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Nov. 23, 2012) - Last week, junior mining company Fortune Minerals was the target of another public protest in response to its controversial plan to build an open-pit coal mine on Mt Klappan in the heart of an area of British Columbia known as the Sacred Headwaters.

Five protesters gained entry to the "Hard Assets" mining investors' conference in San Francisco carrying a large banner that read, "A Risky Investment: Fortune Minerals. Don't fund social conflict on First Nations Land."

"Our community will be severely impacted as this area is where our cultural activities take place. This project will destroy a way of life for our people if it goes ahead and we have said as a community that it's never going to happen, we will do anything we have to in order to stop this development!" said Iskut Band Chief, Marie Quock.

Quock says Fortune's claims that it is working with the Tahltan First Nation, on whose traditional territory the coal mine is located, are false. In 2006, members of the Tahltan blockaded the main access road. Thirteen Tahltan elders were arrested, putting a stop to Fortune Mineral's exploration program on Mt Klappan.

In September the Tahltan Central Council issued a press release stating, "We want to make it clear that the Klappan area is one of the most sacred and important areas for the Tahltan people. It is a place of tremendous cultural, spiritual, and social importance. It is not an area that the Tahltan people have expressed interest to see developed."

Fortune's mine plan is controversial because Mount Klappan sits at the centre of the Sacred Headwaters, where three of North America's most valuable wild salmon rivers - the Skeena, Stikine and Nass - all originate. Tahltan families have long relied on the area's moose, caribou, and wild salmon for sustenance.

The Sacred Headwaters is also the site of another controversial proposal: a Royal Dutch Shell plan to drill for coalbed methane. In 2008, the B.C. government placed a moratorium on gas drilling after strong opposition from the Tahltan and downstream communities who are opposed to development in this sensitive area.

"We are confident that neither Shell's project nor Fortune Minerals' will go forward," said Shannon McPhail, executive director of the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition. "We depend on the Sacred Headwaters to help sustain our $110 million wild salmon economy on the Skeena and we're prepared to do what it takes to ensure this important place isn't damaged."

PHOTO AVAILABLE: http://skeenawatershed.com/news/article/fortune_minerals_back_in_the_spotlight_as_protests_target_bc_coal_mine_plan

Contact Information

Marie Quock Chief Iskut Band Council (250) 234-3111

Annita McPhee President Tahltan Central Council (604) 754-9974

Shannon McPhail Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition (250) 842-2494

Defend Our Coast: Pipeline Politics In BC

 I just finished doing media relations work for the Defend Our Coast rallies in Victoria and across BC. Turnout was phenomenal and so was the media coverage.

Here are three stories that I'm really proud to have pitched as part of that work. I think they reflect the depth and breadth of pipeline opposition in BC:

The campaign: Heavy oil weighs in - Pipeline opposition is firming up as parties jockey for position ahead of B.C. election (Vancouver Sun)

Thousands expected to attend legislature pipeline protest Monday (Victoria Times Colonist)

A radio interview with CKNW's The Bill Good Show, featuring Rick Zaleski and Art Sterritt, Executive Director of the Coastal First Nations.

Did you take part in the Defend Our Coast rallies? Share your stories!

Cover Story: Guardians of the Great Bear Rainforest

I've been waiting for the Fall edition of Input Magazine, and today it's finally out. Input is the official magazine of the Real Estate Institute of BC, and this edition is devoted entirely to pipelines and oil tankers in British Columbia, specifically the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline.

I've been eager to see this edition because an article I wrote with the Gitga'at First Nation, including photos from my recent trip to Hartley Bay, is the cover story, alongside other great articles by economist Robyn Allen, and Opposition House Leader and MP for Skeena - Bulkley Valley, Nathan Cullen.

Enbridge also has a corporate fluff piece in the magazine, extolling the various safety technologies they say would protect our rivers and coastline from a spill, but not surprisingly it glosses over any hint of risk, misrepresents Aboriginal support for the pipeline in BC, and inflates long-term job numbers for the project.

The magazine does a fairly good job of exploring the pipeline and tanker issue, though I would have liked to see more critical coverage of pipeline safety earlier in the magazine. Nonetheless, it's great to see so many voices represented in a single issue, and of course nothing beats beautiful pictures from the Great Bear Rainforest and British Columbia's Pacific North Coast.

You can see our article here, or download the full magazine here. Let me know what you think!

Hastings Sunrise Park

Playing with a vintage lens on a sunny afternoon in our community garden.

Hastings Sunrise Park from Andrew Frank on Vimeo.

White Lake, Spotted Lake

These are some of my favourite places in the world. Huge basins full of crickets and meadowlarks and the intoxicating aroma of sage.

Guardians of the Great Bear Rainforest

I just got back from an incredible trip to Hartley Bay, in the Great Bear Rainforest, home of the Gitga'at Nation. I was there to witness the first territorial patrols of the Gitga'at Guardian, a brand new patrol boat that will be an incredible asset to the Gitga'at as they formalize their authority over the access and use of their territorial lands and waters, encompassing some 7500 square kilometers.

As British Columbians, we should be thankful that such a beautiful place is being watched over by the Gitga’at people, and that they are continuing the commitment of their ancestors to protecting the food chain for future generations - especially in the face of threats like the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline and tankers project.

The Guardian program provides regular training for members in marine safety, conflict resolution and environmental monitoring. On a typical patrol, the Guardians might record and report suspicious fishing violations to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for follow-up and enforcement, photograph and record whale sightings and sample for environmental contaminants in their shellfish harvesting areas. The program is built on traditional-use knowledge and modern scientific methods to ensure the conservation and sustainability of the Gitga’at food supply.

These are some photos I took on one of the patrols (including the site of the sinking of the Queen of the North), but I was mostly shooting HD video (coming soon), including beautiful shots of Steller Sea Lions and Humpback whales, as well as the Gitga'at Guardians in action.

Media Round-Up: BC Is Not For Sale

That's the message that rang through loud and clear this morning at a standing-room only press conference I helped organize in Vancouver.

Former BC Liberal Leader and Federal Minister of the Environment, David Anderson, and Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, were joined by municipal and conservation leaders in taking aim at the ill-fated Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, a project they say Premier Christy Clark needs to oppose outright, rather than negotiating conditions that would leave British Columbians at risk of a catastrophic oil spill.

Early TV coverage (watch evening news tonight - GlobalBC, CTV, CBC, CityTV):

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip promises that First Nations will oppose the project at all levels, including through the review panel, the courts, and if need be, on the land:

Summary of print coverage with lot's of syndicated pick-up via The Canadian Press and Postmedia across Canada e.g. Global and Metro News:

Enbridge pipeline not in Canada's best interest: former environment minister Vancouver Sun, The Province, Montreal Gazette - ‎July 30, 2012 Both Clark and opponents of the pipeline agree Alberta stands to gain the lion's share of economic benefits while BC takes on most of the environmental risks. But Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, who heads the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, says Clark needs to ...

BC Premier urged to reject Enbridge and its 'cowboy culture' Globe and Mail - ‎July 30, 2012 Meanwhile, native leader Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, vowed blockades and mass protests against the pipeline, if it receives regulatory approval to proceed. “Our people are prepared to go to the wall against this...

Christy Clark 'missing the point' on Enbridge, opponents say Vancouver Sun - ‎July 30, 2012 First Nations, municipal leaders, conservationists and former BC Liberal leader David Anderson will hold a press conference today denouncing Premier Christy Clark's stance on Enbridge as “missing the point.” Clark's “focus on pipeline money” will be ...

Former environment minister slams Enbridge pipeline plan Globe and Mail - ‎July 30, 2012 Former Environment Minister David Anderson says the BC coast is too fragile for the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline to go ahead. Anderson believes Enbridge should not be allowed to construct the pipeline. Subscribe now and get The Globe and Mail the ...

BC Enbridge pipeline critics say money not the issue CBC.ca - ‎July 30, 2012 "Premier Clark is right that we need to stand up to Alberta's aggressive oil agenda, but selling our coast and rivers out from under us is not the way to do it," Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs said at a news conference in ...

BC "not for sale" to Enbridge Northern Gateway, say aboriginal and former ... The Vancouver Observer - ‎July 30, 2012 Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. Photo source: Union of BC Indian Chiefs video. The head of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs said that selling BC's coast and rivers is not the way Premier Clark should be fighting against ...

Green groups want Premier Clark to 'just say no' News1130 - ‎July 30, 2012 VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Environmental groups want Christy Clark to stop making the Enbridge pipeline about money and just say no to it. They are concerned even if the premier has conditions over safety met, that it still won't make the pipeline safe.

Environmental groups on Enbridge: Just Say No CKNW News Talk 980 - ‎July 30, 2012 That's what several groups holding a morning news conference are telling the Premier when it comes to the proposed Enbridge Gateway pipeline. Josh Paterson with the Westcoast Environmental Law Association says Premier Christy Clark is missing the point ...

More to come.