For the month of July I was living with my in-laws in Williams Lake. So on Monday, July 22nd, I was able to be present at the “first day of public hearings into Taseko’s proposed $1-billion open pit gold and copper mine near Williams Lake, B.C.”
I was working until about one o’clock that day but my mother-in-law, who is a teacher here in Williams Lake, first went downtown around lunchtime at which point two very separate information centers were happening.
Join us and have hot dogs galore!
At one camp, the Taseko mine representatives were serving burnt hot dogs to visitors. There wasn’t much of a crowd, but the vice president of the mine was offering her students jobs if the mine was allowed to come in.
Meanwhile, at the park nearby the Tsilhqot’in nation had prepared a lunchtime feast. There was music and dancing. Most of her friends were at the park. In fact, most of the crowd seemed to be at the park.
Culture War Reporters 
Shame Day: Sun News
Sun News and New Prosperity Mine
Some of you may remember the report I wrote this past summer describing the debate over the New Prosperity Mine application in Williams Lake. I attended a few debates over the mine with my mother-in-law and there was a very strong division in the room. Supporters of the mine wore blue scarves, were primarily white, and mostly discussed the economic benefits. Most of the individuals speaking out against the mine were from the reserves surrounding the mining area, where they would be most closely affected.
Why do they want to kill off these poor guys? But seriously, according to what I heard in the presentation, even losing a few grizzly would be a huge problem.
There were also several very detailed environmental reports brought forward after the general public discussion. While I wasn’t able to make every one due to work, I was able to sit in on a report by a grizzly bear specialist. They shared exactly how the mine project would harm the already threatened grizzly bear community in the area. Again, that was only one one of many other extensive environmental reports.
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Posted in Canada, government, Islam, news, politics, writing
Tagged Avaaz, boston bomber, CBC, commentary, Enbridge pipeline, Ezra Levant, Ford Nation, Fox News, Fox News North, free market, government subsidy, graph, grizzly bear, hot chicks, journalism, lawsuit, libel, Margaret Atwood, media, Media Bias, Muslims, New Prosperity Mine, news, poll, private sponsors, privatization, privatize CBC, Rob Ford, Rob Ford smoking crack, sexy outfits, Stephen Harper, straight talk, Sun News, terrorism, Williams Lake