Wednesday, February 02, 2011

 

Helping Lara raise money in a time of new experiences. Peter Ewart explains more about the ride to conquer British Columbia.

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Lara Dauphinee: the ride to conquer cancer

Ms. Lara Dauphinee. 63 percent of goal achieved. Goal: $10000.00. Achieved: $6290.00.





BC Mary comment: I think I'm helping Lara conquer cancer. Or is Lara playing footsie with us again? You decide. 


From the Fundraising Honour Roll:

* Nancy Campbell - $50.
* David Hahn - $500.
   etc

"2011 is a year of new experiences...this will be just one of them," Ms Dauphinee (I think) says. Hmmm. Then "The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer" ...  Enbridge??

Read on

http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Vancouver2011/1379137848?px=2641291&pg=personal&fr_id=1371


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BC Mary comment:  Why, you may ask, is the Lara curiosity shown as the lede on  Peter Ewart's significant analysis of Ridley Terminals in Prince Rupert? Well, I  thought those two dots fit together in a painfully familiar old pattern ... part of the game British Columbia knows only too well ... and, in my view, this could be us in British Columbia, still in the early stages of saying "We're mad as hell, and we're  not going to take it any more!"

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Ridley Terminals - Do We Live in Canada or some other country called 'North America'?


By Peter Ewart
Opinion 250 - February 03, 2011 

Ocean waters can be deceptive. On the surface, all appears to be calm. But beneath the sparkling waves lurk powerful currents and treacherous undertows. And so it is with nation states in today's globalized economy.

Take for example, Ridley Terminals which is situated at the port of Prince Rupert on the Pacific Ocean, and is used to export coal and other resources to Asia and other parts of the world. 

Recent announcements about the facility, which is a federal government crown corporation, appear to be all good news. For example, Ridley Terminals has recently signed new contracts with certain coal shippers which, according to the terminal's chairperson, promises to "protect jobs" in northern BC, "increase tax revenues" and "enable miners in both northern BC and Northwest Alberta to open new mines or grow existing [ones]."

But let's delve a little deeper here. Just who are the "coal shippers" that the crown corporation Ridley Terminals has signed these contracts with? It turns out that they are U.S. coal mining companies based in Wyoming and Montana. It also turns out that the contracts have allowed these U.S. companies to lock up 40% of Ridley Terminals shipping capacity.

Why is this a problem? Well, northeastern British Columbia is a major coal producing region. Companies like Teck Resources, Western Coal, and Grande Cache Coal, all have substantial operations in northeastern BC and rely on Ridley Terminals to ship their coal out in a timely manner to the ravenous Asian market.

According to these Canadian producers, handing over 40% of Ridley Terminal capacity to U.S. coal producers will clog up shipping for them and, in the long run, choke off Canadian mining investment. In that regard, First Coal Corp., which has plans to start a new coal mine in B.C., is already expressing concerns about its investment.

Teck CEO Don Lindsay has strongly criticized this decision, as has Pierre Gratton, of the Mining Association of BC. Gratton says that "What this effectively means is that a Canadian Crown corporation is putting the interests of U.S. production and U.S. jobs ahead of Canadian jobs, and that is a real concern for us and it should be for all Canadians" (Globe and Mail, Jan. 25, 2011).

On the CFIS 93.1 Meisner Show on Jan. 31, Blair Lekstrom, MLA for Peace River South, stated, in regards to this controversy, that northeastern BC must have first priority in terms of shipping coal out of Ridley Terminal. 

In addition, the Ridley Terminals Users Group, which is made up of Teck and other Canadian coal producers, has called for a meeting with the federal government to discuss what it terms is Ridley Terminal's "complete lack of faith in addressing the requirements of Canadian commodity producers." As one possible solution, the coal producers want Ottawa to "fast track" terminal expansion to accommodate increased demand.

So just who is Ridley Terminals, a federal crown corporation, supposed to be serving? For its part, the Harper government in Ottawa has not clarified this issue in any meaningful way.

However, according to the Ridley Terminal "profile" on the Government of Canada website, "the terminal was built to provide an export point for vast reserves of metallurgical and thermal coal in northeastern British Columbia." Note the emphasis on "northeastern British Columbia."

In still another part of the federal government website, the "mandate" of the terminal is also described. According to this "mandate", the purpose of the terminal is "[to play] an important role in supporting Canada's export coal, petroleum coke and wood pellet business", and that the terminal's "focus" is to "help Canadian shippers compete more effectively in the international market by minimizing transportation costs." Note the reference to "Canada" and "Canadians".

It all seems pretty clear. That is until we examine recent statements by the CEO of Ridley Terminals, George Dorsey. Just for some background here. George Dorsey is the CEO of Edgewood Holdings, a private equity and advisory firm, that was awarded a contract in 2008 to manage the operations of Ridley Terminals. Dorsey is originally from the U.S. and Edgewood Holdings itself is based in the state of Vermont. Both Dorsey and Edgewood Holdings have had extensive business dealings with a variety of North American coal, energy, mining, and other resource interests.

Why was Dorsey and his American-based company, given the position of managing a Canadian crown corporation, which has a highly strategic location for the national interest of Canada? That is a whole other question unto itself.

Let's just look at what, according to George Dorsey, is the purpose of Ridley Terminals. Arch Coal, which is one of the U.S. companies that has locked up 40% of the terminal capacity, issued a press release on January 18 just after the deal was reached. In this press release, Dorsey is quoted as saying that "[Ridley Terminal's] vision is to provide value to its parent company and expand its role as a leading trade gateway between North American and world markets." 

Note that Dorsey is not saying "northeastern BC" markets, as the federal government Ridley Terminal website does, but rather "North American" markets. And so it is that BC and Canada disappear beneath the waves of what is now termed "North America".

Interestingly enough, Ridley Terminals has praised the role of CN Rail in "advancing the discussion" to cinch the deal with the American coal producers. CN Rail, of course, thanks to privatization at the federal level, is now primarily a U.S. controlled company and has an obvious vested interest in shipping American coal over its thousands of miles of tracks to the port of Prince Rupert.

Thus we have a U.S. firm, Edgewood Holdings, put in charge of a highly strategic Canadian crown corporation, and then arranging, with the help of a U.S. rail company, a deal that gives 40% terminal capacity to a group of U.S. coal companies at the expense of Canadian coal producers. Sweet deal, indeed.

All of this, of course, is further complicated by the fact that a number of the Canadian-based coal companies are themselves multinationals, with operations in the U.S. and other countries, and in that regard, also have conflicting loyalties. One of the charges levelled against these companies is that they have been receiving subsidized rates from the terminal.

But that issue aside, the question must be asked: Where is the BC and Canadian public interest in this recent shipping deal that appears to give huge advantage to American coal interests over BC-based coal mining operations? In this "brave new world" of globalization, it appears that the public interest of the people of BC and of Canada are in grave danger of being lost in the treacherous currents of inter-monopoly competition and multinational deal-making. In this regard, the issue is not to line up with one or other of the competing monopoly interests but rather with what is the public interest.

Some business analysts are suggesting that Ridley Terminals should be completely privatized, and there are rumblings that the Harper government may go this route eventually, whether it be handing over the facility to a consortium of coal producers or to some other kind of private corporate interests. This would be a huge mistake. We have already seen the problems associated with selling off publicly-owned national and provincial railways to a foreign monopoly such as CN Rail. 

As a result of these rail privatizations, serious contradictions have arisen between CN Rail and its Canadian-based forestry, grain and coal suppliers.  In effect, key sections of the Canadian economy are now subject to the whims and sectional interests of a foreign rail monopoly, which has the power to favour or punish suppliers, and expand or whither economic growth. 

Privatizing Ridley Terminals would be a disaster for British Columbian and Canadian national interests. The opposite should take place. A strategic facility like the terminal should be made completely public, run by Canadians, and in the interest of the people of northeastern BC and other regions of Canada. 

In case George Dorsey and Prime Minister Harper missed it, our country is Canada, not "North America".

Peter Ewart is a writer and columnist based in Prince George, British Columbia. He can be reached at: peter.ewart@shaw.ca   


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BC Mary comment:  It just so happened, by sheer coincidence, that the following essay also came across my desk this morning. Either it has nothing to do with the British Columbia experience ... or ... it has everything to do with the BC experience in the past 10 years. Here it is ... and, if readers are short of time, jump into this story at the RED section: 


The Middle East's freedom train has just left the station

By Rami G. Khouri
The Daily Star -  February 02, 2011


What a supreme irony it was for me to be in London and Paris between Saturday and Tuesday this week, as the popular revolt against the Egyptian regime of President Hosni Mubarak reached its peak in Cairo, Alexandria and other cities.

To appreciate what is taking place in the Arab world today you have to grasp the historical significance of the events that have started changing rulers and regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, with others sure to follow. What we are witnessing is the unraveling of the post-colonial order that the British and French created in the Arab world in the 1920s and 1930s and then sustained – with American and Soviet assistance – for most of the last half-century.
It is fascinating, if insular, to focus attention, as much Western media are doing, on whether Facebook drove these revolts; or to ask what will happen if the Muslim Brotherhood plays a role in any new Egyptian government. The Arabs are like a bride emerging on her wedding day to face people commenting on whether her shoes match her gloves, when the real issue is how beautiful and happy she is.
The events unfolding before our eyes in Egypt, after Tunisia, are the third most important historical development in the Arab region in the past century, and to miss that point is to perpetuate a tradition of Western Orientalist romanticism and racism that have been a large cause of our pain for all these years. This is the most important of the three major historical markers because it is the first one that marks a process of genuine self-determination by Arab citizens who can speak and act for themselves for the first time in their modern history.
The two other pivotal historical markers were: first, the creation of the modern Arab state system after World War I, at the hands of retreating European colonial powers, some of whom were intoxicated with both imperial power and, on occasion, with cognac, and who created most of the Arab countries that have limped into the 21st century as wrecks of statehood.
And second, the period around 1970-1980 when the European-manufactured modern Arab state system transformed itself into a collection of security and police states that treated their citizens as serfs without human rights, and that came to rely on massive levels of foreign support to maintain the rickety Arab order for decades more.

Now, we are witnessing the third and most significant Arab historical development, which is the spontaneous drive by millions of ordinary Arabs to finally assert their humanity, demand their rights, and take command of their own national condition and destiny.
Never before have we had entire Arab populations stand up and insist on naming their rulers, shaping their governance system, and defining the values that drive their domestic and foreign policies. Never before have we had free Arab citizenries in pursuit of self-determination. Never before have we seen grassroots political, social and religious movements compel leaders to change their Cabinets and re-order the role of the armed forces and police. This is a revolt against specific Arab leaders and governing elites who have implemented policies that have seen the majority of Arabs dehumanized, pauperized, victimized and marginalized by their own power structure. But it is also a revolt against the tradition of major Western powers that created the modern Arab states and then fortified and maintained them as security states.


The process at hand now in Tunisia and Egypt will continue to ripple throughout the entire Arab world, as ordinary citizens realize that they must seize and protect their birthrights of freedom and dignity. It is a monumental task to transform oneself from a condition of autocracy and serfdom to one of democracy and human rights. The Europeans needed 500 years to make the transition from the Magna Carta to the French Revolution. The Americans needed 300 years to transition from slavery to civil rights and women’s rights.

Self-determination is a slow process that needs time. The Arab world is only now starting to engage in this exhilarating process, a full century after the false and rickety statehood that drunken retreating European colonialists left behind as they fled back to their imperial heartlands.

It takes time and energy to re-legitimize an entire national governance system and power structure that have been criminalized, privatized, monopolized and militarized by small groups of petty autocrats and thieving families. Tunisia and Egypt are the first to embark on this historic journey, and other Arabs will soon follow, because most Arab countries suffer the same deficiencies that have been exposed for all to see in Egypt.

Make no mistake about it, we are witnessing an epic, historic moment of the birth of concepts that have long been denied to ordinary Arabs: the right to define ourselves and our governments, to assert our national values, to shape our governance systems, and to engage with each other and the rest of the world as free human beings, with rights that cannot be denied forever.
In January 2011, a full century after some Arabs started agitating for their freedoms from Ottoman and European colonial rule, and after many false starts in recent decades, we finally have a breakthrough to our full humanity.

Rami G. Khouri is published twice weekly by THE DAILY STAR.

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BC Mary concludes: Now a strange item from The Globe and Mail for today.  Washington Marine Group is the North Vancouver shipyard that built the beautiful big "Spirit" ships for BC Ferries but was given no chance to bid on the contracts next time BC Ferries needed ship replacements. So Gordo's clever plan was to export jobs and big cash to have those ships built for us in Germany. The BC shipbuilding industry took a heavy hit over that. But Washington Marine Group was interesting; it had been central to the construction of the PacifiCats, but when the Campbell Gang was done telling the world how bad the PacifiCats were (they weren't), WMG later bought the three ships for less than their scrap value, shrink-wrapped them, and kept them on display for years as evidence of Premier Glen Clark's terrible mistake (they weren't). WMG then quietly sold all three almost-new ships off at a significant but of course secret profit. Shades of BC Rail. But this is not mentioned in The Globe and Mail article? Oh ... 

and by the way, as a fitting conclusion to today's collection of news: remember our old friend (not) Kirk LaPointe, longtime Editor-in-Chief of that bootlicking newspaper, Vancouver Sun, who could never understand why anybody would be interested in reading about the BC Rail Political Corruption Scandal? Well, Pointy is now ... [choke, cough, gaaack] ... the  Ombudsman for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, our national public broadcaster.  

So herewith, the madness of Stephen Harper:


Billions in shipbuilding contracts will make waves for Harper

By STEVEN CHASE 
The Globe and Mail - Feb. 3, 2011

614 comments

Stephen Harper is poised to kick off the greatest round of government shipbuilding in Canada since the Second World War.

The massive equipment purchase is also going to give him a political headache.

Pegged at $35-billion, the sums involved easily dwarf the funds committed for the Conservatives' controversial and hotly contested plan to buy $9-billion worth of F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin.


Visit the story for their PHOTOS
Building Canada's ships


INFOGRAPHIC
The Fleet Renewal Plan initiative

It will ultimately pit three regions of Canada against each other and force a difficult choice upon Mr. Harper. He'll have to decide which region to leave in the cold during what could be an election year: the East, the West or Quebec.

The federal shopping list includes a fleet of new defence, patrol and scientific research vessels, from frigates to the John G. Diefenbaker, which will be the most powerful icebreaker Ottawa has ever owned.

The Conservative government will select two marine construction yards for the job of building $33-billion in large vessels – companies that will end up dominating public shipbuilding in Canada for decades.

But by giving two yards the bulk of the work, Mr. Harper is inviting trouble.

Regional anger over procurement decisions are stuff of legend in Canadian politics and have damaged incumbent governments. A 1986 decision by the Mulroney government to award a CF-18 fighter maintenance contract to a Quebec firm over a superior bid by a Winnipeg-based company enraged western Canadians and helped spur the rise of the Reform Party.

Five yards are expected to bid for either one or both of the shipbuilding packages: the larger order to assemble frigates, destroyers and patrol ships – and the smaller to build non-combat vessels including the polar-class Diefenbaker icebreaker.

Ottawa hasn't attached an official dollar figure to these packages, but sources familiar with the matter value the combat order at roughly $25-billion, the non-combat around $8-billion. In the first five to eight years, both packages will pour roughly the same level of investment in shipyard work – and the non-combat order is expected to grow over time to include more replacement Coast Guard vessels.

The bidding competition will heat up this month when Ottawa invites bids for the two large-vessel packages. The federal government is expected to render its decision by August or September.

Winning a contract will mean the right of first refusal to build all the vessels in the package.

Of the five yards that have made the shortlist for bidding, three are considered major contenders. They include Irving Shipbuilding Inc.'s Halifax yard, Davie Yards of Lévis, Que., and Washington Marine Group's Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver, B.C. ...

[BC Mary says "Major contenders", eh? Even though, just a handful of years ago, Gordo's Gang didn't consider WMG fit to even bid on building the three ships BC Ferries needed.]

Read the full story HERE. 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/billions-in-shipbuilding-contracts-will-make-waves-for-harper/article1892593/

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Comments:
things that make you go hummmmm.
 
It took seven pages of Google but finally the answer as to why is it called Enbridge.....

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=62&ved=0CBcQFjABODw&url=http%3A%2F%2Falbertacancer.ca%2Fdocument.doc%3Fid%3D210&rct=j&q=Enbridge%20Ride%20to%20Conquer%20Cancer&ei=1DpKTeywPIrWgQfq6Pwq&usg=AFQjCNG5gznBu3ooZOLagPJBCtaDJ40B5w&cad=rja
 
So now if i don't believe in Enbridge I am against cancer research, right right? This is getting all to sickening. Quite cheap advertising they must be laughing all the way to the bank. This makes me really angry!!!
Don
 
I have a close friend with cancer, his passion for cycling has helped build his spirit immensely. I don't want to take away from that...but....my notes on insider connections to the IPP debacle show many eye-raising connections.......one of which is Pam Egger (former legal counsel to the BC Securities Commission) quit her job to form Swift Power. Her partner in the venture is Alexi Zawadzki. I believe they met cycling!! Please note that Swift got in under the radar(wonder how that happened) and received an Agreement to Purchase from BC Hydro for a project on the North Coast. They are now selling out to the US owned Fort Chicago Securities.
 
To Anonymous 9:23,

Thanks a million for going there ...

on your advice, I followed the trail and sure enough, there (warning: it's pdf) was the Enbridge Ride information.

The first thing I noticed is that it's talking about the Year 2010 ride ... June 26 - 27, 2010. But then, no doubt the info. may not have changed much, if the Ride to Conquer Cancer is ongoing annually.


Their explanation of Enbridge was, I thought, fascinating -- it's just Yr Average little down-home leader in delivering energy:

About Enbridge Inc.

Enbridge Inc., a Canadian company, is a North American leader in delivering energy. As a transporter of
energy, Enbridge operates, in Canada and the U.S., the world's longest crude oil and liquids
transportation system. The Company also has a growing involvement in the natural gas transmission and
midstream businesses, and is expanding its interests in renewable and green energy technologies
including wind and solar energy, hybrid fuel cells and carbon dioxide sequestration. As a distributor of
energy, Enbridge owns and operates Canada's largest natural gas distribution company, and provides
distribution services in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and New York State. Enbridge employs
approximately 6,000 people, primarily in Canada and the U.S. Enbridge's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit enbridge.com

"About the Ride to Conquer Cancer

"The Ride to Conquer Cancer is a national movement. In addition to the Alberta event, Rides in Ontario,Quebec and British Columbia have collectively raised more than $40 million for cancer research across
Canada in only two years.

 
"Ms. Lara Dauphinee. 63 percent of goal achieved. Goal: $10000.00. Achieved: $6290.00."

Perhaps Lara, and everyone else involved can dedicate the money they collect to treating the cancers suffered by the First Nations residents downstream on the now toxic Athabasca resulting from the source of the "goo" for the proposed pipeline! They had better raise their goals to deal with that!
 
@motorcycleguy:

Your reference to Fort Chicago Securities, triggered in me a recollection that Enbridge also is involved in a partnership with both Fort Chicago and Swift Power, which by extension would also include our illustrious premier.
A follow up on those 'connections' may prove fruitful.
 
Interesting connection Mary to the Egyptian crisis.
I have been reading the Egypt stories but substituting 'Campbell' for Mubarak, and 'British columbia' for Egypt.
Very telling parallels.
 
ron ...

go for it. We're listening.
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Last try, sorry if its come through twice

Hmmm lost another post.

Globe and Mail Today

Billions in shipbuilding contracts will make waves for Harper

35 billion

Regional anger over procurement decisions are stuff of legend in Canadian politics and have damaged incumbent governments, (HAh ha ha )
The bidding competition will heat up this month when Ottawa invites bids for the two large-vessel packages. The federal government is expected to render its decision by August or September.

Winning a contract will mean the right of first refusal to build all the vessels in the package.

Of the five yards that have made the shortlist for bidding, three are considered major contenders. They include Irving Shipbuilding Inc.'s Halifax yard, Davie Yards of Lévis, Que., and Washington Marine Group's Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver, B.C.
------------
WASHINGTON MARINE GROUP, wonder who is lobbying for them now.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/billions-in-shipbuilding-contracts-will-make-waves-for-harper/article1892593/
 
Re Fort Chicago buying up lake draining IPP's....Enmax (not Enbridge in this particular case) is owned by City of Calgary and is advancing their plan to drain Phantom Lake on the Sunshine Coast. Enmax has since sold all of their Canadian hydro projects to Fort Chicago. Odd how once the Agreements to Purchase are issued to BC and/or Canadian businesses to grow our economy per Campbell Green Energy policy....they sell shortly afterward to US corporations. A side issue is, if public owned BC Hydro can't do these projects economically, how come the City of Calgary jumps in without hesitation? The Sunshine Coast is slated for 4 more apline lakes to be drained. The investor connections there are equally disturbing.

I must emphasize supporting Cancer research is noble no matter who is doing it. It is sad that the immediate reaction to hearing the names involved sparks mistrust rather than respect.
 
I read, Kinder Morgan is to build the pipeline from, the dirty tar sand to the Port of Kitimat, seems Enbridge is out. It was said, the project is moving forward at a rapid pace. I am waiting to see, what Rafe has to say, whether it's true or not.

Lake Athabasca, has deformed fish. Another flock of ducks died, from landing in filthy sludge. There has been oil found in, the mighty Athabasca River. The Athabasca watershed is contaminated. The caribou are dying. The First Nations people are dying of cancer. Some of the cancer is, a rare form of cancer, from exposure to petroleum. The Alberta dirty tar sands, are an abomination, on the face of this earth. I would love nothing better than to, force feed the contaminated water to, Harper, Campbell and every idiot involved, in this disgusting crime. The satellite pictures, are absolutely gruesome, an ugly, polluted blight on the face of our country. However, Harper is grabbing every penny, and all of the natural resources, for his Global governance plan, he keeps harping about. I was told to google, Harper's Global governance plans, and it all fits. I think the Egypt stories, need to be applied in our entire country. We are indeed, living in evil times.
 
1. Why does Dorsey refer to Ridley Terminal's "parent company"?

I though Ridley was a crown corp.

2. Why would the U.S. want to use Prince Rupert as a port to ship U.S. coal? I guess it's because it's still the shortest route to Asia.

3. BC has new legislation requiring it to reduce greenhouse emissions. So why do they seem to be promoting coal in BC? I guess, since the emissions are emitted in Asia, not BC, they don't count. But that doesn't make sense.
 
Motorcycle guy,

The reason BC Hydro is not doing these projects is:

1. The BC Govt has forbidden it. Only the private sector is allowed to build this kind of project.

2. It wouldn't make sense for BC Hydro to build. BC Hydro has better options, if it wants to increase electricity in BC.
 
E.M.,

Very special thanks for today's findings.

My eye surgery is scheduled for next month. Maybe after that, I won't miss so many news items. But I surely do appreciate your eagle eyes on the job.

Thanks!
 
WMG made out like stink by taking the Fastferries. Plus if the poop on land transfer in North Van are true why would they not side with the Great Prevaricator of the Lieberal party. The GP got what he wanted and WMG got what they wanted. Right?

BUT. Now the Feds are planning on dropping BILLIONS for new ships. Can't anyone see just what is going on with our tax dollars. NOT one of these 'insiders' ever do anything without looking to the future of 'looting' taxpayer's dollars without planing ahead for future dollars.

What else is new? 'Them that has the gold rules' and in British Columbia the rulers do it in spades. Did you see Kevin the BSer's full page ad in the papers today?
Burgess
 
here's the link for the Globe and Mail story

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/billions-in-shipbuilding-contracts-will-make-waves-for-harper/article1892593/

Secondly, the Spirit Class BC Ferries, the Washington Group didn't do anything on the two ferries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S_class_ferry .....all the info on the Spirit ferries
,
Plus, I worked on the Spirit of BC, downstream from the Alex Fraser Bridge, south side, and the company there, the assembly yard just poured money down the drain in building it. Lots of overtime; three shifts were demanded, work was being done by tradesmen that could have been done by labourers, and on Saturdays and Sundays.

The catch was that the price of the first Spirit determined the price of the second Spirit, which was cut to the bone in worker expenses.

And no, I didn't work on the second ferry.
 
Motorcycleguy 12:10PM
Keep an eye on that Enmax outfit too. Although owned by the City of Calgary the Enmax Board of Directors has been less than forthcoming about just exactly what they are up to with our utility. The CEO has recently resigned amid scandal and our new Mayor seems to want to ask all sorts of embarrassing questions of the Board. Some of us believe there is a nest of rats there with ties to power generation in BC and other places. It will be interesting to see how many names on your list will show up on mine too.
 
If Harpo is any sort of student of history, he'll promise BC all sorts of this work before the election and then give it to Quebec afterward.
Worked a charm for Muldoon.
 
E.M., N.V.G., Burgess, Watchingfromnextdoor,
Hugh, motorcycleguy, ron wilton, and Anons:

A million thanks ...

I've always appreciated those, like you, who make real contributions to this blog by means of their informed comments.

And never more so than in these recent days which, for me, are days of clouded vision. Fortunately, corrective surgery is scheduled for March 7 which, I hope, will restore my eyesight.

So I'm especially grateful for your additions and corrections.

The general BCRail situation remains the same: Big Media doesn't want to say much about a Public Inquiry into all aspects of the "sale" of BC Rail -- all the information that should've been provided during the BC Rail Political Corruption trial ...

and we're the ones who are fully capable of talking about that important issue.

Luckily, Rafe Mair is steamed about it, too ... it's so obviously part of the cover-up, once it's seen and explained. So I was especially thankful that my error was corrected re Washington Marine Group.

That was one of those ... um, er ... AUCTIONS, wasn't it, N.V.G.?? With massive coverage beforehand in Big Media about how the two ships (now sailing in Arabian waters) were such trash that they'd have to be sold as scrap. [Correct me, please, if I'm mistaken.]

Maybe I was mistaken in thinking that BC Rail was the template for all the other acts of piracy ... maybe it was the PacifiCats after all.
.

.
 
P.S.

Maybe N.V.G. and I have tripped over our own feet (poor eyesight metaphor) ...

Washington Marine Group was central to the purchase, at "Auction" of the 3 PacifiCats for (I think) $20 million,

not central to the construction of the ships. OK?

But WMG starred in the facilitator role of reaping the benefits of having those ships on display in their highly visible North Vancouver shipyard for several years, before accepting an offer to purchase from Arabian sources. Selling price un-disclosed.

It still seems -- when looking back at those events -- like a preview of what would happen to BCRail.
.
 
Preliminary follow-up on the Enbridge, Fort Chicago, Swift power, Enmax connection.

Fort Chicago bought Swift Power, Pristine Power and the BC Hydro assets of Enmax Corp.

Enbridge and Fort Chicago are equal partners/owners of Alliance Pipeline Ltd and Aux Sable Canada(ASC).

ASC owns the Septimus gasplant in Ft.St.John BC.

Fort Chicago as of 01/01/11, is now called Verasen Inc.

Together Verasen and Enbridge appear to be getting their ducks in a row for supplying electricity and liquified natural gas to facilitate moving the bitumen sludge from Alberta across BC to Kitimat.

The dispersal of Run of River projects via the compromised BC Hydro and BC Utilities Comission, appears to be a prospecting 'gift' from the present provincial government to 'friends, colleagues and financial supporters'. The 'prospectors' then develop a prospectus (real or imagined) which they use to obtain permission to proceed from BC Hydro and BCUC.

Upon receipt of the green light, they then quickly sell their 'claim' (for a windfall profit) to out of province , interested parties.

eg; -friend of government(Eggar & Zawadzki) establishes a 'power' company(Swift Power Corp.) and obtains access to a river.(Dasque cluster near Terrace)
-friend gets go ahead from BC Hydro and BCUC to develop said river.
-'power' company sells(flips)
licence to out of province interesred wealthy developer(Enbridge,Verasen, Enmax consortium).
-wealthy developer gets lucrative long term (35 yr)renewable geared to inflation contract to sell 'surplus' power to BC Hydro at bankruptingly high prices that BC Hydro must pay, regardless of need or price.
-BC Hydro passes on extortion fees to end users.

All of these chameleons change their colours so deftly and easily, so are not easy to keep track of.
No doubt some of the filthy lucre finds it's way to the top of the food chain- the initial issuer who appears to reside in the upper echelons of the present government.

More to come, if you want.
 
Lets not forget the revelations in the plea bargain from Basi and Virk on October 18, 2010 of how the Washington Group was ....... tied indirectly to the sale of BC Rail to CN Rail via their Consultant Bruce Clark who received leaked documents.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Basi+Virk+political+corruption+trial+ends+surprise+guilty+pleas/3688726/story.html

The fast cat ferries could have been berthed anywhere on the coast of BC, but they weren't. The Washington Group were good enough to tie them up in plain sight, no problem with that, its politics, however the recently purchased BC Ferries from Germany sit idle, out of sight + out of mind, because David Hahn and his Board of Directors choose not to look as foolish as their predecessors were made to look like. They're tied up because of fuel costs are highest during the winter months. The ships from Germany are more fuel efficient Hahn said in an interview with Vaughn Palmer but there's not enough traffic (paying customers) during the winter months therefore the old fleet is ferrying the passengers. By 2013 the debt on the German Ferries will be refinanced......

How much money did BC Ferries pay for them to sit idle?
 
I think given our illustrious quasi premier's history with Marathon Realty, that he would have encountered David MacLean(or vice-versa)(vice intended), before he usurped the throne. The plan to parlay the lucrative BC Rail(as CN has since proved) was developed in those pre governing days by those two and others.

Certainly the Pacificat Passion Play was devised to test the feasibility of the Rail theft by conversion, and that worked all too well.

The collusion by the press was a welcome side benefit. Because of their zeal to crucify the previous government, they were vulnerable to aiding and abetting the 'new kid on the block', and cannot extricate themselves without admitting culpability. Too late now, they're on board and will go down with ship.

What is really incredible, if not a tacit admission of guilt, is that none of them deny or challenge your assessment from day one to the present.
 
Don't overlook this link


http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Basi+Virk+political+corruption+trial+ends+surprise+guilty+pleas/3688726/story.html


which provides the precise hook-up between Bruce Clark (bro of Christy Clark) and the criminal issues faced by Basi & Virk.


Many thanks, Anonymous 9:06.
 
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