To The Gazetteer: Imagine the BC Liberals (BC Socreds) owning the Vancouver Sun: Keith Baldrey 1982 Ubyssey

"There is a club" - RossK's latest Post

Keith Baldrey: Why do idiot bloggers, who have zero established credibility, take personal pot shots at reporters?  Low self-esteem I guess.  

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 Just because subscribers and advertisers pay the piper - the press - to represent "our" interests, it doesn't mean that governments will not want to control the press .... and our thoughts.   Or as Keith Baldrey wrote, in 1982:

Someone, almost famous, once said, "Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one."

Next week, students at UBC will be given a chance to own one.  Although students currently fund The Ubyssey, it is by no means a free press.  The paper's budget is controlled by student council.

The situation invites a few comparisons.  Imagine the Social Credit (BC Liberals) government owning the Vancouver Sun.  Or the federal government determining the Toronto Globe and Mail's budget. ....

.... there is no guarantee that something like that could not happen again.  There is no guarantee the student's newspaper on this campus could not turn into a mouthpiece for student council. - Ubyssey March 19 1982  - Page 13 of 16

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Looks like the Press was shackled in 1982, too

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Page 4 of 8

I told you not to vote Socred - Keith Baldrey

Chris Wong

Sarah Cox

Patti Flather

Tom Hawthorn

Muriel Draaisma

Brian Jones

Neil Lucerne

Stephen Wisenthal

Joan Woodward

Jagdeep Dhami

Keith Baldrey

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 Trivia

There was a competitor to the Ubyssey: Then

Wednesday, May 19, 1982

 Charles Redden and Susan Cadeny

 Publisher/Editors

The Conventioner

Page 4 of 8

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Coincidentally: Now

There's a Charles and Sue Redden

Pete McMartin's Northern BC Summer travels: He should Spare some time for a Spare tire

   In the north, compact cars are as rare as Sierra Club members. Even at the Honda dealership, they said they didn’t have any tires for a Fit, in my case, a Bridgestone 185/55R/16. He said he doubted if anybody else in town did. - Pete McMartin - Vancouver Sun

Note: When it comes to increasing the mileage per litre ..........

One surprising Thing Automakers are eliminating from cars:  The Ford Focus and Honda Fit don't come with a spare in Canada, but they do in the U.S.

 http://autos.aol.com/article/eliminating-spare-tire/

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The "Sea to Sky Highway" hasn't always been a highway, it was a logging road frequented by surveyors in Land Rovers, and other four-wheeled vehicles, all equipped with winches. Then there was the weekend motorists looking for a different route out of Metro Vancouver, a less traveled way to Lillooet, Williams Lake, Gang Ranch, which included jarring potholes.   In all instances, they had a Spare Tire, a jack, and a Tire Wrench.

The road was wide enough, and plenty of pull outs too, but the bridges on that route were built with the least amount of wood "pavement"; two hefty side by side planks in way of the wheels.

The "Sea to Sky Highway" didn't have logs inside to keep the wheels on the straight and narrow planks

In 1973, there was one enterprising young woman driving down from Lac La Hache to attend her first day at University of British Columbia (Engineering???) when she came to the Historic Hat Creek Ranch crossroad.  Nearer Cache Creek than Clinton. 

Turn left to # 1 Highway's Fraser Canyon to Hope and Vancouver beyond, or go to the right via "Highway 99" (Whistler didn't exist)(neither did the highway) but there was the logging road.

To the Right she traveled in the used 1965 Volkswagen Beetle, smooth driving, no problem for the first hour and half until when she encountered the first of SEVEN bridges.  She discovered quite quickly that the wheels on her car were too close together for the two wide apart double planks, and her vehicle tires were to wide to fit on one side of the doubled wide planks.

Then she got a bright idea, (Engineering???) the wheels were cupped in,  she took each tire off and flipped them over, the wheels were then cupped out, she then made the short drive across the bridge got out her jack again and flipped the wheels back, and she was off .... to the next bridge.

My 1965 1200 A VW Beetle

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Why oh why would a professional journalist like Peter McMartin start out on a trip from Metro Vancouver without even doing a cursory check of the tread on his tires?

No spare tire, no donut spare either.....

Turns out that the donut is alright to use, but not over 80km/h, nor are they permitted on the front of a front wheel drive vehicle in Snow and Ice road conditions.  Then there's the theory that because the diameter of the donut is smaller than the REAL tire, the transmission can be damaged, therefore the donut has to be moved to the back wheel axel......



Google Search Criteria:  Ft. St. John Tire shops    McMartin is one of the hits.....

LONG LAKE PROVINCIAL PARK, ALTA. — In Fort St. John, we noticed the front right tire on our Honda Fit was bald. Dangerously so. I started looking around town for a replacement.

In the north, compact cars are as rare as Sierra Club members. Even at the Honda dealership, they said they didn’t have any tires for a Fit, in my case, a Bridgestone 185/55R/16. He said he doubted if anybody else in town did.

Fort St. John has plenty of tire shops. They are nothing like those in Vancouver. They have tires with circumferences as large as redwoods, tires that are, literally, larger than my Honda Fit. Even if they did have a tire our size — as every one of the half-dozen shops we tried told us — they were so busy they wouldn’t be able to put it on for at least a week. One guy said three weeks. The last shop we tried, a Fountain Tire, the guy said there might be something in Dawson Creek, an hour’s drive away. We decided to give it a try. ......

BC News Release: In consultation with Developers ALR disbanded

..... The focus of this consultation is to ask the question: what further activities should be allowable on farmland in the ALR without an application to the ALC, what parameters should be put around them, and should they vary between regions? A Reference Group convened by the Minister of Agriculture and comprised of representatives from the ALC, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) and the BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) has made a number of specific suggestions in answer to this question, and these suggestions are presented in this paper for your consideration and comment.

Context for the questions is provided in sections 4 and 5 of this paper. Section 6 provides some specific suggestions for new activities that should be allowable in the ALR without an application to the ALC, and also some further specific suggestions for regulatory change related to agri-tourism and the subdivision and leasing of land in the ALR. ....

B.C. government consults to help farmers succeed

Table of Contents

Ahhhhhhhhh   Purity of Nature

Christy Clark's LNG bonanza Prosperity well sites nary in sight



Question and Answers, last page:  Reclamation Standards:

 In other words peas and beans and barley .... need one inch (25mm) of top soil .... to grow

"Dikes" coming to the Metro Vancouver aka Lower Mainland: Sea Level Rise and Climate Change

Once upon a time, while working in the shipbuilding industry of Metro Vancouver, I noticed by chance a secretary filling the morning coffee machine with water.  She was being careful to fill the corners of the tank .....   I couldn't keep myself from suggesting that "Water won't find it's own level ...... eh. "

For those who are considering purchasing property, insurance too to cover your flood plain occupancy in Metro Vancouver, one should keep in mind that not only Richmond and other communities currently protected by dikes will be at risk.  Waterfront property adjacent to Burrard Inlet, Coal Harbour, English Bay, False Creek, Wreck Beach, Spanish Banks, Mud Bay, Howe Sound, Long Beach, ...... are not currently protected by dikes....

Money for BC School Seismic Upgrades playing second fiddle to Dike design guidelines - BBC

Last week the the Press  dished out "their" story without giving "their" source a fair bounce, especially when it was a Publicly funded report.  They could have included a small portion of the Introduction (Page 7 of 202):

.... A re-examination of flood levels on the Lower Fraser River is now necessary because of sea level rise, potential climate change impacts on flood flows, and the need to update flood protection standards.  However, the intent of this project is not to develop a new Fraser River dike design profile, but to provide a series of flood level profiles that can be used as a planning tool.   Based on analyses of the best available scientific information, it is expected that the results of this project will help the province, local governments, diking authorities and others understand the relative significance of climate change impacts on Fraser River flooding and the implications of setting higher design standards.

 Simulating the Effects of Sea Level Rise and Climate Change on Fraser River Flood Scenarios

 the link  ........

Vancouver Sun: Rein in your demand supporting advertisers needs of "Canyon-Carvers"

"Canyon carving" has been defined as "driving down a mountain road as fast as one possibly can, simply for the enjoyment of the experience," 

Did the Vancouver Sun forget they received this memo regarding Operations Safe Canyons from the California Highway Patrol (CHP)?

Santa Monica Mountain News and Arts

Cops Come Down Hard on "Canyon Carving" July 12, 2007 - By Lee Michaelson

With helicopters circling overhead and police motorcycles lined up on parade, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky joined commanders from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) West Valley Area and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lost Hills Station on Monday, June 25, to publicize Operation Safe Canyons, a crackdown on illegal racing and other hazardous driving practices on canyon roads.

Mulholland Highway and other mountain roadways in and near Topanga are well known for their breathtaking ocean views and scenic canyon vistas; the relatively unpopulated, twisting mountain roads are the stuff of movies and high-end automobile advertisements. Of late, however, a drive along these roadways has become breathtaking in an altogether different sense, as sports car magazines and internet sites around the country encourage "canyon carvers" to put their souped-up sports cars and high-performance motorcycles through their high-speed paces on the area's winding turns. ......

The Vancouver Sun July 11, 2014 (Friday) Driving Section Headline:

Hard Copy Canyon Carver caption is missing from the Online version

If you happen to be driving a canyon carver like the Audi SQ5, then you will be forgiven if you find the need to tackle the (Fraser Canyon) tunnel portion of the route a second time before making the trip home. - Russell Purcell

The Tunnels:

The Fraser Canyon Highway Tunnels were constructed from the spring of 1957 to 1964 as part of the Trans-Canada Highway project. There are seven tunnels in total, the shortest being about 57 metres (187 ft); the longest, however, is about 610 metres (2,000 ft) and is one of North America's longest. They are situated between Yale and Boston Bar.  - Wikipedia

From Yale, heading North and slightly to the West, the tunnels await where the Posted Speed limit hasn't changed, lately, at 90 km/h, however there are a few restrictions further on which requires one to drive at 80 km/h:

# 1 Yale

# 2 Saddle Rock

# 3 Sailor Bar

# 4 Alexandar

# 4 Alexandar Tunnel: 80 km/h.  The Vancouver Sun condones their Canyon Carver doing 100 km/h

# 5 Hell's Gate

# 6 Ferrabee with flowers

# 7 China Bar

Choke points on our highway have counters embedded in the pavement, just like China Bar's north side, with the lines running to a Black Box.  The rectangle, with sniped corners, is shorter in lenght than the space between wheels (front and back) which records the speed of vehicles and the approximate length of the vehicle eg. passenger vehicle as opposed bus or a trucker c/w trailer unit.

For some reason, unbeknownst to Transportation Minister Todd Stone, the data is seven years old.  He could easily explained it away by simply stating that the data is used by the private maintenance companies for their invoices based on the amount of traffic.   The Sea to Sky Highway is a classic example.   $3.2 Billion to build, with $600 million up front, with the balance being paid of in 33 years with the funds coming out of the Gas Tax for South Western BC (not including Victoria), at which time the obligation of that DEBT will be recognized on the books.

Looking for more indepth information:  Norm Farrell over at Northern Insights has the topic covered accounting wise;  Laila Yuile at No Strings Attached has the background on the Sea to Sky.

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Based on the date time stamp of the Vancouver Sun Canyon Carver image, and the data collected by the Minister of Transportation embedded road counters and shared with the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles AND the BC Civil Forfeiture Act ......

Vehicle Speed / Counters / No Movement ( Potential Accident)

P-27-3EW

Southern Interior

China Bar with Cache Creek UP

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Seven Minutes of Close Calls 2014

Not including the accident at King George Highway aka King George Boulevard and 34th in Surrey

BCLC CEO, Mr. Graydon is Appointed by BRDO, submits his resignation to BCLC, NOT BRDO?

Funny, Odd even, one of Premier Christy Clark's multi-functions is to appoint Board members to Crown Corporations like Michael Graydon.   Mr. Graydon, former CEO of BCLC vacates his plush Government appointment to go Private, submits his resignation to the Chair of BCLC, Bud Smith; NOT the Premier's Office, NOT the Minister of Finance.

The Press prefer not give out their secret sources for the reports, but here,  3 Links to the Reports are PUBLIC property on Graydon Audits:


Info Bulletin on Report on resignation of former BC Lottery Corporation CEO



Report to the Minister Mike de Jong

...... On January 29, 2014, Michael Graydon, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BCLC advised the BCLC Board of Directors that he was resigning effective March 31, 2014 to accept a position in the private sector. His resignation was accepted by the BCLC Board who subsequently established February 4 as his last day at work. .....

Dear Bud  signed Finance Minister Mike de Jong regarding forthcoming Audit of the CEO departure payments.


Bonus Link:

... Our Board of Directors has been carefully selected for their integrity, knowledge and experience. Here's who sits on our Board today providing Good Governance: The Directors, The Board of BCLC

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Crown Agencies

 Crown Agency Registry (PDF)

"Lapointedly" Vancouver Sun Publisher Kirk LaPoint "Past Tensed" by fellow Sun's journalist right out of the Mayoralty starting gate

The power of the printed Press does have a few drawbacks, a higher expectation of perfection on the part of Publishers, Editors and Journalists, only to have their work of art marred by either human error, or horrors, a machine...... an auto-correcting machine, going way too fast for it's own good.

or .... a bargain basement, recently dumped Siebel Software program via BC Bid 

Publishing on paper that do include typographical errors only allows for a CORRECTION to be made in following issues, but why go to that extent just to highlight the error all over again, eh.

For example this morning, second and third paragraphs:

July 15, 2014 page 1 Front and Centre

..... - LaPointe was short on details.

Lapointed said Monday's announcement that he has taken over the NPA and will captain an as-yet unrevealed list of candidate was ....  - Jeff Lee  - Vancouver Sun - Hard copy

If mistakes like the above keeps happening for the Vancouver Sun  it would be better for PostMedia to fold the newspaper tonight, and go digital tomorrow, thereby saving the trees, and my yearly subscriptions fees.

The proof of how easily the Online version was corrected, manipulated:

.....  — LaPointe was short on details.

Monday's announcement that he has taken over the NPA and will captain an as-yet unrevealed list of candidates was, LaPointe said, more about setting "clean campaign" values for the November 15 election.  .....  - Jeff Lee - Vancouver Sun - Online

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Lapointedly too soon and too late for LaPointe

Maybe Mayor of UBC Endowment Lands

Nothing like having your Mayor living off the estate, and not suffering the same financial fates of his Constituents

Raise the age of Driving in BC so that the Young offenders Act, "12 to 17 inclusive..." doesn't shield identities

So far the identities of the 17 year old driver, her five friends, and families, have been spared the anguish of having their names published in the Metro Vancouver newspapers. Why? .... because the motorist's age protects her under the Young Offenders Act, 12 to 17 inclusive.   

The Peace Arch News did a superb job of reporting the "accident",  but, like the other media outlets in the Lower Mainland, they all seem to think their readers know where Surrey's King George Highway (KGH) and 34th is located.

A map would be of immense help, more photos will have to do to show the lay of the land.

This Post started out two days ago, then thought better of it because of the fallout that would be added onto the shoulders of a teenager, and that of her family, but after reading The Province this morning, where a commenter, no name given - but sanctioned by The Province Editors - to increase outrage from other commenters??? or to help their triple bottom line to more profits - said it was a good idea to pass on the right; why wait for someone to make a left hand turn,  ...... why indeed.

That logic might work in a more populated area of the City, but not out on KGH at 34th.  There are No SIDEWALKS accept at bus stops, like the one at 34th.   34th and KGH is a controlled light intersection activated by pedestrians and motor vehicles.   To the South, 100 metres away, there's an overhead sign which SHOUTS out of an impending signal change from Green to Amber to RED at 34th.

Was it RED?

 It's 115 metres from before the overhead warning light to 34th;

There's a Centre line Median;

A dedicated Left turn Lane before 34th;


A dedicated straight through lane for KGH;

There's dedicated bicycle / Pedestrian /animal lane;  it's NOT a "shoulder"

There is NO Stopping on the dedicated bicycle / Pedestrian / animal lane

100 metres from 34th

Historically (data from Google is not current), but typically there could be a semi truck trailer parked curbside, brake lights are visible on the car ahead, but the semi doesn't have his four-way flashers on....

60 metres to 34th, passenger view, clear lane except... the parked car is out of sight?? It was night time, no reflectors, eh.

Dedicated Left Turn Lane; Centre Lane; Bike Lane; Controlled intersection; Bus Stop

50 metres from 34th

Bike Signs

Transportation Minister Todd Stone: 85 percentile obey posted speed limits; 15 percentile need professional help

Not long ago Metro Vancouver had headlines like this, a small cross-section of the 15 percentile:

8 plates out of 13 - "The Province" plates are fair game

Plus one Ape makes 9

Gallery of impounded exotic cars: The Province

Vancouver authorities sieze $2M in cars for street racing

Fast, furious and busted: Mounties impound 13 street-racing

High-end car race on highway enrages News1130.com readers

Acting on the side of safety, Minister Stone could endorse Fort St. John's Airport Race Track's Northern Lights as a First in British Columbia to provide "assistance" to those who want to speed well beyond the Posted (new) limits during the short Summer months, up there.

Or, ......  24/7  assistance is accessible in the USA, .... as a SURPRISE birthday present from your Spouse, your Dad, your MOM, your Family, your Co-Workers, or with the clout of a SuperIntendent of BC Motor Vehicles who is suggesting your need to surrender your Driver's license, it's a privilege.

Inside/Outside video taping is EXTRA!

"The Professionals"

ExoticsRacing 

Two locations on the west coast:

Los Angeles:  Fontana, California (45 minutes east of Los Angeles)(Map Google)

Las Vegas:  (Map Google)


Lamborghini, (4) Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Audi R8, Nissan GT-R, (4) Aston Martin, (3) Mercedes SLS, Corvette Stingray Z51,  or a combination of all cars per lap pricing

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And YES, Transport Minister Stone did test out the new speed limits for British Columbia, in Sunny  Los Angeles and Las Vegas, to hone his skills on high speed driving, experience first hand, the sheer joy all the while a Professional driver sat in the passenger seat.   (ExoticsRacing does NOT permit a go-it-alone, one-on-one, man-versus-machine scenario.  There are always TWO drivers in their cars, "novice" and "professional".)   (No Back Seat passenger/driver).

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From a Previous Post:  Choke Points   January 2011:

BC Traffic Data Program

P-17-8NS  South end of Coquihalla

January 2012 (no current data)(no Country=Post speed limit):

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Rural Highway Safety and Speed Review  July 2, 2014

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No surprise here: (authors)

 Kirk and Co. Consulting and Mustel Group Market Research:  Rural Highway Safety and Speed Review Consultation and Engagement Summary Report

John Les BCFIRB duties: BC Milk Marketing Board and B.C. SPCA, both acted quickly in the case of Cruelty to Animals (Cattle)

Well how about that, one of Premier Christy Clark's Appointees to the British Columbia Farm Industry Review Board is John Les (November 30, 2013 to November 30, 2016).

Mr. Les is also the Chair of BCFIRB.

BCFIRB oversees  Agriculture Commodity Boards such as:

BC Broiler Hatching Egg Commission
BC Chicken Marketing Board 
BC Chicken Marketing Board
BC Cranberry Marketing Commission
BC Egg Marketing Board
BC Hog Marketing Commission
BC Milk Marketing Board
BC Turkey Marketing Board
BC Vegetable Marketing Commission

For good measure, the BCFIRB is also responsible for B.C. SPCA

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Premier Christy Clark knows first hand how important the optics are when it comes to the topic of possible Conflict of Interests.

Clark is quick to contact the Conflict of Interest Commissioner for the Members of the Legislature Assembly.  Is there one for Appointees?

BCFIRB Chair Position Description: Nature and Scope of Position

...... Members of BCFIRB, including the chair, should not have interests which create a conflict with the performance of their statutory duties. The chair and members are expected to assume full responsibility for the effective and efficient discharge of their duties under the Acts they administer in the broader public interest and are to maintain the highest possible standards of conduct and governance. They must comply with the rules of natural justice and the principles of administrative law and must have balanced judgement, and the ability to make fair, consistent and timely decisions.

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Last month Chilliwack Cattle Sales ran into trouble via the BC Milk Marketing Board and the B.C. SPCA when a video showed eight of its employees being cruel to the cattle.

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BC CTV News Vancouver

October 20, 2008

Les has a family connection to the company as well -- his daughter Sharon is married to Chilliwack Cattle Sales director Ken Kooyman's son.

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.......   Saputo, Canada’s largest dairy producer and owner of the Dairyland brand, issued a statement saying, “We will not accept milk from the B.C. Milk Marketing Board supplied by this farm until we are fully satisfied that strict animal welfare practices are in place.” - Maclean's

$8 Billion Peace River Site C knocked out with the discovery of Pre-Contact Artifacts

Dam!  Flood their land, Flood their heritage.

Resource companies have been encouraged by Governments to enrich the Province's Treasury, and the Triple Bottom Lines of Corporations.

BC Liberals' Minister Bill Bennett wanted the Peace River Site C to go ahead, however, in light of the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision of "Williams":  Case name Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia, overnight, the life as he knew it, was flipped over.

With the SCC Decision, will there be enough representatives from The First Nations to communicate with all those Resource and Government applications that are currently before the bureaucrats of British Columbia and Canada?

First up for discussion will be the acknowledgement of Pre-Contact British Columbia

Pre-colonial History (Pre-contact)

Prior to Europeans coming to what is now known as North America, Indigenous populations were strong and healthy, with diverse and complex societies. Women were valued and held leadership roles, children were raised according to the values of the sacred circle, and resource-rich environments, particularly in British Columbia, provided abundant, healthy food.  About one third of Canada's pre-contact Indigenous peoples lived in what we now call British Columbia with 24 languages and 7 language families represented.

Very little has been written about pre-colonial history, but there are a number of articles on the early-contact period, in particular on women's roles. Read the articles by Van Kirk and Brodribb for more information.

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 Timeline   1670 to 1986 (last Residential School closes in BC)

1869	Enfranchisement Act attempts to intensify the assimilation process. It includes Clause Six, which states that Indian women who marry non-Indian men will, along with their children, lose their status.
1870	Territory of B.C. unilaterally denies existence of Aboriginal title to land.
1872	B.C. joins Canada. First act passed by B.C. is the Qualification and Registration of Voters Act of 1872, which strips First Nations of the vote in provincial elections.

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 Peace River Site C Hydro Project Heritage Resources Data Gap Analysis

June 14, 2009

Page 34 of 91

Page 35 of 91

The Transmission Line is atop of  GiRk-3  HaRh-1  HaRg-3

Page 36 of 91

Page 37 of 91

276 Heritage Sites to be Damaged

Page 39 of 91

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PS

Will the Columbia River Treaty be put into limbo?

Is BC Finance Minister's Razor thin Budget 1 % thinner because Corporate Tax Rate is now 10 percent?

Permanent:  lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely.

 Outgoing Premier Gordon Campbell in 2010 promised to bump up Corporate taxes to finance British Columbia's Education system: 

$2.1 billion in extra corporate income-tax revenue, first announced in September of the next three years.  (2013/2014).

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Today there's this:

June 26, 2014

 Competitive Support and Targeted Tax Environment - British Columbia -

British Columbia’s general corporate income tax rate is only 10 per cent and when combined with the federal rate, British Columbia businesses pay a combined general corporate income tax rate of only 25 per cent – among the lowest in the G7

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Yesterday, just over one year ago.......

Permanent:  lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely.

February 19, 2013

KPMG:

British Columbia Budget Raises Tax Rates

Today British Columbia Finance Minister Michael de Jong delivered the province’s 2013 budget. The budget increases both corporate and personal tax rates.

The budget accelerates last year’s provisional 1% increase in the B.C. general corporate tax rate to 11% (from 10%). The increase will now take effect April 1, 2013, one year earlier than previously announced. The small business corporate income tax rate will remain at 2.5%.

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Is the Corporate Tax Rate in BC 10 or 11 percent, and just what kind of cash are we talking about here for the one percent crowd?

$2.1 Billion

Just enough to take care of the Education Cuts for the past 13 years, and Two BC Supreme Court orders?