Sorry, that's not us: Metro Vancouver's Translink's scrapped promise of a Human focus of ‘Not equipment, not infrastructure, but people.’

 Review of South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority aka Translink

Part Time Executives over paid eh.  Pension contributions EXCLUDED (FIA)

Strange eh, that our Translink wouldn't want to be compared to other same named corporations world wide.  Forget about being compared to Toronto today when there's a history of other comparisons, back as far as September 24, 2009.

The Bay Area's Smart Card for Transit was dumped in favour of Cubic Clipper: (Cubic that name sounds familiar and it took Twenty Years too)

Bay Area riders will soon be able to use the card on two more major transit agencies. Cubic, the lead contractor on the job, is almost finished installing card readers on SamTrans and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, aka VTA, buses, said David Lapczynski, Cubic's senior vice president.

It has taken about 20 years to get the card working on the Bay Area's major public transportation agencies. The first iteration of TransLink-now-Clipper was in 1990, but technological problems foiled the card. Efforts began again in 1999, but more technological problems, legal issues and other roadblocks drove costs up to about $133 million.

"The MTC went through a lot of trials and tribulations. I'm glad they kept going and met the challenges," Ford said.

Metro Vancouver's Translink 2009 history lesson:

So where did our name come from?

We got the name TransLink thanks to Jan Pezarro, our first vice-president of customer service and marketing. 

TransLink’s original name was the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, which was a bit of a mouthful. So Jan gave us a different brand name. Here’s the story from our history book (404):

“It wouldn’t be the letters GVTA, because I felt that was much too bureaucratic,” Pezarro said. “We were looking for a name that clearly said ‘more than’ a given operating entity. So the idea came for TransLink, which is transportation and transit, and linking all those aspects across the Lower Mainland.”

Pezarro also wanted the logo to reflect a human focus. “If the philosophy was that this would be a customer-centered entity, we wanted a reminder about what the agency was for,” she said. “And at the heart of that, we wanted to support the quality of life and mobility of the people of the region. Whether those people are customers, whether those people are suppliers of services, whether those people are businesses, we wanted to have something that said, ‘Not equipment, not infrastructure, but people.’”

 The Google Search for Jan Pezarro, if you didn't click on the link, first result is:

The Road Less Travelled    TransLink’s Improbable Journey from 1999 to 2008

 Preface written by Kitsilano Property flipper Transit consultant Mike Harcourt of Point Grey Rd.

 Mikey's ramblings that TransLink will do a Blow job knocking off socks

Bus Lines on the North Shore we have, but the rail line is nowhere in sight because moving commodities, not people, is more important to Port Metro Vancouver's waterfront operators.  Evergreen is almost in place except for a few delays, eh.

Next Quote: Yes you've got that right, Translink's Bob Paddon had spent the money before the Levy went to the vote to only discover his wish list died on the floor and he would have to wait until 2015.

Ripped away????? sort of sounds like ....

Financing would come later, much, much later....... 2015, 2017, 2021, 2045 etc....

Minister Shirley Bond's promise of a $44,600 financial support per trade student: a million job openings, clawed back by de Jong

Thursday, yesterday, Shirley 'Temple' Bond, Minister of Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, Tourism, and Skills Training danced and sang out the jingle lines written by her GCPE as though they were in the fight to stave off the dirty thirties.  Financial help will be there to help students learn the ropes, that will hang them high in personal debt until returned. (not mentioned by the BC Liberal's proposal)

Double the money; Double the trouble

Feckless: lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible.

Friday, that's today, Finance Minister Michael de Jong dished out a different song to former students in the $20,000 to $25,000 who have failed to repay their student loans by attaching their debt to their driver's licenses so they CAN'T go to work except by Translink in Metro Vancouver; thumbing rides on the Highway of Tear; or depending on old mom and dad to not only look after the grand children during these government imposed trying times but also do the driving to shuttle the young parents to and fro to work.

Friday:

Vancouver Sun: Law Aims to recoup unpaid student loans.

“For folks that graduate and get a job and are working and decide they just don’t want to take their obligation to repay their student loan seriously, this would be a mechanism to remind them on a fairly regular basis they need to honour that obligation,” said de Jong.

We couldn't quite figure out yesterday's offer from Shirley because there was no mention of a pay back time.  It came across, repeatedly,  $44,600 FREE, no strings attached, no up front charges.  All splash and plenty of dash on the basics of the program.  Obviously its another one of those gems that the BC Liberals like to produces to get elected....eg.  LNG, Prosperity Fund, $100 Billions, Debt Free in Fifty, .... currently $70 billion which  will be $100 Billion - at the rate Christy is spending eg Site C - within one more mandate.

Thursday:
Vancouver Sun: Issues & Ideas:  Preparing for a million job openings: Opportunities: B.C. government offers help to people wanting to learn skilled trades.

There is also financial help available.

Did you know that over the course of a four-year apprenticeship program, eligible students may receive up to $44,600 in financial support from the federal and provincial governments? Students with dependents can receive even more.

For example, a student supporting a partner and two children may be eligible for up to $55,700 to help them get the skills they need to build their careers.

May be eligible per student (not married): $44,600 over four years $11,150 over one year $929 over one month $232 over one week $33 over one day
Based on Shirley assumptions, not determined by an Actuary, nor Mikey wizards of finance, there will be One Million Direct jobs created in need of financial assistance; after four years there will be an additional One Million In-Direct jobs so that the former student can work two shifts.

Whether or Not it's one million jobs training in need of financing or 100,000 students/apprentices, the math is the same:  The Debt clock is running, wild in Victoria and to some degree in Ottawa.

$33 X 1,000,000 = $33,000,000 per day
$232 X 1,000,000 = $232,000,000 per week
$929 X 1,000,000 = $929,000,000 per month
$11,150 X 1,000,000 = $11,150,000,000 year
$44,600 X 1,000,000 = $44,600,000,000 four years

 EI rates are going up for current workers/employers to provide the funding, eh

NSMBA How-to Take Illegal videos in Parks to be used in the Courts of public opinion

How-to catch a thief, a cattle rustler, a trespasser, a hiker:

1. Position the camera high. You can stand on a bike's top tube or the shoulders of a friend to get the camera high enough that it's hard to take down or to damage the camera. The game cam is less likely to be seen if it's higher. It's pretty stunning how oblivious people are to things not in their direct line of vision so just move the cam up a bit and it'll be practically invisible.

Post No Signs

OUR COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY

When her name is released, make sure it is spread far and wide so that all of the city, including her colleagues, friends & family know how selfish and dangerously she acted. But do it with class.

Stay classy. We are better than she is.
-hps"

 Do it with Class  .... cultivate respect


Who is running NSMBA, the Wild, Wild, Wild Hang Them High Americans?

***************************

 ..... For our own witnesses, lawyers should advise witnesses how to address the court
and educate them about the procedures that will be followed in eliciting their evidence. Further, we may draw their attention to relevant issues, assist in refreshing their memories by referring to known facts or other evidence and prepare them to stand up to a hostile cross-examination. We may not, however, suborn perjury, persuade witnesses to avoid summonses or obstruct access to witnesses by other parties. Although we must prepare witnesses, we must take care not to put words into the mouths of witnesses or advise them to manipulate or withhold evidence. In general, as set out in part 2A to this discussion paper, we must not permit witnesses to be presented in a misleading way.

Irwin and Billings, Home for Sale $3,500 Grand Boulevard, North Vancouver City, 100 Years of Service

Since 1906, we’ve been meeting diverse commercial and personal insurance needs on the North Shore, in the Lower Mainland and throughout British Columbia. We’re a family business locally owned and operated by a North Shore resident. At Irwin & Billings, we know our business, we know our clients and we take pride in our freedom to truly offer you independent advice and efficient service. - See more at: http://ibib.ca/#sthash.XDweeFWg.dpuf

Since 1906, we’ve been meeting diverse commercial and personal insurance needs on the North Shore, in the Lower Mainland and throughout British Columbia. We’re a family business locally owned and operated by a North Shore resident. At Irwin & Billings, we know our business, we know our clients and we take pride in our freedom to truly offer you independent advice and efficient service.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile down here in North Hollywood..... 6591 Vineland

Vineland Metro has had 27 homes; three guest parking spots; parking for two cars per each home; Choice of 4 square feet of Astro Turf lawn therefore no lawn to mow which is good because Los Angeles drought rating is EXTREMELY high.   Did we mention the distance between the side by side house roof eaves?  One foot.  Something like East Vancouver homes.... and some places on the North Shore.

Plan

House below is looking at the front door of Building 4

 Sprinklers not necessary, No Water

Building 4

SOLD OUT! Located in North Hollywood, Vineland Metro is an intimate community of just twenty-seven single family homes, within minutes of all Los Angeles has to offer. Get inspired by owning amongst the culture, charm, and energy of the NoHo Arts District! From the mid $500,000s.

Two-Story Single Family Homes
    Approx. 1,629 Square Feet
    Three Bedrooms
    Two and One Half Bathrooms
    Two-Car Attached Garage
    Private Patio
    DESIGNER UPGRADES & FURNITURE INCLUDED!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power DWP rebates for turfing turf

The real water guzzlers are the swimming pools which are monitored by Google Earth for City Hall

Q: Does the LADWP provide a discounted water rate for filling my pool?

A:  No. Water usage will be billed according to your metered consumption.
 
You may be eligible for a Sewer Service Charge (SSC) adjustment if you filled your pool during the winter rainy season (typically from October through April). To request an adjustment, contact the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation at 1-800-540-0952 or fill out and submit a Residential SSC Request for Adjustment.

CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerces backs the YES vote on Translink! Who are they?

Bateman and Winter are duking it out via Press Releases on Translink's sales tax grab with no best before date.

Bateman suggests there are more small businesses opposed to the tax, despite backing from the Vancouver and Surrey boards of trade and BC Chamber of Commerce.

John Winter, CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, said all the local chambers, except Langley, have backed the plan. “We presume they have the support of their individual members,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense if outliers like CFIB are out of step.  

Both Surrey and Vancouver boards of trade said they polled their members on the proposed funding options in December, as did New Westminster Chamber of Commerce.  -  Vancouver Sun

There's no place offered for the Public to see the voting results that has already taken place in each of the Chamber of Commerce.  Are we expected to accept the word of CEO Winter that his presumptions of support exists?   Who is right, Bateman or Winter?

Small businesses create the most jobs in the private sector.

Why is it that the only people who sit as Directors of the local Chamber Commerce in  North Vancouver represent corporation with assets in the high millions, even billions? 

Alan Haigh is Manager, Business Group with BlueShore Financial. In over 16 years in the financial services industry with BlueShore Financial and a major Chartered Bank, Alan has extensive experience with business banking and commercial advisory services.

Gonzalo Benitez joined Neptune Bulk Terminals as Vice President Finance and Administration in February 2003 following a ten year career as Controller of the Substation Automation business unit of General Electric Company in Calgary. -   (Neptune Bulk Terminals is Kinder Morgan)

James Carter is the General Manager at Carter Chevrolet Northshore and has been in the automotive industry for over 22 years. (Car salesman promoting public Transit???)

Mehdi Shokri has worked with many of Greater Vancouver's most prominent high tech and biotech companies and one of CBRE Limited's top producing teams in North America. (CBRE 600-1111 West Georgia Street is NOT a member of Vancouver Chamber)

Dave Dunbar joined Western Stevedoring in 1997 as Controller. He was later named Group Controller and further appointed Group Controller and Chief Financial Officer in 2011.

Scott Ellis is the Corporate Vice President for Grouse Mountain Resorts. He joined Grouse in 2002 following a successful 23 year career with Molson Canada in Sales and Marketing, Sport and Entertainment, and Corporate Affairs.  - (GMR is Peel Financial Holdings Ltd; Whistler Water)(not a Member of Chamber)

The Group of bottom 4/5 would be better suited being Directors of Port Metro Vancouver

North Vancouver business high profile Members: Office of Hon. Naomi Yamamoto; Office of ICBC; James Belsheim Neptune Bulk Terminals aka Kinder Morgan (Map Balloon is not on top of the Facility);  Capilano Suspension Bridge; Nine altogether


Winter says that Surrey, Vancouver and New Westminster Chambers have polled their Directors.  Has a vote been conducted of the membership to see if there is a majority support for the Directors straw vote because right now there's a whole lot of presumption going on:

“We presume they have the support of their individual members,” - CEO John Winter

BC Chamber of Commerce Directors - Metro Vancouver only 'constituencies', right.....

Lower Mainland: "James (Jim) Belsheim is president of Neptune Bulk Terminals located in North Vancouver. Neptune is one of the largest deep sea terminals in North America. Over the past four years, the organization has significantly grown its role as a major transfer facility for Western Canada’s commodity exports.”  Based in North Vancouver

Lower Mainland:  Patrick Giesbrecht is senior partner of Giesbrecht Goodrich & Co, a PR firm specializing in communications, advocacy and government relations.Patrick and his business partner consult with not-for-profits and businesses all over B.C. They also provide media and communications training to businesses and associations.   Based in Langley

Metro Vancouver:  Steve Saville is a partner in the Securities and Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. Steve has an active transactional practice spanning a broad range of industry sectors. He advises clients on corporate and general business matters, as well as domestic and cross-border public and private financings, mergers and acquisitions. Steve represents clients in transactions that range from routine business matters to complicated domestic and international ventures.   Based in Vancouver

Lower Mainland: Shana Najafi is a senior manager in the Private Company Services Group in Deloitte’s Vancouver office. She has over 10 years of public practice experience, providing a wide variety of tax and consulting services primarily to private companies. She has extensive experience in personal and corporate tax, as well as in income tax planning, comprehensive owner and family wealth planning and estate planning.  Shana is actively involved in Deloitte’s internal technical training programs and also teach the In-depth Tax course for the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.  Based in Vancouver

Lower Mainland: John Winter was a senior executive with Canada’s largest brewing firm and held the position of president, Western Division, Molson Breweries.    John’s 30-year career in the private sector included management assignments in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Los Angeles.  He has extensive experience working with governments at all levels as a result of that experience in a regulated industry.  John’s Chamber-related activities include being a member of the Province’s Small Business Round Table, Immigrant Employment Council of BC, Pacific Corridor Enterprise Council, and Lower Mainland Chamber’s Transportation Advisory Panel.  Based in Vancouver


BC Chamber Directory  Interactive Map

Member Businesses (Corporate Members)           Interactive Map

Edmonton   Northern Gateway Pipelines
Calgary    Canadian Pacific Railway & Encana Corp
Billings Montana   Cushing Terrell Design Inc.

The Bottom Line for the BC Chamber of Commerce is:

Looking ahead, the Chamber recommends moving towards road pricing as a medium- to long-term solution for funding the Metro Vancouver transportation system while creating an effective demand-management system.

Better Transit

Road Pricing means more of those overhead license plate readers designed in France eg.  Port Mann Bridge and Golden Ears Bridge, but with a kicker.

Every on-ramp, every off-ramp would be adorned with the un-proven Compass camera readers, all for the low price of  $1,523,489,124....... and counting


And then the expansion plans of street and avenue pricing; Parking meters; it will never end for Translink.

Vote Yes for Bloated Translink Management

Vote NO.

Contact your local Chamber of Commerce to find out if there is support for CEO John Winter and then ask for the name of the businesses that are part of the Chamber because it would contribute to your decisions on where to shop in Metro Vancouver.

Underwater Tailings Pond Breaches: CanDo Canada & British Columbia Lakes and Marine Fjords

A Brief Submitted to the Royal Commission of Inquiry: Health and Environmental Protection Uranium Mining September, 1979

Page 21 of 61

Another method of tailings disposal has been underwater, both fresh and salt water.  This method has been used in the past and is currently being used at three mines in British Columbia

Page 12 of 61

Page 33 of 61

Underwater Disposal

************************

SUBMARINE TAILINGS DISPOSAL - MiningWatch Canada

By pumping their tailings into the sea, mining companies
remove unsightly tailings on land. They “solve” the problems
of maintaining tailings impoundments and dams,
and managing acid mine drainage and metal leaching
from tailings impoundments, sometimes “in perpetuity”
(forever). And in case of a dam failure, mining companies
avoid the risks of social rage and of expensive clean up.
Unlike on land, if something goes wrong with an STD
system, there is little the company, or anyone else, can do.
The public may not even discover a problem, because it is
out of sight under the sea. Even if a problem becomes
known, it is harder to hold a company legally and financially
responsible.

Bonney's half pay GCPE job funded by STOB 67 for the Port Moody By-election? T/F Answer: ask the Firing BC Minister Without cause

Thank you to the Charlottetown visitor today directed to us from a Galloping Beaver Post of March 26, 2012   A strange scattering of dots (Updated twice)

Our Post?  March 25, 2012

Its no longer a mystery as to why the Radio Attack ads happened before a By-Election in BC.....Chilliwack-Hope and Port Moody-Coquitlam 

It left us thinking, why now.....  and of course the reason is double dipping Brian Bonney's court appearances due to ElectionsBC bye-election infractions in the Port Moody riding: undeclared financial support.

Prior to the bye-election writ being issued ......  there was this Jousting between NDP MLA D. Routley and the Hon. M. MacDiarmid BC Liberal (better known and should be associated with the firings without-just-cause of Health researchers)

http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/39th4th/d20313y.htm

keywords:  government communication public engagement aka GCPE 3 years old
note: bless CC for disbanding the public affairs bureau acronym PAB circa 1954

TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Afternoon Sitting

Snipped

D. Routley: The government's public engagement unit controls approximately 22 percent of the STOB 67 budget, or about $3.5 million. What will this money be directed towards?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: We're struggling a little bit with the question and hoping the member opposite will be gracious enough to clarify it for us. The ministry doesn't have a specific line item for public engagement. The member opposite referenced a STOB and 22 percent, and we're not clear. We wonder if the member would be kind enough to try to give us some clarity on what it is he's wondering about.

[1735]

Source for Standard Object of Expenditure (STOB)

D. Routley: It's my understanding that the government's communication and public engagement unit has control or a role in the spending of $3.5 million of STOB 67 spending, which is information advertising. Where would that be directed?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: The STOB 67 funding. The priorities within government that it would be used to support would obviously vary from year to year. This year, just to give a few examples of where funding is going, there's communication about forest fire prevention, a gaming review and also the B.C. education plan. Those would be some examples of government priorities that would be funded out of the STOB 67 funds.

D. Routley: Would another example be the jobs plan?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: I'd just like to take a moment to introduce another one of the senior staff who've joined us: Denise Champion, the executive director from corporate services within the government communications and public engagement department area.

To the member's question with respect to the funding for the jobs plan advertising: this was announced by the Minister of Finance. It's within the budget for this year — $15 million over two years. This is not a budget item for GCPE. This would be something, if the member had further detailed questions, that could be canvassed with the Minister of Finance.

[1740]

D. Routley: If the spending is not from this ministry, what ministry should I canvass? Which ministry is doing the spending?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: I just mentioned that the Minister of Finance announced this in the budget, but the minister who's been speaking to the jobs plan and this funding, who's had responsibility for it, is the Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation.

D. Routley: Is the advertising for the jobs plan from the JTI budget?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: The funding was announced in this year's budget by the Minister of Finance. The campaign is being led by the JTI ministry, and questions about the funding and the plans for the campaign would best be directed to the minister responsible. That would be the minister of JTI.

D. Routley: The government's communication and public engagement unit is responsible for government communications. Will there be activity in the Port Moody or Chilliwack constituencies in the time leading from now up until the by-elections?

Brian Bonney ........

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: Government is guided by the rules of Elections B.C., clearly, and would abide by those. The government, at the same time, will certainly continue to do work throughout the province in all ridings. That would include the places that the member opposite has spoken of.

D. Routley: The B.C. Liberals have made commitments in the past not to use government spending around elections. In fact, I think that former Premier Gordon Campbell committed to 120 days before an election, not to be spending government money advertising government.

So it seems an important question for these estimates. Would the government communications and public engagement unit be involved in any advertising in Chilliwack or Port Moody in the coming months? If so, what advertising is planned?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: The previous question from the member opposite was with respect to government activity, and my answer to that question was that government will continue to do its work throughout the province, as is entirely appropriate.

To the specific question about advertising, there are some government initiatives underway at the moment: the jobs plan that we've talked about, the education plan. Those advertising campaigns are provincewide, and they're currently underway. So that's happening now, and that's happening in every part of the province.

With respect to what would happen going forward, again, we would absolutely abide by all rules of Elections B.C. when it comes to any by-election or any election in the future.

D. Routley: The promises of abiding by Elections B.C. rules from the current government are difficult to accept when now there have been very well-noted cases of failure to do just that in the recent provincial election and in the 2011 by-election in Point Grey. The previously public affairs bureau, the government communications and public engagement unit, was heavily involved in staging a cluster of announcements in the Point Grey constituency immediately before the by-election.

There were complaints made to Elections B.C. There were letters written. There were questions asked, and it's a matter of public interest. It's something that the government has promised not to do.

Leading up to the by-elections that are upcoming, it would be nice to know exactly what ad campaigns have been engaged. What ad campaigns have been contracted through this ministry over the next three months in the Chilliwack and Port Moody constituencies?

Snip

***********************

Bob Mackin - The Tyee Sept 8, 2014:

It is alleged that Bonney, Robertson and their company failed to disclose Election Act-required information to Terry Hawes, the financial agent for unsuccessful Port Moody-Coquitlam by-election candidate Dennis Marsden. Bonney, Robertson and the company directed Sepideh Sarrafour to work on the campaign.

 

'You can always count on him!' Robertson's LinkedIn profile said he is director of field operations with the BC Liberals, a position held since Dec. 2010. On the same page is an Aug. 2012 endorsement of Robertson that is credited to Bonney.

"Mark's political experience is vast and second to few," said the endorsement. "His connections within governments and intrinsic knowledge of relations, processes and governing history would be extremely valuable to any organization or business with need for government relations. However, his steady as she goes attention to detail and getting things done is why I have always returned to working with Mark on projects. In short, you can always count on him! Always."

**************************

For clarification, sort of, on GCPE administration of spending limits ... self imposed

Questions by Independent MLA Vicki Huntington

 Select Standing Committee on PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY 5, 2015

 http://www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/40thParl/session-3/pac/hansard/20150205am-PublicAccounts-Vancouver-Blues.htm

B. Ralston (Chair): I think, generally, that kind of discussion forms part of the political discourse rather than specific complaints, but I could be mistaken.

V. Huntington: You mentioned that your advertising budget was $8.6 million out of $24 million for the department. Is that correct?

J. Fraser: That's correct.

V. Huntington: Is that just for buy, or does that include creative, development, printing, etc.?

J. Fraser: It does include all elements.

V. Huntington: Then I'm misunderstanding something. Can you then develop advertising on behalf of another ministry, and do you bill them back for the costs?

J. Fraser: Those dollars reside with GCPE in association with the ministries, but we have authority over those dollars.

V. Huntington: In association with the ministries.

J. Fraser: The ministries will have an allocated budget within the STOB 67, which GCPE administers on their behalf.

V. Huntington: And that would be the $8.6 million.

J. Fraser: That's correct, Member. So we'll work with them on how we would then allocate and expend those dollars according to their budget item.

How the dollars are broken out in terms of production — there are fees that we would pay for an agency to support us in a campaign, production costs, and then there are fees associated with placing content in paid channels.

[1415]

If I may, one of the things that I am particularly proud of, under Ms. Dila's leadership, is that over the last three years we've worked very hard to reduce the production costs by bringing more professional service in-house. We've relied much more on our own strategy and our own abilities to produce the materials ourselves to then go to market, as opposed to an agency.

V. Huntington: Does that cost, then, fall into the $24 million rather than the $8.6 million?

J. Fraser: Those costs would be still within that $8.6 million — those STOB line items within STOB….

Snip

************************

Did MacDiarmid not get the same memo that J. Fraser received on STOB lineitmes within STOB?
 
Hon. M. MacDiarmid: We're struggling a little bit with the question and hoping the member opposite will be gracious enough to clarify it for us. The ministry doesn't have a specific line item for public engagement.


 Maybe she mistook and heard SOB





Administration  GCPE 

Kinder Morgan's 'DAS boot' Fibre Optic cable should be used on Tailings Ponds eg. Mount Polley

The technology of DAS exists. Its out there now in constant use by Kinder Morgan and other pipeline companies.  They know where all their PIGS are stuck; locations of backhoe operators;  they even know the differences of approaching threats whether its a dump truck, a car or a person.  Their facilities, infrastructures and pipelines are protected 24/7 with fibre optic with an accuracy within ten metres.

The Engineers at Mount Polley Tailings Pond had no idea that the bottom of their dam was about to dissolve.   Their 'sophisticated' meters?  42 out of 90 were out of commission.

Should the technology of DAS be applied to every Tailings pond in British Columbia?

Answer: BC Hydro Mica and W.A.C. Reservoir,      but not Mount Polley

DAS    Distributed Acoustic Sensing

Using DAS equipment, fibre optic cables

 

Latest Pipeline Monitoring Solution

In recent years, innovative technologies for pipeline surveillance against third-party damage or intrusion have become increasingly available. With advances in miniaturized sensors, standardized data processing and reliable communications, oil and gas companies now have access to robust tools for the monitoring of extended and complex pipeline systems.

One of the most effective solutions for pipeline monitoring involves a technique known as Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS), which can convert a fiber optic cable into a listening device. A DAS system is designed to prevent pipeline damage from occurring in the first place by providing advance warning of the events leading up to an incident.

Attaching DAS equipment to one end of a standard fiber optic cable, such as those used for telecommunication, creates an acoustic array of virtual microphones every 10 meters along the fiber. Using sonar-processing techniques, the sounds received from the virtual microphones are analyzed and converted into a simple graphical display showing the operator what is happening along individual lengths of the fiber.

For example, the sensor system can detect the difference between mechanical digging and a person walking. It can also pick up the sound of leaks from gas pipelines.

DAS systems are comprised of two key elements: an optical interrogator unit and an acoustical processing unit. The interrogator unit sends a pulse of light down the fiber optic line with most of the light reaching the other end. However, a small percentage of light returns to the source — this effect is called “backscatter.”
 
Sound or vibration near the fiber changes the backscattered light, and these changes are analyzed by the interrogator unit to re-create the sound or vibration that caused them. The sounds are sent to the acoustical processing unit, which analyzes the sounds using sonar processing algorithms to create specific alarms for a given event or sequence of events.

The passive nature and inherent long-term reliability of fiber optics, together with the ability to string together thousands of individual sensing elements in individual optical fibers, make DAS a compelling technology for meeting demanding pipeline monitoring and security requirements.

The most advanced DAS-based solutions are designed to perform acoustic sensing for pipeline condition monitoring and leak detection on the same strand of fiber, making them ideal for retrofit projects with existing cable installations. These systems can also cover up to 60 miles of cable between power and network connections.

Loss Control Network  Newsletter Page 18

Sources:

Pipeline Security and Monitoring
          OptaSense works by sending a pulse of light down the fibre optic line from an IU.

Google Seach Criteria OptaSense

Google Search Criteria  OptaSense Kinder Morgan

Google Search Criteria  OptaSense NEB

Google Search Criteria  OptaSense NEB DAS


Google Search Criteria  DAS optic cable tailings ponds 

********************

Google Search Criteria  Distributed fiber optic sensors for dams

DISTRIBUTED FIBER OPTIC SENSORS FOR DAMS AND ...

www.imis100ca1.ca/cda/CMDownload.aspx?ContentKey...

Oct 5, 2014 - Optical cables are now a standard installation in all new tailings .... the scope of the monitoring of dikes, dams, and tailing ponds, and move.


  

If you happen to be in Maple Ridge, anytime: Fibres Plus - Basketry, Weaving, Knitting, Spinning

Using the Rick Mercer's line of ... 'If you happen to be in .....' Vernon on September 13th and 14th ...' keeps cropping up as a common thread on this blog promoting unique places in British Columbia.  There are so many small businesses fulfilling the resource needs of hobbyists where all they need is a little bit of publicity.


Vaughn Palmer, in a recent column, mentioned that the BC Legislature calendar is going to be so void of new laws that it will be downright boring.  His headline writer selected:

  A quiet legislature session, knit-picked.   No major policy initiatives expected from B.C. Liberals.  

 Palmer punchline:

 ..... Liberals are deliberately concocting a snooze-fest ...   .... It’s enough to make a fellow take up knitting.

Knitting is fine, and dandy, except that Palmer's job is not to 'knit-pick' but rather 'nit-pick' a Minister who is not accomplished at knowing the difference between right and wrong, knit or nit wit. 

Nit-pick defined:  minute and usually unjustified criticism

Vaughn Palmer's idea of knitting is common hobby within the Legislature halls, both genders.  If he wants to show a bit of flare, not LNG, he could funnel his thoughts to include basket weaving along with knitting to pass the time of day.

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When anyone mentions Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) there is an immediate vision of the devastating forces of the Mountain Pine Beetle here in British Columbia.

There's an aspect to the Lodgepole Pine that requires artists to use selective harvesting from healthy trees.  The needles.   Not the needles that fall from house-bound dry Christmas trees onto the homes' carpets, nor the ones that carpet the trails on the North Shore.

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Through the creative eyes of Dale Friend at Fibres Plus in Maple Ridge she has a fabulous resource for Basket Weaving and Knitting AND plenty of        Ideas like these photo ........ a thousand words .... and more .....

Vaughn (Arnold) Palmer golf chapeau

Fibres Plus

Basketry  Weaving 

Spinning  Knitting

Books, Supplies, Tools and Equipment

Dale

604-467-1178

Maple Ridge

Yellow Copper Wire Basket on Red Wheels


Did we mention Books?

Brian Bonney accused Robin Blencoe of "flippancy"? lack of respect or seriousness

flippancy defined:

lack of respect or seriousness; frivolousness. 

Brian Bonney:

............ As municipal affairs minister in 1993, Robin Blencoe repealed the business vote, claiming that it removes the possibility of people simply leasing storage lockers to vote. Blencoe’s flippancy was just one indication of how decision-makers overlook the concerns of small businesses. ......

small voters????

Are the BC Liberals, and Brian Bonney et al guilty of an overindulgence in flippancy

‘EXCLUSIVE’ BREAKING NEWS: Christy Clark’s Surrogates Dialing-for-Dollars…for Kim Haakstad and Brian Bonney -  May 2013

Alex G. Tsakumis

In case the new job figures aren’t a big enough shock for you (since Christy Clark became premier, 45,000 jobs vaporized from the private sector in BC) try this bombshell on for size…

After Kim Haakstad and Brian Bonney were axed from their respective positions for playing central roles in the ‘Ethnogate’ scandal, Christy Clark made a big deal of saying how neither Haakstad nor Bonney received any party of government funds on their way out the door.

Well, why would they need to???

Enter Bruce Clark, brother of Christy Clark, key figure in the BC Rail scandal, former tight pal and political associate of Dave Basi, Bob Virk and the illustrious Erik Bornmann, and STILL the partner-in-grime with Mark Marrisen and Mike McDonald in directing the listing BC Liberal ship.

 Apparently, as told to me by one of the people Bruce Clark was fool enough to ask, he was calling around and “looking for $100,000 for Kim…”

“I was floored, actually, Alex, I couldn’t believe my ears.”

And the source continued: “He (Bruce Clark) said Christy didn’t want it looking like she (Kim Haakstad) was getting any money from the government or the party directly, so Bruce told her he’d go out and hunt around for about a hundred grand.”
THUD…  etc.

flippancy?? Haakstad too

 More from Alex G. Tsakumis on Bonney:

 Home / Search for "Brian Bonney"
‘EXCLUSIVE’ BREAKING NEWS: Christy Clark’s Surrogates Dialing-for-Dollars…for Kim Haakstad and Brian Bonney  492

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In case the new job figures aren’t a big enough shock for you (since Christy Clark became premier, 45,000 jobs vaporized from the private sector in BC) try this bombshell on for size… After Kim Haakstad and Brian Bonney were axed from their respective positions for playing central roles in the ‘Ethnogate’ scandal, Christy Clark […]

Author: AGT Date: Friday, May 10, 2013
Category Provincial · Tags
Christy Clark Said What About Breaking the Law??? LOL!!!     93

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In what must rank as one of the most astoundingly ironic statements she’s ever made, our absentee Premier decided to weigh in on the pipeline debate today, by, brace yourselves, admonishing adult protestors to stop encouraging their children to break the law. I just about died from laughter. FACT:  During the May 2013 election, she […]

Author: AGT Date: Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Category Provincial · Tags
‘EXCLUSIVE’ BREAKING NEWS: An Investigation Looking at Every Aspect of the Christy Clark/Ethnogate Scandal–Including Possible Bribes  143

In February and March of this last year, there was an unusual spike in interest here, from the IP addresses identified as those of the provincial government–not the opposition. Specifically, the Executive Branch. Coincidentally, ahem, there were five specific commenters who were so abusive that I couldn’t publish all their comments. They were responding to […]

Author: AGT Date: Friday, September 27, 2013 

 

Brian Bonney and his co-defendant, hopefully, will not have their days dragged through the court and media ending five years from now as it did to Robin Blencoe.

  

Case name Blencoe v. British Columbia (Human Rights Commission)

Snip

185                           However, rejecting the stay as a proper remedy in the present case does not mean that Blencoe should be deprived of any redress.  On the contrary, an order for an expedited hearing should have been considered as the remedy of choice.  There will be some irony in granting such a remedy more than five years after the proceedings began.  Such an outcome offers the respondent little solace.  Nevertheless, in spite of its rather symbolic value, at the present stage of the proceedings, it appears as a critically important remedy that should have been used at an earlier stage to prod the Commission along and to control the inefficiency of its process.

186                           In spite of the partial success of this appeal, as I agree that the stay should be lifted, Blencoe is entitled to some compensation in the form of costs in our Court and in the courts below.  Section 47  of the Supreme Court Act,R.S.C., 1985, c. S-26 , grants our Court broad discretion when awarding costs.  In the present case, it would be both fair and appropriate to use this power as the respondent has established that the process initiated against him was deeply flawed and that its defects justified his search  for a remedy, at least in administrative law.  He had to fight for his rights, and it would be unfair for him to bear the costs personally.  Although ultimately unsuccessful in his application for a stay, Blencoe brought to the attention of the courts the grave deficiency of the administrative processes of the Commission.  He should at least not be penalized for this mixture of success and failure (e.g., Schachter v. Canada, [1992] 2 S.C.R. 679, at p. 726).

 

War in the Woods (North Vancouver): Weapons of choice: Survelliance Spy Cameras? Legal or illegal?

In the old days confrontations were settled by throwing down gauntlets resulting in a battle to the death, today it's high tech digital spy camera capabilities vs a walk in the park.  The winner: 2 Cyclists

.... the arrest came as a result of the observations by two local mountain bikers who regularly use the public trails. Between August 1st and December 29th, 2014, the bikers noticed weekly obstructions on the trail which, at times, became dangerous for them and other bikers. For the month of December 2014, the two bikers took it upon themselves to purchase, install, and monitor security cameras in the hopes of capturing an image of the offender. - RCMP North Vancouver

What if, in all those recordings covering 24/7 for December, the two bikers found 'evidence' of other activities, a hug here, a kiss there between two local politicians, married but not married to each other.  What if images were taken of families, children?

How were the cameras installed, in a toolbox with a peephole or in a bird's nest egging them on?

Why didn't the bikers try a less confrontational route by posting signs as a deterrent to stop damage being done to trails?    No camera, just signs implying that there were cameras.

Attention

This Area May Be Monitored by Video Surveillance Cameras (CCTV)

The personal information collected by the use of the CCTV at this site is collected under the authority of (an Act) and (by-law). This information is used for the purpose of promoting public safety and reduction of crime at this site.

Any questions about this collection can be directed to the Manager of (Department) at (phone number), (City Hall address) (e-mail).

There is a higher authority when it comes to the public's use of surveillance cameras, the RCMP but they have shown a tendency to turn a blind eye to special interest groups in the name of Safety.

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

1. The public should be advised that they will be under surveillance. The public should be informed with clearly written signs at the perimeter of surveillance areas, which advise that the area is or may be under surveillance, and indicate who is responsible for the surveillance, including who is responsible for compliance with privacy principles, and who can be contacted to answer questions or provide information about the system.

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2012  CBC report:
Store video cameras failing to comply with privacy laws
    Not a single store in Toronto's Eaton Centre had proper signage about cameras

...... Nathalie Desrosiers, general counsel for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association:
 
People have a right to choose if they want to enter a store and then have their image recorded, she said, but if they don't know they are being recorded, they can't make that choice.

"It's a question of not depriving people of the opportunity to make a decision themselves about what they want to share and what they do not want to share and that's a fundamental aspect of human dignity."

Desrosiers says this also raises concerns about how the recorded information is being used, and whether the technology is being mined for other reasons, such as targeted marketing or law enforcement.

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SurveillanceRights

      

Who is Watching you? and Why?

About SurveillanceRights

SurveillanceRights is a research project that aims to better inform Canadians about video surveillance and their rights in relation to it.  We are developing this website and the SurveillanceWatch web and smartphone app for mapping the location of surveillance cameras using crowdsourced contributions from people like you.

About 'Who's watching You?'

What do you think about video surveillance?  This project asks how Canadians feel about being filmed when walking down public sidewalks, going into shopping centres or office buildings, or walking past many other publicly accessible areas.  You can spot cameras operated by stores, bars, restaurants, property managers, banks, hotels, police services, hospitals, schools, universities, and more.  What kind of information would you like to know about the way these places collect, use, or store images of you?

Are your privacy rights respected?

Because video surveillance operators capture personal information, they come under Canadian privacy legislation.  For example, video surveillance in commercial operations is governed by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) or provincial equivalent.

You have a right to an informed choice

Canadian Privacy Commissioners have noted that 'most privacy laws require the organization conducting video surveillance to post a clear and understandable notice about the use of cameras on its premises to individuals whose images might be captured by them, before these individuals enter the premises.'  This is so we can make an informed choice about whether or not to enter.

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The use of the video cameras by two bikers has created the opportunity for a double edged sword thrust by the hikers in their promotion of Safety in the woods ..... by the 2% cyclists.

Time to turn the heat down.

The District of North Vancouver should Post signs, install cameras if necessary, and not leave it to  the vigilantes.

District North Vancouver Source

DNV Rules

Multi-Use Trails

Mountain Bikers should give way to hikers

should??? probably explains a lot about the War

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Whistler Mountain  Bike Park

It should be noted that Fromme Mountain Trail Networks is not Whistler

Whistler runs are Cyclists use ONLY!!!!

There is no such thing as Multi use trails

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Mountain Biking BC
Code of Conduct

4.Yield Appropriately: Do your utmost to let your fellow trail users know you're coming — a friendly greeting or bell ring are good methods. Try to anticipate other trail users as you ride around corners. Bicyclists should yield to other non-motorized trail users, unless the trail is clearly signed for bike-only travel. Bicyclists traveling downhill should yield to ones headed uphill, unless the trail is clearly signed for one-way or downhill-only traffic. In general, strive to make each pass a safe and courteous one.

 .... Bicyclists  should yield to other non-motorized trail users, unless the trail is clearly signed for bike-only travel......  non-motorized meaning .... hikers.  If a bicyclist has to dismount from his non-motorized vehicle is he then deemed to be a  ..... pedestrian and needs to find a different route home....

Does the RCMP concur with the Code?  or is there a double standard

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 Man dead after mountain biking accident on Cypress

West Vancouver police say it’s not yet known if he was wearing a helmet when he crashed

Dan Burritt - May 7,  2012

 ...... McCrae says it’d be slippery with lots of mud right now because of the late snow pack and the wet weather.

He says certainly, wipeouts are common on the North Shore.

“But one of the things people don’t realize about the riding up here is it’s so technical, you don’t have a lot of speed. And generally, when you have serious injuries in mountain biking, it’s because of speed,” he says.

McCrae says while there are a lot of crashes, it’s the kind where you dust yourself off and keep going.

CBC Mount Fromme

Challenged?? CBC

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No Challenge

Ridiculator

Stravas guy should like this
 .........


 Privacy Rights be Damned by Cyclists

Cyclist Hells Angels on proper use of Surveillance Cameras

GAME CAMERAS

Information was gathered by video and by picture by different parties about the saboteur's actions. Although her actions were discussed and logged extensively on open internet forums she either didn't read such forums or didn't care so indulged in a repetitive pattern of behaviour. Game cameras are used by hunters to capture images of wildlife. From a trail work perspective Jay Hoots gives examples of game cams being used as counters, to assess user trends, for materials and tools security, for animal monitoring and for weather watching. It turns out that they also have uses by trail users for catching people in the act of perpetrating crimes. .

This is a site for internet bike nerds who love to moan about wheel sizes and enduro lingerie and not about game cams so I won't dwell long on this topic of game cam geek specs and instead checked with a friend who runs a hunting site and who mentioned the Bushnell cams and the Stealth Cams as being particularly useful. Neither are particularly cheap but they are effective. They are weather proof and their batteries last for weeks as they draw very little current. If you have more questions ask in the comments and I'll enlist a game cam geek to try to answer.

left: Bushnell 8MP Trophy Cam - approx $ 200 CAD; right Stealth Cam - approx $189

None of the parties who installed the game cams, obtained the footage and turned the footage over to the law enforcement authorities were particularly keen on being publicly named, citing concerns about the mental stability of the saboteur they were targeting. Understandable. They did give me some sample footage produced by the game cams and some recommendations on what to in obtaining the footage and documenting same in a useable format. Recommendations are as follows:

1. Position the camera high. You can stand on a bike's top tube or the shoulders of a friend to get the camera high enough that it's hard to take down or to damage the camera. The game cam is less likely to be seen if it's higher. It's pretty stunning how oblivious people are to things not in their direct line of vision so just move the cam up a bit and it'll be practically invisible.

2. Buy a lock. Some of these game cams can be locked. Even if the game cam is whacked with a stick or object and dislodged/damaged hopefully the case is sturdy enough to protect the camera and the storage media. Sure locks can be broken but the lock is just another deterrent for the saboteur.

3. Practise positioning. You can use sticks or other material to orient the camera the right way. Most of the cameras take SD cards which can be read in other cameras or a small tablet on-site. That's the best way to ensure you have a good position before deploying the camera.

4. Get two cameras. If you're particularly motivated it's a nice idea to have one cam pointing at the other cam. Or you can put one cam in an obvious spot and the other cam more well hidden. Of course that means doubling up on a pretty substantial cost but do you want to catch this person or do you want to just talk about it?

5. Keep it quiet. The parties who got the game cams didn't talk about it on internet bulletin boards. They didn't posture about what they would do. They bought the cams and put them up. They got the footage and they delivered it to law enforcement in a coordinated tidy package. If you spray about where and what you're going to do to police your trails then hey maybe you get more LIKES or PROPS but, at the same time, all you do is alert the perpetrator thus defeating the purpose. Fortunately, in this situation, the trail saboteur in question probably doesn't read internet bulletin boards.

6. Document everything. Log the dates and times when the trail sabotage is occurring. Take pictures of the sabotage (the pics and video will be date and time stamped but you have to set that correctly in the cams). Tag the most relevant footage. Keep a solid electronic or paper trail of what you're doing so when you take the next step of involving law enforcement you will be more likely to be taken seriously.

7. Include some video if possible. Sometimes in a photo it's hard to know if the debris or obstacle is being removed or placed. The video takes away all doubt.
Leave No Trace  No Signs