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Gordo's Eco-Credibility Is Shot
Premier strains belief on river power, sea lice.
Fish researcher Morton: Believable.
Elections are won or lost on whether a candidate can be believed. On matters critical to British Columbia's essential eco-systems, the stakes are huge -- and so is our need for a premier who is credible in his stated concern for nature.
But what have we been told by Gordon Campbell and his government about the surge towards private river power in B.C.? Or about the safety of our wild salmon stocks in areas where fish are farmed?
Run of river: public wants a say
The momentum against private interests taking over generating hydro-electric power in our province, which has always been within the purview of BC Hydro, is increasing and this can be seen in a number of areas.
As reported here in earlier columns, people are getting downright nasty about the lack of public input.
On the Bute Inlet, Plutonic Power (with strong ties to General Electric) plans a project that will dam 17 rivers, with all the usual roads, bridges and transmission lines. It's bigger than a Site C would be, and there hasn't been and won't be a single public hearing on the merits of the project.
In contrast, BC Hydro has held 50 public hearings as to the merits of Site C.
The only hearings have been to work out "terms of reference" for the environmental assessment of a project the public has had no chance to judge. Indeed, there hasn't been a syllable of public input into Premier Campbell's entire energy policy, unless you consider Alcan constituting the public.
Since I last wrote about this on Feb. 2, the Environmental Assessment Office has refused hearings in Vancouver and Victoria.
River power is for export
The meeting in Campbell River did bring from the mouth of Donald McInnis, the CEO of Plutonic Power, an interesting admission -- this power is for export. Ponder that a moment. Gordon Campbell and his poodles have been telling us that we in B.C. must have this power. Former energy minister Dick Neufeld was fond of telling us how we all wanted plasma TV and this meant more power. Moreover, he said, BC Hydro has been a net importer of power for the past decade.
The real word for this is not usable in polite society so I'll simply call it what Churchill did, a terminological inexactitude. The facts as confirmed by the University of British Columbia and the Federal Energy Board (whose job it is to monitor these things) demonstrate that B.C. has been a next exporter of energy for eight of the last 11 years!
Not only do we not need the power, if we did it could hardly come from private power projects that only produce electricity during the spring run-off when BC Hydro's reservoirs are full!
We now know for sure that which we always suspected. These environmental cesspools the government calls "run of river" are producing power for export only and have nothing to do with B.C. needs. The government and industry have been lying to us about BC Hydro's import and export figures as they have about everything else in this area. Remember the "tiny environmental footprint" and the "Mom and Pop" owners?
Add to that the fact that the money the B.C. Treasury used to get, in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually from BC Hydro, will now go into dividends to shareholders of General Electric. BC Hydro, already forbidden to generate new power sources, and faced with at this writing over $30 billion in contracts the Campbell government has forced them to sign, will go under.
One must ask, judging from Campbell's faded business acumen and his trouble with terminological inexactitudes, whether one would buy a used car, or perhaps I should have said stocks and bonds, from this man?
Alexandra Morton's triumph
Moving along, Alexandra Morton has just won a famous court victory when Mr. Justice Hinkson of the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that a fish farm was a fishery not a farm and that the federal government could not offload their responsibilities onto the province. The Constitution, said His Lordship, was clear -- fisheries are a federal matter and these are fisheries.
This decision does not mean very much in a practical sense since the federal government has a year to re-establish its authority and the decision will likely be appealed. It was, however, a huge moral victory. And a lot of people who care for our fish stood a little taller. You could sense that people were coming around to understanding the issue.
We who have watched Alex Morton fight for the wild salmon of the Broughton Archipelago were delighted to see her win this case for all of us. It's she who raised this issue a decade ago and it's she who has taken nothing but abuse from both senior governments, including being threatened with prison, ever since. It is she who has never wavered; it's she who, to most of us in the environmental movement, is our leader. (Would that the province and the country have leaders like her.)
As I'm wont to do, I look to Churchill; what he said after the Battle of El Alamein in July 1942 seems apropos -- "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
Campbell doesn't seem to care
The private power issue and the issue of fish farms are related. Both speak to the indifference of the Campbell government to environmental concerns. With the fish farm issue, the premier has fed us the most awful rubbish and not only has he refused to accept the unanimous word of independent scientists, he has said he has independent scientists of his own, none of which can he name.
On the private power issue he's been utterly unable to come close to demonstrating that we need the power and again, the facts have belied his claim. What he has been saying is demonstrably untrue.
The premier knows that he has created enemies of the entire environment movement, which is why the Liberals have started their campaign early, leaning heavily on the fast ferry issue of the Clark government. (Needless to say they don't mention the Vancouver convention centre and other fiscal messes of Mr. Campbell's making).
This means that the battle lines are drawn and we'll have to decide whether we'll vote for a man who, against all the evidence, claims to be fiscally superior to the Opposition and an Opposition that must live down the '90s but cares for our environment and the legacy we leave to those who follow.
My answer is simple: if a new government screws up fiscally (and I see no reason why they won't at least improve on the record of the Campbell government; after all, that standard is pretty low), a new government can fix things up.
If we re-elect the Campbell government, we will perpetuate an environmental desecration that can never be repaired, and a sick unto death BC Hydro.
Massive assault
The evidence is all there. We're not dealing with leaky pulp mills, beehive burners or shoddy forest practices, reprehensible though they are. This is a massive assault on our fish and our rivers and streams that make up our precious ecosystems. This isn't creating a bit of competition for BC Hydro, this is the assassination for our public power company that has served us so well for nearly 50 years.
The sad fact is whether it's the private power issue or sea lice killing our salmon, Gordon Campbell is incapable of belief.
The May 12 election will be, pun intended, a watershed election. Whether we have a "supernatural" province or a never-ending gold rush for our precious water depends on how we vote.
Our slogan at Save Our Rivers Society is simple: If the government won't change, we'll have to change the government. ![[Tyee]](http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ui/img/ico_fishie.png){kind=small}
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- The Gem of Canadian Science that Harper Killed
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- ...while on the streets, pirates and ninjas put aside mutual animosity to join student protests
31
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DJT
3 years ago
Gordo lie? Naaahhh, couldn't be!!
"... the government and industry have been lying to us"...??? No, Rafe, surely you jest! Gordon and his buddies (read financial supporters) wouldn't do that to us, would they? Omg, my faith is shattered!!! (stifle laugh/ gag here)
jimmy_laroux
3 years ago
Why save the rivers...
...when you can farm the salmon instead?
(Just kidding.)
Grumpy
3 years ago
Gordo and his pals................
............are bought and sold like a common stock. The Liberals don't give a damn about the province or the provincial ecology all they care is profit. They treat BC as a whore, selling to anyone who can pay and when the whore dies, they move on to some other unsuspecting mark.
Sadly, most BC voters are 'zombies' who will vote for the (good?) Campbell and Co. because they represent the American way of life and not the NDP (bad?) because they are damn commies.
When the voter wakes up from the free enterprise nightmare, maybe in 2013, and vote the Libs out of office, only then will the real damage be seen.
RickW
3 years ago
Just as Rafe is fond of Churchill.....
....so might we borrow a line (to paraphrase) from Danny Williams:
"Vote ABC -- Anyone But Campbell!"
Curt
3 years ago
And this is Small power production? Who are they kidding?
And this is one of many, many, "small" projects?
Bute Inlet Hydroelectric Project
- larger than any ever proposed …
Plutonic Power Corporation Inc. has two other multiple-site projects in the nearby Toba Valley (one under construction) and has applied for or holds water licenses on 40 rivers in BC.
- 1,027 megawatts - the largest run-of-river project yet proposed - 17 different run-of-river facilities (river diversions) - Length of river affected - diverted) flows: 95 km - Powerline length: 216 km of collector transmission lines and a 227 km trunk line …- New and rebuilt roads: 265 km (approx.) …
capacity exceeds ... Site C dam proposed by BC Hydro (900 MW). … public is largely unaware of the Bute Inlet Hydroelectric Project… There is no way to "tweak" this project in order to make it green.
michael maser
3 years ago
Important topics, worthy of political responseS
I concur with you Rafe that these are significant, vital and defining issues of our times. And there are others, too, that face citizens as we approach our May election.
In the face of this I have a question couched as a request to the Tyee Editorial Board: Will the Tyee ensure fair representation of ALL political parties - the NDP, Liberals AND the Green Party - in the run-up to this election?
The Liberals must run on its record and we can tease out the truth or not in it campaign puffery; it's really the other two parties that require equal air time and scrutiny.
They Tyee hasn't done this in the past though I hope it has grown up enough to provide its readership with equal-opportunity reporting this time around.
Van Isle
3 years ago
Hey Tyee are you breaking
Hey Tyee are you breaking the law (Bill 42)in allowing Rafe's article to be published?
Skywalker
3 years ago
Right on Rafe.
Couldn't we nominate Alexandra Morton for the Order of BC. She is most deserving.
quarry bay
3 years ago
Gordo`s eco credibilty is shot........
Really,you mean the Campbell Gas Tax wasn`t the equivelant of taking 400.000 cars off the road each year!
A quote from Gordon Campbell
"Global warming is the battle of our lives,I coundn`t sleep with myself knowing I didn`t do everything I could to save future generations"
Just a rumour, possibly because of heat from the Vancouver board of trade and the chamber of commerce.
The next instalment of the Campbell gas tax may be delayed?
2 things---First one for Luke S ---With the Carbon tax being connected to tax cuts---This will blow a 600 million dollar bigger hole in Gordon Campbell`s already deficit budget!!!!!!!!!
Secondly--Campbell will have to wear his GAS TAX millstone,the reason?
The Marc Jaccard`s and Dr. Weaver`s will look like fools(which they may already be)
And,what will Campbell`s next speech be..........will it go like this
" Although global warming is the battle of our lives,the future generations and my grandchildren are just going to have to wait until the economy improves,other than that just DRILL BABY JUST DRILL"
Where will the enviro vote park,where does the fiscal conservative vote park,where does the honesty and integrety vote park?
Tune in next week for another instalment of "Gordo twisting in the wind"
Peter Dimitrov
3 years ago
two paths diverged in the woods...
Two paths diverged in the woods and it is clear to many that the 'old' way of fostering an economy is for a top-down authoritarian state to foster economic growth to privilege or benefit Capital and the Capitalist state, which externalizing social and environmental costs, and a divergent way, a way not yet grasped by the NDP or the Greens, is to foster not economic growth, but economic development that empowers and meets the needs of communities...neither fish farming nor IPPs do that..they are models of economic growth destined to foster export and not internal needs -at great cost to British Columbia, as evident by our poverty rates, our underdevelopment, and our dysfunctional electoral and political party system. IMO, we need to foster Community Economic Development in BC, we need to democratize the economy and use more of our internal capital to do so.
Too much time and money and talent is wasted fighting authoritarian, elitist/top-down economic growth projects like ROR, fish farms, Olympic boondoogle parties for the world's rich. The change we need is not only to struggle against...but to articulate, and struggle for a different type of society, a different culture, where 'strong sustainable' community development (economic, social, cultural, etc) and a different type of person, where virtues and solidarity, not market greed and individualism prevails...and for that we need to talk about the 'political/power culture' that gave us ROR, ocean based salmon farms, deep poverty, and disempowerment of communities through Bill 30, downloading etc. To change the architecture of political power in British Columbia...we need to analyze the current culture of power and articulate for change, for a new way of doing things, for if not, the Morton decision will lead to the top-down imposition of a Federal government model of licence and management of fish farms, rather than a model that is inclusive of diverse local community needs over the needs of Capital and the federal Capitalist state. The mess we are in are the direct result of a 'culture' that permits authoritarian persons and structures that privilege small minorities to prevail...we need a cultual change to empower community development and democratize the economy (through such vehicles as co-ops, greater democratization of pension fund management, changing the legal role of corporations in society, etc) and for that we need a political instrument and people that grasps the dimensions of this challenge. Yes, we can get the change we need. Kudos to Alexandra Morton!...and the Tyee for providing a much more democratic and 'balanced' media space.
Peter Dimitrov
3 years ago
Essentially
who shall decide and who shall not?
who shall benefit and who shall not?
where are we going and where are we not?
how shall WE get there and not how you, I, and our separate selves accomplishing our private self-cherishing goals get there?
why is it the way it is and why do we want to change?
what role can I, you, We play together?
This court victory tells us that truth can speak to power, and that collectively, WE, all of us who joined in solidarity with Alexandra Morton in this struggle, can win, can make the change we need...Yes, we can!!
dirtmeister
3 years ago
Agendas
Tom Fletcher's recent article has Rafe pegged http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_cariboo/williamslaketribune/opinion/39534334.html
Rafe is an old man offering nothing for the future development for all British Colombians. A majority of the people are onto the lies of the enviro's. Look at the polls jobs and development over all.
bcee
3 years ago
Gordo
First of all we in BC owe a big THANK-YOU to you and Ms Alexandra Morton for your untiring fight to protect the Salmon stocks of BC waters.
Ms Morton should be nominated for a Noble Prize.
As to the issues of Gordo and his credibility... He has lost it on any number of issues. There are so many.
The bigger question, is how can he be beat in the next election. Given the economic melt-downs and the fear on the part of voters of having an "un-experienced" premier at the helm will make it very hard to have a change of government. ( it might not have hurt Obama, but with Carole James it's an issue) I think we would need a new coalition of some sort.
I think it best for democracy if we had a change of government in Victoria. Campbell has done enough harm.. . BC cannot afford to have him for four more years.
PeteL
3 years ago
An idea?
Rafe, I'd be very interested in hearing / reading your opinion if / when the mainstream NGO / Enviro movement went corporate and what this means to those of us who grew up thinking these organizations would actually be there with us for the fight. It seems to me that groups like Suzuki and WWF are now getting primary support from corporations and the Liberal gov't. I don't think they much bother with the public anymore.
Kechika River
3 years ago
hey dirtmeister
"Rafe is an old man offering nothing for the future development for all British Columbians" implying that the large corp.s have something for all of us. I have trouble with the phrase "for all British Columbians" These benefits from the RORs, no doubt worth many millions, would benefit a very few B.C.ers and of course the owners and developers of these projects. Seems that we`re giving away the control of our rivers to a very few large corporations.--for what?
Why would B.C. Hydro not be permitted to develop these ROR projects?
Why should these projects not benefit all of the people of B.C. instead of a few Indian bands with reserves at the river mouths?
It`s too late is`nt it. Done deal. Our premier, you know, the guy with the criminal record has sold us out- again
Grumpy
3 years ago
dirtmeister - the name fits.
Quote: ""Rafe is an old man offering nothing for the future development for all British Columbians"
Me thinks you have better listen again to Rafe and what he says. Campbell and his get rich quick, development mad government have raped this province in the name of free enterprise and sadly the real damage will note be felt for generations!
Gordon Campbell is evil, as evil as anyone can get and those who support him are as evil as those who supported a funny wee, Charlie Chaplin like Austrian Corporal in the 1920's!
freebear
3 years ago
Really! He had eco-credibility to begin with?
So the wool is being pulled off of the eyes now?
Why not go after him on the useless carbon tax also Rafe?
quarry bay
3 years ago
Hey Dirtmeister.....
Tom Fletcher has many retracters,manly the public,he has been outed for what he is/...
A lobbyist....and the public has noticed it
http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/pgfreepress/opinion/letters/39516299.html
quarry bay
3 years ago
Hydrogreen/ Rachael1
Nice try hydrogreen, Rachael IPP --employee---
You must be privey to the internal polls the have Gordon Campbell liberals down 10 points!
--The panick in your posts is very revealing
Read the comments under the above link that I posted,GWest noticed the identical posts from Hydrogreen and Rachael.
Good eyes Mr. West
I wonder where Luke S is hiding
seth
3 years ago
Greens 12%
Rafe needs to spend his efforts administering a large butt booting to those fools - 12% in the last Mustel poll - who support the Green party.
A vote for the Green's is a vote for Gordon Campbell and the continuation of the second most environmentally destructive provincial government in Canada. These fools like sellouts Suzuki and Weaver are getting enormous amounts of corporate support in an effort to derail the NDP.
Also talking up of Wilf Hurd and the BC Conservatives would be a lot of help.
seth
3 years ago
Gordos dreams
John Calvert in his well researched paper "Sticker Shock" shows how the BCHydro 2006 tender call resulted in 15 billion in contracted levies to pirate power over the next 40 years at rates growing from 9 cents a kwh to 12 cents later on. Presumably by the time the election arrives Gordo and gang will have signed away as much as 60 billion with various 2007, 2008, and 2009 contracts, programs and tender calls.
As Rafe points out all that power will have to be exported as BCHydro doesn't need it.
Given that the current cost of nuclear power is 1.68 cents a kwh
http://newpapyrusmagazine.blogspot.com/2008/10/cost-of-non-carbon-dioxide-polluting.html
that new generation 3.5 nuclear projects are projected at 2.2 cents a kwh
http://nuclearinfo.net/Nuclearpower/WebHomeCostOfNuclearPower
and that pulsed fusion projects are projected at half a cent a kwh within 10 years
http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Focus_Fusion
we'll have the BC Taxpayer eating almost all of that 60 billion in Pirate Power payments, buying high at 12 cents and selling low at .5 cents. Makes the fast ferries look like a rainy Saturday at a school girl's lemonade stand - the least competent government in BC history.
As Bill Tieleman puts it, we are governed by a greedy bunch of Rubes. Suckers. Chumps. and Hicks, with no business experience but an incessant thirst for New York hedge fund financed campaign donations and dreams of lucrative post election consulting contracts and board of directors appointments. It is the latter which explains the hurry to sign the contracts.
Luke Skywalker
3 years ago
seth...
A little further homework is in order... :)
For example.... BC Hydro's Aberfeldie hydro redevelopment. When first proposed to the BCUC, substantial capital cost creep has occurred going from ~$46 million in October, 2004 to ~$95 million by completion time several years later.
The levelized "cost of energy" [no profit] from Aberfeldie is ~$81 MWh, which is in the ballpark of the 2006 Call for Energy whereby the weighted average of accepted prices was $88 MWh for all IPP energy types.
http://www.bchydro.com/etc/medialib/
internet/documents/info/pdf/
bc_hydro_aberfeldie_application_for_cpcn.
Par.0001.File.bc_hydro_aberfeldie_
application_for_cpcn.pdf
Remember, BC Hydro's Aberfeldie hydro project was a redevelopment. That is, transmission lines etc. were already in place.
Capital cost creep for private IPP's will have to be borne by those producers under BC Hydro's contractual prices. They don't have the luxury of BC Hydro with the Aberfeldie project in terms of cost creep.
In fact, in BC Hydro's submissions to the BCUC they also acknowledged risk regarding the development in terms of that capital cost creep.
DJT
3 years ago
Van Isle quote: "Hey Tyee
Van Isle quote:
"Hey Tyee are you breaking the law (Bill 42)in allowing Rafe's article to be published"?
If advertising cops should be showing up anywhere it should be at the offices of certain "mainstream" newspaper editorial writers. Newspaper editorials are conveniently exempt from the "gag" law. Why, heaven only knows. They sure as heck shouldn't be, at least not in this city, that's for sure.
SharingIsGood
3 years ago
with you 100%
Rafe,
As always, I'm with you 100% in your battle to save our rivers and our salmon.
Campbell never had any credibility with me as an environmentalist nor as a person who cares about the majority of the BC citizens. When the people of BC finally see through the Canwest/Global/CTV fog that has been clouding their judgement, I fear it will be too late. I fear it is already too late, given that NAFTA has a 20-year energy rights clause written deeply into the agreement.
I am sad to say that I didn't do enough to stop Campbell from getting elected the first nor the second time. I am ashamed of the government that has been runnig BC for nearly 8 years.
seth
3 years ago
Aberfeldie
Good to see you back Luke old buddy. Vacation?
You Neocons sure love Aberfeldie a tiny little project and as an experiment came in over estimate. Other run of the rivers like Upper Mamquam could have come in under 3 cents a kwh with BCHydro finance rates.Sometimes we learn by mistakes.
Nonetheless any moron unless they were just plain crooks, won't be committing the taxpayer to buy power at 9 cents a kwh, that we must export at prices unlikely to be more than 5 cents in the long term.
Even solar boiler technology is forecast at under 3 cents and its available all year in California.
sicntired
3 years ago
Enough to make you weep
After watching the video of what was described as a small project and seeing the devastation there,watching the film crew chased away by contractors(what are they hiding?)I was disgusted.The more I read the more unimaginable these give always become.Once again,the "friends of Gordon",rape the province and we are told,against even mere common sense,that it's all for our own good.We will find out just how gullible the people of this Province really are in May.This is environmental devastation wrapped up and sold as a green project and an outright theft of what belongs to all of us.Campbell will oversee the death of the wild salmon as well.The man has no soul.
smeebs
3 years ago
G.C.
G.C. has become very comfortable lying his way through running the Government. I think the public should seriously consider his methods because if its not fish farms or BC streams or sky train construction practices there will come a time when one of his lies will effect you personally. This lie over public private power will not be able to be repaired for 100 years
Rod Smelser
3 years ago
New PAB strategy
The levelized "cost of energy" [no profit] from Aberfeldie is ~$81 MWh, which is in the ballpark of the 2006 Call for Energy whereby the weighted average of accepted prices was $88 MWh for all IPP energy types.
http://www.bchydro.com/etc/medialib/
internet/documents/info/pdf/
bc_hydro_aberfeldie_application_for_cpcn.
Par.0001.File.bc_hydro_aberfeldie_
application_for_cpcn.pdf
It looks like the staff at the Public Affairs Bureau has hit on a whole new strategy, providing links to actual government/Crown Corp documents. It's a welcome change from the usual anti-labour smear lines.
Rod Smelser
3 years ago
Suzuki: Campbell is the Best Premier on Earth!
PeteL
Rafe, I'd be very interested in hearing / reading your opinion if / when the mainstream NGO / Enviro movement went corporate ...
A good question, Pete. When the DSF completed a high profile hiring process of a new CEO from the MEC I asked what the salary was. Confidential, was the reply {READ: very high indeed}. The DSF, according to their own annual report, raises $6 million per year, and spends fully one-sixth of that on more fundraising.
David Suzuki is known to be furious with the federal Tories over tax audits (I forget if these audits are of the foundation or his personal returns). He makes it clear he thinks it's a political vendetta by the Conservatives against him for speaking out so bravely on environmental issues. It wouldn't be the first time that's happened. But neither would it be the first time that the leader of a movement claiming a special relationship with goodness and the truth has objected vehemently to routine attempts by authorities to apply to them the laws and rules that supposedly apply to all. Which case is it this time?
Rafe Mair may feel that Premier Gordon M. Campbell's environmental credibility is shot, but David Suzuki, and Mark Jaccard, and Andrew Weaver, and of course Briony Penn and Will Horter are all of the opinion that he is the Best Premier on Earth! As for Carole James, they say she's "dishonest" in their cheesy CanWest op-ed pieces, and they say they're "ashamed" of her in their trash-talking addresses to "environmental" audiences.
Who's in those supposedly environmental audiences? Could it be rich donors who have income and wealth based reasons for disliking a social democratic and labour party? Is this a way for Suzuki to appeal to these donors, to persuade them that he shares their values?
dr evil
3 years ago
doh
I figure what we got in B.C. is a big time provincial stupid problem.
You`ve got unbalanced people at the top of the triangle who feel threatened by anyone with any brains. Thus..Grey, vapid, cowed yes people below.
For efficiency corporations are fascistic..top down decision making. The CEO says 2+2=5 then 2+2=5 it is.
Democracy is time consuming ..inefficient.
requiring participation by ahem... people.
This "government" is intentionally operated as a corporation...from CEO on down..there is no homeless problemm....there is no homeless problem...no gangs problem..ok now there is.
Embarrassing place to live in...so leave you say?
Well The working lives of my parents and grandparents and myself are tied to the place..the legacy they contributed to building now squandered by these carpetbaggers.
If my health allowed it and I were younger I would leave this stupid stupid place...watching her being despoiled by these degenerate megalomaniacs to whom nothing is sacred becomes too much to bear at times.
Fish-counter
3 years ago
Three cheers for Alexandra Morton!
Her victory restores my faith in the law - for the moment. This is the first time in recent memory that government has been brought to book on a glaring injustice. I hope the salmon farms can be relocated to safer sites - for the wild fish.
The little bit of federal-provincial footwork (dribbling in soccer terms, drivelling to most people) that shifted responsibility for salmon farms to the province of BC, needed to be rectified. The courts have finally recognised that the ocean is salty.
Now, if some of that $1 billion projected for the security costs at the 2010 games can be used for something productive, Vancouver and Victoria might be able to bring their sewage treatment facilities into the 20th Century. Yes, I know this is the 21st Century, but the cities of Vancouver and Victoria think it is still 1899. That is why they are spending billions of dollars on a 14-day sports meet when they should be investing in infrastructure. I just hope the RCMP do not shoot some of the athletes by mistake. That would make them look bad - and we would not want that, would we!