2010-04-20 Tar Sands, Water, Nuclear and the Military. How do we proceed from here? Animal Farm?

(1 of X) was   (2010-04-12)   Tar Sands: Speech by Marcel Coutu. Canada Stocks Rise on SinoPec Oil Sands Investment. Now the Clearwater River.

I said the next email would be about the First Nations resistance; I changed my mind. This first.

 

CONTENTS

1. COMMENTARY
2. HOW FAR WILL THEY GO TO SECURE THE RESOURCE?
3. CONFESSION #1, WE ARE ON A TAR SANDS COLLISION COURSE
4. CONFESSION #2, CENTRE PORT CANADA (WINNIPEG) AND THE GLOBALTRANSPORTATION HUB (REGINA) ARE CONVENIENT FOR MOVEMENT OF MILITARY UNDER THE CANADA – U.S. TROOP EXCHANGE AGREEMENT. I MEAN WHERE OR HOW ELSE?
5. CONFESSION #3, I AM DEDICATED TO PREVENTING MORE ARMOURED VEHICLES IN CANADIAN CITIES AND LOCKHEED MARTIN’S ARRIVAL IN SASKATOON.
6. IS THERE SOME OTHER CONCLUSION?
7. TIME LINES
8. ANIMAL FARM
9.  FAST-TRACK PLAN FOR WINNIPEG’S CENTREPORT CANADA WAY GETS $212-MILLION BOOST, APRIL 20, 2009

 

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1. COMMENTARY

 

Historically, American Corporate/Government oil interests are secured by:

• puppet regimes, and if that fails,
• by military and covert operations, and if that fails,
• by more propaganda and all-out war.

 

Historically (reference David Orchard’s “The Fight For Canada”) the Americans have tried many times to invade and takeover Canada.

 

In Canada we have the lesson of the putting down of rebellion in the West when the flow of money, power and control to the Centre was challenged.   The Riel Rebellions of 1869 – 1885 culminated with the hanging of the leader, Louis Riel. This was after years of attempts to have the problems addressed in peaceful ways, through talking, petitioning and pleading.

 

Look at the story of Ludwig Wiebo in Alberta, if you’d like to see how we are manipulated so we become suspicious of those who try to defend their families.   I have spoken with a few people who know Ludwig. His story was documented by Andrew Nikiforuk.  The story is the same: Ludwig used every peaceful means possible to stop the slow death by poisoning. Sour gas is highly lethal.   Thankfully, more people are coming to understand; and a few of those people make a point of offering moral support to the Wiebo family.

 

At some point, a healthy people will defend themselves. The talking, petitioning, pleading, legal steps, campaigns, and non-violent resistance (tar sands) have been met with:

• $4.65 billion dollars of more investment for expansion
• now the taking of the Clearwater River
• and further “de-regulation” to the point where there is no need for the Government because it has entirely abdicated its purpose in a democracy.  It has vacated its role and function.

 

The previous email contained information on the $4.65 billion dollars of new investment in the Tar Sands, the plans to take water from the Clearwater River for tar sands expansion, and the propaganda on Tar Sands from Marcel Coutu, Chairman of Syncrude (and CEO of Canadian Oil Sands).

 

I stated, ” There is nothing special about the fact that we happen to live in Canada. Appropriation of resources one way or the other.  I think of the Ogoni people in the Niger Delta and the execution of their leader, Ken Saro Wiwa, by state leaders who were bought by the oil companies, by the money.  Drop bombs on Iraq.  Quislings in Canada.”

 

I briefly laid out a small portion of the destruction of the environment. Destroy the things we are dependent upon for survival and it’s game over for those who would succeed us on this planet.

 

Okay, so we know all that.

 

Throughout the last year we have worked hard on the nuclear issue and understand its role.  The tar sands industry has almost lost its social license to use natural gas for tar sands extraction.  And the natural gas for tar sands production is depleting.  It will be mutually beneficial to the tar sands and nuclear corporations to develop and deploy “small” nuclear reactors for “remote” tar sands locations. Huge amounts of electricity (heat) are required in the extraction process.  Not to mention water.

 

The people in Saskatchewan and in Alberta are so far, preventing the nuclear industry from setting up shop here.  A problem for all the big money concerns.

 

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2.   HOW FAR WILL THEY GO TO SECURE THE RESOURCE?

Murder has been used in many cases. But I think we don’t want to believe: what happened to the

• Ogoni in Nigeria  (oil), or
• in the Congo (copper), or
• in Iraq (oil)

can happen to us.  The question is whether we have been bamboozled long enough that we refuse to see the truth.

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 3.   CONFESSION #1, WE ARE ON A TAR SANDS COLLISION COURSE

• When I see the huge interests (another $4.65 billion dollars) behind the Tar Sands
• When I know the depth of the local, national and international resistance to the Tar Sands agenda

I get nervous.

It’s a collision course.

 

The outcome of the vote in Parliament, April 14^th, on the Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-311) has the potential to help change course away from escalating confrontations.

 

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4.    CONFESSION #2, CENTRE PORT CANADA (WINNIPEG) AND THE GLOBAL TRANSPORTATION HUB (REGINA) ARE CONVENIENT FOR MOVEMENT OF MILITARY UNDER THE CANADA – U.S. TROOP EXCHANGE AGREEMENT.  I MEAN WHERE OR HOW ELSE?

I have wondered about the logistics associated with the Canada – U.S. Troop Exchange Agreement signed on Feb 14, 2008.   If there was a threat to the operation of the tar sands (which seems rather likely, to be frank – people are resolved to stop the tar sands because of climate change),  HOW would troops be moved from the U.S. into Canada?   There are large investors in the Tar Sands whose interests will be protected.

When I look at the map for CentrePort Canada   (Link no longer valid  http://www.winnipeginlandport.ca/centreport_canada.html)   (which is something every Canadian should know about)  I see the major transportation corridors coming up through the centre of the U.S. into Canada.  From Winnipeg two of the branches flow west to Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C.   (Scroll down about 3 page lengths to find the map.) (Also, see appended article.)

The Government of Saskatchewan is expropriating land near Regina for Loblaws.   (?)  For the Global Transportation Hub.  (Link no longer valid    http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2010/02/16/sk-loblaws-expropriation-1002.html)

Feb 16, 2010.

“It’s understandable if a government expropriates land to build highways or rail lines, but it’s different if it is done to benefit a private company like Loblaws, Ripplinger said. . . .

John Law, head of the government-created authority managing the warehouse project, said Loblaws would not have considered Regina for its warehouse if it had been forced to negotiate for land.”    

Pardon me?

Especially in these days of spin-doctoring, I don’t want to be fooled. (I am reminded of the Government’s lines about “Small research reactors” when in actuality they are talking about “research into small reactors”.  Two quite different things.   Sugar-coating.

Another thing about the transportation corridors that I am very curious about.  Can it be a mistake?  Five BILLION dollars and more of investment in Saskatchewan transportation networks?  This was announced by NDP Premier Calvert prior to the Conservatives (SaskParty) taking over.  It’s a 10-year plan.  But still, this is Saskatchewan!  And that is $500 million dollars a year.

 

SOURCE:

April 2008 : “The following is a province by province breakdown of the funding allocations under the Building Canada program:

www.buyusa.gov/canada/en/federalandprovincialinvestmentincanada.pdf

(This is an American Govt document, dated December, 2008).

 

“Saskatchewan

In April 2008, the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan announced $755 million in federal funding for infrastructure projects in Saskatchewan.  Priority projects for highway improvements were identified, …   

On March 6, 2007, a $5 billion investment in Saskatchewan’s transportation network was announced to promote the seamless movement of goods and people throughout the province.  Another announcement on March 19, 2008 committed a further $513 million to revitalize provincial highways as part of a $1 billion program for capital and infrastructure improvements.”

 

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5.   CONFESSION #3, I AM DEDICATED TO PREVENTING MORE ARMOURED VEHICLES IN CANADIAN CITIES AND LOCKHEED MARTIN’S ARRIVAL IN SASKATOON.

 

Armoured vehicles adopted by B.C. RCMP.   ” The RCMP said the so-called “Cougars for cops” is a national program, and residents of other cities can expect to see the vehicles on their streets too.”

• (2011-03-07)   York Regional Police, Vancouver Police, Saskatoon Police — all getting armoured vehicles.   From March 2010, Vancouver: “The RCMP said the so-called “Cougars for cops” is a national program, and residents of other cities can expect to see the vehicles on their streets too.”   
• (2010-04-11)   Lockheed Martin (American Military)  setting up near Saskatoon at Whitecap.  Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (unmanned drones).

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6.   IS THERE SOME OTHER CONCLUSION?

If there is trouble because of more development of the Tar Sands (which there will be), the American military will simply move up the “NAFTA Highway” to Winnipeg and then west through Saskatoon to Edmonton, or straight north because part of the “infrastructure investment” includes getting roads to Northern Saskatchewan.

That seems to be common sense to me, not conspiracy theory or paranoia?   What do you think?

 

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7.  TIME LINES

Various reports refer to “fast tracking” (Item #9 below)   and target dates of 2012 for completion,  the same as was given for the date by which the Americans want the information on all Canadians, including the “routine” ones, not just the trouble-makers.

 

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8.  ANIMAL FARM

 

I am struck by the similarities in today’s situation to Animal Farm (George Orwell, 1945).

We had an imperfect, but not bad community that was working toward a better and better outcome for everyone (or so I thought).

Today’s deterioration and the reasons for it are right there in Animal Farm.

• A good idea of a fair society that people support and will work hard to attain
• The death of the visionary and replacement by those who seek their own gratification
• The use of increasing forms of manipulation and intimidation
• The role and mechanics of propaganda
• Changing the historical record
• The roles of ignorance and forgetfulness in the population
• The role of the cynic, the ones who DID know, AND had the capability, but failed to provide any leadership.

 

Animal Farm is a very small easy-to-read book, well worth a re-read.

I found myself desperately wanting someone, anyone, to step forward and provide the leadership to rescue the project.  The windmill in the allegory could be our Tar Sands.

 

The last paragraph reads:

“   …   The creatures outside (the window) looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. “

 

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9.   FAST-TRACK PLAN FOR WINNIPEG’S CENTREPORT CANADA WAY GETS $212-MILLION BOOST, APRIL 20, 2009

 

From the Journal of Commerce, http://www.joconl.com/article/id33437 :

April 20, 2009

Fast-track plan for Winnipeg’s CentrePort Canada Way gets $212-million boost

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

A multi-million dollar joint initiative will fast-track the construction of an expressway to support the development of Winnipeg’s inland port.

CentrePort Canada is a private sector-led corporation, created by Manitoba provincial legislation last fall, to build the port and develop Manitoba’s air, rail, sea and trucking infrastructure.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Gary Doer announced last week that they will spend more than $212 million to build CentrePort Canada Way, which is a four-lane divided expressway linking the 20,000-acre inland port to the Perimeter Highway.

“From the perspective of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA) this is a very important initiative for all of us,” said Chris Lorenc, association president.

“This is not just localized to the construction industry, but we promoted the concept of an inland port long before the recession.”

CentrePort Canada plans to build on Manitoba’s strategic location in the heart of North America to function as an international transportation, trade, manufacturing, distribution, warehousing and logistics centre.

“We have been working on promoting the synergy between trade and transport for five years now,” said Lorenc.

“The project itself had two aspects that were identified in the budget speech, but we were working as a business community on this project well ahead of the budget. It is a happy coincidence for the construction industry that infrastructure is a major priority.”

The high-speed corridor will connect Inkster Boulevard, the James A. Richardson International Airport and the CP Weston rail intermodal facility to the Perimeter Highway near Saskatchewan Avenue.

“These improvements will help ensure further private sector investment in CentrePort Canada by enhancing access to the site, which is already a desirable location for warehousing, distribution and other industrial activity that depends on convenient and efficient access to transportation services including air, road and rail,” said Doer.

Lorenc said the project is important for Manitoba, but it is also a national asset that is an important instrument for increasing international trade.

Construction of the expressway will begin early in 2010 and will be completed in 2011.

The $212.5 million expressway is being funded jointly by the provincial and federal governments, with the federal share coming from the Provincial Territorial Base Funding Agreement ($68.35 million) and the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative ($33.25 million).

Manitoba will match the federal funds and contribute an additional $9.2 million for land acquisition.

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and Province of Manitoba launched an $80,000 initiative in September 2008 to use the expertise of local CEOs, who work in firms that would be interested in locating at the inland port.

Canada Post is building a new mail distribution plant on 11 hectares of land east of the airport and a new Greyhound bus depot is under construction adjacent to the airport.

The governments of Manitoba and Canada have also supported CentrePort Canada through several recent initiatives including $85 million to upgrade PTH 75, which is the key trade route to the U.S. and Mexico.

The border crossing south of Winnipeg at Emerson is the top-ranked border crossing on the prairies, processing $14.4 billion in trade traffic annually

The provincial and federal governments have also invested $48 million for upgrades to the Hudson Bay rail line and the port of Churchill, the only deep-sea port in mid-Canada.

The port of Churchill is located at the northern tip of the mid-continent trade corridor, which runs south to the U.S. and Mexico.

Manitoba is also linked to the Asia Pacific Gateway via ports in Delta, Vancouver and Prince Rupert.

 

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