Good Sunday Morning!
Parliament will be closed Monday and Tuesday for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, or as we used to observe it, “Orange Shirt Day.” This is a significant, but inadequate, step in reconciliation. It is remarkable how Phyllis Webstad’s story touched so many hearts, ultimately leading to a new statutory holiday. Phyllis is from the Secwepemc (Shuswap) nation and lives in Williams Lake BC. The story of how her grandmother managed to scrimp and save and buy little 6-year-old Phyllis a bright shiny orange shirt to wear for her first day of school in Mission BC is now well known. At the place of abuse, mis-named a “School,” the nuns stripped her of all her belongings and she never saw her little orange shirt again. I will head back to Ottawa for the national ceremony honouring all the Indigenous children taken from their families who never came home. All invitees are reminded to wear orange. The ceremony on the lawn of Parliament Hill will be broadcast live across Canada, beginning at 3 PM ET on Tuesday.
To start your day with wonderful news, our dear Rainbow Eyes, Angela Sue Davidson, will not have to serve her full sentence until October 17. I received this wonderful news from her lawyer, former Victoria Council member, Ben Isitt: “BC Corrections has deemed Rainbow Eyes eligible for earned remission. We anticipate she will be released on Saturday October 4 (2 weeks earlier than anticipated [had she been required to serve the fullsentence]).”
Yahoo! Rainbow Eyes was first in Nanaimo prison and then they transferred her to Maple Ridge. I am so happy that she will be released before I can reach her! I am so proud and honoured that such a brave Indigenous land defender is my Deputy Leader in the Green Party of Canada.
I met this week with courageous Indigenous women from Guatemala fighting a Canadian silver mining company, Pan American. Marta and Marisol came to Canada thanks to two NGOs, Mining Watch Canada and the Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability. They toured Canada representing the Xinka people. When I told them our deputy leader was in jail as an Indigenous land defender, it solidified our bond. In addition to this press release, it was also my question to the Minister of International Trade in QP on Friday. It is his ministry that is responsible for the Office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE). Currently there is no Ombudsperson named to that role. That is where Canadians should be able to pursue remedies against Canadian companies violating human rights around the world.
In other news this week, the Green Party of BC has a new leader! Three great candidates had been in the inspiring race. The new leader won with 60% of the vote on the first ballot. Deep thanks to Jonathan Kerr and Adam Bremner Akins, both of whom ran great campaigns, but it was 25 year old climate campaigner Emily Lowan who won by a landslide. All three have expressed willingness to keep working together. Meanwhile, Emily’s first big speech was to the municipal leaders of BC at the Union of BC Municipalities annual convention. She received enthusiastic applause and is off to a great start! One last reminder to vote (if you have not yet) in the review of my leadership (deadline is September 30, Tuesday!)
As we age, we lose our heroes at too fast a pace. But this particular tribute was one I want to share. Many of you may never have heard of Jim Bradley, former Liberal Environment Minister from Ontario. When I was in the office of the federal Red Tory Environment Minister Tom McMillan, we were in a friendly competition with the brilliant Liberal Quebec Environment Minister, still a great friend and activist now in his 90s, the Hon. Clifford Lincoln, and the Ontario minister, Jim Bradley.
Those were the days! Imagine federal and provincial environment ministers racing each other to do more! We stopped acid rain largely due to the courage of Jim Bradley. Bradley’s young staffers formed a crusading team called ‘Bradley’s Brats’ by their detractors. The largest point source of acid rain causing emissions was the Inco smelter in Ontario. Inco used the tried-and-true corporate tactic of job blackmail. Inco went to Bradley and threatened to close down and blame him for the job losses if the regulation calling for 50% cuts in SO2 emissions were passed. Meanwhile, the Mulroney PMO was pressing for such cuts across the seven eastern provinces emitting sulphur dioxide, in order to be able to press Reagan’s White House to match our cuts. When Bradley told Inco he was sure the company could meet the new standard, Inco went over his head to his boss, Premier David Peterson. Peterson backed Bradley! These days I cannot see this happening, as the political clout of corporations over governments has grown. David Peterson told Inco he was confident that Inco could figure out how to cut pollution and stay profitable. And Inco did! Adding scrubbers to the stacks, they captured and sold the sulphur, creating a new profit centre for the company! And in the end, we had deals with all the polluting provinces and Mulroney charmed Reagan into agreeing to do the same. Honestly, I did not know at the time that would be our Valhalla. But now, oh dear! The competition is a race to the bottom.
This article by Steve Paikan made me cry, but likely that was because of the photo of the ‘Bradley’s Brats’ team, including one of my favourite friends Gary Gallon who died so very young in 2003. BC readers may remember Gary as a founder of SPEC. The good work of strong and brave activists does not die with them.
To all observing the solemn high holy day of Yom Kippur, beginning on Wednesday’s sunset October 1, ‘Gmar hatimah tovah’. Following closely on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur is also connected to the Book of Life, which determines an individual’s fate for the coming year. The book opens on Rosh Hashanah, and is sealed at the end of Yom Kippur, following the period of repentance.
In these times of raw emotions in the face of Netanyahu’s war crimes, we must ensure that our friends and family in the Jewish community know we do not associate them with the horrors of Netanyahu’s genocidal policies. Speaking at the United Nations this week, Netanyahu faced a nearly empty hall. Meanwhile, where to look to escape the distractions of Donald Trump’s conduct?? Attacking the United Nations over trivial events – an escalator stopping, likely due to the White House videographer, and the loony moment his teleprompter did not work, the late night comics have a veritable buffet of laugh-a-minute moments. But oh my, even as I cannot help laughing, this is not funny. Yesterday morning I woke up to the news Trump is sending the National Guard to Portland Oregon, where protesters have been regularly demonstrating outside local ICE offices. Trump clearly wants to increase violence. He has told the National Guard to use “full force if necessary.” The Oregon officials, mayors and congresspeople, all Democrats, are urging calm, knowing Trump hopes to create chaos.
Pray for Portland, and Gaza and Ukraine and the old growth of the Walbran and Elder Bill Jones who is feeling poorly, and thanks for prayers answered that Rainbow Eyes will be free soon.
And if you wonder why I pray, I know for my atheist friends it does seem odd. Please just know that it is one of the ways I stay sane, keep my sense of humour and keep doing the work.
For now, have a great week!!!
And I will write again for the first Sunday letter of October,
love,
Elizabeth
Saanich-Gulf Islands Greens
https://www.sgigreenparty.ca/