Run-of-river projects receive oversight

Stephen Hunt’s letter about run-of-river hydro (Letters, Nov. 14) repeats some common, but unfounded allegations.

These projects do indeed have lots of environmental oversight. They typically go through years of environmental studies. The process is so strict that most proposals don’t make it. For that reason there’s hardly a “glut” of projects, as Mr. Hunt claims. In addition, applications are also reviewed for any cumulative effects.

Mr. Hunt refers to John Calvert’s book Liquid Gold, which is the bible of the highly politicized, anti-run-of-river movement.

But Calvert’s book was demolished in an academic review published on Oct. 1 by Dr. Mark Jaccard, who wrote: “Calvert’s book is best read as a political propaganda tract rather than as an independent, unbiased analysis. The author is uninterested in presenting a balanced weighing of the evidence. Indeed, facts are wrong and evidence is distorted in a manner that consistently supports a sinister conspiracy theory.”

Jaccard, by the way, is an internationally respected energy economist and Nobel Prize winner who has served both the current and previous provincial governments.

Mr. Hunt calls for careful consideration of this issue. I couldn’t agree more. But our group has found careful consideration leads to a much different conclusion than do loose allegations.

Gene Vickers

B.C. Citizens for

Green Energy

Port Moody

People distorting judge’s ruling

Re: Judge overstepped authority on camping, Victoria says (News, Oct. 31)

Congratulations to Sonya Chandler for being the only member of Victoria city council to vote against appealing the B.C. Supreme Court decision overturning the City’s anti-camping bylaw. I am extremely disappointed with the rest of the council, not only for wasting money on an appeal, but also for distorting the intent of the decision by Madam Justice Carol Ross.

If people take the time to actually read the judgment, they will see that Madam Justice Ross is not calling for the creation of massive tent cities for the homeless. She, like all the rest of us, would like to see these people provided with proper accommodation.

In her ruling, she simply recognizes the existing reality and says homeless citizens with no other place to sleep should be able to use a bit of public space to do so, on a temporary basis, until sufficient accommodation is available for them.

Instead of padding lawyers’ incomes with its court appeal, city council should be devoting whatever financial resources it has available to giving direct assistance to the homeless.

I also wish Dean Fortin and the other councillors would stop whining about the additional burden that would be placed on the police budget if homeless people were allowed to sleep in the parks.

I can’t recall these councillors uttering any similar cries of distress earlier this year when almost $150,000 of public funds were handed out to former Victoria police chief Paul Battershill.

Gordon Pollard

Victoria

Good job cleaning up election signs

I would like to thank all the candidates in the recent municipal election for removing their signs so quickly. Also I was very pleased that so many candidates helped each other in gathering up signs for each other.

Don Brown

Trustee-elect

School District 62