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Damming the Peace
The hidden costs of the Site C Dam
Since the 1970s, the Site C Dam in northeastern British Columbia’s Peace River Valley has been touted by BC Hydro and successive governments as necessary to meet the province’s increasing energy needs. With its enormous $10 billion price tag, the dam would be the largest public works project in BC history. It would be the third dam on the Peace River, and destroy traditional unceded territory belonging to Treaty 8 First Nations.
Despite protests by Indigenous groups and landowners, several lawsuits against the government, and a call from a United Nations panel to review how the dam will affect Indigenous land, the latest water megaproject that is dividing British Columbia is going ahead.
This book presents the independent voices of citizen experts describing every important impact of the dam, including:
Sustainable energy expert Guy Dauncey on future energy demand, and whether there is likely to be a need for the dam’s electricity
An interview with aboriginal activist Helen Knott on the dam’s assault on traditional lands and culture, in particular Indigenous women
Agrologist Wendy Holm on the farm land impact — prime horticulture land important to food security and nutrition
Family physician Warren Bell on the effect that loss of traditional way of life and connection to the land has had on the health of aboriginal people
Wildlife biologist Brian Churchill with forty years’ experience of studying its land and wildlife
Former environmental minister Joan Sawicki on government cover-ups and smoking guns
Energy industry watchdog Andrew Nikiforuk on the links between dams, fracking and earthquakes
Award-winning broadcaster Rafe Mair on how party politics corrupts political leadership, and the role of activism and civil disobedience in shaping government decision-making
David Schindler, one of the world’s foremost water ecologists, explains the role dams like Site C will play in Canada’s climate change strategy
Joyce Nelson connects the dots between the Site C dam and continental water sharing plans
Contributors
Wendy Holm
Wendy Holm is an award-winning Canadian Professional Agrologist (now retired), columnist and author. In January of 2014, Wendy provided expert testimony to the Federal-Provincial Joint Panel on the economic impact of Site C dam on agriculture and food. Wendy was named one of the Distinguished Alumni of UBC in 2008, received two Queen’s Medals for contribution to community and was B.C. Agrologist of the Year 2000.
