Bill C-5: Why We Must Slow Down

Title: Bill C-5: Why We Must Slow Down and Protect Democracy, the Environment, and Indigenous Rights
By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

I recently listened to Elizabeth May’s powerful message about Bill C-5 — the One Canadian Economy Act — and I’m deeply concerned. She said something that stopped me cold:

“This bill is worse than Stephen Harper’s 2012 omnibus bill.”

That’s not said lightly. We fought hard to undo the damage of Harper’s Bill C-38, which dismantled 79 environmental protections, muzzled scientists, removed federal oversight of lakes and rivers, and weakened our democracy.

Now, Bill C-5 threatens to take us backwards once again.

This legislation is being fast-tracked — pushed through Parliament in just five days, with no thorough study, no public hearings, and no meaningful Indigenous consultation. That’s not how democracy should work.

Bill C-5 would:

• Give Cabinet sweeping powers to approve massive infrastructure and resource projects without full environmental review.
• Allow exemptions from existing laws — including ones meant to protect ecosystems and public health.
• Set a precedent where future governments (perhaps less transparent or less democratic) could bypass Parliament to serve industrial interests.

This isn’t just about environmental policy. It’s about how we govern, who has a voice, and whether we are willing to uphold the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the principles of democracy.

Elizabeth May isn’t alone in raising the alarm:

• The Canadian Cancer Society is concerned about public health implications.
• The Wilderness Committee is calling this a betrayal of climate commitments.
• Indigenous leaders are demanding a halt and full consultation.

And it’s hard not to feel disappointment when people like Mark Carney, who were expected to lead with integrity and vision, seem to be supporting legislation that leaves so many voices out.

This is a turning point. If we don’t speak up now, we risk letting a dangerous precedent become normal.

Let Parliament do its job.
Let Indigenous voices be heard.
Let us protect the land, the water, and future generations.

📺 Watch Elizabeth May’s Statement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYjiXcNCmSA
#StopBillC5 #ProtectDemocracy #EnvironmentalJustice #IndigenousRights #cdnpoli #ZipolitaSpeaks

Fighting for a Country That Took Their Land: Indigenous Veterans of WWII

 During World War II, Indigenous people in Vancouver and across Canada faced unique challenges, as well as injustices that reflected the broader history of colonialism. Despite their contributions to the war effort, they continued to face discrimination, land dispossession, and systemic exclusion from many aspects of society. Here’s what life was like for Indigenous people in Vancouver during the war:

1. Indigenous Enlistment in WWII

• Many Indigenous men and women voluntarily enlisted in the Canadian military, even though they were not legally considered full citizens under the Indian Act.
• They served in all branches of the military, including overseas combat roles, snipers, code talkers, and medics.
• Those who enlisted were often promised equality but faced racism and discrimination both during and after the war.

2. The War Economy & Indigenous Workers

• Some Indigenous people moved to Vancouver for war-related jobs, including shipbuilding, forestry, and factories. However, they often faced discriminatory hiring practices and were usually given lower-paying, labor-intensive jobs.
• Indigenous women also worked in wartime industries, but they were rarely given the same opportunities as non-Indigenous women.
• Those who remained in their communities often had to deal with increased government restrictions and worsening poverty due to wartime resource extraction.

3. Land Dispossession & Further Colonization

• Indigenous lands in and around Vancouver were further taken for military and industrial purposes.
• The Kitsilano Reserve (Sen̓áḵw), once home to the Squamish people, had already been illegally seized in 1913 by the BC government and developers. By WWII, most of the land had been absorbed into the city.
• The federal government took more Indigenous lands across Canada during the war under the War Measures Act, and many reserves were used for military training or resource extraction.
• Indigenous veterans who returned from the war often found their traditional lands further reduced or mismanaged by the government.

4. Residential Schools & Wartime Hardships

• Residential schools continued operating during WWII, and many Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their families and placed in these institutions.
• Indigenous families were often struggling with poverty, lack of resources, and government neglect, which worsened due to war-driven economic shifts.
• Many Indigenous communities had already been forced into segregated reserves with limited rights, and wartime policies only reinforced their exclusion from mainstream society.

5. Discrimination Against Indigenous Veterans

• Despite their service, Indigenous veterans were denied the same benefits as other Canadian soldiers.
• Many Indigenous veterans could not access land grants given to non-Indigenous veterans because they were legally considered wards of the state under the Indian Act.
• They were often refused the right to drink in Legion halls, were denied veteran pensions, and faced ongoing racism when trying to reintegrate into society.

6. Continued Resistance & Resilience

• Indigenous communities continued their traditions, adapted to economic hardships, and resisted government policies through advocacy and legal challenges.
• Some Indigenous leaders fought for veterans' rights after the war, eventually leading to partial compensation (but not full equality) in later years.

Final Thoughts

Indigenous people in Vancouver and across Canada contributed significantly to WWII but were met with broken promises, land theft, and continued colonial policies. Despite this, they persevered, resisting discrimination and advocating for their rights long after the war ended.

It’s striking how similar some struggles remain today—land disputes, systemic inequality, and government policies that continue to disadvantage Indigenous people. 

Crude Awakening!!--UBCIC- NEWS RELEASE KM TMX

NEWS RELEASE KM TMX: Crude Awakening (Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC – August 11, 2017) The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) remains steadfast in its ongoing opposition to Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX).

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, UBCIC President, stated, “Though we welcome the BC Government’s commitment to defending the coasts and waterways, and commend BC’s resolve to ensure the Province meets its constitutionally-enshrined, judicially-recognized obligations to consult Indigenous Peoples, for all future generations, we must continue the true fight against increasingly rapid climate change. These devastating mega-projects must obtain the free, prior and informed consent of all affected Indigenous Peoples. Period.”

As defined by the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Nations retain the right to provide or withhold their free, prior and informed consent regarding developments on their respective territories. The vast majority of BC remains the unceded territory of Indigenous Nations who remain committed to protecting their inherent rights, their respective cultural beliefs, their families and the natural environment for the benefit of future generations.

The UBCIC firmly believes TMX represents an unacceptable and egregious risk to the clean and healthy ecosystems many Indigenous Peoples and British Columbians’ livelihoods depend upon and directly conflicts with the Trudeau Government’s Paris Agreement commitments to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C. Since 2011, the UBCIC has consistently opposed the TMX project, with Grand Chief Stewart Phillip being arrested in November 2014 to protest TMX’s exploration of Burnaby Mountain.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip declared “As long as any Canadian or Provincial government permits environmentally destructive projects that places our communities, families and unceded territories at risk, our Nations and communities will exercise our inherent rights and responsibilities to resist within the courts, in the streets and most certainly, on the land itself.”

21,561 people have signed the Coast Protectors’ pledge: "With our voice, in the courts or the streets, on the water or the land. Whatever it takes, we will stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion."

http://www.coastprotectors.ca/

Media inquiries:
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Union of BC Indian Chiefs
Phone: (604) 684-0231 or ubcic@ubcic.bc.ca
This release is online at http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/kmtmxcrudeawakening

Join the #NationalCircle - Mar 17- YOU'RE INVITED

I love this message. Made me all teary when I read it.

Inspire youth to embrace life.
Join the #NationalCircle

"In response to the ongoing national suicide crisis facing too many First Nations people, we are calling for a National Circle of Ceremony and Healing for Our Spirits.

The AFN is asking Indigenous peoples and all Canadians to pray or perform ceremonies according to their own beliefs, faiths and customs. We want to inspire all people to share messages of hope and love to communities across the country.

We invite everyone to share videos, messages and information about activities they are doing or organizing for the National Circle on March 17"

Watch AFN @PerryBellegarde message for #NationalCircle of Ceremony and Healing for Our Spirits on March 17: https://t.co/nG181jvDUY vi

— AFN (@AFN_Updates) March 13, 2017