Rivers for Generations: Maple Ridge this Thursday, Aug 9th from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

We hope to continue to raise awareness for the about the threat to BC’s
rivers by private power developers, with an emphasis on RoR Inc’s danger
to the Upper Pitt. We will have a booth at the Maple Ridge Jazz and
Blues Festival (www.jazzblues.ca) on
Saturday, Aug 11th and want to make sure members of the community feel
the urgency of this issue.

A few hours of your time can make a difference!

Who: You, Friends, Family

What: Putting up posters to help save our rivers!

When/Where: Thursday, Aug 9 from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Meet in front of Maple Ridge City Hall, 11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge. Please RSVP so we know who and how many to expect.

Even if you are available for just one or two hours within these times,
please let us know and come out and help. If you need directions visit
Map Quest.

RSVP Please: Please send an email to me, Sage Aaron at
saaron@cope378.ca letting us know when you are able to help. Please
include your phone and/or cell number so we can be assured to make
contact.

Rivers For Generations

The BC Government is poised to transfer private energy developers
ownership rights to over 500 wild and scenic parts of BC rivers.
Private power projects will then be built to generate energy the
province does not need.

The provincial government’s sell-off of our priceless river resources
amounts to a new ‘gold rush’ for private developers. The hundreds of
power developments will have an enormous cumulative impact on the
environment, as dams or “weirs” are built on creeks and rivers,
powerhouses are fenced off to keep the public out, and roads and
transmission lines require logging and additional impacts on land and
water habitats.

The Upper Pitt River power project consists of industrial development of
eight creeks on the river’s watershed. It calls for 42 km of
transmission lines, including 4.3 km of power lines through
Pinecone-Burke Provincial Park. The region is noted for its spectacular
wilderness and its salmon and trout fishing, all of which will be
disrupted by the large-scale construction planned. The project is
currently in the Environmental Assessment phase, which has been greatly
weakened in recent years to encourage hundreds of private power projects
all over BC.

Community members such as environmentalists, fishermen, paddlers, and
lovers of the outdoors are working together with public utility union
members to spread the alarm. We want to Take Back The Power and keep
river resources in public hands, where their use is accountable to the
community.

Postering

We are asking people to help by putting up posters in the community in
high-visibility public places. Postering is best done in pairs or small
groups, so call or email to arrange to us on Thursday, Aug 8th and we
will group up and head out. People old or young can go at their own
pace - bring out family members to help!

The posters highlight the issue and are centred on the message “BC’s
Rivers Belong to ALL British Columbians… Don’t Let The Provincial
Government Give Them Away!” Attached to this email is an electronic
version of the poster so you know what it looks like. They ask people
to learn more about the Rivers for Generations campaign by visiting our
website. The
website includes information and links with greater detail on the Upper
Pitt River power project and the scale of the private-sector gold rush
which threatens this delicate ecosystem and hundreds of other rivers in
our province

Sage Aaron
Take Back the Power Campaign Assistant
www.publicpowerbc.ca
COPE, Local 378
2nd Floor - 4595 Canada Way
Burnaby, BC V5G 1J9
p: 604.473.3887 f: 604.299.8211