|  | | September 2010 | | |
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News Releases
September 9, 2010
FIRST CONVICTION UNDER B.C.’S NEW ALIEN SPECIES LAW
VICTORIA – Calling it a step in the right direction, Environment Minister Barry Penner has announced the first ever conviction under B.C.’s alien species regulation introduced last year.
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September 7, 2010
B.C. RELEASES SECOND GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY REPORT
VICTORIA – The B.C. government has approved a wastewater management strategy proposed by the Capital Regional District that will for the first time treat up to 40 billion litres of sewage per year before it is discharged into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
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September 7, 2010
BRINGING B.C.’S WATER LAWS INTO THE 21ST CENTURY
VICTORIA – British Columbians care deeply about our water resources and want to ensure provincial water laws are updated to better protect water, now and in the future, according to a new report released by Environment Minister Barry Penner.
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August 31, 2010
WATER CONSERVATION URGED IN SOUTHERN INTERIOR
VICTORIA – Concerns about fish populations and water supplies has prompted a request for proactive water conservation in the Southern Interior, Environment Minister Barry Penner said.
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August 25, 2010
PROVINCE OF B.C. APPROVES CRD SEWAGE TREATMENT PLAN
VICTORIA – Environment Minister Barry Penner is reminding British Columbians to conserve water to protect water sources and help meet future water demands.
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|  | 2010 Outreach Cabins Big Hit with Visitors
Minister Penner (middle) joined Ministry of Environment employees Alicen Chow from the Strategic Policy Division (left) and Jennie Aikman from Environmental Stewardship (right) at SFU’s Burnaby campus for the official launch of the Ministry of Environment outreach cabins. In celebration of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the outreach cabins were designed to encourage locals and tourists to learn more about British Columbia’s great outdoors and environmental initiatives. One cabin was set up at SFU (Burnaby campus) and the other cabin was set up at BCIT (Burnaby campus). The cabins highlighted BC Parks and also have information about Climate Action policies, Water Stewardship and Environmental Protection initiatives with brochures, posters, children’s games, and videos. Ministry staff were on hand to talk to the public and answer questions.
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|  | | BCTC AquaVan Visits Victoria
Minister Penner (second from left), Minister of State for Climate Action John Yap (far left), representatives from the Vancouver Aquarium and British Columbia Transmission Corporation and students were at the B.C. Legislature last November to check out the AquaVan. The van is an innovative aquatic education program from the Vancouver Aquarium that tours B.C. schools. Minister Penner says that learning about marine wildlife is important if we are to maintain healthy water systems, and that the AquaVan marine program highlights the diversity of our coastal habitats and teaches young people to keep the seashore safe for the animals that live there.
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|  | Minister Penner (left) and Richard Blanchet of Innergex Renewable Energy check out the recently completed Fitzsimmons Creek small hydro project. This 7.9 megawatt run-of-river project is expected to produce enough electricity to power Whistler-Blackcomb's 38 lifts, 17 restaurants, almost 300 snow guns and on-site buildings and services year-round. This is enough to power 3,000 homes annually.
Fitzsimmons Creek utilizes water tumbling down a significant vertical drop. It’s not a major fish-bearing stream and the creek is not used for recreational purposes within the project area. There will be no above-ground hydro lines.
Construction began in September 2008 after six years of planning and assessments. The project is a joint venture between Innergex Renewable Energy and Ledcor Power Group, and is supported by Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort.
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| CRD Sewage Treatment Plan for Victoria Area
Environment Minister Barry Penner has approved a wastewater management strategy proposed by the Capital Regional District that will for the first time treat up to 40 billion litres of sewage per year before it is discharged into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
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|  | Minister Checks Out Huge Mountain Slide 57 Kilometres Northwest of Pemberton
On Aug. 10, Minister Penner boarded a helicopter and took a close look at the area where a massive landslide occurred on Friday, Aug. 6, 2010. The slide, estimated at 40 million cubic metres, was the second largest recorded slide in Canadian history. Large rocks, glacial ice and mud came down from Mount Meager and Capricorn Glacier, blocking both Meager Creek and the Lillooet River. Approximately 1,500 residents in the Pemberton and Lillooet River Valley were evacuated but were allowed to return to their homes within 12 hours.
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|  | Bear-Smart Recycling in Cultus Lake Provincial Park
Cultus Lake Provincial Park has up to 750,00 visitors every year and served as the backdrop for an announcement of a bear-smart recycling partnership between the B.C. government and Encorp Pacific Canada. Minister Penner (fourth from right) is joined by officials from the product stewardship corporation, BC Parks staff and mascots Jerry the Moose and Return-it Man. A total of 59 bear-proof recycle bins have been placed at four provincial parks. The bins make it easy for park visitors to prevent conflicts with bears and keep B.C.’s parks green and clean.
[News Release] | | | |
|  | Oliver Mudslide
In the above photo, Minister Penner (right) is seen at the Oliver slide, which occurred on June 13, 2010 and destroyed five homes. He discussed options for restoring Testalinden Creek to its original course with Brian Symonds, Director of Regional Operations with Ministry of Environment.
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|  | Okanagan River Back to Its Meandering Ways
On June 5th, Minister Penner joined members of the public, the Okanagan Nation Alliance and project partners just outside Oliver to celebrate the completion of phase one of the Okanagan River Restoration Initiative. This ambitious project has restored one of the most biologically important sections of the Okanagan River to the way it was, and the way it should be. Following flooding in the 1920s and 1940s, the majority of the Okanagan River was channelled and diked, resulting in a loss of critical fish and wildlife habitat. It also didn’t look like much of a river. The meandering channels provide pool and riffle habitat for sockeye salmon, kokanee and other fish. Two islands were created, and on the banks you can see some of over 5,000 plantings that include sandbar willow, wild rose, red osier dogwood and other native species.
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|  | | Low Okanagan Snowpack Reading
Concern about the limited snowfall during the winter of 2009/10, and the potential for summer water shortages prompted Minister Penner to join Minister of Agriculture and Lands and Kelowna-Mission MLA Steve Thomson and Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick. They were with Councillor for District of Lake Country Barbara Leamont, District of Lake Country snow survey staff Jack Allingham (utilities manager) and Mike Mitchell (utilities operations foreman) and Ministry of Environment hydrotechnical engineer Shaun Reimer for a snowpack reading in the Okanagan region in late April, 2010. Taken at the Oyama Lake Snow Course, the snowpack reading was a snow water equivalent of 7mm, which is well below normal for that time of year. This was the result of a warm winter on low- and mid-elevation snow levels. Minister Penner noted that with the below average snowpacks in many areas across B.C., there was a strong potential for water-supply challenges and reduced water flows in creeks and rivers this summer. Pictured below (left to right): Minister Penner, Jack Allingham, Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick, and Minister of Agriculture and Lands and Kelowna-Mission MLA Steve Thomson.
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|  | | Clearing the Air on Earth Day
Minister Penner and Minister Yap check out the province’s innovative mobile air monitoring system outside the B.C. Parliament Buildings. The mobile air quality monitoring lab uses leading edge instrumentation mounted inside a large cargo van to provide air quality monitoring around the province. The van was in Victoria, and will also visit Nanaimo and the Peace River region this year.
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|  | | ‘Eye of the Wind’ on Grouse Mountain
Minister Yap (left), Minister Penner (middle) and Premier Gordon Campbell took in the view from inside the observation deck at the top of the wind turbine at Grouse Mountain during the 2010 Winter Olympics. This wind turbine, manufactured by Leitner Technologies of Italy, is the first in the world with an observation deck and an inside elevator for public access.
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|  | | Visiting the New Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park
PENTICTON – Minister Penner joined Barb Pryce from the Nature Conservancy of Canada, staff from the Ministry of Environment’s Okanagan Regional office, and local MLA Bill Barisoff (next to Barb) to visit Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park on December 2, 2009. Minister Penner introduced Bill 10, the Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act (PABC) in September, 2009 to establish the area as a new Class ‘A’ Provincial Park. The legislation was approved by the B.C. Legislature in November 2009. Since 2001, the B.C. Government has established 65 new parks, 144 conservancies and now has more protected areas than any other province in Canada.
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|  | Recycle Your Old Cellphone
Minister Penner (left) joined former Premier of New Brunswick Bernard Lord, and current CEO and president of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, in Vancouver last November. Together they announced that British Columbians will now have access to a web-based program that provides quick information to those looking for a place to recycle their old cellphones. “Within seconds of entering my postal code at RecycleMyCell.ca, I was directed to seven drop-off locations within four kilometres of my office where I could take my old cellphone for recycling,” said Minister Penner. “This program diverts e-waste from our landfills and is consistent with the goals of our recycling regulation, which makes producers responsible for the lifecycle management of products they sell in B.C.”
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