In 1999, a tropical fungus called by scientists Cryptococcus gattii unexpectedly appeared on Vancouver Island. Spores from the fungus can cause a sometimes fatal pneumonia-like illness in humans, cats, dogs and marine mammals, including porpoises and dolphins. There is one reported case of the fungus infecting a great blue heron. Normally, the fungus is most […]
Two related scientific papers published in the past two weeks, one on the First Peoples initial settlement of coastal North America and the second giving a probable new timeline of the retreat of the glaciers during the last Ice Age, taken together are likely confirmation of the Haisla story of how that nation first settled […]
UPDATED with comments from District of Kitimat, Terrace and the Gitga'at Nation A preliminary seismic hazard assessment by Natural Resources Canada has identified possible earthquake scenarios for the Douglas Channel near Hartley Bay, Terrace and Bella Bella. The same studies indicate that while Kitimat may not be directly in a seismic zone prolonged earthquakes cause […]
A pile of slash at a quarry site for the Pacific Trail Pipeline near the Little Wedeene River. (Robin Rowland) Complete photo gallery at my photography site.
About 52 million years ago what is now the Bulkley Valley was home to a tiny hedgehog and an ancient ancestor of tapirs, who lived on the shores of a placid lake surrounded by a lush upland forest. The newly discovered fossils at Driftwood Canyon near Smithers are significant advance in the study of the […]
A new study, based at the University of Alberta, released this week, indicates that natural selection may be making the mountain pine beetle more tolerant of colder temperatures and that the beetle may be evolving the ability to fly longer distances. A second study, from the Colorado School of Mines, also released this week, is […]
Here are edited portions of the EIS assessment for a major oil terminal at Prince Rupert Environmental Setting The EIS says “the local surface geology at the Prince Rupert site consists of bedrock (granitic rocks) overlain by glacial outwash and a thin soil cover.” and goes on to note that “Prince Rupert is located along […]
[photoshelter-gallery g_id="G000034M5Z2_lI4Q" g_name="Douglas-Channel-in-black-and-white" f_show_caption="t" img_title="iptch" pho_credit="iptc" f_link="f" f_send_to_friend_btn="t" f_fullscreen="t" f_topbar="t" f_bbar="t" f_htmllinks="t" f_mtrx="t" fsvis="f" width="615" height="461" f_constrain="t" bgcolor="#AAAAAA" btype="new" bcolor="#CCCCCC" crop="f" trans="xfade" tbs="10000" f_ap="t" bgtrans="f" linkdest="c" twoup="f" f_bbarbig="" f_enable_embed_btn="f" f_show_watermark="f" f_show_slidenum="f" f_smooth="f" f_up="f" target="_self" wmds="llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.Y5p9TTphsaUCWglrsuG3u3BJwmfV6PzC2SqyK_HnEz4rFhVjU4A--" ] Photogallery. For full screen mode with captions, click on the box to the right of the bottom menu bar. […]
A Department of Fisheries and Oceans report filed Wednesday, June 6, 2012, with Joint Review Panel says the department has identified streams on the Northern Gateway Pipeline route that Enbridge identified as “low risk” but which DFO considers “high risk.” However, in the filing, DFO says it can't release a comprehensive list of the high […]
EDITORIAL Who speaks for Kitimat? Someone has to speak for Kitimat on the Northern Gateway project. The District of Kitimat Council no longer has a choice. It's time to play hardball with Ottawa and Enbridge on the Northern Gateway Pipeline. You can't negotiate from a position of weakness. The game of pipelines changed forever in […]