BarKanada postponed one week

My apologies for any confusion, but the second edition of my show BarKanada will air a week later,

SAT, JAN 10th, same time, 11am EST.

It didn't air today, as u probably already know (I just woke up) and I just got an email from my brother, technical director at tonkuhle.de:
The program director booked the slot twice and had to give the other production priority - shit happens. Just glad, it wasn't me... :P

My brother also told me, how well done he thought the show was, so that kinda consoled me a bit! Hope u gonna tune in next week.... with best wishes and again my regret 4 the false alarm. Can't score if u don't try,... :P.

play list is in the previous post.

Check back soon for audio of this and the first edition.

Kind regards
Maren Molthan

editor and publisher
barkanada@gmail.com
tonkuhle.de

ROBERT LOVELACE BEGINS HUNGER STRIKE/PAULA SHERMAN MAY GO TO JAIL

hello everybody,

from today's Uranium news I draw the following info, please feel free to forward:

ROBERT LOVELACE BEGINS HUNGER STRIKE/PAULA SHERMAN MAY GO TO JAIL

On February 15, 2008 Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFN) Spokesperson Robert Lovelace was sentenced in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Kingston to 6 months in maximum security, plus crippling fines, for peacefully protesting uranium mining in the Ardoch homeland. Chief Paula Sherman was fined $15,000 and given until today to pay the fine, failing which she will be jailed.

Lovelace, who turned 60 in jail, announced that he will begin a hunger strike tomorrow to press the government to respond to Ardoch’s request for good faith negotiations. “I do not want my children and grandchildren to have to go through what we are going through” he said. “Starting tomorrow I will consume only water in the hopes that our cry for justice will be heard by Mr. McGuinty and Mr. Bryant.”

Chief Paula Sherman said: “I will soon be going to jail because I cannot and will not pay this unjust fine. I am a single mother with three dependents whose only crime is the defense of our land. Like Bob Lovelace and the KI 6, I would rather go to jail than take food out of my children’s mouths or let our land be destroyed.”


GATHERING OF MOTHER EARTH PROTECTORS
Please contact Susan at sdelisle@kingston.net for busing to this event from Ottawa Valley and Kingston.

May 26th - SOVEREIGNTY RALLY
May 27th - Ongoing events
May 28th - Appeal of the Bob Lovelace/AAFN and KI council sentences (6 months incarceration and in Bob's case, fines)

(editor's comment: unlike the charges against protesting settlers, the appeal is tried in Toronto at the Ontario Court of Appeal: Osgoode Hall, Queen & University Aves, Toronto. Check with ccamu.ca for ride sharing out of Perth and Ottawa)

May 29th - Aboriginal Day of Action

DONNA DILLMAN'S HUNGER STRIKE

Donna Dillman will be proceeding with her hunger strike on Thanksgiving Monday, October 8, 2007.
It was decided yesterday that it would be beneficial to have Donna stay right at the site, outside of the gates, to draw more attention to the centre of the protest. It is important to know that Donna has not passed through the gates of the site and what she is doing is well within her legal rights, as she will be camping on the road allowance.
Some people were wondering if Donna was welcome to stay at Parliament Hill. Know that the OPP and RCMP were willing to discuss accommodating Donna and that her choice to keep the hunger strike at the protest site, in no way suggests a lack of cooperation on the part of the police. Donna is allowing for the possibility of moving her protest to Parliament Hill if needed.

NOTE FROM DONNA…

As I set up to begin my hunger strike at noon on Monday, please know that this effort will not be successful in isolation. It is not about me. The hunger strike is a focal point. With our voices, our pens and the internet, each of us can reach out to as many other people as possible, and as each of them to do the same. The media will not win this for us. With our individual efforts we can take this issue around the world overnight and it might take that to bring me back home.

At a meeting at the site last night, Chris Reid, one of the lawyers for the First Nations said that he "could feel it in his bones" that we could win this, With the momentum that has already been built by the Natives and by the non-native community, we CAN win a moratorium.

Thank you for the numerous offer of prayers, and various kinds of support. I know that I am not, in fact, doing it in isolation and appreciate all of you for the efforts you have made and continue to make.

Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving.
We have much to be thankful for.
Donna



BACKGROUND
LOCAL GRANDMOTHER STARTS HUNGER STRIKE

At 12 pm on the 8th of October, Donna Dillman started her hunger strike outside of the gates of the uranium protest site. She is calling for a moratorium on uranium mining in Eastern Ontario and is asking people to show their support by contacting local politicians and media outlets. Many people have expressed their concern about Donna’s actions but after speaking with her directly most come away with an understanding and appreciation for the position she has taken. Thank you for all of the letters of support.


DONNA DILLMAN’S BLOG DAY ONE

We can go a long time without food, but clean water is essential to all life. With that in mind and with the rain holding off, I arrived at the site at noon, today, feeling a bit of trepidation and some anticipation. A short time later my home away from home arrived and the good folks at the site got busy and moved me in. I am indebted to the people who donated the tent camper and those on my support team. Without them, and other supporters, this would not be happening, as they are vital to the success of this campaign.

My debut into the public eye came about when a Global TV reporter and Jeff Green, from Frontenac News, arrived on site for interviews. Harold Perry officially welcomed me and thanked me for what I am doing here and I was able to share with him how much I appreciate the sacrifice that the First Nations have made in keeping our water safe. Some time later, I was also interviewed by a student from Loyalist College.

I’ve been getting lots of response to my action and I want to thank each of you for your comments and prayers. Please know that I am not doing this in isolation and that whatever you can do to help me get the message out is appreciated. Please call, write or email your elected officials. Tell them you want a moratorium on uranium exploration and mining in Eastern Ontario. Or start an action of your own – a women in N.S. is organizing a coalition of grandparents to protest with us (wouldn’t it be grand if that went coast to coast, with people protesting in communities across the country) and some raging grannies are visiting the site on the weekend – or donate as you can, so that the people working on the issue can keep on keeping on. If you can come by the site, please do, as visits go a long way to keeping the moral up here.

Blessings
Donna

Legitimacy versus Legality

Bruce H. Moore is the Director of the International Land Coalition, an alliance of intergovernmental and civil-society organizations working together to promote secure and equitable access to and control over land. The ILC Secretariat is hosted by the United Nations in Rome, Italy. For more information go to

http://www.landcoalition.org/



ARTICLE BY BRUCE H. MOORE

Uranium Mining - Legitimacy versus Legality
Global demand for minerals, fuels and forest products is a daily headline around the world. On the surface, the promise of jobs and the projections of bull markets appear full of hope for workers and investors alike. However, the story below the surface may be different. Conflicts over natural resources are rising. Growing numbers of local land owners and traditional users increasingly fear that they will loose their land and resource rights to the powerful corporate forces of international mining, energy and forestry.

Extractive industries, such as Frontenac Ventures, outside of Canada’s capital Ottawa, have filed their prospecting claims, seemingly on the classical arguments of the mining sector – that the law provides them with sub-surface rights; a mine, in this case uranium, will contribute to economic growth; and, today’s mining practices are safe. And, in the case of uranium, the latest boost to the claims of the mining industry, links nuclear power to climate change – it’s carbon-free and unlike gas and oil, uranium is located in friendly places like Australia and Canada.

Competing resource claims are difficult policy issues. From a global vantage point, these are not new issues. There is a wide body of worldwide experience and evidence that can be used to establish public policies to legislate and regulate who has he right to use which resources, for which purposes, and under which conditions. These are the essential components for ensuring sustainable resource use. The emerging confrontation around uranium mining in Canada can benefit from this knowledge and the lessons that have been learned elsewhere.

The Canadian case, seeming to hinge on a law from the 1800s, raises the same question that has come to the surface in resource conflicts in other countries. Is the law legitimate? For the International Land Coalition and similar organizations concerned with peoples’ resource rights, it is commonly recognized that governments have a responsibility to ensure that their laws are both coherent within their jurisdiction and consistent with international agreements to which they are a party. In legitimacy versus legality approach to public policy, governments are frequently found to have not harmonized old laws with the new, both within and across ministries. Is this mining law from the 19th century in harmony with related federal and provincial laws of the 21st century?

Around the world, legislative reform of the natural resource sector is undergoing rapid reform in respect to environmental protection, nuclear safety, and the downstream natural resource and watershed effects, resulting from chemical leaching, including mining residues. Canada has a mixed reputation in the mining sector. On the one hand Canada is recognized as an international leader in promoting environmental impact monitoring. On the other, Canadian mining companies operating abroad are frequently cited as examples of policies not being matched in practice.

The current land rights conflicts in Canada and rampant resource debates around the world, point to the need for a mining law that reflects the full body of resource and environmental laws and safeguards, including Canada’s voluntary or ratified international agreement in these domains. Furthermore, when approaching resource reform, it is noteworthy that the principles of free, prior and informed consent are increasingly considered as the basis for protecting the resource rights of landowners, users and tenants.

From press stories covering this Canadian situation, communities may be at risk of becoming divided over the economic promise that mining may offer. Yet, studies have indicated that mining generally results in only low levels of employment due to its high tech nature. The real increase in jobs is not where the mine is located but where the minerals are used, while the environmental consequences remain. Road building and infrastructure are one time investments and trucking generates few jobs. And, the few on-site jobs can quickly disappear due to the high price volatility of minerals. Additionally, a 2001 study found that Canadian taxpayers subsidized the mining industry by $13,095 per job created, funds that may have been used to stimulate alternative opportunities.

Mining is not neutral; it affects the entire territory – especially where the mineral is uranium. Mining on average takes 20 years to come on stream and may be postponed or cancelled if mineral values change or competition from richer deposits or lower labour costs makes other mining locations more attractive. For these twenty years other opportunities are likely to suffer. In a highly valued recreational area with a burgeoning property market, as in the case of this region of Canada, property values are likely to decline thus lowering the tax base. Whereas, the current growth in full-time residents, seasonal cottage owners and vacationers would seem to be a sustainable stimulant to the local economy. This appears to be the alternative to an uncertain, financial volatile, environmentally risky and socially divisive force among neighbours and local business people alike.

Climate change is among the international issues that are gaining much required attention. It would seem unimaginable that policy makers would be taken in by corporate “spin-doctors” suggesting that they should use risky technology to counter greenhouse gases when safe technologies exist.

This Canadian mining confrontation is of rising global interest. Whose interests will rise to the surface – the citizen or the corporation?


ARTICLE IN THE KINGSTON WHIG-STANDARD

Lawyers attempt to force hand of justice; Want to see protesters brought to trial
Posted By Sue Yanagisawa
The Kingston Whig Standard October 5, 2007

Lawyers are still attempting to forestall contempt charges against protesters occupying a uranium-prospecting claim north of Sharbot Lake.

This morning, lawyers representing the Algonquins occupying the claim and Frontenac Ventures Corp., the company that holds rights to explore the area's mineral potential, will meet at Frontenac County Court House to try to broker a deal.

Late last week, Justice Douglas Cunningham endorsed the injunction sought by the company upholding Frontenac Ventures' "immediate, unfettered and unobstructed access to the subject property."

Within days, Frontenac Ventures filed notice it was seeking an order holding the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, five of their community leaders, Christian Peacekeeper David Milne of Belleville, local landowner Frank Morrison and unidentified Johns and James Doe in contempt of his order "by failing to end the occupation and/or leave the subject property."

As of yesterday, Cunningham's injunction was still in draft form.

Although Cunningham's injunction hadn't yet been filed with the court, after some preliminary discussion to tweak its terms, Frontenac's lawyer, Neal Smitheman, asked to proceed directly to trial on the allegations of contempt, which were first raised in relation to an interim injunction granted in late August by another judge.

Cunningham asked if it would be better to wait and proceed, if necessary, on his order: "It has not been issued. It has not been entered [with the court] and there's no direction to enforce," he pointed out.

Smitheman told him the parties were aware of his endorsement and said, "your endorsement has not been followed. Your endorsement is being ignored."

At previous court hearings where the prospect of contempt charges was raised, it was estimated that a trial would take five days. Neither of the lawyers representing the Algonquins came to court anticipating that they'd even be spending the night in Kingston.

Lawyers Christopher Reid, who represents the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and Stephen Reynolds on behalf of Shabot Obaadjiwan, told the judge they weren't prepared to begin a trial immediately.

Reynolds said that Smitheman was "trying to jam through a contempt motion," on short notice and argued that his clients are entitled to call witnesses in their defense. He also told Cunningham that he hadn't prepared to cross-examine the police witnesses.

Smitheman proposes to call three members of the OPP's Aboriginal Response Team (ART), a recent initiative developed out of the Ipperwash Inquiry and aimed at building trust between native communities and the police force. Concerns have already been expressed for the future of the initiative if its members are compelled to testify.

Cunningham rose abruptly around 11:15 a.m. and directed the lawyers to join him in the jury deliberation room adjoining the courtroom.

Spectators in the courtroom were left for the rest of the day to speculate on what was happening behind closed doors.

For more of this article go to…

http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=722502&auth=Sue+Yanagisawa

Tourism Minister Jim Bradley not aware of Rideau's World Heritage Status?

Banner in front of the tents near the proposed Frontenac Ventures uranium mine



In a phone conversation with Maren Molthan, Susan Freeman, Deputy Reeve in Tay Valley Township and Councillor for Lanark County, described her latest efforts to turn the protest in the communities with uranium mining into alterations to the Ontario Mining Act. She has worked on that for years and met with Bill Mauro, parliamentary assistant to Northern Development and Mining Minister Rick Bartolucci on Tuesday, the 21st of August. Susan also talked to Jim Bradley, Minister for Tourism of Ontario. The purpose of these meetings was to attract some Ministerial attention on the treatment and consequences residents of Lanark County and Tay Valley Township face with uranium and graphite mining.


Maren Molthan: When did you start advocating for a change in the Mining Act towards more rights for private land owners, was that in your time as Warden of Lanark County for the 2004-2005 term of office?

Susan Freeman: No earlier, just six months after I was elected to Tay Valley Council when the first stakings happened for graphite exploration in Tay Valley.


MM: You have filed a resolution to make some changes to the Ontario Mining Act. What do they consist in?

SF: Some private property owners do not possess their sub-surface (mineral rights) on their property, only the surface rights. The situation here in Southern Ontario is very residential. The Mining Act was created much in favour of the development of the North, which we acknowledge. The resolution aims to make the mining rights accessible to the property owner so if they wish, to merge their surface and mineral rights.


MM: What was the reaction?

SF: Both were very sympathetic, although they seemed to be very unfamiliar with the situation here in Eastern Ontario. The Tourism Minister disputed my statement that the proclamation of the Rideau Canal as World Heritage Site represents in fact, Ontario's first and only World Heritage Site. Bill Mauro, also the current MPP of the Riding of Thunder Bay-Rainy River, didn't seem to be aware of the now UNESCO-protected status of the Rideau Canal at all.


Note of the editor: look up all Canadian World Heritage Sites here.


MM: What would you like to see happening to improve the position of private landowners in Lanark and Tay Valley?

SF: We asked the government for a moratorium on the uranium mining in Ontario. On the same note: I hope that our MPP for Lanark, Norm Sterling, will voice our concern in the house.


MM: With regards to Bill Mauro also being the current MPP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River - how much do you see a conflict of interest in Mauro - at the same time - holding also the position of the Minister's parliamentary assistant?

SF: No, each Minister works with another MPP who is their parliamentary assistant. Hopefully, even though from the north, they work for all Ontarians.

MM: How do you think/expect the Ministries to react?

SF: It is an election year, so who knows!


MM: Do you know of any session, where the house or the committee in charge will likely discuss the resolution or the Mining Act itself? If so, when is that scheduled?

SF: After the EBR (Environmental Bill of Rights) postings then there should be committee hearings on changes to the Act.


Note of the editor: The Ontario Association of Anglers and Hunters explains well, in what an EBR posting consists and provides a link to the Environmental Bill of Rights web page.

MM: How do you think the Ontario Vote in October is going to impact the
discussion?

SF: Certainly in this riding it well might have an effect.


MM: What is your next step?

SF: Our next step is to ask both councils to pass a motion on a moratorium on uranium mining and on the protection of the Rideau Corridor in Tay Valley and Lanark County.



Excerpt of the resolution:

"(...) the Mining Act of Ontario recognizes separate mining and surface rights on many private lands, bringing about a state of affairs where there may be two owners to one property; (...)"


Susan Freeman can be reached here:
www.susanfreeman.ca
sfreeman@rideaunet.ca



To not own the surface rights of a property does not prevent any mining operator to process exploratory drillings for Uranium at any given time on that property. Now, even with this 150 years old practise remaining legal, it may conflict with the UNESCO protection, because the Rideau Canal is water-connected with the concerned communities, also known as the land of lakes. J.D. Kittle residing in Snow Road, voiced concerns in an open letter, criticizing the Mining Act in a very similar way (see archives for entire open letter):

"The Ontario Mining Act allows mining companies to conduct this prospecting and exploration activity without the knowledge or permission of property owners. There is also no requirement to notify or consult with the Crown when exploration takes place on unpatented Crown land. The exploration process itself can and has in the past done serious damage to property. The Ontario Mining Act allows excavation of thousands of tons of material in the exploration stage without environmental assessment and without a requirement to restore the land. The drilling process itself has risks … the planned depth of ~400 meters causes drill holes to become “wells”, which have to be filled to prevent upflow of contaminated water into the watershed. Drilling can also affect the stability of underground water aquifers that supply clean drinking water to wells in our area.

If exploration leads to an operational mine, ore is removed by strip-mining and shipped to a processing site, usually located as close as possible to the mine site. Uranium ore is crushed and leached using large quantities of water. The sludge or tailings, which still contains substantial quantities of radioactive material, are dumped into special tailings ponds. Reports in 1980 by the Ontario Environmental Assessment Board on Elliott Lake solved many of the problems, but cited significant residual risks in the area of long-term viability of these tailings ponds. More recently in 2003 and 2006, Cameco in northern Saskatchewan, which is the world's largest uranium producer, suffered three major flood-related spills, in spite of new technologies in tailings pond management. In North Frontenac and Lanark, mining and processing of uranium ore is of special concern since a pond failure or accidental spill could cause toxins to flow into the Mississippi River watershed, thereby impacting tens of thousands of people in villages, towns and cities downstream, including the City of Ottawa.

There are hundreds of cases where mining companies have walked away from mines or processing facilities leaving a mess for the province to clean up. In December 2005, the Ontario Auditor General identified, out of 5400 abandoned mine sites in Ontario, at least 250 are 'toxic waste dumps, leaching acidic, metals contaminated drainage into water-courses and aquifers', and the AG strongly criticized the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines over their failure to protect the environment and Ontario taxpayers from the long-term impacts of mining.

In terms of documented health risks, the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Act states: 'primary cancers of the trachea, bronchus and lung among workers previously employed in uranium mining in Ontario are recognized as occupational diseases under the Workplace Safety & Insurance Act. They are both characteristic of uranium mining and result from exposure to ionizing radiation relating to the uranium mining industry'.

In relation to the government's new Clean Air and Clean Water Act, we are concerned about the impact of potential uranium mining pollution on the water supply of hundreds of thousands of people in villages, towns and cities downstream on the Mississippi and Ottawa River systems. We do not want a repeat of Elliott Lake and other uranium mining disasters throughout the world. Airborne radioactive dust is carried by winds and will directly affect not only mine employees, but thousands of Ontario residents in Frontenac County, Lanark County, Tay Valley and the City of Ottawa other area townships.

Farmers and rural businesses are very concerned about the effects of uranium mining on tourism, agriculture and other traditional rural businesses and land uses. Property owners have already suffered a negative impact on property values and in many cases have indefinitely delayed plans for property purchases or improvements at a substantial cost to local economies.

Nova Scotia has already enacted a province-wide moratorium on uranium mining due to serious health and environmental concerns and the poor environmental record of the mining companies. British Columbia is presently considering a similar moratorium. Nova Scotia's moratorium was prompted by contamination from exploratory drilling.

The root of the problem is that the Ontario Mining Act is over 150 years old, and is long overdue for a major overhaul. Over the last few years, many proposals have been submitted to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (many at the request of the Ministry), but to date no substantive changes have been made to the Act. The unfairness of the current Mining Act and its extreme bias toward mining company rights over the rights of property owners and First Nations people is encouraging uranium mining exploration and development that is completely incompatible with current land use in our area.

We request that the Ontario government enact an immediate moratorium on uranium exploration, mining and processing in eastern Ontario and initiate a public review of Ontario's Mining Act."


J.D. Kittle can be reached here:
j.s.kittle@sympatico.ca
PO Box 1050, Snow Road, ON, K0H 2R0


Maren Molthan freelances for various media east and west of the Atlantic and can be reached here:
marenscommunications@yahoo.ca

Featured Communities

* Burritt's Rapids
Secret beauty. Best General Store ever. Has got ice cream. Also the only store in town. Laundry for three quarters in the back of Michael's Restaurant (opulent baklava!) at the locks.
* Kars
Marina with boat repair. Sport airport towards North Gower. Boat launch at the park. Oh, ah, yes, there is also a gas station and a telephone booth. Life like it used to be.

The Kemptville Creek at Curry Park. photo M.Molthan
* Kemptville
Boomtown central, as North Grenville shows fastest community growth in Ontario. Docking before downtown bridge on the creek, just like the old steamers did. Boat launch at Curry Park. Beer store, newly expanded LCBO, supermarkets and Lebanese food in the mall - very skilled and fresh local cuisine at The Branch Restaurant (families: join in the music during the legendary open stage every last Sunday of the month). Independent, Food Basics, Canadian Tire.
* Manotick (Ojibway for "Island in the River")
Marina. First community south of Ottawa. Two miles south of Long Island lock. Nine holes at Manotick Golf Club. Supermarkets, LCBO and beer store downtown. Banks: TD Canada Trust, RBC Royal.
* Merrickville
Marinas on each side of the locks. Home made chili-chocolate ice cream (seen the movie?! parlez à Serge!) and best lattes up- and down stream at Brewed Awakenings (now also have a branch in Kemptville). Organic ingredients and dishes will be served in the soon to open Serendipity on Mainstreet, next to the Mainstreet Restaurant. La dolce vita for homesick immigrants and other demanding palates in the new Italian restaurant The Locks, a little further down the road, or if you just need some international ingredients, go to Mrs. McGarrigle's Fine Foods (at least 20 different chocolate bars not to mention all the oils, vinegars and mustards!). Highest gay population amongst Ontario villages (do you ever wonder how these statistics come about? I mean, would you really answer a questionnaire asking your sexual preferences?!). Lots of artists, artisans, stores. Banks: RBC Royal. Post office on St Lawrence St. Free Internet, wifi and a probably pretty crazy bunch of regulars at Harry McLean's Pub in the Baldachin Inn (make sure to catch a Saturday night here. Everything is possible after David climbs on something to light up the red stage light). Combined LCBO-Beer store. Food store/supermarket on Saint Lawrence Street.
* Perth
Who the heck was Stewart and what did he do in the park? Live music in numerous cosy pubs and bars with lots of patios and terraces on Gore Street. Home of Brock Zeman and Keith Glass (Prairie Oyster) - both seen last summer on (or in?) various stages during Stewart Park Festival, the former looking kindalike sobering out on an innocent Sunday morning under a tree. But maybe all that turns out to be just an artefact in the delusional regard of the publisher`s envious eye - who knows. Banks: Bank of Montreal BMO, CIBC, RBC Royal Bank, Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust. Exquisit coffee and dessert in the Old Mill.
* Port Elmsley
* Rideau Ferry
* Smiths Falls
Free Internet at public library (81, Beckwith Street North, 90-second-walk from TD branch). Nine holes at Donneybrooke and Smiths Falls Golf Club. Nice patio on the river at Do Little's Pub and Eatery - don't let the Comfort Inn scare you, but give in to your chocolate cravings at the Hershey factory. Banks: BMO Bank of Montreal, CIBC, RBC Royal Bank, Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust. Post office near police station, Beer store, LCBO, Independent, Food Basics, Canadian Tire.