Re: Halalt files billion dollar suits against Catalyst
The alarming reality is that poor and minority communities in Canada have disproportionate exposures to environmental hazards, while those who make the big profits are well protected from the smoke stacks and down-river realities.
Catalyst could have shown up to do good work in partnership with the Halalt Nation and it would have benefited the entire community. Instead they’ve chosen to hire expensive lawyers to “vigorously” defend themselves like they are victims. Absurd. Catalyst should put that money towards restoring the ecosystem and meeting other obligations to the Halalt and the greater community, before the Supreme Court calls their bluff. Call it profit-sharing.
I doubt the shareholders in New York will like it very much, but then again, they don’t live near the smoke stack, they don’t want to harvest local shellfish for their kids’ dinner, their beautiful river isn’t being sucked dry and it sure as hell wasn’t their ancestors’ graves that were desecrated by one of the biggest polluters in B.C.
The reality is that Catalyst wants to pay as little taxes as possible, suck a profit until it’s dry and then shut it down. We need to be talking about clean up now. The Halalt Nation on the other hand has a vision that involves solid thinking about jobs, the environment, culture, economy and they are thinking about their neighbours all the while. Its obvious who has the vision and leadership to move us forward.
Amanda Marchand
North Cowichan
