sorry it's bird link - but frankly the last thing you want to do in an emergency is have a minister on a beach signal comms - it's so stupid - get the chief fire regional officer in a presser
Fort Nelson might be burnt down, and BC is playing politics on communications - fuck that
There is a beautiful irony that Poilievre has to cancel Axe the Tax rallies due to wild fires and smoke choking communities - though generally speaking the kind of people showing up to them would be happy to let everything burn, as long as it's not them, until the rapture
State or State Sponsored attack on BC Government systems happened a month ago but was kept secret until this week on advice from cyber security experts.
The BC health care COMMS official person I was dealing with for several months is now gone & there's no one in her place. I got routed to automated VIHA voice-mail. I'm fucking livid again. They seriously don't want to help citizens. Why the fuck are we still paying these incompetent assholes?
1/2 Today in, "Chris writes to Politicians” 🤣
I wrote to the British Columbia Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness today in relation to this news that she was negotiating with Meta to try to get access to Facebook to post emergency updates. How did we allow ourselves to be so beholden to these corporations for basic communication!
Here is my letter:
Dear Minister Ma (EMCR.Minister@gov.bc.ca)
CC: My Local MLA Minister Josie Osborne
I understand and agree with why you feel you must try to get Meta to allow you to post Emergency messages on that platform, especially during the fire season when we all now face so much uncertainty.
However, you must also acknowledge that:
Meta has made it clear its concern is curating its own content and “news” for its own financial benefit separate from any public benefit consideration.
You will never be able to control the algorithm on any Meta platform, so while you may post, you are still never guaranteed that your message can reach 100% of the people 100% of the time.
You as a Minister and as a representative of the Government of British Columbia cannot rely on third parties to get timely messaging out to communities and citizens. You are government, you have the means and responsibility to get the message out directly.
The question is how do you, as government, use social media directly? This has not been possible before, but it is now.
The answer is the Open Social Web. You may cringe at this example (and rightly so), but the pioneer and most famous person using the Open Social Web tools for public communication is Donald Trump with his “truth.social”.
Canada federal gov will stop sending rapid tests to provinces, the excuse being demand isn't high - although it's been the provinces themselves throttling access
A pro-active Gov would realize they can take on the testing challenge, over-ride denial public health, and provide better kits that test for Covid, RSV and influenza at once, and the proper information: isolate, stay home when sick, wear a proper mask - issue through Fed offices, and by mail
Vancouver Island University, my employer, is now threatening to remove the encampment and have people arrested. I'm absolutely sick.
I had corresponded with our President on May 1. I sent this to our Chancellor, Chair and President today.
Dear Chancellor Sayers, Chair Anderson, and President Saucier,
I am extremely concerned by the escalatory words and actions of VIU today given the encampment’s peaceful and respectful nature and disposition to date. The President has stated to me in her response quoted below on May 1 "that VIU’s approach to the encampment is based on respect and peace for protest and freedom of expression.”
The locking of all campus buildings today and the very clear threat by VIU Security (see attached noticed link) to have peace officers remove tents and equipment under the Trespass Act under threat of arrest is completely contradictory to the President’s statement and is exactly the approach that I flagged to the President as being extremely dangerous and likely to result in harm to the protesters and deep embarrassment to the University itself. There are peaceful ways to do this.
As an institution that is supposed to be fully immersed in the spirit and action of Truth and Reconciliation, I find these statements and actions to be horrendously contradictory, misguided, colonial, and dangerous.
As an individual employee, VIUFA faculty member, and member of this community on Snuneymuxw, Coast Salish and Nuuchanulth lands I am embarrassed, and I beg the University to reconsider and reverse its actions.
I'd just like to say I've been to enough protests of various topics that I have, in the past, seen anarchists, black block types, etc. I know what they look like.
I saw them before the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, and another time in Vancouver at a Climate protest. In both cases they were a tiny TINY portion of the crowd and stuck out like a sore thumb and have never, in my experience, ever been acting in connection with the overall group. They are their own thing.
There has been nothing of that sort in any protest that I have seen in these #Palestine protests. So any suggestion of such is, in my opinion, a pure fabrication and an incitement and dog whistle to Police to justify violence against the encampments.
Climate change emerging as biggest caribou threat: study
Habitat loss has long been considered the principle cause for concern
“There are a litany of reasons to do restoration and caribou aren’t the only species on the landscape. I think it behooves society to undo the disturbances we’ve created”
We did our best, and even though @devonblack did not win the nomination for the NDP candidacy for Saanich-Gulf Islands, we have learned a lot and will be ready for the challenges ahead. #BCpoli
@trishalynn I need to know because I'm strongly ANTI- #BCNDP - John Horgan & then Eby shady undemocratic kingmaking was my LAST STRAW! I need you to be honest - here, about this. Several of us won't ever support BC NDP ever again - for more than a few solid reasons. I'm very upfront on where & why I stand.
So Canada adds $36m to a 'vaccine injury fund' (with little justification, medically) but zilch for the millions with Long Covid and hidden damage that will emerge years from now - all the Health workers, first responders, teachers, retail forced to work in unmasked, unventilated spaces
Personal feedback on #BCNDP#farce of a citizens survey:
This 'survey' was taxpayers funded farce! There's zero areas where any citizens can provide additional input. You had ONE QUESTION & it was setup to skirt govt failures to citizens! You shady lying demons! #NDP
Your government is RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING MY DAD!
I'M MORE ENRAGED NOW!
HOPE YOU BECOME DISABLED & DIE FROM COVID! Especially BONNIE HENRY & ADRIAN DIX!
MY DAD'S DEATH WAS AVOIDABLE! BC NDP are death dealers!