"Downstream" Film Showings in Alberta

The screenings of DOWNSTREAM a documentary on the health concerns downstream fomr the oil sands are happening in Ft. Chipewyan Friday March 6, two screenings in Edmonton Sunday March 8 and on Monday March 9th in Calgary.


Here is some of the promotional material for the film:

"DOWNSTREAMCanada, U.S.A., 2008, 33 minutes http://www.downstreamdoc.com/
At the heart of the multi-billion dollar tar sands industry in Northern Alberta, Dr. John O' Connor's career is jeopardized as he fights for the lives of the Aboriginal people living and dying of rare forms of cancer downstream from one of the largest oil operations in the world. Making the short-list for this year's Academy Award® Nominations for best short documentary, Downstream, provides an in-depth look at the impact oil sands extraction is taking on the surrounding communities."

"Witnessing unprecedented changes to their land, health and heritage, the people of Fort Chipewyan have struggled for years to have their concerns addressed by government and industry. Downstream has raised unparalleled awareness in Canada and the United States regarding the environmental, economic and social impacts of the tar sands on both sides of the border."

Here is the ticket information:

Sunday March 8th, 2pm and 4pm • Metro Cinema9829 101A Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 0A1, CanadaAdvance Tickets in Edmonton available at 3 locations as of Monday, March 2nd. All tickets $10: Metro Cinema (office)6-32, Stanley Milner Library7 Sir Winston Churchill SquareEdmonton 780.425.9212metro@metrocinema.orgMetro Cinema Box Office Zeidler Hall, Main Floor Citadel Theatre9828-101 A Avenue, EdmontonTix on The Square9930-102 AvenueSir Winston Churchill SquareEdmonton 780.420.1757tix@tixonthesquare.ca

There will be panel discussions in each location but only after the 2 pm screening in Edmonton.


Leslie Iwerks Emmy® Award Winning Producer, Phil Alberstat, Family Physician, Dr. John O’Connor Professor of Ecology, University of Alberta, Dr. David SchindlerAlberta Liberal Leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Alberta Legislature, Dr. David Swann Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Strathcona, Linda DuncanFormer Chief, Mikisew Cree First Nation, George PoitrasFormer Chief, Smith’s Landing Treaty 8 First Nation, Francois PauletteEcologist, Treeline Ecological Research, Dr. Kevin Timoney


CALGARYMonday, March 9th, 7pm and 9:30pm • Plaza Theater1133 Kensington Road NW, Calgary, AB T2N 3P4, Canada Advance Tickets in Calgary available at 2 locations as of Saturday, February 28. Adults: $9Students/Youth (13-17): $7Seniors/Kids (Up to 12): $5HERITAGE POSTERS:1505 11th Avenue SW, CalgaryTelephone: 403.802.1846Email: heritageposters@shawcable.comPLAZA THEATRE:1133 Kensington Rd NW, CalgaryTelephone: 403.283.2222Email: pete@theplaza.ca


A PANEL DISCUSSION WILL FOLLOW THE 7PM SCREENINGin Calgary PANELISTS WILL INCLUDE:Academy Award® and Emmy® Nominated Director, Leslie Iwerks Emmy® Award Winning Producer, Phil Alberstat Family Physician, Dr. John O’Connor Award Winning Investigative Journalist and Author of Tar Sands-Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent, Andrew NikiforukAlberta Liberal Leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Alberta Legislature, Dr. David Swann Proceeds of ticket sales will benefit the people of Fort Chipewyan.

Harper Continues to Ignore Khadr Case

The Harper government (OUR GOVERNMENT FOR NOW) is still refusing to move on the Omar Khadr case. This is confirmed in Minister Cannon's recent meeting with Secretary of State Clinton.

Khadr is a child soldier and has been rotting in Gitmo for a third of his young life, thanks to Harper, Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney. He is not getting the benefit of the American system fo due process of law and he is being denied the legal protections that ought to be afforded every Canadian citizen by our government.

Globe and Mail has a piece just out on line that shows even those who were prosecuting in Gitmo can't take it any more. A link that is well worth a read.

Bring Omar home Mr. Prime Minister. I can't believe we still have to protest this kind of crap.

Good News: Fort Chipewyan is Using Video Conferencing.

ACFN GETS VIDEO CONFERENCING:
Here is a great piece of counter-intuitive good news that I just have to share. The Athabascan Chipewyan First Nation has just installed a high definition Lifesize video conferencing system in Fort Chipewyan, one of the most remote communities in Alberta. They are adding even more video conference capacity to their operations in Fort McMurray now too.

I will now be able to work with them face to face from my office with my system, on an on-going basis, without the time and cost of travel, accommodation and meals etc. The productivity increases and the improved effectiveness of our working together will be enormous. As well as well as improved communications and convenience we all will reduced carbon footprint with less travel.

Fort Chipewyan is one of the most remote and vulnerable communities in the province. The ACFN gets it and has taken a step into 21st century connectivity with this facility. Well done Chief Adam and congratulation to the rest of your crew in making this move.

VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS IS BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT
It used to be that 70% of our communications was influenced by visual inputs. Apparently newer studies are showing this has increased to over 80% of visual clues that have influence over the effectiveness of our human communication. As the Internet goes more to video and we have had more television exposure over the years, the more importance we are placing on our visual communications. Video conferencing is a natural response to provide that need for improved visual communications.

VIDEO CONFERENCING IS NOW COST EFFECTIVE
I am using video-conferencing more and more in my day-to-day work and am encouraging everyone I can to adopt this technology for the obvious reasons. I get excited about new technology and the positive changes it can make to our world. I am an early adapter more than an early adporter. Video conferencing like I am using is now accessible physically and fiscally for small businesses like mine. It has been one of the big changes from technology that I am really excited about.

THE LAST MILE SUPERNET SOLUTION FOR RURAL ALBERTA IS AT HAND
I hope the CRTC requires Telus to allow access to their unloaded copper telephone lines in Alberta A formal application has been made to the CRTC for that very purpose and a final decision from the Commission is expected shortly. If successful then anyone with a land line telephone service will be able to have this copper wire capacity used for Internet and other high valued added services like video conferencing. Imagine having that in you business, home or organization in rural Alberta. That will level the playing field for rural Albertans significanlty.

Connect those telephone lines to the SuperNet and all of a sudden rural Alberta's last mile SuperNet connectivity problem is also solved. Then more citizens and businesses all over rural Alberta willthen have fibre level internet services including high definition video access to the world using the power of the SuperNet. It can be there for them at a fraction of the cost of fibre and not expensive fibre installation costs. Telephone lines are everywhere in Alberta. They are very familiar and reliable technology that does not require expensive fibre optic installations. As one telephony consultant said recently, "Copper wire may be buried but it is not dead."

The SuperNet has enormous potential as an economic lever and a competative differentiator for our province. Alberta's SuperNet is one of the most powerful and unique 21st century infrastructures on the planet. Now all we need to do is to get Albertans hooked up and using it. Some policy decisions at the CRTC and shared SuperNet access policies need to come together to make this happen.

Harper Will Have to be Honest and Govern for a Change.

The Liberals are signalling a possible June election if Harper stays his usual course of announcing fiscal plans for stimulus and then sits on the sidelines. I don't think that will happen in June because Harper is more likely to just dig himself deeper in debt and trouble. Expect an election in the fall of 2009.

Harper is signalling now that he wants to take "short-cuts" and shovel the stimulus money out the door with minimal accountability for approval processes. He has already aid mistakes will be made but Harper would rather do this spending rapidly but not right. We need both test to be met Mr. Prime Minister.

Without proper oversight expect Harper to steer funds to those ridings where he needs to retain or gain political support. Equity and effectiveness for the country or the economy will not be Harper's operational principles for fund distribution if Harper has his way.

Harper now as an accountability problem. He has to report to the nation on his budget performance at the end of March and the and of June. Harper is now hamstrung and must be truthful and transparent for the first time. He actually has perform in his job as Prime Minister for the benefit of the nation and not just his personal pursuit of political power. If he continues to falter and fritter away time and time again with a continued negative ad campaigns, partisan political pranks and half-truths he will face certain defeat in the next election.

Harper has lied to us repeatedly and particulalry in the last election about the economic realities we were facing and about to face...even promising a fiscal surplus and no debt or deficit on his watch.

That deplorable dishonest behaviour is unacceptable. We need our political class to give us the truth that is delivered in a timely, straight and unvarnished fashion so we can forward plan from a factual base.

It is questionable if Harper and his government is even capable of this standard of character leadership - at least if you look at his past history. If they are not adaptable to change and honest government then the voter has to get involved. Citizens will have to take charge and invoke the necessary change of government so we can leave the planet and our place in it in better shape than when we came into the world.

Get ready for a fall election Canada.

Bank Shareholders Now Have a Say in CEO Compensation

Shareholders of three big Canadian banks have won the right to vote on top banker’s compensation. YES!!!

This is encouraging and I hope it is the start of a trend for a more activitist shareholder and investor approach. We need the individual corporate owners to particularly push their enterprises to pursue a more integrated economic and ecological approach to doing business.

Canadian banks are the best run in the world and some of our CEO’s have volunteered to reduce personal compensation and some have donated the difference to charity. The recent announcements of 1st QTR profits from 4 of the 6 top Canadian banks are very encouraging as well. Increased reserves for pending bad news are being made and loans to creditworthy customers are still happening.

The changing times are showing that shareholders and investors are getting more engaged as corporate owners. This move toward non-binding shareholder votes on executive compensation is a step the right direction. The non-binding vote is a smart move. It sets a tone and sends a message about shareholder mood.

The discrepancy between the most highly paid and the lowest workers in our society seem to be growing and will have serious social cohesion implications for the country.
It was the poorly managed banks and investment houses in the States and the negligence of bankers and investment “professionals” in the rest of the work who sold crap paper that that got the world wide into this economic crisis.

I expect to see a major housecleaning of many of the boardrooms of a wide range of Canadian public companies as the social license to operate responsibilities starts to sink in. Shareholders and consumers will start to act based on ethical investment and purchasing approaches. Then we will see a systemic and fundamental change in the role and responsibility of business.