News Releases

Court Adjourns Castle logging issue until time in schedule to hear the whole case
Friday, February 3, 2012 - 17:12   |   Forests and Biodiversity, Protecting Biodiversity

Commenting, "I have a court room full of people, there is a significant issue going on here,” Court of Queen’s Bench Justice, Rosemary Nation, concluded that there should be court time scheduled to expeditiously hear all the arguments regarding the closure of the Castle Special Management Area to public use in order to allow clear-cut logging and the area residents that blocked the logging equipment from starting.   “This is a highly contentious matter.”

Both the lawyers for four of the five residents named on the January 30th Court Order and for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) agreed that they would like the case heard on...

We need regulators, not cheerleaders
Friday, February 3, 2012 - 13:24   |   Alberta Tar Sands and Mackenzie River Delta, Climate Change, Alberta Tar Sands Pipelines, Energy Onslaught

Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent and his Alberta counterpart Diana McQueen are expected to unveil a new Tar Sands monitoring program Friday afternoon.

“It's time politicians put down their oil industry cheering pompoms and start enforcing the rules and regulations that are already in place,” says John Bennett, Executive Director of Sierra Club Canada.

While Sierra Club Canada is not against an improved monitoring program, Mr. Bennett says: “It's imperative the $50-million a year program be totally financed by big oil and completely independent and free of government and industry...

History being made in Alberta: Picket-line prevents clear-cutting in Castle protected area for 16th day
Thursday, January 26, 2012 - 14:24   |   Clean Up Chalk River!, Forests and Climate Change, Forests and Biodiversity, Protecting Biodiversity

Picket-line counter posts site where locals & outfitter continue to hold back clear-cutting in Castle protected area

Beaver Mines: Located on the way to Castle Mountain Resort in the Castle Special Management Area of southwest Alberta, locals, businesses and outdoor enthusiasts will be counter posting the site today with the Alberta Government's decision designating the area as a Special Place protected area. . It's now 16 days and counting that a rotating picket-line maintained by outdoor enthusiasts and near-by residents, and an outfitting camp are...

History being made in Alberta as for 14th day, picket-line & outfitting camp keep clear-cutting out of protected area
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - 17:12   |   Forests and Biodiversity, Protecting Biodiversity

BEAVER MINES: A rotating picket-line maintained by outdoor enthusiasts and near-by residents, and an outfitting camp set up by a second generation outfitter are making history in Alberta as for the 14th day now, they continue to hold back Alberta's Sustainable Resource Development Department (SRD) and a sawmill located outside the region from starting clear-cuting in Castle Special Management Area; a popular protected area in southwest Alberta.  Determined by a government hearing panel in 1993 to be an integral part of the health of the international Crown of the Continent ecosystem, the Castle Special Management Area...

Alberta Government kicks public out of protected area so Spray Lake Sawmills can begin clear-cutting
Thursday, January 19, 2012 - 16:57   |   Forests, Endangered Species, Protecting Biodiversity

BEAVER MINES: This afternoon, Alberta Government’s Sustainable Resource Development Department (SRD) issued a notice closing part of the popular, year-round recreation core of the Castle Special Management Area to public use.  That includes closing it to a legal camp of a second-generation outfitter and a picket-line by local residents - the presence of which was holding back Spray Lake Sawmills from starting up its equipment to bulldoze new roads and clear-cut the protected area.   

The notice was issued under the new Public Land...

Sierra Club Canada welcomes Obama Administration decision on the Keystone XL pipeline
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 - 15:57   |   Alberta Tar Sands and Mackenzie River Delta, Climate Change, Climate Summits, Alberta Tar Sands Pipelines, Energy Onslaught, Atmosphere & Energy, Transition to Sustainable Economy

"We welcome the decision by the Obama Administration to say no to the Keystone XL pipeline," said John Bennett, Executive Director of Sierra Club Canada. “Obama listened to Americans and shared their concerns about the environmental and social impacts. He made the right decision.”

"The Keystone XL pipeline is a bad idea based on bad economics. Today is a victory for the environment and future generations,” said Mr. Bennett. "We only wish the Canadian government would act as thoughtfully when it comes to other proposed mega-Tar Sands projects like the Northern Gateway Pipeline.”

John Bennett, Executive Director
Sierra Club Canada
...

Open Letter in response to Joe Oliver
Monday, January 9, 2012 - 18:18   |   Alberta Tar Sands and Mackenzie River Delta, Climate Change, Alberta Tar Sands Pipelines, Energy Onslaught, Government, Atmosphere & Energy, Transition to Sustainable Economy

January 9, 2012 (6pm EST)

The Federal Government is engaged in an unprecedented campaign to damage the credibility of the environmental movement. In the latest move, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver (apparently replacing Environment Minister Peter Kent as the chief anti-environmentalist government spokesperson) submitted an “open letter” to the media. In it, he links “radicals and environmental groups” and charges they are against everything. 

As a father of three grown daughters and grandfather of one beautiful baby boy...

Foreign Funding Poll: British Columbians Worried about Foreign Investment in Canadian Resources, Not Philanthropic Support for Environmental Groups
Monday, January 9, 2012 - 12:56   |   Climate Change, Energy Onslaught, Government, Atmosphere & Energy, Transition to Sustainable Economy

Sierra Club BC Press Release

VANCOUVER -- A poll released today by BC environmental groups shows that almost 75 percent of British Columbians are worried about foreign investment in Canadian natural resources. The poll results show that only a small minority of British Columbians (15%) are concerned about charitable funding provided by US philanthropic foundations to Canadian environmental groups.

The vast majority of British Columbians are worried about US and Chinese investment and control over Canadian natural resources.

"These poll results suggest that the...

Alberta logging could hamper USA grizzly bear recovery
Monday, January 2, 2012 - 12:26   |   Forests, Wilderness and Species Conservation, Alberta Grizzlies, Protecting Biodiversity

(CALGARY & LIVINGSTONE) While most were making merry during the holidays, the Grinch positioned himself in southwest Alberta’s Castle Special Management Area, located 12 miles north of Glacier National Park; ready to clear-cut log critical habitat for grizzly bears, including those with dual USA and Canadian citizenship.  Despite having designated this Rocky Mountain wildland as a Special Place protected area in 1998 “for the preservation of Alberta’s natural heritage,” the Alberta Government says Spray Lake Sawmills can start any time now inside it with clear-cut logging. Just before Christmas, the company told area...

Kyoto: Canada’s shame
Monday, December 12, 2011 - 17:17   |   Climate Change, Climate Summits, Transition to Sustainable Economy

MEDIA RELEASE
December 12, 2011

In response to the announcement that the Federal Government is pulling Canada out of the Kyoto Protocol, John Bennett, Executive Director of Sierra Club Canada, made the following comments:

"Mr. Kent does not understand what he is sentencing our children to - catastrophic climate change will cost them far more,” said Mr. Bennett

“This move is not economics. It certainly isn’t about saving 7 billion dollars,” said Mr. Bennett. “By not acting to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions it will cost us much more. One only has to look at the...

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