Apr 8, 2022 | International
On April 4, 2022, in the Provincial Court of British Columbia at Abbotsford, Delfresh Mushroom Farm Ltd. was ordered to pay a total fine of $265,000 and H.Q. Mushroom Farm Ltd. was ordered to pay a total fine of $385,000. These fines come after the companies, both having the same owner, entered guilty pleas on November 22, 2021, for two violations each of the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act. The offences relate to deposits of deleterious substances by each of the farms in waters frequented by fish, thereby contravening subsection 36(3) of the Act.
April 7, 2022 – Abbotsford, British Columbia
Strong and effective enforcement of Canada’s environmental and wildlife protection laws is one of the concrete ways we are delivering on our commitment to provide clean air and water, and conserve wildlife species and their habitat.
On April 4, 2022, in the Provincial Court of British Columbia at Abbotsford, Delfresh Mushroom Farm Ltd. was ordered to pay a total fine of $265,000 and H.Q. Mushroom Farm Ltd. was ordered to pay a total fine of $385,000. These fines come after the companies, both having the same owner, entered guilty pleas on November 22, 2021, for two violations each of the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act. The offences relate to deposits of deleterious substances by each of the farms in waters frequented by fish, thereby contravening subsection 36(3) of the Act.
In addition to the monetary penalty, the court ordered Delfresh Mushroom Farm Ltd. to provide a report to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) itemizing the steps it has taken to prevent deleterious deposits from entering waters frequented by fish.
The fines will be directed to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund. As a result of this conviction, the company names will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has created a free subscription service to help Canadians stay informed of what the Government of Canada is doing to protect our natural environment.
H.Q. Mushroom Farm Ltd.
In October 2015, ECCC environmental enforcement officers inspected H.Q. Mushroom Farm Ltd.’s farm. The officers found that effluent from the farm was entering waters frequented by fish and collected samples for analysis. The results of the analysis indicated that the effluent deposited was a deleterious substance and acutely lethal to fish.
Officers issued a Fisheries Act direction, which required H.Q. Mushroom Farm Ltd. to stop the deleterious deposits and to develop and implement a plan to prevent further deleterious deposits from entering waters frequented by fish.
In April 2016, officers returned to the farm to observe the steps taken and to collect effluent samples. Again, laboratory analysis indicated that the effluent being deposited into waters frequented by fish was acutely lethal to fish.
On September 23, 2020, charges were laid under 36(3) of the Fisheries Act.
Delfresh Mushroom Farm Ltd.
In August 2018, officers conducted an onsite Fisheries Act inspection of Delfresh Mushroom Farm Ltd. and collected samples from where the farm deposited effluent in waters frequented by fish. An analysis determined the effluent was deleterious and acutely lethal to fish.
Officers subsequently issued a Fisheries Act direction requiring that Delfresh Mushroom Farm Ltd. stop the deleterious deposit, and develop and implement a plan to prevent further deleterious deposits from entering waters frequented by fish.
In November 2018, officers returned to the farm for a follow-up inspection and observed brown effluent being deposited in a creek. Laboratory analysis of samples taken from the farm at this time confirmed the effluent was deleterious. The officers issued a second direction under the Fisheries Act.
On September 23, 2020, charges were laid under 36(3) of the Fisheries Act.
Media Relations
Environment and Climate Change Canada
819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
media@ec.gc.ca
Sep 30, 2021 | Business
Harlem-based artist Bayeté Ross Smith hopes to spur students and lawyers to question assumptions and reimagine solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.
Columbia Law School announced that Harlem-based photographer, artist and educator Bayeté Ross Smith has been named artist-in-residence for the 2021–2022 academic year. Columbia Law established this new program to examine and broaden how the institution honors its history and values, while also celebrating its vibrant and diverse community.
While in residence, Ross Smith will engage directly with faculty and students in classes, co-curricular events and other related programs. He will showcase installations of his work on the Law School campus, where he will maintain a studio space and have access to Columbia’s existing art collection and the Columbia University Libraries archives. Ross Smith plans to use the residency to expand on his “Art of Justice” project, a series of art and media installations and corresponding programs that addresses contemporary social, political and human rights issues while strategically engaging the legal community.
“I am thrilled and honored to have been chosen as Columbia Law School’s inaugural artist-in-residence,” said Ross Smith. “This opportunity will allow me to advance my work utilizing the storytelling power of the arts to engage law students, legal scholars and future policymakers in the contemporary and historic social justice issues and human rights issues that must be addressed in order for society to make the necessary progress we need over the course of the next century and beyond.”
Through his work, Ross Smith hopes to help shape the perspectives of law students during the formative years of their professional training.
“We are delighted to welcome Bayeté Ross Smith as our first artist-in-residence,” said Gillian Lester, Dean and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law. “Bayeté’s art examines many of the social, cultural and justice-oriented issues that are key elements of the Law School’s mission. He pushes creative boundaries with exceptional creativity and has a passion for challenging bias through education and promoting social justice through artistic expression.”
Ross Smith has chosen to focus his artistic energies on the legal community because of the vital role lawyers play in policymaking and the field of criminal justice.
“My goal is to create work that forces people to question their preexisting beliefs and ask themselves, ‘Why did I think that?’ in relation to any given topic or concept,” Ross Smith said.
A native New Yorker from Manhattan, Ross Smith was chosen as the inaugural artist-in-residence among more than 400 applicants. Entries were reviewed by faculty who lead Columbia Law’s Naming and Symbols Working Group.
Kendall Thomas, Nash Professor of Law and faculty co-chair of the selection committee, believes that Ross Smith’s “Art of Justice” project will offer “a powerful aesthetic toolkit for critical inquiry and reflection about the adverse impact of unconscious bias and distorted historical narratives in our legal system.”
“Ross Smith has a keen sense of how the arts can be used to help lawyers, law students, legal educators, and legal policymakers understand and address the cultural perspectives that shape our professional practice,” said Thomas. “I’m excited about the contributions Ross Smith will make to the Columbia Law learning community, and I look forward to working with him.”
About Bayeté Ross Smith
Ross Smith is a photographer, artist, and education worker who lives in Harlem and works at the intersection of photography, film and video, visual journalism, 3D objects, and new media. He has been recognized with multiple awards, fellowships, and grants for his work, including as a POV and New York Times Embedded Mediamaker, a Presidential Leadership Scholar, a 2021 CatchLight Leadership Fellow, a TED Resident, a Creative Capital awardee, an Art for Justice Fund Fellow, and a BPMPlus grantee.
His interdisciplinary work includes photographs, videos, sculptures, and performances. His work has appeared in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, the Oakland Museum of California, the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the Brooklyn Museum, among others. He has also exhibited internationally with the Goethe-Institut (Ghana), the Fotomuseum (Belgium), the Lianzhou Foto Festival (China) and America House (Ukraine).
Aug 23, 2021 | International
Memorandum of Understanding signed to launch a feasibility assessment for a proposed National Marine Conservation Area Reserve in British Columbia’s Central Coast..
Memorandum of Understanding signed to launch a feasibility assessment for a proposed National Marine Conservation Area Reserve in British Columbia’s Central Coast.
August 13, 2021 Central Coast, British Columbia Parks Canada
Protected areas play a vital role in conserving natural and cultural marine heritage, fighting climate change and biodiversity loss, and providing Canadians with opportunities to learn more about iconic cultural and natural settings.
Today, Marilyn Slett, Chief, Heiltsuk Nation; Doug Neasloss, Chief, Kitasoo/Xai’xais Nation; Samuel Schooner, Chief, Nuxalk Nation; Danielle Shaw, Chief, Wuikinuxv Nation, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada; the Honourable Katrine Conroy, B.C. Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development; and the Honourable George Heyman, B.C. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to launch a feasibility assessment for a national marine conservation area reserve (NMCAR) in the Central Coast area of British Columbia.
The study area for the national marine conservation area reserve feasibility assessment is about 14,200 square kilometres in size, and located in the coastal and offshore marine waters adjacent to the Great Bear Rainforest on the Central Coast of British Columbia. The study area includes inshore and offshore marine ecosystems, that are adjacent to an intricate shoreline that includes steep walled fjords and narrow channels, island archipelagos, open coast, estuaries, sandy beaches, shell midden beaches, and rocky shorelines. This dynamic environment is home to numerous species of marine mammals, including humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, Harbour and Dall’s porpoises, more than 6000 species of invertebrates, 400 species of fish, 150 species of birds, and some of the largest kelp forests in British Columbia. It is also an important habitat for a number of endangered species including eulachon, abalone, bocaccio, marbled murrelet, and sea otters.
For millennia, the wellbeing of the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/Xai’Xais, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv have been linked, inextricably, to the health of the marine environment. Management and use of abundant marine resources, particularly salmon, eulachon and herring, supported ancient civilizations and allowed rich and complex cultures and societies to develop. Archaeologists have dated the origins of village sites on the Central Coast to as far back as 14,000 years – making them some of the oldest continually occupied sites in Canada. Pre-contact, the Central Coast supported some of the highest population concentrations in North America.
Today, community members of the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/Xai’Xais, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv continue to honour their responsibility as caretakers of the marine environment. The life blood of the Nations’ communities comes from the existence of a network of diverse and healthy species, populations, and areas. Maintaining and restoring marine ecosystems will support not just Nations’ physical health but is inextricably connected to cultural health and continuity.
The feasibility assessment, led by Central Coast Nations, Parks Canada, and the Government of British Columbia, will use western science, Indigenous knowledge, and the results of consultations with stakeholders including the fishing industry, non-government organizations, and Canadians to consider the social, cultural, environmental, and ecosystem benefits and impacts of establishing a national marine conservation area reserve in the Central Coast of British Columbia. The results of the feasibility assessment will inform future decisions about whether the proposal will continue, including a proposed boundary and zoning considerations.
Grounded by science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives, Canada is committed to conserving 25 percent of marine and coastal areas by 2025, working toward 30 percent by 2030. Budget 2021 provided $976.8 million over five years for the establishment and management of new marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, working with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments, and stakeholders.
Based on a model of collaborative governance and management, the enhanced protection of this Central Coast marine ecosystem stemming from a proposed national marine conservation area reserve would help to conserve biodiversity, manage fisheries sustainably, and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, it would contribute to maintaining the culture, traditions, economies, and well-being of the Central Coast First Nations, who have long been stewards of these lands and waters.
A national marine conservation area reserve in the Central Coast is considered to be an important element of the marine protected area network being planned for the Pacific Region’s Northern Shelf Bioregion. Parks Canada, BC, and the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/Xai’xais, Nuxalk, and Wuikinuxv Nations are partners in the development of this planned network approach for marine conservation in the Northern Shelf Bioregion. Consultation on this broader network process is anticipated later in 2021 with the goal of completing the Network Action Plan by June 2022. Input from consultations will provide important feedback for consideration in the Central Coast National Marine Conservation Area Reserve feasibility assessment process.
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“British Columbia’s Central Coast is teeming with life and history. From countless marine species to the rich cultures and histories of First Nation communities, this area is remarkable. I am proud that the Government of Canada is taking an important step today, with the Government of British Columbia, the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/Xai’xais, Nuxalk Nation, and Wuikinuxv Nation, to protect this treasured place. On top of helping to conserve biodiversity and cultural marine heritage, protecting marine areas also plays a critical role in mitigating the impacts of climate change. Through science, Indigenous knowledge, and local perspectives, we will meet our commitment to conserving 25 percent of marine and coastal areas by 2025, and 30 percent by 2030.”
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada
“Our coastal waters are home to an amazing variety of animal and plant life, and it is so important that we work with our Federal and First Nations partners to explore the protection of this area. This agreement will allow us to pursue the conservation of an important ecological area for future generations, as well as protect the habitat of the numerous wildlife that call it home.”
The Honourable Katrine Conroy
B.C. Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
“The unique marine environment of British Columbia’s Central Coast is home to rich, unique, spectacular and at-risk biodiversity that has deep historic and cultural significance to Indigenous peoples. All British Columbians care about our coast — it’s a part of our identity — and know we need to protect its health. It’s vital that all levels of government come together to preserve this area’s irreplaceable marine environment, for now and for the future.”
The Honourable George Heyman
B.C. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
“The Heiltsuk Nation support this collaborative NMCAR feasibility assessment, we look forward to working towards co- developing an approach and process that is complimentary to our Gvi’ilas. Our Gvi’ilas, the laws of our ancestors as the paramount principle to guide all resource use and environmental management. Gvi’ilas refers to our “power” or authority over all matters that affect our lives. It is a complex and comprehensive system of laws that embodies values, beliefs, teachings, principles, practices, and consequences. Inherent in this is the understanding that all things are connected and that unity is important to maintain.”
Chief Marilyn Slett
Heiltsuk Nation
“The protection and sustainability of our marine environment is a priority for the Kitasoo/Xai’xais Nation. With today’s announcement and signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, we look forward to collaborating with Canada and British Columbia on the feasibility assessment for a national marine conservation area reserve, and learning how best to protect the marine environment and the ecological, social, cultural and economic values that it sustains.”
Chief Doug Neasloss
Kitasoo/Xai’xais Nation
“Today’s announcement is an important milestone in reconciliation, co-management, and ecosystem protection on the Central Coast. Nuxalkmc have relied on the rich marine resources in our traditional territories for thousands of years, and as a Nation we are committed to protecting this important region for our future generations. The national marine conservation area reserve feasibility assessment has the potential to help conserve our shared resources and demonstrate true collaborative governance with Indigenous peoples.”
Chief Samuel Schooner
Nuxalk Nation
“True reconciliation requires strong collaboration and consistent relationship building. Guided by the principle of ńàńakila (to protect and/or keep an eye on) the Wuikinuxv Nation hopes to achieve a balanced approach to marine conservation in important areas and marine habitats along our coast. We believe that the tools provided within the National Marine Conservation Area Reserve framework can help to reach these objectives and allow for joint decision making. It is with these sentiments in mind that we sign this Memorandum of Understanding.”
Chief Danielle Shaw
Wuikinuxv Nation
A significant number of spiritually and culturally important areas occur within the study area including petroglyphs, pictoglyphs, burial boxes, village sites, totems, and other areas important for the culture and well-being of local first nations such as harvesting, educational and spiritual sites.
The Central Coast is an important area for marine science and education, as demonstrated by the Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, Coastal Guardian Watchman, Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards Initiative, Hakai Institute and the Qqs camp.
National marine conservation areas are managed and used in a sustainable manner that meets the needs of present and future generations without compromising ecological sustainability. The establishment of a national marine conservation area reserve in Central Coast would support many sustainable community fisheries which are vital to the local economy. Commercial fishing, except for bottom trawling, is permitted within NMCAs within zones that permit ecologically sustainable use.
BC Parks and local First Nations manage dozens of coastal marine protected areas within the study area.
Parks Canada is responsible for protecting nationally significant places of Canada’s natural heritage and sharing their stories, including the history, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples, with Canadians and the world. The Agency protects a vast network of cultural and natural heritage places that include five national marine conservation areas, 171 national historic sites, 47 national parks, and one national urban park.
Parks Canada administered national marine conservation areas and coastal national parks currently contribute 2.12 percent of Canada’s 13.81 percent total marine and coastal protected areas.
Under Budget 2021, the Government of Canada has made a historic investment to protect the health of our oceans, including $976.8 million in funding over five years to reach ambitious marine conservation targets through the establishment of marine protected areas (including National Marine Conservation Areas) and other effective area-based conservation measures, such as marine refuges.
Budget 2021 also made a historic investment of $2.3 billion over five years in Canada’s Nature Legacy to address the biodiversity crisis, protect and conserve nature, and create jobs in nature conservation and management.
Joanna Sivasankaran
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
819-790-1907
Joanna.sivasankaran@ec.gc.ca
Media Relations
Operations and Rural Development
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource
250-356-7506
Jul 21, 2021 | Business
The National Inventory Certification Association (NICA) is pleased to announce that Andy Mendel, owner of True North Executor Solutions, Inc., has recently earned the designation of Certified Inventory Specialist (CIS). Achieving this designation confirms he has gained knowledge to provide professional asset inventory services.
To earn the CIS designation, Mendel successfully completed the required courses developed by NICA, agreed to conduct business according to the asset industry Code of Ethics, and accumulated a minimum number of Continuing Education Units. He then passed the Certification Exam, which is the final step in achieving this designation.
Choosing to invest in continuing education shows a desire to learn and excel. Earning these credentials informs clients that he has gone the extra mile to ensure that True North Executor Solutions provides quality inventory services.
Mendel stated, “We are problem solvers and every day we help others navigate the challenges of an estate. True North offers a vast array of services to trust officers, estate lawyers, executors, and families by coordinating the management of the physical assets and household property as part of the estate resolution process. We provide professional estate inventory services including 3D virtual walk-throughs. Our team of professionals also provide full-service security and maintenance, asset valuation/appraisal services, and socially and environmentally conscious dispersal of assets including online auctions. True North also provides compassionate beneficiary assistance including grief support and dispute resolution.”
For more information, visit https://www.tnes.ca.
About National Inventory Certification Association
The National Inventory Certification Association (NICA) is nationally recognized as the official certification authority for the personal property inventory industry. Certification and continuing education opportunities ensure that members have access to quality industry knowledge to help them achieve the success they seek. For more information visit https://www.NationalInventoryCertificationAssociation.com
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