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Officials in B.C. have said that documents show the province lacks the ability to manage oil spills from current and future expanded oil traffic.

According to the Vancouver Sun, factors such as Ottawa dealing with coastal oil spills from Quebec, an inadequate staff at the Ministry of Environment and insufficient technology to clean oil spills properly mean that even a moderate spill could overwhelm the province’s ability to respond.

Documents added that sensitive habitats, local economies like fisheries and First Nations along pipeline routes could be affected.  

Clean-up delays due to weather conditions and remoteness of pipeline routes in B.C. could lead to broader contamination of water, land and wildlife. 

Documents also estimate that with 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day flowing through pipelines, an hour-long spill could lead to 21,000 barrels spilling into B.C.’s wilderness.

The Enbridge-proposed Northern Gateway pipeline as well as the expansion of the existing TransMountain pipeline could increase tanker traffic by more than 1,000 trips annually off the Pacific coast.

Flickr Photo by: Seong-Woo Seo

STORY WRITTEN BY: CATLIN SPENCER

Hosted by: Spoon Jung

Stories by: Saturn De Los Angeles, Catlin Spencer & Carlo Spiridigliozzi

Produced by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi

Talks for new services to be offered by pharmacies starting September 3rd have failed. 

According to the Gazette, the talks between Quebec pharmacists and Health Department broke down Thursday.

Pharmacies were going to offer seven new services, which was reduced to three, including prescribing medication for minor conditions, prescribing medication when a diagnosis isn’t required, and modifying prescriptions.

It was suggested by Quebec Health Minister Réjean Hébert that those covered by the Quebec public drug plan would be able to receive these services for free. 

An impasse in negotiations however means that pharmacies will be charging everyone for these services.

Legal interpretation of pharmacists’ rights to conduct tests in pharmacies have suspended discussions until a written document from Hébert,  identifying the laws and regulations prohibiting pharmacists from conducting such tests,  is obtained.

Flickr Photo by: operation_janet

STORY WRITTEN BY: CATLIN SPENCER

I really enjoyed The Poet’s Dead, the most recent release from Saskatchewan’s Rah Rah. This album exudes a palpable energy from start to finish; the sound is big, full and all encompassing. Guitar-laden with addictive hooks and melodies that take hold of you and don’t let you go, it's no wonder this album was on this years Polaris Prize long-list. I freely admit having this album on repeat unable to get enough of what Rah Rah has to offer.

For me, this album is dedicated to the expression of growth. A kind of marked change you sense as you grow older, not only in the collective sense as a band, but more importantly as individuals, which arises only when you reflect on the past while at the same time looking forward. I think this is one of the key threads found throughout the album, the element that ties it all together regardless of the multiple singers and songwriters. “Art & A Wife” gives one of the clearest examples of this theme when Burns sings, “now I just wanna life, full of art and a wife, full of heart just a life, full of art and a wife” all while he reflects on his first guitar, forming a band, getting drunk and womanizing.

This ten-track album is littered with a number of highlights for me. From the longing to be home of “Prairie Girl”, the relatable antics of “First Kiss”, the raw energy of “20s” and the infectious “The Poet’s Dead” to name a few. This album is chalked full of tracks that encourage head bobbing, air band antics and the occasional rock fist throw down. As a transplanted western Canadian dressed in my western wear, it’s great to hear.