Its been over a year since over 1100 citizens came together in a crowded gym in Kaslo, BC to stand up for Glacier and Howser creeks in the Kootenays. Their voices were heard around the province and we want to thank the hundreds of you who joined with them by writing letters to the Environmental Assessment office.

All those voices do make a difference. Late last week we got word that the Glacier Howser project has lost its energy purchase agreement with BC Hydro. Glacier Howser is the latest in a long string of private power projects that have been beaten back by citizens standing up and taking action to protect our rivers.

From the victory at the Upper Pitt to the collapse of the massive Bute Inlet proposal, one thing has become clear - British Columbians care about their rivers and are willing to stand up and say so. In fact, it is the main thing that makes a difference. Unfortunately, despite all our successes, there are still bad private power projects seeking environmental certification and we need to continue to speak out against them.

One of the worst examples is the Kokish Hydroelectric Project near Telegraph Cove at the north end of Vancouver Island. This project is right in the heart of salmon and trout habitat, including coho, chum, pink, and sockeye salmon, along with cutthroat, steelhead, and rainbow trout. A shocking 10km of salmon habitat would be de-watered by the project and a further 17 surrounding streams would be impacted by its construction and operations. We have just until November 18th to submit letters to the Environmental Assessment Office, so please click here for more information and write your letter today.

Another project currently seeking Environmental Certification is proposed by Cloudworks Inc., a cluster of projects which would dam and divert four creeks near Harrison in the Fraser Valley. In a Freedom of Information request by the Wilderness Committee into Cloudworks' Rutherford Creek and nearby Upper Harrison projects revealed thousands of pages of environmental transgressions and a major construction accident. Despite this dubious record they are seeking approval to build this new project in the habitat of western screech owls, tailed frogs, harlequin ducks, northern goshawks, spotted owls, red legged frogs, pacific water shrews, and grizzly bears. Find out more about this project and take action here.

Please join with us in this fight. The citizens of Kaslo and Nelson, and all of those who wrote letters to keep Glacier and Howser creeks wild know the power of the pen. Let the BC Government and their friends in the private power industry know that we will not stand by while they privatize our wild rivers.

Thank you for taking action. It makes a difference.

Sven Biggs | Public Outreach Director
Wilderness Committee