Valley View should be kept open as long as possible, says Green Party Leader.

A story in Saturday's Moose Jaw Times Herald has raised a number of concerns in my community, and I have sent a press release (below) to local media on the issue. The orginal story (that this press release is in response to) can be viewed at this link: http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=268458&sc=3

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 15, 2009

According to the Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan, Larissa Shasko, there is a disconnect between the patients at Valley View and the three advocacy groups, People First Saskatchewan, SACL, and Valley View Family Group, who recently signed an agreement to ask the Saskatchewan Government to close Valley View. During the last provincial election when she was the Green Party of Saskatchewan candidate for Moose Jaw-Wakamow, Shasko met with a group of patients at Valley View who had requested to meet with each candidate because they had heard rumours of their “home”, Valley View, being shut down. “At this meeting, the patients who were able to communicate told me all about Valley View-- what they got to do, where they got to go, how the food was (which they said was excellent, by the way), and that they liked it there. They were happy to be there, but they were really scared that they would be forced to leave their home. Valley View is their home, and we have a duty to respect that and to ask the provincial government to keep Valley View open as long as possible,” says Shasko.

“After touring Valley View and meeting with the people who live there and after talking with many people who've worked there, it is clear that the best opportunity for inclusion of the patients at Valley View in all aspects of our community is being provided to them at Valley View. Furthermore, it is my understanding that the patients of Valley View are free to go out into the community as they wish to,” continues Shasko. “They are certainly not asking to have Valley View shut down, and advocacy groups need to listen to those they are advocating on behalf of.”

Shasko says she made a commitment to the patients she met with at Valley View to work with the provincial government to keep Valley View open as long as possible, and she will be keeping that commitment. In the coming weeks and months, Shasko will be arranging meetings with the Saskatchewan Government on the issue, and she will also be requesting to meet with the three advocacy groups to encourage them to sign a new agreement-- to work with the Saskatchewan Government to keep Valley View open as long as possible and to improve the care the government currently provides to those with intellectual disabilities who are living in our communities now.

According to Shasko, the hearts of those in the advocacy groups are in the right place, but somewhere along the line, there appears to have been a disconnect between the advocacy groups and the people at Valley View they advocate on behalf of. “I encourage People First Saskatchewan, SACL, Valley View Family Group, and Premier Wall to tour Valley View and to meet with the people who live there and work there.”

Green Energy Solutions- It's time to go renewable

Let's clear the record. Nuclear power will not be good for Saskatchewan's economy. It will cost us billions, and cost overruns are common practice. The Government of Ontario has a debt of $38 billion from nuclear power cost overruns-- a debt the taxpayers of Ontario are now on the hook for. Ontario residents pay an additional charge on their electriticy bills towards these nuclear cost overruns. Do you want to end up on the hook for Bruce Power's mistakes?

Nuclear will not create long term jobs, and nuclear will not help us fight climate change, especially when the electricity generated from the proposed nuclear power plant in Northern Saskatchewan would be used to power the tar sands (the world's dirtiest oil).

What will help our economy? Renewable energy technologies and energy conservation would create far more jobs than power generation from nuclear or coal would. People of Saskachewan, do you honestly feel safe investing billions of dollars into nuclear power when renewables would cost half as much as nuclear and would generate many more jobs (and jobs that would actually last)? Nuclear is an economic risk that I am not willing to take, especially in the midst of an economic recession.

Solutions: The first step is to invest in energy conservation technologies coupled with programs designed to make these technologies affordable for everyone in this province. If we make climate change solutions available only to those that can afford to pay, we won't get anywhere. Next, we go fully renewable. But this will only work if we invest proper money into a renewable grid instead of spending billions on making our grid nuclear ready. Energy conservation and renewable energy technologies are rapidly progressing as billions of dollars from China and the U.S. flow into the 'New Green Economy'. Canada is behind the times. We are definitely not stepping up to our place as world leaders when it comes to fighting climate change. We are holding the global community back with intensity based targets for greenhouse gas emissions. Think about it. This nuclear power plant would be built to provide power to the tar sands and to export power to the U.S. (and possibly Manitoba). The people of Saskatchewan do not need this power, we would just be footing the bill for infrastructure, upgrades to the grid, and who knows what else (because the SK Government won't be transparent with us).

Besides, their is only enough uranium left domestically to provide approx. 45 more years of nuclear power generation at the CURRENT rate of consumption, yet nuclear waste stays toxic for a million years, and no one has ever been able to figure out a safe way to store it.

Let's start the renewable energy discussion Saskatchewan! Let's democratize our energy and agriculture sectors.

Peace,

Larissa

The Green Party of Saskatchewan Elects Larissa Shasko as New Leader

Above Image: Larissa Shasko (left) talking to Green Party supporter during the 2008 Federal election

Press Release -- April 27, 2009

Green Party of Saskatchewan held its annual general meeting last weekend in Yorkton. On the agenda was the election of a new Party Executive, policy resolutions, constitutional amendments and a presentation by keynote speaker Dr. Jim Harding concerning the raging nuclear debate in Saskatchewan. “Saskatchewan is in for both nuclear and coal; coal is needed for backup anyway,” said Dr. Harding. “We cannot solve the climate change crisis with a radioactive waste crisis. We need to leap into a renewable economy, which does not require resource extraction,” Dr. Harding continued. “The next two months of democratic activism are critical.”

Larissa Shasko, a 27 year-old student of Political Science at the University of Regina who lives in Moose Jaw is the newly elected Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan. Larissa Shasko has been a candidate for the Green Party three times in the past three years, twice federally in the riding of Palliser (2006 & 2008), and once provincially in the riding of Moose Jaw Wakamow (2007). She currently serves on the Green Party of Canada Federal Council and is the Young Greens of Canada Finance and Administrative Chair. “The Green Party of Saskatchewan is the only political party in Saskatchewan who stands united against nuclear,” said Shasko. “Despite flawed and biased UDP consultation processes and a complete lack of transparency from the Sask Party Government, we will fight hard to keep Saskatchewan nuclear free, and we will win,” Shasko continued.

According to Larissa Shasko, spending billions of dollars on costly nuclear power would rob Saskatchewan of the chance to go green with clean and safe energy through increased energy conservation and renewable energy technologies. “We only get one chance to fight climate change. This is our chance to go green and to go renewable,” said Shasko.

The Party passed 13 new policy resolutions and made 2 amendments to their constitution and by-laws. Policy resolutions passed at the AGM included increased energy conservation and renewable energy solutions, consumer goods packaging laws, car sharing as an alternative to ownership, and the establishment of an independent Citizens Science Council that would be charged with providing objectivity, accountability, and transparency in the researching of industry claims. Resolutions to maintain existing rail infrastructure while revitalizing and expanding the rail system for the transportation of both people and freight, as well as the construction of bike paths in cities, towns, highways, and bridges throughout Saskatchewan were also passed. “These new resolutions broaden the Green Party of Saskatchewan’s portfolio of Green Energy Solutions,” said Green Party of Saskatchewan Deputy Leader, Tory McGregor.

Moose Jaw Multiplex Referendum- February 25, 2009

An Open Letter to the Citizens of Moose Jaw:

The time has come to vote, and yet there are many questions regarding the multiplex that remain unanswered.

For example, why did the Moose Jaw Chamber of Commerce send its members a letter encouraging them to vote YES on the multiplex? Isn’t a Chamber of Commerce supposed to be unbiased towards a referendum question?

Furthermore, why would Moose Jaw’s City Council continue to blindly press forward on building a new multiplex despite the start of a worldwide economic recession? Saskatchewan’s stability in the fragile economy is temporary at best. This is not a time for luxuries; this money could give our citizens so much more.

As of December 31st, 2007, the City of Moose Jaw had zero debt and no interest payments, but as of February 2009, Moose Jaw City Council has voted to borrow $63 million. Borrowing this sum will cost the City of Moose Jaw approximately $2.5 million in annual interest payments (the equivalent of a 16.25% municipal tax increase). Of the $63 million debt, $38.3 million is allocated to the multiplex, and the remainder is allocated to more pressing infrastructure upgrades.

Just think of what $38.3 million could do for the citizens of this city.

The most common argument that I hear for the multiplex is that it is progress, but exactly what is progress considered to be? Is it having paved roads that welcome tourists to our city? Is it upgrades to the hospital? Is it adding bike lanes to our streets and investing in renewable energy technology? Or is progress building a multiplex?

I am greatly concerned by the division in our community that the multiplex has created. It is hard to bring up the subject in the community because you never know if you are going to offend someone. Supporters of both sides of the issue have very strong feelings. This kind of division is not conducive to a healthy community. Has this multiplex been worth the damage it has already caused to our city?

For now, democracy will decide if we can put the multiplex behind us and begin to rebuild our community spirit instead. Moose Javians, don’t forget to vote!


Sincerely,

Larissa Shasko

Former Green Party of Canada Candidate for Palliser

Today's Youth, Tomorrow's Leader's

After meeting a number of like minded youth over the past year, the following are similarities in the priorities of environmentally progressive youth I have noticed:

*We care about communities. We want to experience the caring relationships and sense of sharing that comes out of these sort of arrangements where we take care of each other. Not only are communities sustainable, they are an essential part of human nature that has been misplaced for generation X by the computer age and widely dispersed families of the modern day. We are coming together to form communities, and we are already benefitting remarkably by doing this.

*We recognize the responsibility of technology. We know that computers are a tool and must not replace people, or control our lives. We are beginning to see cell phones as a mistake for our health, the environment, and our pocket books. We know that natural is better than artificial, and that profit often overrides human rights. We may feel this way about technology as a whole because we are the generation that would have the hardest time going back to a computerless world. Technology has brought so much good to us that we recognize the importance of using and developing it responsibly.

*We are willing to change our materialistic upbringing, often drastically. It is easier to change our ways when we are still young, and since we have many years ahead of us, we feel the urgency perhaps even more than older generations do. For example, many of us have given up driving, even more of us have given up meat or are eating less of it to lower our ecological footprint, etc. We demand organic because it is healthier for our young bodies and our young minds. We are willng to live with less "things" and to replace material goods with good times and friendship.

*We know the power of freedom of speech, and we are not afraid to use it. Never has youth been so passionate about the causes we tackle. The world is finally turning green out of necessity, and today's young environmental activists will potentially see the hard work of activists from the past 30 years come to fruition in our own lifetimes. It is exciting! We are on the verge of a revolution. My generation recognizes this, and we want to fight that much harder. We see that despite all the hard work of incredible activists who came before us, things like the tar sands or palm oil plantations have not been stopped, and truthfully, we get scared by that. We feel that we must be that much braver, that much stronger, and that much louder than out predecessors. Amazing older activists will one day be passing the torch down to the younger generations, and we will be more than ready!

The Fight for Democracy in Canada

This fall, I experienced just how unfair our electoral system can be. I have been a Green Party candidate three times in the last three years—twice federally and once provincially. It has become apparent that Canada is suffering from democratic bankruptcy.

Without democracy, we are not able to address climate change. The public is remote from those who make decisions in this country, and decision makers are remote from the environmental consequences of their decisions.

We must overcome the barriers of democratic bankruptcy in order to take urgent action on climate change.

With a new year comes a chance for new beginnings. I would like to invite you to help create a new beginning for this country. Let's bring back democracy!

Founding meeting of "Fair Vote Canada" - Saskatchewan Chapter
Sunday January 18th, 11:00 A.M.
Manitou Beach Hotel, (near Watrous, Saskatchewan)

If you are interested in learning more about electoral reform and standing up for democracy, please join us at the founding meeting of the Saskatchewan Chapter of Fair Vote Canada on Sunday, January 18th, 2009. This local Fair Vote chapter will be a great opportunity to foster public education on proportional representation. Carpooling is encouraged.

·According to Fair Vote Canada, the votes of 50.7% of Canadians who voted in the recent federal election elected no one.

·More than 60% of Canadians voted against the Conservatives, yet they were elected as the governing party anyway.

·In Saskatchewan, the Conservatives received 54% of the votes in the recent federal election, yet they won 94% of the seats (all but one).

Let This Be the Last Unfair Election in Canada!

Canada’s “first-past-the-post” voting system is outdated and is failing to produce results reflective of the general public. Democratic politics has evolved significantly in Canada, yet our voting system has stayed the same. Our voting system was designed for a two party system, but many political parties now represent the interests of Canadians, not just two. Canada, the U.S., and Great Britain are the only democracies in the world that do not have an electoral system of proportional representation.

While political parties with broad support across Canada are ignored by our current electoral system, political parties with dense regional support are often over-represented in Parliament. The Green Party received 7% of the votes in the recent federal election, yet they did not receive a single seat in the House of Commons. Meanwhile, the Bloc received 10% of the votes and won 50 seats. Under a system of proportional representation, the Green Party would have received 23 seats instead of zero, and the Bloc would have received 28 seats instead of 50. Our electoral system is clearly unfair. An electoral system of proportional representation would make every vote count.

Our current electoral system turns candidates and political parties into competitors instead of colleagues. Proportional representation would reduce the overly partisan nature of Parliament that tends to make cooperation difficult. An electoral system of proportional representation would encourage collaboration and compromise so that Parliament can stop fighting and can start taking action on the environment.

Supporters of all political parties stand to benefit from proportional representation. In the recent federal election, our electoral system ignored Conservative supporters in urban ridings, Liberal supporters in Alberta, NDP supporters in Saskatchewan, and Greens all across Canada. Plus, restoring democracy in Canada will be beneficial for all Canadians, especially the many young Canadians suffering from a severe case of voter apathy.

Anyone can join Fair Vote Canada at www.fairvote.ca

In solidarity,

Larissa Shasko

For Sale On eBay: Toxic Alberta Tar Sands Water Bottle

Hello! What I have copied below is a press release from the Sierra Youth Coalition about a very unusual item up for auction on eBay. They did a brilliant job of writing this press release, so I have chosen to directly copy it below instead of paraphrasing. For more information about the Sierra Youth Coalition, contact Youri Cormier – National Director, Sierra Youth Coalition or visit www.syc-cjs.org.

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Press Release - for immediate release. For Sale On eBay: Toxic Alberta Tar Sands Water Bottle

CAUTION! ATTENTION! ACHTUNG! CUIDADO! This product is not recommended for human, animal or plant consumption.

January 12, 2009: The Sierra Youth Coalition, Canada's largest youth environmental organization, is selling a bottle of water from the Athabasca River on eBay. Proceeds from the sale will go towards a nation-wide campaign in high schools and universities to raise awareness on the ecological and social impacts of tar sands development in Alberta. The eBay webpage can be found by typing "Tar Sands" or "Tar Sands Water" into the search bar at: www.ebay.ca.

The bottle was filled by cyclists during SYC's To The Tar Sands bike trip in 2008. The cyclists pedaled from Fort McMurray to Calgary carrying such bottles for the ride, in order to engage with people along the way, as they noticed its brown and mucky bitumen sediments. The water, which is being directly contaminated by the growing mining and extraction of bitumen from in the northern regions of Alberta, has exceptionally high levels of mercury, arsenic, and volatile organic matter. The increasingly potent cocktail has be linked to a sudden surge in rare and virulent cancers in local downstream communities.

Sierra Youth Coalition National Director, Youri Cormier, describes the eBay initiative, "The sale of bottled water is something that SYC normally advocates against, because we find it wasteful, and we regard water not as a commodity, but a human right. But what if you are living in Alberta and the oil industry has destroyed your ecosystem to that point that not buying bottled water can kill you? We decided to turn this equation around for a try. We want Canadians to know what's happening to their beautiful wild lands and rivers. We want to give someone else in Canada the opportunity to touch this water, and imagine the everyday reality of living in an impacted community. It's a touch of history, a time capsule for this decade. It's something we'll all regret in 50 years, regardless, but really, we should be regretting it and fighting it right now."

Tim Murphy, SYC member, tar sands cyclist, and editor the book Journey To The Tar Sands adds, "Once you've seen the tar sands mines, you ask yourself: what on Earth are we doing to our planet? It's the biggest industrial project in the world already, and it could grow to be the size of Florida. It produces nearly as much greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in Canada combined, and frankly when you reached that that point, it's time to start setting limits, saying 'no more!' and at the very least, enforcing environmental protection laws... and even that's not being done."