Preliminary Schedule

• Marianne Alto, Victoria City Councillor on CETA, and Victoria’s strong resolution asking for a permanent exemption from CETA
• Other Speakers TBA
• Business Meeting: Reports and election of officers
• Short Film on CETA
• Break with Coffee, Tea, Fruit, Bread & Cheese
• Discussion & Where do we go from here on CETA
• 8:30 Adjournment

Background

The Canada-Europe Trade Agreement is the first “free” trade agreement negotiated by the Canadian government that reaches the municipal level of government. Under trade agreement reciprocity rules, this means that all parties in all other trade agreements negotiated by Canada, including NAFTA, can claim the same rights as European corporations under CETA. This fact alone has huge implications to CETA’s reach and unparalleled breadth. For more information, check out our CETA links page at http://www.victoriacouncilofcanadians.ca/trade/ceta/ceta-resources/

The Victoria City Council passed a strong resolution on May 10, 2012 asking for a clear and permanent exemption from all aspects of CETA, and urging the federal government to protect local jobs and municipal autonomy. The full text of the resolution can be found at http://bit.ly/JnoeLZ.

BE IT THUS RESOLVED THAT

1. City Council ask the Province of British Columbia for a clear, permanent exemption for the City of Victoria from the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA); and
2. City Council ask the Federal Government to protect the autonomous powers of the City of Victoria – to create local jobs, protect the environment, and provide services and programs as it sees fit – from any restrictions to those powers in the CETA; and
3. City Council ask the Federal Government to further exempt from the CETA any municipality that so requests; and
4. City Council encourage and support the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in its work with the Federal Government to change the terms of the draft CETA to protect the autonomy of municipal governments

The Saanich City Council has also expressed its concerns over CETA (http://judybrownoff.ca/website-updates/), and we would like to urge them to take it further and join Victoria in passing a strong resolution asking for exemption from CETA.

Victoria’s resolution noted that CETA would ”diminish the capacity of local government to hire or buy locally so as to use public spending as a tool for local economic development” and ”limit the powers of local governments to act in the best interest of its residents”. The comprehensive resolution highlighted many valid concerns on CETA, including access to water rights and services, increased municipal reporting and administrative costs,  privatization and lack of transparency in dispute resolution, and the unprecedented reach of an international trade agreement into municipal procurement agreements. Victoria joins cities such as Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga, Burnaby and North Vancouver that have passed resolutions on CETA recently.

The full text of the motion can be found at http://www.victoriacouncilofcanadians.ca/trade/ceta/victoria-to-debate-resolution-to-keep-out-of-ceta-10-may/

BE IT THUS RESOLVED THAT

1. City Council ask the Province of British Columbia for a clear, permanent exemption for the City of Victoria from the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA); and

2. City Council ask the Federal Government to protect the autonomous powers of the City of Victoria – to create local jobs, protect the environment, and provide services and programs as it sees fit – from any restrictions to those powers in the CETA; and

3. City Council ask the Federal Government to further exempt from the CETA any municipality that so requests; and

4. City Council encourage and support the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in its work with the Federal Government to change the terms of the draft CETA to protect the autonomy of municipal governments.

For more information, contact the Victoria Council of Canadians info@victoriacouncilofcanadians.ca

Here is the text of the resolution, which will be introduced by Marianne Alto.

WHEREAS the Canadian government will soon conclude negotiations with the European Union (EU) on a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA); and

WHEREAS the City of Victoria recognizes the importance of trade to local, provincial, territorial and national economies; and

WHEREAS, as an integral part of the CETA, the EU is requiring full access to municipal procurement; and

WHEREAS the CETA would increase municipal administrative costs by requiring additional reporting and contract management; and

WHEREAS the CETA, unlike previous international trade agreements, explicitly includes access to water rights and services; and

WHEREAS disputes by private firms against local policy decisions could be taken before private trade tribunals that lack transparency and have the authorityto impose fines; and

WHEREAS these and other clauses of the CETA diminish the capacity of local government to hire or buy locally so as to use public spending as a tool for local economic development; and

WHEREAS the CETA will thus limit the powers of local governments to act in the best interest of its residents; and

WHEREAS it is not the international norm for municipal governments to be covered by procurement agreements such as the one proposed in the CETA; and

WHEREAS the federation of Canadian Municipalities has recently secured Federal Government support for seven fair trade principles; therefore

BE IT THUS RESOLVED THAT
1. City Council ask the Province of British Columbia for a clear, permanent exemption for the City of Victoria from the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA); and

2. City Council ask the Federal Government to protect the autonomous powers of the City of Victoria – to create local jobs, protect the environment, and provide services and programs as it sees fit – from any restrictions to those powers in the CETA; and

3. City Council ask the Federal Government to further exempt from the CETA any municipality that so requests; and

4. City Council encourage and support the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in its work with the Federal Government to change the terms of the draft CETA to protect the autonomy of municipal governments.

We will keep you updated on the resolution tomorrow. We have sent a message to all councillors and the mayor expressing our unqualified support. Feel free to contact them as well. The text of the email is shown below:

__

The Canada-Europe Trade Agreement is the first “free” trade agreement negotiated by the Canadian government that reaches the municipal level of government. Under trade agreement reciprocity rules, this means that all parties in all other trade agreements negotiated by Canada, including NAFTA, can claim the same rights as European corporations under CETA. This fact alone has huge implications to CETA’s reach and unparalleled breadth.

Some Highights:

• Municipal Procurement - CETA eliminates the power of local government to use procurement as a public policy tool. The exemptions are very low, and rules have not been made transparent. This alone implies significant legal liabilities for all municipalities unless a mindless, lowest cost bid procedure is followed (see http://www.civicgovernance.ca/files/uploads/FINAL-Shrybman_CETA_report.pdf and http://tradejustice.ca/pdfs/CETAMythsEN.pdf)
• Healthcare costs and Stealth Privatization- CETA increases patent protection on name-brand pharmaceuticals and will raise Canada’s healthcare costs by over $2B a year. Pharmaceutical companies headquartered in Europe are expected to be the primary beneficiaries of this wealth transfer from Canadians mostly on fixed income to big corporations.  (see  http://www.canadiangenerics.ca/en/news/docs/02.07.11CETAEconomicImpactAssessment-FinalEnglish11.pdf). There are also legitimate concerns that CETA could lead to increasing privatization of healthcare, which Canadians are resolutely opposed to (See http://www.canadianlabour.ca/sites/default/files/pdfs/ceta-and-health-care-2012-03-14-en.pdf)
• Water and public infrastructure privatization. Victoria is a proud Blue Community that reaffirmed its support for public water and sewage infrastructure last year. As Europe stagnates and European water companies desperately seek new markets, CETA will blow the door wide open and forbid any consideration of public good, regardless of popularity or local benefits. (See  http://canadians.org/media/trade/2012/26-Jan-12.html)
• Local food - The greater Victoria area is blossoming with energy on food resiliency and local food movements. CETA will forbid any preferential treatment given to local food and municipalities will have few options to support our fragile local agriculture and farming communities. For more, see   http://www.wrfoodsystem.ca/blog/2012/04/12/roundtable-speaks-out-on-ceta

Victoria needs the freedom to be able to support local jobs and sometimes give a boost to local or regional businesses and industries when and where it makes sense. We should be able to define what value for money means – not have it defined for us in a trade agreement that councillors had no role in negotiating.

A lot of times value for money comes down to the bottom line costs. Other times we get more value out of public spending by keeping people in the community working, increasing the city’s tax base, or reducing impacts on the environment. The Canada-EU trade deal, if it applied to Victoria, would put too many restrictions on the economic development options of the city. It doesn’t make sense.

We are also very concerned about newly leaked documents that show that municipal governments will not be fully protected from CETA. For example, no provincial government has excluded drinking water and wastewater services from their offers to the EU. Meanwhile, EU member states insisted on protecting the water sector. Canadian municipalities will be vulnerable to trade and investment challenges by corporations who just want to increase their profits in water services. It’s a risk Victoria should seek to eliminate by demanding a clear and permanent exemption from CETA

This and many other concerns have led to cities like Toronto (yes, Rob Ford’s Toronto), London Ontario, Burnaby, North Vancouver, Saanich and so many others to pass resolutions on CETA. For a full list of CETA resolutions, see this map.

1. May 8- – CBC and CHEK tv seniors series
2. Thursday, May 17 – Saanich Community Gardens
3. May 12, 7-9pm On the Radar
4. May 25-28 – retreat

May 8-11 - CBC and CHEK tv seniors series

CBC News Vancouver, along with Business in Vancouver, take a look at the business behind caring for B.C.’s seniors, the companies that make their money caring for the elderly and why the system needs them.

B.C. seniors lost in care homes chasm

In the first part of a multi-platform, week-long joint BIV-CBC investigation, the state of seniors care in B.C. is unravelled – revealing a glut of pricey retirement homes and few affordable options to meet the aging population’s needs.

As B.C.’s population ages, the number of seniors heading for long-term care is increasing and that’s led to a booming business for operators. Those aged 65 and older make up about 15 per cent of B.C.’s population, but the number of seniors over the age of 85 is growing more than three times faster than the rest of the senior population. Most people over the age of 65 will need long-term care at some point in their lives, from home care to independent or assisted living, to residential care. While those who end up in residential care are a small fraction of the population, it’s a huge business.

The series will air this week,(8 – 11 May) Tuesday-Friday. The newscast always airs on CHEK (channel 6) at 6pm. Because of the hockey playoffs, we get bumped around a little bit, but we’re always on after the hockey game of the day (usually a little after 7pm). And there will be a special section on our website http://cbc.ca/bc.”

Thursday May 17 Evening discussion cafe topic: Saanich Community Gardens.

The largest municipality in the Capital Region has created only one community allotment garden — ever. We want to see that change and Saanich municipality agrees, opening the way to many substantial allotment gardens all across Saanich. These will create opportunities to grow food and much more — building connected resilient community while providing healthy food access to many who are threatened by commercial food prices (that may skyrocket). As we come together to plan shared gardens we share wider visions about how we (and everyone) may equitably sustainably share life on Earth.

At Crumsby cafe at the heritage schoolhouse, 4525 W Saanich Rd. Social drop-in 6-7pm, roundtable discussion 7-9pm.

Space is limited. Please RSVP info@planetwater.ca

On the Radar - a Panel Discussion on Social Profiling, Police Accountability, and Community Oversight

MAY 12, 7-9pm
First Metropolitan Church
932 Balmoral Road

Speakers:

• David Eby (BC Civil Liberties Association)
• Hilary Marks (Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group)
• Ashley Mollison (Safer for All campaign)

People living in extreme poverty face disproportionate amounts of police attention in the form of ticketing, searches, stops, and seizures of personal property — this is called social profiling, and communities across Canada are working together to see this stopped.

Interactions between police and people who are street-involved remain invisible because many of these interactions are undocumented by police, and marginalized community members lack access to reporting mechanisms such as the police complaints commission. It’s time for us to put these practices on the radar.

Come and hear about police accountability issues in BC, about actions taken in other Canadian regions to address social profiling of people who are street-involved, and about community initiatives to ensure community oversight of policing practices.

Mark Willson
Research Coordinator
Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group (VIPIRG)

Phone: (250) 472-4386
Email: research@vipirg.ca
Web: http://www.vipirg.ca
Office: UVic student union building room B122
Mail: PO Box 3035 Stn CSC, Victoria, BC, Lekwungen & WSANEC Territories, V8W 3P3

Renew, Re-energize and Reconnect to Life – Retreat

Stowell Lake Farm Retreat with Jackie Larkin and Maggie Ziegler

May 25 – May 28, 2012

Engage heart, mind and spirit in the task of deepening and repairing our connections to ourselves, our human community and all planetary life. Celebrate the joy and beauty of life, open to our true place in nature, and share witness to our deepest feelings about the challenges facing our troubled world.

Drawing on a range of creative processes, we explore new ways of seeing that support a heart-felt and sustainable engagement with the world. Finding strength in our interconnectedness, we access the courage to speak our deepest truth and the creativity necessary for bringing our gifts into the service of life.

Maggie and Jackie have worked together for many years. Their work has evolved from that of eco-philosopher Joanna Macy. “Jackie and Maggie are naturals at this work.” Joanna Macy.

For more information: www.reconnectingtolife.org. For registration, rates and scholarship information: Jackie Larkin, jlarkin@gddc.com, 250-478-7604

Venue

Victoria West Community Centre. 521 Craigflower Rd
Victoria, BC V9A 6Z5 Songhees Territories
(250) 590-8922
Map: Click here for a MAP

We will be talking about CETA, tankers, and our upcoming Annual General Meeting. Join us!

Through workshops, panel discussions and strategy sessions, we will raise awareness, build resistance and strengthen our networks of solidarity. Check www.canadians.org/shoutout for regular updates and to register.

• Friday, June 1 – Public forum. Admission to the Friday Public Forum is a suggested donation of $20 or what you can afford. All donations will greatly help to offset the cost of the conference.
• Saturday, June 2 – Plenary panels and workshops. $10 includes vegetarian lunch.

Our Shout Out will feature engaging sessions with leading activists and representatives from mining-impacted communities in Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, El Salvador and Canada. The conference starts on Friday, June 1st with a Public Forum featuring high profile speakers, community activists and musical acts. Saturday, June 2nd will offer delegates the chance to engage in discussion on vital issues ranging from the right to water, Indigenous rights and environmental justice within the context of mining. We will share experiences, explore campaign strategies and build alliances to strengthen the movement against mining injustice.

Who Attends?

The events will bring together participants including: representatives from mine-affected communities; Indigenous communities; grassroots organizers; human rights activists; civil society groups; and concerned individuals from Canada, the United States and Latin America.

If you are unable to register online or require special assistance, please contact us toll-free at 1-800-387-7177, ext. 296.

Here is the registration form:

Vic West Community Centre, 521 Craigflower Ave.

Two short films will be shown, followed by discussion.

The Story of Broke” by Annie Leonard ~15min.

Fix the Money System” by Ben Dyson ~30min.

By donation. Coffee and Tea will be available.

Image courtesy flickr photostream of rwp-roger used under a creative commons licence.

Join us for our monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 11, 7 PM

Venue

Victoria West Community Centre. 521 Craigflower Rd
Victoria, BC V9A 6Z5 Songhees Territories
(250) 590-8922
Map: Click here for a MAP

We will be talking about No Pipelines, No Tankers on Earth Walk, Trade and CETA, and updates from our BC-Yukon regional meeting in March.

If you need a copy to send to your local community channel, contact paul (at) manlymedia (dot) com.

For more information on what the Council of Canadians are doing to protect public healthcare, visit the Health Blog

Yves Engler will be launching his new book, Lester Pearson’s Peacekeeping, The Truth May Hurt, an expose of Lester Pearson’s imperialist side which raises serious social justice issues and challenges us to be clear-headed and open-eyed in appraising political leaders.

In his new book, Yves Engler sets to demolish the near saintly status of Lester Bowles (“Mike”) Pearson in the public sphere, Canadian foreign policy circles and even on the social democratic left. And in the process, he takes on the much repeated slogan that “the world needs more of Canada.”

Rabble.ca Review

Sponsored by: Victoria Peace Coalition • UVic Social Justice Studies • Council of Canadians, Victoria Chapter • Independent Jewish Voices.

Download the poster.