May/June 2016

May-June 2016 Focus.pdf

4 Leslie Campbell | OUR LIMITED RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH
BC’s defamation laws are downgrading our democracy.

12 David Broadland | QUASHING THE PUBLIC INTEREST
Mayor Helps and the CRD seem to have lost sight of whom they are serving.

14 Judith Lavoie | THE CHILL IN SHAWNIGAN LAKE
People who have publicly expressed concern about a contaminated soil dump
are being threatened with defamation suits.

18 Roszan Holmen | CRITICAL CROSSROADS FOR RAIL ON THE ISLAND
Island politicians support rail—but not rail management.

20 Briony Penn | FIGHTING FOR THE SALISH SEA
With 18 large port expansion projects around the Salish Sea,
how’s an ecosystem to survive the influx of tanker traffic?

22 David Broadland | WASHINGTON’S PHONY SEWAGE WAR WITH VICTORIA
Puget Sound is a mess of sewage and toxic chemical discharges.
Should Victoria taxpayers have to pay for Seattle’s sins?

30 Aaren Madden | WALKING IN THE GARDEN WITH ROBIN
Robin Hopper’s legacy in ceramics encompasses production,
education, publications, institutions—and a beautiful garden.

42 Robin J. Miller | GIVING VOICE TO A GENERATION LOST TO AIDS
Illustrating resilience, generosity and bravery,
The Missing Generation opens our hearts.

50 Monica Prendergast | IN AND OUTS AT INTREPID THEATRE
Janet Munsil may be departing, but Intrepid is forging ahead.

54 Amy Reiswig | WATER, TRUST AND TRUTH
Andrew Nikiforuk writes about one woman’s battle
to protect her water from fracking and our lives from corporate lies.

58 Gene Miller | SOFTISM
Maintaining Victoria’s soft edges may be worth a hard fight.

60 Maleea Acker | BIG TREES, BIG DREAMS
James Clowater’s urban arboreal vision.

62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | CHRISTY’S IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
Realities like increased GHGs just get processed in the Premier’s political mix-master.