Dear Minister Steve Thomson, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (MAL):

I am writing to request attendance at farm salmon harvests to assess unlawful consumption/destruction of wild fish such as commercial fishermen are required.

On May 19, I met with your assistants Harvey Sasaki and R. J. Senko and MAL scientists Drs. Roth and Sheppard. Our conversation raised several concerns.

I could not fathom how the Times Colonist daily paper could have seen "nearly 1,000" people at Alexandra Morton's salmon migration rally in Victoria last Saturday, when I had seen many thousands. I really needed to understand.

So when last Monday, Times Colonist editor Stephanie Coombs kindly responded to my complaint letter about the event's coverage, I seized the opportunity.

"Reporter Katie DeRosa, who attended the rally," Coombs had written in her response, "spoke to two different Victoria police officers, as well as two rally helpers, who all estimated about 1,000 people."

Strange. That same day, I had received a message from Rafe Mair who quoted Global News reporter Holly Adams saying that "I spoke with Police outside the Legislature and they estimated just over 4,000 people, and that was just before 5:00."

The Globe and Mail had reported 4,000 people as well. So it appeared as if Victoria police officers had been mischievously telling 4,000+ to Global News and the Globe and Mail, and "nearly 1,000" to the Times Colonist.

Once again it is up to us.

The Get Out Migration was a powerful and wildly successful effort. People in every town we passed through and on the road volunteered their time and expertise and the result is emergence of the people of the salmon, people who are strong, independent and understand the contribution of salmon in our lives, our future and our economy. The First Nation voice set the tone and eloquence - uniting, legendary and welcoming. People of all ages walked side-by-side to ensure a future where our children can thrive. We shut down one lane of highway 17 and the police kindly let us walk without traffic lights along Quadra and Government Streets. The Parliament lawns reportedly hold 20,000 people and looking out over the sea of people less than 1/3 of the lawn was visible.

And yet BC's two biggest newspapers mention there were only ---- "nearly 1000 people". This is so wrong in so many ways.

A letter to the Victoria Times-Colonist:

I am most disappointed in your coverage of the "Salmon Migration" rally held in Victoria on Saturday afternoon, so disappointed in fact, I am seriously considering canceling my subscription to your paper. The protection of salmon from everything that endangers their survival is of paramount importance, not only for coastal British Columbians but for humanity as a whole. You chose to place the results of a rugby game on the front page with a skimpy, poorly written and inaccurate piece about the rally on page 3, how ridiculous; where are your social priorities?

Site C is a cataclysmic mistake not only in view of our need for farmland in the coming convergence of climate change and peak oil in the next 10 to 30 years. It is wasteful in every other way—for the usual political reasons of corporate profit.

Energy efficiency is the first solution to our energy needs. Worldwide, we waste more than half of the electricity we generate (details at Rocky Mountain Institute: rmi.com.) A study carried out by a coalition of community organizations in co-operation with BC Hydro in the late 80’s found a conservative estimate of 44% wasted in BC. The thousands of residential and commercial construction projects alone, if built to energy efficiency standards, would save untold amounts of future demand. Converting residential, commercial and industrial operations, including BC Hydro, to energy efficiency will create thousands of new jobs, businesses, and industries, and stimulate a sustainable economy.