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Thread: Please Contact Your MLA, NMP and the Appropriate Ministers

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Please Contact Your MLA, NMP and the Appropriate Ministers

    Despite being a BCWF member and director, and posting this in the BCWF sub-forum, the following is a personal position, not an official BCWF position.


    As many of you know and understand, the relationship between First Nations and Canada have always been difficult. It has also changed significantly over time and those changes and the disagreements that fuel those changes are, for better or worse, becoming much more mainstream.

    Change is always difficult and often painful. Sometimes the pain its not distributed fairly, even if the need for change is valid.

    First Nations have very valid concerns that must be addressed and should not be dismissed. Reconciliation between First Nations and the balance of Canadian society is a good thing, and it is needed.


    However, it is becoming increasingly clear that one feature of reconciliation is different degrees of hardship will be inflicted upon parts of society that probably don't deserve it. This leads to rising tensions and hot tempers.


    It would be wise for the hunting community to avoid getting excessively emotional in our response, and instead work hard at reasonable accommodation with all of our fellow citizens. There are many sides to every story and nothing is black and white. First Nations are not going anywhere, and they will have increasing control over access to the land base in the future. The hunting community will have to concentrate on maintaining and enhancing that access. If you have a problem with the concepts of Aboriginal title or reconciliation, please take that somewhere else while the rest of us concentrate on access. If you want to scream right now and smash your keyboard, take a breath. We need to channel our anger productively.



    Aboriginal title is a real thing. It is established in law and tested at the Supreme Court of Canada. Nobody can simply close their eyes to that fact and wish it away. The extent of Aboriginal title has still not been clarified and First Nations, provincial and federal governments still do not agree on all aspects of it. There is still lots of work for the courts to do on this score, and it won't be resolved quickly.

    In the meantime outdoor recreationalists of all stripes require access to the land base. Aboriginal title and land claims are directly related to the land base and sovereignty over it, and that is where an important piece of the rubber hits the road.

    It's been said that the Covid virus speeds up the future. That is certainly the case today in BC. Several Indigenous groups seem to have linked concerns about the virus with the claim to inherent land rights, and as a result BC resident hunters will be facing First Nations restrictions on access to the landbase as well as tho marine environments.


    Indian Reserves, treaty lands and Aboriginal Title Lands are, for all intents and purposes, private property. It is legal for First Nations authorities to restrict access to them, and it is very reasonable to restrict access to First Nations communities in an effort to combat the virus.

    That said, restricting access to large swathes of the landbase is in not a requirement of fighting the virus. It appears to some observers that some First Nations are using the virus to pursue the larger goal of First nations sovereignty and control of traditional territory by restricting access to the landbase.

    The BCWF (and, I think, all reasonable people) understand and support the actions taken by First Nations to protect their communities.

    At the same time I think most reasonable people do not support attempts to restrict resident hunting, angling and recreating throughout traditional territories or on Crown land. A fuller, official statement on this will likely be emerging shortly.

    A wide variety of restrictions have been announced by several First Nations including Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit, Tsilhqot'in, Haida and Sekwelwas have announced their intent or have actually begun restricting access.





    It is imperative that you contact your MLA, your MP and any appropriate government minister, both provincial and federal.

    Let them know your thoughts on this matter.

    Remember to control your emotions and be reasonable. Hot headed comments that are or can be spun as racist are not going to help anyone achieve anything.

    Ask them what they plan to do to resolve this incipient conflict peacefully while maintaining the right of access to the landbase for licensed, regulated resident hunters.

    Send an email or letter to your MLA. Write it yourself or use this text:

    "It is important for B.C. residents to have access to public wilderness. While reconciliation is an important goal, it will not be achieved by dividing British Columbians. First Nations' restriction of access to Crown land is unacceptable. What do you propose doing to resolve this source of conflict in a timely manner that ensures the right of BC residents to peacefully enjoy the beauty of our province?"

    You can find your MLA's email address here: https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/members

    Also send it to:

    -Premier John Horgan at premier@gov.bc.ca
    -the leader of the opposition Andrew Wilkinson at Andrew.wilkinson.MLA@leg.bc.ca
    - Minister Doug Donaldson, Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca ,
    - Opposition Critic MLA John Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development john.rustad.MLA@leg.bc.ca
    -Adam Olsen, interim leader for the Greens at adam.olsen.MLA@leg.bc.ca

    and...for good measure and since he's engaged us here on this forum in the past, send a copy to Andrew Weaver as well at andrew.weaver.mla@leg.bc.ca


    Your MP may well say "Hey, not my circus, not my monkeys". Don't buy it. Raise a ruckus. You can find your MP's address here: https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/search



    Reconciliation is going to happen. Aboriginal title will be resolved. We are not going back in time. The provincial government is not really negotiating on the behalf of outdoor recreationalist stakeholders. We need to pick that ball up and run with it. We sign petitions and swamp newspaper polls here all the time.

    Make this grouchy old ******* smile by starting any comments with "Done, contacted my MLA and the rest of the people on the list. Now let me tell you how wrong you are about some of this Rob!"
    Last edited by Rob Chipman; 08-19-2020 at 05:55 PM.
    Rob Chipman
    "The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders" - Ed Abbey
    "Grown men do not need leaders" - also Ed Abbey

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  3. #2
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    Re: Please Contact Your MLA, NMP and the Appropriate Ministers

    I sent this to Doug Donaldson and Horgan:

    Hello,

    I am extremely concerned with the access restrictions being put in place by various First Nations that will limit hunting opportunities for licensed hunters. Put simply, hunting in the back country will not result in an increased covid threat to the reserve communities, and blocking access to huge swaths of public land is not a feasible public health measure.


    I work hard, pay taxes and would like access to Northern BC.


    I understand that access to reserve lands is not appropriate at this time, but access to the back country is not the same.


    I would love to talk about this over the phone, or in person. Please call me to discuss.


    Thanks

  4. #3
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    Re: Please Contact Your MLA, NMP and the Appropriate Ministers

    Come on hunters, take the 5 minutes to write a line to the Politicians. A flood of communication WILL have an impact. Copy and paste mine if you want. I work in government, and communication from the public does carry weight.

  5. #4
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    Re: Please Contact Your MLA, NMP and the Appropriate Ministers

    Thanks, two-feet.

    You are correct. A flood of communication will have an impact. Thanks for your text and for letting others use it. Excellent work.
    Rob Chipman
    "The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders" - Ed Abbey
    "Grown men do not need leaders" - also Ed Abbey

  6. #5
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    Re: Please Contact Your MLA, NMP and the Appropriate Ministers

    This is text that I sent to them. Feel free to copy or edit as you see fit, but please send the emails:

    "We all understand the challenges of Covid, and we all understand the particular features of this threat that make it particularly acute for First Nations.

    All reasonable people understand and support restrictions on travel to First Nations communities.


    That said, extensive access restrictions to wide swathes of Crown land is unacceptable. It has been reported that blockades have already gone up, and it is very possible that more will be erected.


    The Provincial Health Officer has declared hunting and fishing not only essential services, but has described them as healthy activities when conducted in compliance with her Covid guidelines.


    The government must take immediate action on this issue to avoid unnecessary conflict and to preserve the rights of British Columbians to enjoy our province.


    Please let me know what action you plan on taking. "
    Rob Chipman
    "The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders" - Ed Abbey
    "Grown men do not need leaders" - also Ed Abbey

  7. #6
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    Mar 2013
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    Surrey, BC
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    Re: Please Contact Your MLA, NMP and the Appropriate Ministers

    The chickens are coming home to roost.
    Is there someone out there who thought that aboriginal land titles would not lead to this?
    There is nothing wrong with your letter, and there is nothing right about it either if you are trying to preserve BC in it's current state of 950,000 square kilometers.
    Supporting aboriginal title and aboriginal self government means not supporting British Columbia of 950,000 km2, but one of 50,000 km2.
    Somewhat larger than the state of Florida.
    Nowhere does it say that BC has be to as big as it is today.
    Nobody has ever asked any of the BC or Federal politicians what exactly it means to give aboriginal population self-government and how they envision that to work.
    Does that include nationalizing all failed projects too?
    Maybe they have not given answers to those questions and they have been allowed to keep "negotiating" in secret and behind closed doors on "our" behalf.
    I don't think your access to public land will be stopped.
    Border size of British Columbia will be reduced and politicians to save face will still claim that BC is 950,000 km2.
    But they will not have control over most of the land there.


    I do not support aboriginal title and I not support aboriginal self-government. I don't support self-government of any group.
    I do support aboriginal rights and way of life, they should be able to live as they see fit and should be compensated for historical wrongs by some form of land ownership
    But I will not support any idea of reconciliation that gives 1,600 people, 6000 in total, of Tahltan nation control over 95,000 km2 of province of British Columbia.
    Even if they gave each of the 6000 memebers of the nation title to 10 acres of land to own and to live on it would amount to 24 km2 and they would be the wealthiest group in BC by land ownership.
    Any government that supports aboriginal land claims of this sort and aboriginal self-government is not a government that represents me and people of British Columbia.


    I for one will not be contacting my MLA because I know my lack of emotions and reasonable thought would provoke hot headed emotional responses from the members of the legislative assembly.
    They do not have the interest of British Columbians in mind, otherwise they would not lead us to this point.
    1. Human over population
    2. Government burden and overreach

  8. #7
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    Re: Please Contact Your MLA, NMP and the Appropriate Ministers

    I encourage you to contact all the people I've listed. Use a copy of the text provided. The goal isn't to change the worldview of everyone - it's to put pressure on elected officials to take the concerns of resident hunters into account.

    If you don't do the simple action of sending one email to multiple addresses then you can't complain when the other team wins. It's simple, and it will take you less than three minutes. Consider it a favour that you're doing for your fellow resident hunters.
    Rob Chipman
    "The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders" - Ed Abbey
    "Grown men do not need leaders" - also Ed Abbey

  9. #8
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    Posts
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    Re: Please Contact Your MLA, NMP and the Appropriate Ministers

    sent one to horgan and my MLA

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
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    689

    Re: Please Contact Your MLA, NMP and the Appropriate Ministers

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob Chipman View Post
    Despite being a BCWF member and director, and posting this in the BCWF sub-forum, the following is a personal position, not an official BCWF position.


    As many of you know and understand, the relationship between First Nations and Canada have always been difficult. It has also changed significantly over time and those changes and the disagreements that fuel those changes are, for better or worse, becoming much more mainstream.

    Change is always difficult and often painful. Sometimes the pain its not distributed fairly, even if the need for change is valid.

    First Nations have very valid concerns that must be addressed and should not be dismissed. Reconciliation between First Nations and the balance of Canadian society is a good thing, and it is needed.


    However, it is becoming increasingly clear that one feature of reconciliation is different degrees of hardship will be inflicted upon parts of society that probably don't deserve it. This leads to rising tensions and hot tempers.


    It would be wise for the hunting community to avoid getting excessively emotional in our response, and instead work hard at reasonable accommodation with all of our fellow citizens. There are many sides to every story and nothing is black and white. First Nations are not going anywhere, and they will have increasing control over access to the land base in the future. The hunting community will have to concentrate on maintaining and enhancing that access. If you have a problem with the concepts of Aboriginal title or reconciliation, please take that somewhere else while the rest of us concentrate on access. If you want to scream right now and smash your keyboard, take a breath. We need to channel our anger productively.



    Aboriginal title is a real thing. It is established in law and tested at the Supreme Court of Canada. Nobody can simply close their eyes to that fact and wish it away. The extent of Aboriginal title has still not been clarified and First Nations, provincial and federal governments still do not agree on all aspects of it. There is still lots of work for the courts to do on this score, and it won't be resolved quickly.

    In the meantime outdoor recreationalists of all stripes require access to the land base. Aboriginal title and land claims are directly related to the land base and sovereignty over it, and that is where an important piece of the rubber hits the road.

    It's been said that the Covid virus speeds up the future. That is certainly the case today in BC. Several Indigenous groups seem to have linked concerns about the virus with the claim to inherent land rights, and as a result BC resident hunters will be facing First Nations restrictions on access to the landbase as well as tho marine environments.


    Indian Reserves, treaty lands and Aboriginal Title Lands are, for all intents and purposes, private property. It is legal for First Nations authorities to restrict access to them, and it is very reasonable to restrict access to First Nations communities in an effort to combat the virus.

    That said, restricting access to large swathes of the landbase is in not a requirement of fighting the virus. It appears to some observers that some First Nations are using the virus to pursue the larger goal of First nations sovereignty and control of traditional territory by restricting access to the landbase.

    The BCWF (and, I think, all reasonable people) understand and support the actions taken by First Nations to protect their communities.

    At the same time I think most reasonable people do not support attempts to restrict resident hunting, angling and recreating throughout traditional territories or on Crown land. A fuller, official statement on this will likely be emerging shortly.

    A wide variety of restrictions have been announced by several First Nations including Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit, Tsilhqot'in, Haida and Sekwelwas have announced their intent or have actually begun restricting access.





    It is imperative that you contact your MLA, your MP and any appropriate government minister, both provincial and federal.

    Let them know your thoughts on this matter.

    Remember to control your emotions and be reasonable. Hot headed comments that are or can be spun as racist are not going to help anyone achieve anything.

    Ask them what they plan to do to resolve this incipient conflict peacefully while maintaining the right of access to the landbase for licensed, regulated resident hunters.

    Send an email or letter to your MLA. Write it yourself or use this text:

    "It is important for B.C. residents to have access to public wilderness. While reconciliation is an important goal, it will not be achieved by dividing British Columbians. First Nations' restriction of access to Crown land is unacceptable. What do you propose doing to resolve this source of conflict in a timely manner that ensures the right of BC residents to peacefully enjoy the beauty of our province?"

    You can find your MLA's email address here: https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/members

    Also send it to:

    -Premier John Horgan at premier@gov.bc.ca
    -the leader of the opposition Andrew Wilkinson at Andrew.wilkinson.MLA@leg.bc.ca
    - Minister Doug Donaldson, Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca ,
    - Opposition Critic MLA John Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development john.rustad.MLA@leg.bc.ca
    -Adam Olsen, interim leader for the Greens at adam.olsen.MLA@leg.bc.ca

    and...for good measure and since he's engaged us here on this forum in the past, send a copy to Andrew Weaver as well at andrew.weaver.mla@leg.bc.ca


    Your MP may well say "Hey, not my circus, not my monkeys". Don't buy it. Raise a ruckus. You can find your MP's address here: https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/search



    Reconciliation is going to happen. Aboriginal title will be resolved. We are not going back in time. The provincial government is not really negotiating on the behalf of outdoor recreationalist stakeholders. We need to pick that ball up and run with it. We sign petitions and swamp newspaper polls here all the time.

    Make this grouchy old ******* smile by starting any comments with "Done, contacted my MLA and the rest of the people on the list. Now let me tell you how wrong you are about some of this Rob!"
    I just replied to the original email I sent to this group 10 days ago. I will continue to email them until I get a response. Working from home doesn't mean you can't respond to emails in my book

  11. #10
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Langley
    Posts
    153

    Re: Please Contact Your MLA, NMP and the Appropriate Ministers

    Emails sent to all on the above list and my MLA. Thanks for all the work you put in Rob, makes it much easier for guys like me to get engaged.

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