Latest news with #AnnaJohnston
National Observer
9 hours ago
- Business
- National Observer
Carney's controversial major projects bill becomes law
Prime Minister Mark Carney's Bill C-5 is now law after the Senate passed the bill without any changes. Along with removing federal barriers to internal trade, the legislation allows the federal cabinet to conditionally approve projects it deems 'in the national interest' before regulatory processes take place and enable cabinet to exempt those projects from many laws and regulations. The projects that will be fast-tracked under the new law have not yet been chosen. Carney solicited 'wish lists' of projects from the premiers at the recent federal-provincial gathering in Saskatoon, Sask. For the next five years, cabinet can designate projects as 'in the national interest' but after that, the list will close. As long as a project is on the list before the sunset clause kicks in, it can be exempted from laws. A coalition of environmental groups quickly condemned the passage of the controversial major projects bill, saying it erodes democratic principles, runs roughshod over Indigenous rights, shuts Canadians out of decisions that could affect them and puts the environment at risk. 'Bill C-5 is an assault on science and democracy,' Anna Johnston, a staff lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law Association, said in a statement. 'For more than half a century, we have made decisions according to the basic principle that we should look before we leap. Bill C-5 throws that principle out the window.' Some senators did attempt to amend the government bill, which authorizes cabinet to override many environmental laws and regulations to build major projects like port infrastructure, pipelines and electricity infrastructure. But their efforts were in vain. 'Bill C-5 is an assault on science and democracy,' said Anna Johnston, a staff lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law. On Thursday the Senate passed the controversial major projects bill with no amendments and it received Royal Assent soon after Sen. Paul Prosper tried to change the bill to force cabinet to always consider specific factors when deciding which projects to designate for fast-tracking. As written, the factors — including considering clean growth and Canada's climate change commitments — are just a suggestion and can be ignored. Along with making the factors mandatory, Prosper sought to add the requirement of 'obtaining the free, prior and informed consent' of Indigenous Peoples to the factors. His amendment and several others were all defeated. The government's decision to force the bill through before summer and limit study and debate has damaged relationships with First Nation, Inuit and Metis communities, Sen. Paula Simons said on Tuesday. The Chiefs of Ontario held a rally at Parliament Hill last week and about 350 people turned out to oppose the legislation. Prosper, a Mi'kmaq lawyer and regional chief for Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, said 'by investing a few more months into this bill and ensuring that rights holders had an opportunity to share their thoughts and offer revisions, we would've seen this bill pass with overwhelming support.' In his speech, he quoted Chief Shelley Moore-Frappier of Temagami First Nation who called bill C-5 a 'betrayal' of reconciliation. Prosper used much of his time to highlight the many concerns raised by First Nations leaders, enshrining their quotes into the record. 'Canada continues to speak about nation-to-nation relationships and reconciliation; this legislation does the opposite,' he said, quoting Moore-Frappier. 'It asserts power over First Peoples — over our resources and rights. It was developed without us. It vaguely addresses our constitutional and treaty protections. And if passed, it will further entrench unilateralism as the default method of governing First peoples.' Many senators, including Sen. Brian Francis, lamented that they had so little time to study the bill's substance and impact. Francis called it a 'potentially dangerous bill' that risks undermining public trust. Others, including Sen. Leo Housakos still had criticisms of the bill, calling it a 'poor piece of legislative crafting' put together 'without any real thinking and strategic planning' that is 'highly aspirational.' But he ultimately supported the bill and the decision to fast-track it. Sen. Hassan Yussuff repeatedly urged the senators to pass the bill without amendments. He said opposition MPs made amendments that addressed some concerns and strengthened the bill. He also reiterated Carney's argument that the government was elected on a clear mandate to move quickly in response to the trade war with US President Donald Trump's administration. In the House of Commons, Senate and among the Canadian public, there is overwhelming support for building big, nationally beneficial infrastructure projects. A new Angus Reid survey found 74 per cent of Canadians support 'fast-tracking' major projects. But the consensus starts to fracture when it comes to the specifics like provincial jurisdiction, environmental protection and Indigenous rights. Forty-nine per cent of Canadians, in the same survey, said they oppose bypassing environmental reviews to speed things up. The online survey took place from June 20 to 23, among a randomized sample of 1,619 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. Environment and climate groups, labour organizations, Indigenous leaders and legal experts tried (in the limited time available) to get MPs to change the law. Last week, Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs made some changes to ensure cabinet won't be able to override a list of laws, including the Criminal Code, Canada Labour Code and Indian Act. The changes help curtail the expansive powers the legislation affords cabinet, but it can still override most environmental laws and regulations, including the Species at Risk Act, Fisheries Act and Impact Assessment Act. A briefing prepared by West Coast Environmental Law warned that bad impact assessments lead to major problems, like the collapse of the Mount Polley tailings dam in 2014. It is still the biggest environmental disaster in Canada's history, authors Anna Johnston and Kristen Theriault wrote. Approximately 25 billion litres of wastewater and tailings from the copper and gold mine — including 134.1 tonnes of lead, 2.8 tonnes of cadmium and 2.1 tonnes of arsenic — spilled into the environment and nearby bodies of water. A 2016 investigation by the Auditor General of British Columbia found that the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines did not ensure that the tailings dams were designed or operated in accordance with the approved plan or original project certificate, the briefing noted. The project never went through an independent, public environmental assessment, according to the briefing. On the flip side, a strong impact assessment can have positive impacts. For example, in 1997, the federal and provincial government, the Labrador Inuit Association and the Innu Nation worked together on an assessment for the Voisey's Bay nickel-copper-cobalt mine in northern Labrador. To avoid the boom-bust cycle that leaves the next generation in the lurch, the panel recommended the company decrease production so the mine can operate for longer and keep community members employed. The company agreed to produce only 6,000 tonnes per day compared to its original proposal of 20,000 tonnes per day and it is still operating. In her speech on Wednesday, Sen. Paula Simons said she worries Bill C-5 is 'overcorrecting in expediting mega projects that may not be of local interest, even if they are of national interest.'
The Courier
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Dundee doctor Anna transforms five-bedroom townhouse
'The house gets such amazing light. And I think light is the number one thing to look for in a property. It totally changes the feel of a house.' Anna Johnston is recalling the moment she viewed her five-bedroom townhouse in 2019. A student at Dundee University at the time, she had been tasked with finding a suitable renovation opportunity in the city on behalf of her Northern Ireland-based dad and his cousin, who have various property projects together. Interested in the up-and-coming nature of Dundee (this was one year after the V&A opened) the business partners saw a promising investment opportunity. While they would finance the project, medicine student Anna would lead on the renovation, design, and decor choices. She would also be the one calling it home. And with that beautiful light – as well as 'lovely old features' including cornicing, an original fireplace, tall windows and high ceilings – the mid-terrace house on Beechwood Terrace was perfect. But the house, which they bought for £250,000 in September of that year, needed a lot of work. 'It was very outdated,' says Anna, who is now a doctor at Ninewells Hospital. 'It probably hadn't seen a lick of paint in about 40 years.' She has spent the past five years restoring it to its former glory, increasing its value by more than £200,000. It is now on the market with Thorntons for offers over £460,000. After a few false starts thanks to Covid, a construction team was brought in towards the end of 2020, and the house was stripped back, replastered and painted. A wall was also knocked down between the kitchen and dining room to create an open plan space. Anna, who had had plenty of time to brainstorm decor ideas thanks to the cancellation of her university exams, moved in. 'The house was liveable, but not finished at that stage, and then I have finished it off as I've lived in it,' she says. Anna was keen to preserve as many of the original features as possible, while cleaning them up to give the house a 'fresh feel'. 'I think there's nothing that beats going into a shop or a showroom and just getting inspiration there and taking different ideas from different designs.' 'In the master bedroom, there is a beautiful marble fireplace, but it had been covered over with a cream, shiny wallpaper. 'When we came into the house, I literally just peeled off a layer of the wallpaper and was like, 'Oh my goodness, it's this gorgeous mantlepiece''. She built a folder on her phone full of ideas from Instagram, showrooms and interior design shops. A visit to Tresco in the Scilly Isles gave her more ideas. 'The house we were staying in had these gorgeous bookshelves and lovely utility room spaces, little details and furnishings. 'I remember going around taking photos and all the light fixtures and just saving all those up, so that whenever I came to pick light fixtures, for example, I just went back into that folder and was like, 'Oh yeah, that worked really well''. While her sophisticated navy and cream kitchen was bought from Howdens, she selected her three bathrooms from Belfast-based shop Soaks Bathrooms, who delivered the suites to Dundee. In keeping with the rest of the house, Anna wanted classic bathrooms with a modern twist. 'I went into the Soaks showroom and had quite a lot of fun picking out the different styles and things, and then they mocked up a really useful image of what that would look like,' she says. 'It was really good going in and sitting down with someone who knows their stuff and getting a bit of help with layout, but also having a good idea before I went in what design I liked,' she says. In the downstairs loo, Anna opted for beautiful blue Victorian-style tiles with a matching vanity unit. In the main bathroom upstairs, she chose white marble tiles and a pale green vanity unit. 'With that being such a lovely light bathroom, I wanted to keep it really light,' she says. When it came to furniture, Anna went for a mix of old and new. Antique finds include the chandeliers and dining table chairs in the kitchen dining room, as well as the partners desk in the office. Meanwhile, much of the artwork and the cast iron radiators throughout the house were also bought at auctions in Northern Ireland. She contrasted these pieces with newer items, including beds and dressing tables from IKEA, sofas from M&S and lamps from Pooky. 'I like things to be a little bit mix and match, as opposed to everything matching perfectly.' This is a trend that continued with the colour scheme. 'The living room used to be more grey, and then my mum was like, 'I think you need a bit more colour in here'. 'So that's when I brought in the green lamps and the rug and things like that, just to try and make it a bit more interesting.' Anna says she will miss the house, but after nine years in Dundee, she is ready to go home. She says: 'I've been so happy here, and I love this house. 'But I think the draw to Northern Ireland is family, and that will always be the case. 'So I think now is a good a time as ever to leave. 'But definitely this house will be something I will be very, very sad to say goodbye to.'
