The Council of Canadians
◆ WINNIPEG CHAPTER ◆

On July 1st over 100 people gathered in Winnipeg to stand in solidarity with the over 900 people imprisoned during the Toronto G20 protests.

 

Members of FemRev, Copwatch, the Anarchist Black Cross, the Winnipeg New Socialist Group, Canadian Federation of Students and local community activists put together the event in reaction to the injustice in Toronto. The march and the large crowd gathered many onlookers in the midst of Canada Day celebrations on the corner of Osborne Street and Stradbrook Avenue. Speakers from throughout the community spoke of their outrage.

Watch the VIDEO

21 minutes

More events are planned throughout the country and here in Winnipeg. Please watch our event calendar for updates on the July 17th demonstration.

____________________________________________________________________________

After the widely condemned police brutality during the G20 Summit in Toronto, crowds gathered for a protest in front of Police Headquarters in Toronto on Monday, June 28, 2010. There, Naomi Klein tore into the Toronto Police for choosing to "play public relations" instead of doing their job.

"The bosses of this police force and other police forces decided to play public relations and instead of doing their jobs they let the city burn. They let those cop cares burn."

rabble tv Video

____________________________________________________________________________

The Council of Canadians has been vigilant on the potential problems with genetically modified crops. Actually the issues are bigger than GMOs. Should any foodstuff be put on the market before the precautionary principle has been fully considered? Corporations, whose main goal is to satisfy shareholders, ought not to be allowed to foist short-term tried materials on the world.

Many issues are arising.  At least seventeen weeds are developing immunization to the glyphosate in Roundup. This means that farmers, for example, will have to spray several times to kill the weeds in their crops. Roundup was supposed to cut back on spraying, but it appears that this hypothesis may be wrong.

The fact that some of Canada’s flax cannot be sold to some non-GMO countries because it contains some GM seed now banned in some countries in Europe raises another issue. Ought GM wheat and alfalfa to be approved if trade problems may ban Canada’s sales to non-GMO areas?

The Council of Canadians is justly concerned about terminator seeds that produce only one crop thus preventing farmers from savingseed from year to year. The overarching concern is that corporations don’t destroy the democratic power of governments to represent people.

Contributor: Barry Hammond, Council of Canadians - Winnipeg Chapter.

For more information, please check out these short video clips.

Dr. Robert Verkerk, GMO's GAMBLING WITH OUR FOOD and FUTURE

"If we look at the health risks of GM on their own, they're bad enough. If we look at the environmental risks of GM crops on their own, they're bad enough. If we add to that the notion of allowing a very small number of corporations to control the food supply and to control the supply of seeds the whole concept of genetically modified crops is madness."

Author Jeffrey Smith about GMOs - Risks and Solutions (excerpts)

"We have designed a campaign to end the genetic engineering of the food supply. Not by begging the government to do it for us, but by understanding that the consumers are at the top of the food chain."

DOWNLOAD: How to avoid Genetically Engineered Food - A Greenpeace Shopper's Guide

 

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

John Loxley will be releasing his new book Public Service, Private Profits tonight at the Modragon. Today's Winnipeg Free Press makes the connection between this book's exposure of the dangers of P3s and the City's recent deal with Veolia.

"In Winnipeg, the France-based company will manage and run the renovated plants for 30 years, reportedly saving the city between 10 and 20 per cent of the expected total $1.2 billion operating and capital costs.

Still not made public is how much Veolia will make in profits, the penalty the city must pay to terminate the deal,exactly who covers cost overruns, and from where exactly the 10 to 20 per cent savings will come.

Most of that information is considered proprietary and not even councillors nor Mayor Sam Katz have access to it.

"There is a tremendous lack of information of what these deals actually are. It's very difficult to get information on them," Loxley said, adding he's still waiting for information on the Charleswood Bridge, another case study in his book.

Loxley will launch his book at Mondragon Bookstore and Coffee House on Albert Street at 7 p.m. Loxley won the prestigious 2010 John Kenneth Galbraith Prize in Economics in March, for a demonstrated contribution combining economic analysis with acommitment to social justice."

 

Winnipeg Free Press - Book uncovers dangers of P3s, Private-public partnerships explained, By: Matt Preprost, 8/06/2010

To read the full article click here.

______________________________________________________________________

Proponents of the City of Winnipeg's deal with Veolia say it has nothing to do with water.

The day before the May 19th Council Meeting, that saw Winnipeg City Council vote 9 to 4 in favour of the signing with Veolia, St. Norbert Ward Councillor Justin Swandel went on CJOB to confront members of Water Watch. During the exchange Swandel said "Again I'll remind you it's not about water. You'll see that the pair in front of me keep going back to the word water. Water! Water! Water every chance they get. We're talking about sewage here."

To which Dr. Mary LeMaître of Water Watch answered, "You're dealing with a multi-national corporation who aggressively goes after water. There's a growing world water shortage and these companies know that if they have control then they're going to make a profit, and I'm not just talking about drinking water."

On May 18th in front of City Hall, at a rally opposing the Veolia deal, Provincial Green Party leader James Beddome asked the crowd, "We don't have to use so much water to deal with our waste and if we have a private company how much control are we going to have over it? How much are we going to be able to direct that in the future? Or is that all going to be protected by the contract? I'm sure they've got their lawyers already working on that."

During the City Council debate on May 19th St. Boniface Ward Councillor Dan Vandal said "Once this is approved this afternoon and Veolia is managing our waste water for the next 30 years, they are going to do everything in their power to manage our water next...You can count on it." as reported by the Winnipeg Free Press.

Veolia has aggressively gone after control of water and promotion of privatizing water in countless countries. Although the plan for the utility said that water is to be fully owned and controlled by the utility, the deal leaves room for other expansions in its strategic partnership, which might include staff 'expertise' and 'technology transfer' for water. As well the plan and the utility model may be changed as there is no act governing it. We just formed a 30 year partnership with a company that we know is eyeing our water, and might just get it through its political influence, lawyers, industry experience and other resources.

This deal is all about water. It's about the water that goes down our drains and is flushed down our toilets. It's also about the water we swim, play and fish in. The point is that it's not exactly about drinking water...yet!

____________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to everyone that came out for the rallies, signed the petitons and wrote letters! Thanks for packing the gallery at City Hall during the May 19th Council Meeting!

After mobilizing for so many months against this P3 arrangement, it was quite disheartening, though not altogether unexpected, that Winnipeg City Council voted 9-4 in favour of a 30 year contract with the disreputable company Veolia.

Those that blindly voted in favour of the deal with Veolia were:

Sam Kats, Mayor of Winnipeg

Justin Swandel, St. Norbert Ward

Gord Steeves, St. Vital Ward

Mike O'Shaughnessy, Old Kildonan Ward

Mike Pagtakhan, Point Douglas Ward

Russ Wyatt, Transcona Ward

Grant Nordman, St. Charles Ward

Jeff Browaty, North Kildonan Ward

Scott Fielding, St. James - Brooklands Ward

All is not lost however. The Province still has some say in this. Please continue to contact your Provincial representative and let them know that a secret deal with a disreputable corporation like Veolia is no deal at all!

There is no doubt that this critical vote will have consequences in October's Civic elections.

____________________________________________________________________

exept from: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Fast Facts article - Lynne Fernandez - May 14, 2010

"Fast Facts: Contract with Veolia for waste-water treatment does not pass the smell test

On May 12 EPC unanimously voted to accept a report prepared by Winnipeg Public Services. The Report recommends that the City award a contract to Veolia for the design, construction and, it appears, the shared operation of the South and North End sewage treatment plants. The Report assures readers that this is a good deal for Winnipeg. But those of us who have been following the process are not convinced.

Winnipeggers will be forgiven for not fully understanding what is at stake, or for not being able to follow the complicated, increasingly arcane recommendations and business plans leading to this week’s report. The CCPA and citizens’ groups raised enough concerns about the initial Plan A — first presented in November, 2008 — that the City came up with a Plan B. Plan B was passed by council last July, in spite of the many concerns voiced by citizens’ groups."

to find out about Plan C and more, please read more >>

_______________________________________________________________________________

Would you sign a 30‐year mortgage for a house without knowing the price you’re paying?

That’s exactly what Winnipeg City Council is being asked to do on Wednesday, May 19 when it votes on whether to approve a 30‐year private‐public partnership (P3) with Veolia, one of the world’s largest multinational corporations, and one with a deplorable environmental and social track record.

If approved, the City of Winnipeg will be locked into a long‐term agreement with Veolia that will involve the design, building and management of Winnipeg’s sewage treatment plant upgrades and expansion plans.

On the basis of a nine‐page summary report written by city staff, and without being given adequate information or the numbers behind it, your city councillor is being asked to sign on the dotted line and commit the city of Winnipeg to a 30‐year contract with total estimated operating costs of $1.6 billion and $661 million in capital costs. Councillors haven’t even seen the actual contract that is to be signed with Veolia, and given the confidentiality rules that protect private corporations, the public is unlikely to ever see the contract.

The summary report doesn’t even say how much the City of Winnipeg will pay Veolia for their “expertise."

The summary claims “the 30 year contract is expected to save taxpayers from 10 to 20% of the entire sewage treatment program costs,” but doesn’t say where those savings will come from (besides vague references to “improved design,” “innovation” and “bulk purchasing") or offer any numbers to back this claim up.

The summary promises that Veolia will share with the city in the financial risks associated with the project, but doesn’t say what Veolia will get in return for assuming this risk or how much it will cost Winnipeg.

The summary claims “all direct costs will be delivered on a transparent and open book basis and be subject to audit” but Winnnipegers – and even city councillors – aren’t even allowed to see the contract before they sign it. This doesn’t sound very transparent.

The summary says “the contract will contain provisions for the City to terminate if ever required” but doesn’t tell Winnipegers how much it will cost to get out of the contract they’ve signed.

Even if it it’s the best deal in the world, there is no way for Winnipegers or their elected representatives to know.

Sound crazy? You can read the summary that councilors are being asked to make a 30‐year decision on, click here.

Last July Mayor Katz and eight councillors voted to move forward on the creation of a private corporate utility to handle Winnipeg’s wastewater, despite widespread public opposition and a vague business plan. Now, once again, city council is rushing ahead with a vague plan before Winnipegers – and even council – are given the details they need to make an informed decision.

We need you to take action today to stop city council from committing you to a contract none of you have seen. Here are some of the things you can do:

• Write to city councilors and the mayor
• Write letters to the editor
• Attend the May 19 City Council Meeting
• Spread the word!

1. Write to city councilors and the mayor

Step 1: Copy the following into the BCC field of your email program to send an email to Mayor Katz and all city councillors:

hlazarenko@winnipeg.ca; gnordman@winnipeg.ca; jorlikow@winnipeg.ca; mike@winnipeg.ca; mayor@winnipeg.ca; jbrowaty@winnipeg.ca; sfielding@winnipeg.ca; jgerbasi@winnipeg.ca; mpagtakhan@winnipeg.ca; hsmith@winnipeg.ca; gsteeves@winnipeg.ca; jswandel@winnipeg.ca; lthomas@winnipeg.ca; dvandal@winnipeg.ca; rwyatt@winnipeg.ca

Step 2: Write your subject line and message

Using your own words:

• Tell council that you don’t want them committing you to a 30‐year contract that has not been made public and councilors have not seen.
• Ask them how much Winnipeg is paying Veolia for their “expertise”.
• Ask them to see the full business case which justifies the numbers contained in the nine‐page summary.
• Ask them what Veolia is receiving in return for taking on some of the project “risk”.
• Ask how much it will cost if Winnipeg ever wants to get out of the contract.
• Demand that the public be shown the full business case and the terms of the contract before they sign.
• Ask for a response to your concern.

You can also use this sample letter if you don’t have time to write your own:

Dear Councillor,

I am writing to urge you to vote against the proposal to sign a 30‐year contract with Veolia on Wednesday, May 19. Common sense dictates that the City of Winnipeg and our elected officials cannot commit public funds towards a 30‐year contract that neither the public or our representatives on city council have seen.

I ask that you seek clarification on the following questions:

• How much is Winnipeg paying Veolia for their “expertise?”
• Will city councilors and the public have a chance to see the full business case which justifies the numbers contained in the nine‐page summary before the contract is signed?
• How much it will cost if Winnipeg ever wants to get out of the contract?

I look forward to hearing the answers to these important questions and, above all, I urge that you not allow City Council to blindly sign onto a 30‐year deal based on a flimsy nine‐page report. There must be full disclosure for an informed decision to be made.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME

Step 3: Press send!

And then follow up your email with a phone call to your own councilor and the mayor (and as many other councilors as you have time for). You can find their phone numbers here: http://www.winnipeg.ca/council/contact.stm

2. Write letters to the editor

One of the most effective ways to influence public opinion and to put pressure on the media to give more coverage to an issue like this is to write a letter to the editor (LTE). Use the information above to write a letter to the Winnipeg Free Press to highlight your concerns.

The Winnipeg Free Press online form for LTEs is here: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/send_a_letter/

Remember: be short, be polite, and it helps if you refer to a story on the issue which has already appeared in the paper.

If you have more time you can also make comments on news websites and call into open talk radio shows.

3. Attend the May 19 City Council Meeting

Packing council chambers is a sure way to let councillors know that the public is watching. This very important decision will be made at the City Council meeting on Wednesday, May 19 starting at 9:30 am. If you can, go to City Hall (510 Main Street) to pack the galleries.

If you’re a confident public speaker, you can also register to make up to a five‐minute presentation to city council to outline your concerns. To register to speak you can call 311. If the two available spots are full, contact Jenny Gerbasi at jgerbasi@winnipeg.ca, as a request can be made to waive the rules to allow additional speakers.

4. Spread the word!

Unless they feel a lot of pressure over the next week, city council could commit all Winnipegers to this private‐public partnership by next Wednesday, so it’s important that they hear from as many people as possible as soon as possible!

Help us spread the word! Send this message out to your email contacts, Facebook networks, post it on your website or blog and encourage everyone you know to take action to demand to see the contract before it gets signed.

share this post > copy and paste this link: http://tiny.cc/actionalertV

 

____________________________________________________________________

In the summer of 2009 Winnipeggers found out that the City was looking at a private sector partner to design, build, finance and operate the North and South End sewage treatment plants. Over 30 delegations spoke before EPC urging them not to go ahead with the ill conceived plan. A petition against the private partner with over 1600 signatures was presented to City Council. Rallies and demonstrations were held protesting the plan. Polls at the time showed 75% of Winnipeggers were against the idea of the city partnering with a private corporation. A letter writing campaign began urging city councilors to reconsider.

Regardless of the public outcry, city council passed the new MCU plan 10 to 6 on July 22, 2009. But citizens of Winnipeg continued to voice their opposition. The letter writing campaign grew and now included Provincial MLAs. Facebook groups sprung up renouncing the private partner. It now seems as though at least some of our pleas were heard.

 

Last week the City of Winnipeg released an eight page report in which they consider a 30 year contract with Veolia Canada to design and upgrade the sewage treatment plants as well as providing continued expertise. This report will be discussed at Executive Policy Committee (EPC) meeting today and then at council on the 19th.

 

Thanks to people concerned about the quality of the treated water flowing back into our water ways and rejecting a for-profit sewage treatment plant model some things have now changed. The vague 8 page report being discussed at EPC today seems to include some good news:

- The City will maintain 100% ownership of the facilities.

- The Private Corporation will not be financing the upgrades.

- Council retains control and passes annual budgets.

- The City remains accountable for quality and service.

- It looks like City staff will remain in position.

- Direct costs are to be open to public and subject to audit.

But the report offers an unclear overview on what the City's proposed contract with Veolia contains. The contract is supposed to contain provisions whereby the city can terminate at any time. But there are no details on how this would transpire. What would the cost be to default or legal costs to terminate the contract? The report to be reviewed by city council mentions 10-20% cost savings, but it does not explain where these savings would come from. Without the details of the contract it is impossible to understand the deal completely.

Globally Veolia has a poor ethical history.  They have a reputation of acting unfairly and deceptively. Their track record in the United States since the 1990s includes privatization failures in communities large and small. Their negligence caused a boil-water alert for more than a million people in Indianapolis. They have racked up millions in operational losses, fines as well as maintenance and administrative deficiencies.  Citizens of Sweden took action recognizing that they will not support Veolia due to their unethical practices in other countries. The City of Winnipeg offers no good rationalization for dealing with this unethical corporation.

Ricardo Acuna of the Parkland Institute questions the reasoning for going with Veolia on CKUW this morning. "One of the justifications the City of Winnipeg is giving for... going with Veolia is that they had a bad experience before. Where a project went over budget. So they're willing to take that one bad experience and say we need a different model, but they are jumping into a new model that has generated all sorts of bad experiences across the world in terms of cost over runs and higher costs. It's difficult to understand ... how they are rationalizing all of this."  To listen to the full interview please click here.

 

The City is trying to rush through this deal, while offering no details to the councilors that need to decide on this plan next week. Delegates will be speaking to EPC today to denounce the proposed agreement.

copy and paste this link http://tiny.cc/some_wins

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

The Winnipeg Free Press reports this afternoon that, “The City of Winnipeg has chosen Veolia Canada over two other engineering firms to help conduct $661million worth of upgrades to the city's sewage-treatment plants.”

 

“The city is poised to enter into a 30-year deal with the Canadian wing of Veolia, a multi-national consulting firm based in France. The deal will see five to 15 Veolia staffers help design upgrades at the sewage treatment plants and assist the city's maintenance efforts. The private firm will not own any facilities and unionized city staff will continue to operate them, said Bryan Gray, one of the creators of the city's new utility.”

 

Veolia Water (formerly Vivendi Water, originally Generale des Eaux), is the water division of the French corporate giant Veolia Environnement, the world’s largest supplier of water services operating in about 64 metropolitan areas.

 

As we reported in a campaign blog yesterday, the article notes that, “The city has abandoned a plan to allow a private firm to own part of a subsidiary in the new utility. Instead, the deal with Veolia - which faces approval from executive policy committee and city council -- will see the company assume responsibility for a percentage of any cost overruns and also some of the savings that may flow from more efficient plant operations.”

 

Still,we will be monitoring this situation very closely.

 

click here for the full Free Press article.