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Zoë Yunker

@zoeyunker.bsky.social
990 followers 395 following 141 posts

Journalist covering B.C. environment and resource politics.

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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Helpful explainer from @sarahkcox.bsky.social on the wild details of yesterday's announcement to pre-approve a southern pipeline "before many details are known and before any formal assessment of environmental impacts or substantive consultations with impacted First Nations take place."
thetyee.ca
Carney Fast-Tracks Oil Pipeline, Promises Environmental Protection | The Tyee
Announcing funding to prepare BC for oil spills is ‘a warning sign all on its own,’ UBCIC women’s rep says.
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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 01/10/2026
Carney begins his announcement of a new oil pipeline by acknowledging the climate-linked wildfire that came close to levelling the town where he's announcing the new oil pipeline. A flat circle.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
LNG Canada Phase 2 has received a final investment decision. "This will make LNG Canada one of the largest LNG projects in the world” - LNG Canada CEO Chris Cooper.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
This is the explainer I needed! Thanks @sobittersosweet.bsky.social 🙌
thenarwhal.ca
Eby just called a snap election in B.C. Here’s what that means | The Narwhal
The 2026 B.C. election will take place on Oct. 24, as David Eby sends British Columbians to the polls two years early. Here’s what that means for DRIPA and other environment issues
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Canagold wants to build a gold mine in one of continent's last roadless watersheds. They plan to fly their gold concentrate from the site — up to 15 trips per day. Can they distinguish themselves from the tarnished legacy of the mine next door? My latest for @thenarwhal.ca
thenarwhal.ca
Flying out gold? The extraordinary logistics of a proposed B.C. mine
Canagold’s proposed New Polaris mine has gotten the attention of both the provincial and federal governments. Its transportation plan relies on up to 15 cargo flights a day
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The Narwhal @thenarwhal.ca · 17/09/2026
As gold prices soar, Canagold wants to reopen the long-shuttered New Polaris mine on B.C.’s Tulsequah River. The project is also on Canada’s critical-minerals map for its potential antimony production. @zoeyunker.bsky.social digs into the details: thenarwhal.ca/new-polaris-... #bcpoli
thenarwhal.ca
Flying out gold? The extraordinary logistics of a proposed B.C. mine
Canagold’s proposed New Polaris mine has gotten the attention of both the provincial and federal governments. Its transportation plan relies on up to 15 cargo flights a day
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Thanks to @indiginews.bsky.social for reprinting my @thetyee.ca story about Chinook salmon struggling to survive extreme drought in the Shushwap region, and the work needed to avoid crises like these.
indiginews.com
Chinook are going blind on the Salmon River amid worsening drought conditions
The waterway, which winds from the Thompson Plateau to Shuswap Lake, is shrinking and warming — experts say 'B.C.' must do more to manage water scarcity
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Chinook in the Southern Interior's Salmon River have begun to go blind. It's a response to stress from the region's extreme drought conditions. Experts say droughts like these are wake-up call for BC's laissez-faire approach to water management. My latest for @thetyee.ca 🧵 1/
thetyee.ca
As Fish Go Blind, Experts Say BC Isn’t Prepared for Droughts | The Tyee
With fish struggling in the Salmon River, flip-flopping on emergency orders suggests a lack of preplanning, experts say.
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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Same story, but CBC chooses a headline that actually misrepresents the study and frames climate change as a now irreversible problem. The actual study, as AP notes, describes going over 1.5C and how to get back under that threshold.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
As Canada plans another publicly-owned oil pipeline to BC's coast, it has quietly reached a settlement with oil companies to lower their fees on Trans Mountain. Those fees already didn't pay for the cost of building the line. 🛢️ My latest for @thetyee.ca
thetyee.ca
Trans Mountain Looks to Slash Pipeline Shipping Fees | The Tyee
The deal would leave the public on the hook for more of the TMX megaproject’s cost overruns.
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andrea bennett (they/them) @akkabah.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Anna started coughing in March 2025 and never stopped. As a non-smoker, her symptoms were unexpected. She examined her life for changes and found nothing. Except, that is, for the new industry next door. @zoeyunker.bsky.social for @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/News/2026/07...
thetyee.ca
‘What Are We Breathing?’ Kitimat Residents Ask | The Tyee
A Tyee investigation has uncovered major gaps in the monitoring of dangerous, potentially carcinogenic pollutants.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
For months I kept hearing about new health issues in Kitimat. Bouts of pneumonia. Newly diagnosed respiratory illnesses. Next door is LNG Canada, the second-highest flaring LNG facility worldwide in 2025. For @thetyee.ca I investigated what we do and don't know about Kitimat's air. 🧵 1/6
thetyee.ca
‘What Are We Breathing?’ Kitimat Residents Ask | The Tyee
A Tyee investigation has uncovered major gaps in the monitoring of dangerous, potentially carcinogenic pollutants.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Pre-operation, LNG Canada predicted its acid gas incinerator would be offline: “approximately once per year for four to six hours in duration.” From September-April, one incinerator was down for 139 days. For @thetyee.ca I unpack what that could mean for Kitimat's air. #bcpoli
thetyee.ca
LNG Canada’s Acid Gas-Burning Incinerator Keeps Failing | The Tyee
A key tool for protecting Kitimat’s environment and humans has frequently malfunctioned, leaving it unusable for months on end.
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The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 20/07/2026
A critical tool for destroying potentially dangerous gases at the LNG Canada facility in Kitimat was out of commission for more days than it operated between September and April. @zoeyunker.bsky.social reports. #bcpoli
thetyee.ca
LNG Canada’s Acid Gas-Burning Incinerator Keeps Failing | The Tyee
A key tool for protecting Kitimat’s environment and humans has frequently malfunctioned, leaving it unusable for months on end.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Canada will invest $500 million in the Red Chris mine. Unclear what this would look like. Northern tanker ban will stay in place. Lots of hints re: southern route. www.youtube.com/live/X32oyXQ...
youtube.com
Powering decades of job growth and prosperity
YouTube video by GovernmentofBC
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
A really beautiful, thought-provoking piece from @writermjs.bsky.social:
thenarwhal.ca
Climate change is forcing us to adapt to uncertainty | The Narwhal
As wildfires, floods and other climate impacts accelerate, experts say our best chance of adapting may be accepting a simple truth: we can’t predict everything
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
After months breaching its regulated limits, LNG Canada is applying for new permit to continuously flare 11 times more gas for the next three years. 🔥 My latest for @thetyee.ca #bcpoli
thetyee.ca
Kitimat LNG Plant Asks for Massive Flaring Permit Increase | The Tyee
Racked by technical problems, LNG Canada has applied to be allowed to flare far more gas into Kitimat’s airshed.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Gold is a big deal right now. As prices skyrocket, it’s plumping Canada’s stock market in the midst of economic turmoil. And the industry wants more. But...a mine in Clayoquot Sound? My investigation out today for @thenarwhal.ca 🧵 1/6
thenarwhal.ca
Gold mining near Tofino? Inside Imperial Metals' controversial exploration permit | The Narwhal
A five-year exploration permit allows Imperial Metals to drill for gold in the Tranquil Creek watershed, prompting concerns about acid mine drainage, salmon habitat and consent if the project goes ahe...
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L. Manuel Baechlin @lmbaechlin.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Happy to finally share this video I produced based on reporting by @zoeyunker.bsky.social, with story edits by Lindsay Sample and videography by Jillian Wilkes. Go watch!
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The Narwhal @thenarwhal.ca · 18/06/2026
Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation has long opposed a gold mine in Clayoquot Sound. After Imperial Metals received an exploration permit for a site near Tofino, we sent @zoeyunker.bsky.social via helicopter to see it. Here’s her comprehensive report: thenarwhal.ca/tofino-gold-... #bcpoli
thenarwhal.ca
Gold mining near Tofino? Inside Imperial Metals' controversial exploration permit | The Narwhal
A five-year exploration permit allows Imperial Metals to drill for gold in the Tranquil Creek watershed, prompting concerns about acid mine drainage, salmon habitat and consent if the project goes ahe...
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The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 08/06/2026
The have-it-both-ways policy approach is familiar: its proponents argue that ramped-up fossil fuel extraction can coincide with climate leadership. It’s a message echoed by provincial and federal governments in Canada and beyond. But is it legal? @zoeyunker.bsky.social reports. #bcpoli #LNG
thetyee.ca
LNG Exports May Expose BC to Legal Risk | The Tyee
A growing body of climate lawsuits poses a threat to oil and gas aims of the province and Canada, a new report suggests.
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Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions @picscanada.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
How can collective ownership of climate transition infrastructure help drive the #EnergyTransition & strengthen communities? A recent PICS-funded dialogue explored the question — read more by @zoeyunker.bsky.social climatesolutions.ca/is-collectiv... @holcaggiano.bsky.social
climatesolutions.ca
Is Collective Ownership Climate Action’s Secret Ingredient? | Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions
How banding together to buy renewable energy infrastructure can help communities today and tomorrow.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Growing calls for a health impact review on LNG and fracking now include four councils whose communities may be at risk. “It makes sense to support each other in trying to get answers that I think are pretty important for everyone” — Coun. Chris Pettingill My story for @thetyee.ca #bcpoli
thetyee.ca
BC Towns Call for an Investigation into LNG Health Effects | The Tyee
Health officers’ report last fall has led local leaders to demand answers about the impact of LNG on residents’ health. Will the province listen?
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Must-read reporting from @natashabulowski.bsky.social on sweeping changes likely coming down the pipe.
nationalobserver.com
Carney moves to fast-track federal approval for major projects — from pipelines to power lines
A discussion paper released last Friday describes the proposed changes, which would expand ministerial powers and make it easier to obtain permits and approvals under multiple federal laws. Provinces,...
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Something big just happened on Haida Gwaii. For the first time in B.C., a utility-scale solar project is now taking a meaningful bite out of a diesel-fuelled remote grid. It's a product of years of work from the Haida Nation, and it could signal a tipping point. (photos: Katherine Cheng) 🧵
thenarwhal.ca
Haida Gwaii’s historic plan to ditch diesel | The Narwhal
Solar North, the first large-scale solar project on a remote grid in B.C., is just the start
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The Narwhal @thenarwhal.ca · 11/05/2026
Dozens of B.C. communities are not connected to the provincial electrical grid, and most rely on diesel instead. In Haida Gwaii, the Tll Yahda solar project is a major step forward in a history-making plan to ditch diesel for good, @zoeyunker.bsky.social reports: thenarwhal.ca/haida-gwaii-...
thenarwhal.ca
Haida Gwaii’s historic plan to ditch diesel | The Narwhal
Solar North, the first large-scale solar project on a remote grid in B.C., is just the start
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Jen St. Denis @jenstden.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Inside the Fiery End of Vancouver Island’s Last Coal Mine How a US owner’s dream of ‘clean’ coal left behind acid, arsenic and a warning for today. By @zoeyunker.bsky.social thetyee.ca/News/2026/05...
thetyee.ca
Inside the Fiery End of Vancouver Island’s Last Coal Mine | The Tyee
How a US owner’s dream of ‘clean’ coal left behind acid, arsenic and a warning for today. A Tyee investigation.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Tom Clark is a zany character. The self-dubbed nursing-home owner turned coal magnate bought his mines for cheap and then bankrupted them under various corporate banners. In 2019, Campbell River’s last operating coal mine, Quinsam, became one of them. 🧵
thetyee.ca
Inside the Fiery End of Vancouver Island’s Last Coal Mine | The Tyee
How a US owner’s dream of ‘clean’ coal left behind acid, arsenic and a warning for today. A Tyee investigation.
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Charles Rusnell @charlesrusnell.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Great investigative reporting via @zoeyunker.bsky.social Inside the Fiery End of Vancouver Island's Last Coal Mine via @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/News/2026/05...
thetyee.ca
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
For weeks I became completely transfixed by Tom Clarke, the enviro-turned coal magnate who bankrupted hundreds of coal mines, including the Quinsam mine on Vancouver Island. Cleanup is now on the public's dime. Is Quinsam a harbinger of what's to come? @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/News/2026/05...
thetyee.ca
Inside the Fiery End of Vancouver Island’s Last Coal Mine | The Tyee
How a US owner’s dream of ‘clean’ coal left behind acid, arsenic and a warning for today. A Tyee investigation.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Canada's gas tax has sparked a debate about how to respond to the global oil supply shock. Are gas prices themselves the problem, or is there a poison pill in Canada's economy (its major dependence on fossil fuels)? My latest for @thetyee.ca
thetyee.ca
Does Carney’s Gas Tax Cut Send the Wrong Signals? | The Tyee
Experts warn that suspending Canada’s fuel tax offers limited, ill-targeted relief.
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The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 22/04/2026
In his first major move to address the economic fallout of the war in the Middle East, PM Mark Carney has temporarily axed Canada’s federal fuel tax. But experts warn the sugar high of tax relief fails to address Canada’s dependence on a volatile energy source. @zoeyunker.bsky.social reports.
thetyee.ca
Does Carney’s Gas Tax Cut Send the Wrong Signals? | The Tyee
Experts warn that suspending Canada’s fuel tax offers limited, ill-targeted relief.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
"Trutch also understood the value of letting the machinery do the work." A must-read from @adampolsen.bsky.social at @thetyee.ca
thetyee.ca
How Joseph Trutch Set the Stage for BC’s Indigenous Policies | The Tyee
The ugly history of land dispossession continues to emerge in political decisions today.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
BC has eliminated its long-running Climate Action Secretariat. At least 10 staff members have been sent to work on pipelines and oil and gas. Meanwhile, this month the City of Vancouver also scrapped its sustainability department. My latest for @thetyee.ca #bcpoli
thetyee.ca
BC Cuts Climate Agency, Sends Some Staff to Work on Pipelines | The Tyee
Experts say CleanBC has gone up in smoke.
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The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 18/03/2026
B.C. has provided a first glimpse into its planned fast-tracked environmental assessment process that gives the government new powers to exempt selected projects from existing rules. @zoeyunker.bsky.social reports. #bcpoli
thetyee.ca
Inside BC’s Plan to Fast-Track Environmental Assessments | The Tyee
Here’s how the province plans to speed resource project approvals. And why there are concerns.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Remember BC's fast-track law, Bill 15? It's about to become reality. BC just gave us a first glimpse into what could mean for environmental assessment. My latest for @thetyee.ca #bcpoli
thetyee.ca
Inside BC’s Plan to Fast-Track Environmental Assessments | The Tyee
Here’s how the province plans to speed resource project approvals. And why there are concerns.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Sobering, helpful analysis from @markhamhislop.bsky.social re: Canada's Energy Future 2026 report. "..net-zero requires a level of sustained, escalating intervention that Canada has never demonstrated. Not once."
markhamhislop.substack.com
Dear Canadians: Stop Lying to Yourselves About Climate Change
New report shows why Canada will never, ever meet its climate targets. Not in 2030, not net-zero by 2050
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
An incredible interview on Front Burner today. So, so worth listening to.
cbc.ca
'We do not want your bombs': A view from Tehran | Front Burner | CBC Podcasts | CBC Listen
Amidst communications blackouts and rising casualties, Jayme Poisson reaches a resident in Tehran to discuss the war, Trump, the Iranian regime, and his pessimistic view about where this goes next.  ...
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Food systems are on the edge in West Moberly First Nations' territory, but they have plan to change that. Their geothermal-powered greenhouse could be Canada's first, drawing on hot water trapped inside an ancient seafloor to grow food for the northeast. My latest for @thenarwhal.ca
thenarwhal.ca
B.C. First Nation taps geothermal power for food security | The Narwhal
In northeast B.C., fresh food is scarce. West Moberly First Nations is turning to an underground clean-energy solution
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The Narwhal @thenarwhal.ca · 05/03/2026
Accessing fresh produce is a challenge in many northern communities, but for one First Nation in northeastern B.C., harnessing geothermal energy may offer a path to better food security. @zoeyunker.bsky.social reports: thenarwhal.ca/west-moberly...
thenarwhal.ca
B.C. First Nation taps geothermal power for food security | The Narwhal
In northeast B.C., fresh food is scarce. West Moberly First Nations is turning to an underground clean-energy solution
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
A staggering report from @amandafollett.bsky.social on Rustad's town hall on Indigenous rights and DRIPA in Smithers (Wet’suwet’en territory) last weekend:
thetyee.ca
‘First Nations Would Not Exist Without Canada,’ Rustad Tells Crowd | The Tyee
Conservative MLAs held a town hall to criticize DRIPA. Community members and Indigenous leaders pushed back.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
BC's forest advisory council released its long-awaited report this week. It says BC should scrap timber supply reviews and replace them with locally shaped plans. Will the plan turn the corner before it's too late? My story for @thetyee.ca 🌲 #bcpoli
thetyee.ca
BC Must Overhaul the Province’s Forestry Industry, Report Says | The Tyee
A council created as part of the Greens’ decision to back the NDP says the government can’t ‘keep kicking this can down the road.’
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The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 04/02/2026
A forest advisory council has recommended shifting B.C.’s forest regime towards more local decision-making. The plan has received applause, but some experts warn the plan lacks teeth and risks putting fragile forest ecosystems at risk. @zoeyunker.bsky.social reports. #bcpoli #OldGrowth
thetyee.ca
BC Must Overhaul the Province’s Forestry Industry, Report Says | The Tyee
A council created as part of the Greens’ decision to back the NDP says the government can’t ‘keep kicking this can down the road.’
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Cleanup at Port Alice's bankrupt pulp mill has cost the public $170 million and counting. BC said this was a "symptom of a wider problem" facing taxpayers, and vowed to close the legal loopholes that allowed it to happen. Now it's quietly halted that process. My story for @thetyee.ca #bcpoli
thetyee.ca
BC Halts Plans to Make Polluters Pay for Cleanup Costs | The Tyee
The province billed its Public Interest Bonding Strategy as a key step to protect the public from massive cleanup bills. Now it’s on hold.
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The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 03/02/2026
B.C. has halted work on a strategy aimed at ensuring taxpayers don’t bear the massive cleanup costs arising from abandoned industrial sites and disasters like the Mount Polley mine breach. @zoeyunker.bsky.social reports. #bcpoli
thetyee.ca
BC Halts Plans to Make Polluters Pay for Cleanup Costs | The Tyee
The province billed its Public Interest Bonding Strategy as a key step to protect the public from massive cleanup bills. Now it’s on hold.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Illuminating comments from a senior policy specialist at Drax during a 2023 internal probe: “I don’t think we should take from Primary Forests, even if they’re [the trees] dead, we’ve been saying we don’t source from these forests when it appears we might be." #bcpoli
ft.com
Drax manager questioned public statements on wood sourcing, tribunal documents show
Power station owner has received billions of pounds in subsidies to convert former coal-fired station to burn biomass
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
As pipeline talk swirls, below are some thoughts and a reshare of my December article for @thetyee.ca on Trans Mountain’s apparent financial boom. (Basically, don’t believe it — it’s an accounting illusion. Canadians lost many millions last year.) 🧵
thetyee.ca
Is Trans Mountain’s Profitability an Accounting Illusion? | The Tyee
How the finances of Canada’s government-owned pipeline may look better than they are.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Must-read from @amandafollett.bsky.social on the ongoing struggle of those impacted by Cassiar's asbestos mine, which covered the town in "green dust." "Children playing in the snow cautioned each other to “eat between the green” to avoid ingesting it, Joseph remembers." thetyee.ca/News/2026/01...
thetyee.ca
The Town That Asbestos Built. The Cancer It Left Behind | The Tyee
Former residents of Cassiar say they weren’t warned about the risks. Now, they struggle to find support.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
Trans Mountain is making big profits now, right? Actually, no. Thanks to accounting wizardry and a shell company, the pipeline has transformed Canadians' losses into gains on its balance sheets. My deep dive on this for @thetyee.ca: thetyee.ca/Analysis/202...
thetyee.ca
Is Trans Mountain’s Profitability an Accounting Illusion? | The Tyee
How the finances of Canada’s government-owned pipeline may look better than they are.
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Zoë Yunker @zoeyunker.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Industrial carbon price needs to jump to $400 to make up for lost clean electricity regs, according to Guilbeault in this critical interview by @woodsideful.bsky.social 👏
nationalobserver.com
'Sorry prime minister, I'm no longer your man': Steven Guilbeault on leaving cabinet
In Steven Guilbeault’s first English-media interview since resigning over Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to pursue a pipeline agreement with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the former cabinet m...
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