Latest news with #DavidSuzukiFoundation


Vancouver Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Suzuki Foundation accused of using misleading American photos to portray B.C. gas projects
OTTAWA — The David Suzuki Foundation has repeatedly used false and alarmist imagery to exaggerate the ecological impacts of natural gas development in northeastern British Columbia, a new complaint to Canada's Competition Bureau alleges. The complaint, put forward by eight B.C. residents, says that the Vancouver-based environmental charity repeatedly misled the public by using an aerial image depicting a dense cluster of natural gas wells scarring a landscape in Wyoming , taken in 2006, to falsely depict modern natural gas development in British Columbia's northeast. '(T)he Wyoming image paints a picture (that is) dirty, desolate and packed with natural gas well pads, as opposed the reality of a green area where natural gas development takes place around farms and public infrastructure,' reads the complaint. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The 11-page complaint includes multiple screenshots of foundation materials that use the Wyoming photo, dating back to 2019. In one case, the foundation included text acknowledging the photo was from Wyoming, but it did not do so in other cases, the complaint alleges. One June 2024 Instagram post, for example, uses the image to promote an investigative report into the Montney Formation in northeastern B.C. and northwestern Alberta, a region that accounts for roughly half of Canada's natural gas production . The foundation continued to use the image after being made aware of concerns surrounding its use that summer, according to the complaint. Deena Del Giusto, one of the complainants, said in a statement to the media that the principle of truth in advertising should apply equally to charities. 'This is about fairness and truth. The people of Northeast B.C. … deserve honest debate, not scare tactics and misleading imagery used to raise millions in donations,' said Del Giusto, a resident of Fort St. John, B.C. 'We're asking the Competition Bureau to hold the David Suzuki Foundation to the same standard businesses face: tell the truth.' Del Giusto told the National Post she was inspired to take action when a client of hers in the trucking industry brought the foundation's use of the image to her attention. 'I just didn't feel like it fairly reflected what was happening in the community, and felt strongly that I needed to do something about it,' said Del Giusto. Representatives from the David Suzuki Foundation did not immediately respond to National Post questions about the Competition Bureau complaint. The complaint also claims that the Wyoming image has in several instances appeared in close proximity to messages soliciting donations to the foundation. 'It is clear that (the image) is being used … to benefit the organization through donations.' The group is asking that the foundation to issue a corrective notice informing the public of its deceptive practices and pay a fine of up to $15,000,000 per offence. The environmental charity raised $12.1 million in Canadian donations and $38,000 from abroad last year, according to publicly available filings . It has roughly $22.5m in reserve funds, of which $8.9m are donor-endowed. National Post rmohamed@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .


Edmonton Journal
4 days ago
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Suzuki Foundation accused of using misleading American photos to portray B.C. gas projects
OTTAWA — The David Suzuki Foundation has repeatedly used false and alarmist imagery to exaggerate the ecological impacts of natural gas development in northeastern British Columbia, a new complaint to Canada's Competition Bureau alleges. Article content The complaint, put forward by eight B.C. residents, says that the Vancouver-based environmental charity repeatedly misled the public by using an aerial image depicting a dense cluster of natural gas wells scarring a landscape in Wyoming, taken in 2006, to falsely depict modern natural gas development in British Columbia's northeast. Article content Article content Article content '(T)he Wyoming image paints a picture (that is) dirty, desolate and packed with natural gas well pads, as opposed the reality of a green area where natural gas development takes place around farms and public infrastructure,' reads the complaint. Article content Article content The 11-page complaint includes multiple screenshots of foundation materials that use the Wyoming photo, dating back to 2019. In one case, the foundation included text acknowledging the photo was from Wyoming, but it did not do so in other cases, the complaint alleges. Article content One June 2024 Instagram post, for example, uses the image to promote an investigative report into the Montney Formation in northeastern B.C. and northwestern Alberta, a region that accounts for roughly half of Canada's natural gas production. Article content The foundation continued to use the image after being made aware of concerns surrounding its use that summer, according to the complaint. Article content Article content Deena Del Giusto, one of the complainants, said in a statement to the media that the principle of truth in advertising should apply equally to charities. Article content 'This is about fairness and truth. The people of Northeast B.C. … deserve honest debate, not scare tactics and misleading imagery used to raise millions in donations,' said Del Giusto, a resident of Fort St. John, B.C. Article content 'We're asking the Competition Bureau to hold the David Suzuki Foundation to the same standard businesses face: tell the truth.' Article content Del Giusto told the National Post she was inspired to take action when a client of hers in the trucking industry brought the foundation's use of the image to her attention. Article content 'I just didn't feel like it fairly reflected what was happening in the community, and felt strongly that I needed to do something about it,' said Del Giusto.


National Post
4 days ago
- National Post
Suzuki Foundation accused of using misleading American photos to portray B.C. gas projects
OTTAWA — The David Suzuki Foundation has repeatedly used false and alarmist imagery to exaggerate the ecological impacts of natural gas development in northeastern British Columbia, a new complaint to Canada's Competition Bureau alleges. Article content The complaint, put forward by eight B.C. residents, says that the Vancouver-based environmental charity repeatedly misled the public by using an aerial image depicting a dense cluster of natural gas wells scarring a landscape in Wyoming, taken in 2006, to falsely depict modern natural gas development in British Columbia's northeast. Article content Article content '(T)he Wyoming image paints a picture (that is) dirty, desolate and packed with natural gas well pads, as opposed the reality of a green area where natural gas development takes place around farms and public infrastructure,' reads the complaint. Article content Article content The 11-page complaint includes multiple screenshots of foundation materials that use the Wyoming photo, dating back to 2019. In one case, the foundation included text acknowledging the photo was from Wyoming, but it did not do so in other cases, the complaint alleges. Article content The foundation continued to use the image after being made aware of concerns surrounding its use that summer, according to the complaint. Article content Deena Del Giusto, one of the complainants, said in a statement to the media that the principle of truth in advertising should apply equally to charities. Article content Article content 'This is about fairness and truth. The people of Northeast B.C. … deserve honest debate, not scare tactics and misleading imagery used to raise millions in donations,' said Del Giusto, a resident of Fort St. John, B.C. Article content 'We're asking the Competition Bureau to hold the David Suzuki Foundation to the same standard businesses face: tell the truth.' Article content Del Giusto told the National Post she was inspired to take action when a client of hers in the trucking industry brought the foundation's use of the image to her attention. Article content 'I just didn't feel like it fairly reflected what was happening in the community, and felt strongly that I needed to do something about it,' said Del Giusto. Article content Representatives from the David Suzuki Foundation did not immediately respond to National Post questions about the Competition Bureau complaint.


CBC
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Orcas off B.C. coast face 'high probability of extinction' if conditions don't change: report
Social Sharing A new report from a group of more than 30 experts says a population of endangered killer whales off the coast of British Columbia and Washington state is showing no sign of recovery under current conditions. There is an "urgent need for more robust actions" to save the southern resident killer whales from extinction, says the report released by the David Suzuki Foundation and Raincoast Conservation Foundation on Monday. Despite measures adopted by Canada and the United States since 2019, the report says the whales face a "high probability of extinction" if conditions don't change. Lance Barrett-Lennard, cetacean scientist with the Raincoast foundation, says there is "no convincing reason" to believe the whales, which are genetically distinct from other orcas, will recover without stronger measures. A statement from the B.C.-based conservation groups says the report marks the first time scientists have proposed a road map for the recovery of southern resident killer whales on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. The report makes a series of 26 science-based recommendations, including limiting fisheries to help the whale access their main prey, chinook salmon, along with eliminating toxic chemicals that build up in their food chains and adopting enforceable underwater noise standards. "We specifically wanted to have a conversation that was science-focused, but we were mindful of keeping this as realistic as possible," Barrett-Lennard says. 'Iconic species' The scientific report is the result of a workshop held in Vancouver in March that brought together 31 experts from Canada, the United States and Europe to consider what it will take to save the animals, he says. The Fisheries Department has described the whales as a "critically endangered iconic species," of which 73 individuals remained at the last census. The federal government had determined the whales face "imminent threats" to their survival, but this spring it announced it would not issue an emergency protection order and instead adopt "incremental measures." Barrett-Lennard says Ottawa indicated at the time that it would "strengthen" recovery measures, but he hadn't seen any further details or a timeline. "It may take a long time, even decades, to observe the biological effects of these measures, as (the southern residents) are long-lived animals that reproduce slowly, and their recovery is expected to take time," the Fisheries Department said in its statement announcing Ottawa's decision in March. The decision also took into account "social, economic, policy and other factors, and the broader public interest," the statement said. Barrett-Lennard acknowledged it takes time to see signs of recovery in a population of long-lived animals with a slow reproductive rate. The existing measures since 2019 may have helped halt the whales' further decline, but scientists are "not seeing an upturn at this point," he says. The current population is "simply not a viable number for any species to be robust to catastrophic events like disease or an oil spill and to maintain genetic variation," the scientist adds. WATCH | Why this orca was 'moonwalking': Why an orca near West Vancouver was seen 'moonwalking' 1 month ago Duration 1:11 A video posted to social media has the public and some marine scientists intrigued. It shows a killer whale in Howe Sound swimming backwards. Marine mammal zoologist Anna Hall says the rare "moonwalking" behaviour has been seen in some transient killer whales. Here's what it was likely doing. The whales' main food source is chinook salmon, and the new report says limited access to prey remains the primary constraint on their recovery. Current government initiatives from both countries are "insufficient" to address the problem, the report says. Jeffery Young, a senior science and policy analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation, told CBC News that the challenge was whether the new federal government was distracted by other issues beyond the whales — some of which he says could harm orcas, like new pipelines or increased shipping. "It really comes down to the government accepting that this is a priority," he said. "We know it's an important one for Canadians and British Columbians in particular, and that we think there's actions that they can take to address it." Barrett-Lennard says the whales are particularly dependent on the largest, fattiest chinook, which spend the first year of their lives in freshwater streams. "Those are the fish that the killer whales take preferentially and to meet their nutritional requirements," he says. "They also tend to be the ones that fishermen love." The report recommends ensuring the orcas have "priority access" to early-season chinook in the Fraser River through fishing closures. It also calls on government to identify seasonal and annual prey thresholds for the whales and to close fisheries when their needs are not met. The recommendations also include expanding slowdown zones for ships and expanding the minimum distance vessels must keep away from the whales to 1,000 metres, as well as prohibiting various ships from discharging grey water, sewage and scrubber wastewater into the whales' habitat. Barrett-Lennard says the southern residents are an old, distinct population of orcas with great cultural significance for Indigenous Peoples in the area. Losing the whales would be a "tragedy," he says. "Once we identify members of the population as individuals, everything changes," he says. "We can begin to recognize individual traits and behaviours. Some of them are shy and some of them assertive." The whales have "huge brains," he adds. "We know that they keep track of social relationships through their whole lives. They have mental maps of the coast … They have family bonds." Authorities respond A spokesperson for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) said it acknowledged the recommendations in the report, many of which they said aligned with existing government recovery measures. "Canada's Oceans Protection Plan, an additional $61.5 million federal investment in 2019 and the renewed Whales Initiative in 2023, supports the recovery of endangered whales — including the southern resident killer whales — through protection measures, expanded research, ongoing monitoring, and actions to address key threats," they wrote. A Transport Canada spokesperson said that it's working with the marine industry to quiet vessels, by slowing them down and moving them away from areas frequented by southern resident killer whales. "As well, the [minister of transport] made a May 30, 2025 Interim Order, which establishes Vessel Restricted Zones, Speed Restricted Zones and requirements for vessels to stay back from killer whales," they wrote. The spokesperson added that Transport Canada was committed to reducing underwater noise in the long term, including by launching international initiatives to help benefit noise-sensitive marine species.


National Observer
6 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
Scientists call for recovery for endangered orcas off British Columbia's coast
A new report from a group of more than 30 experts says a population of endangered killer whales off the coast of British Columbia and Washington state is showing no sign of recovery under the current conditions. There is an "urgent need for more robust actions" to save the southern resident killer whales from extinction, says the report released by the David Suzuki Foundation and Raincoast Conservation Foundation on Monday. Despite measures adopted by Canada and the United States since 2019, the report says the whales face a "high probability of extinction" if conditions don't change. Lance Barrett-Lennard, cetacean scientist with the Raincoast Foundation, says there is "no convincing reason" to believe the whales, which are genetically distinct from other orcas, will recover without stronger measures. A statement from the BC-based conservation groups says the report marks the first time scientists have proposed a road map for the recovery of southern resident killer whales on both sides of the Canada-US border. The report makes a series of 26 science-based recommendations, including limiting fisheries to help the whales access their main prey, chinook salmon, along with eliminating toxic chemicals that build up in their food chains and adopting enforceable underwater noise standards. "We specifically wanted to have a conversation that was science-focused, but we were mindful of keeping this as realistic as possible," Barrett-Lennard says. The scientific report is the result of a workshop held in Vancouver in March that brought together 31 experts from Canada, the United States and Europe to consider what it will take to save the animals, he says. The Fisheries Department has described the whales as a "critically endangered iconic species" of which 73 individuals remained at the last census. The federal government had determined the whales face "imminent threats" to their survival, but this spring it announced it would not issue an emergency protection order and instead adopt "incremental measures." Barrett-Lennard says Ottawa indicated at the time that it would "strengthen" recovery measures, but he hadn't seen any further details or a timeline. The Fisheries, Transport and Environment departments did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report and its recommendations. "It may take a long time, even decades, to observe the biological effects of these measures, as (the southern residents) are long-lived animals that reproduce slowly, and their recovery is expected to take time," the Fisheries Department said in its statement announcing Ottawa's decision in March. The decision also took into account "social, economic, policy and other factors, and the broader public interest," the statement said. Barrett-Lennard acknowledged it takes time to see signs of recovery in a population of long-lived animals with a slow reproductive rate. The existing measures from 2019 may have helped halt the whales' further decline, but scientists are "not seeing an upturn at this point," he says. The current population is "simply not a viable number for any species to be robust to catastrophic events like disease or an oil spill and to maintain genetic variation," he says. The whales' main food source is chinook salmon, and the new report says limited access to prey remains the primary constraint on their recovery. Current government initiatives from both countries are "insufficient" to address the problem, the report says. Barrett-Lennard says the whales are particularly dependent on the largest, fattiest chinook, which spend the first year of their lives in freshwater streams. "Those are the fish that the killer whales take preferentially and to meet their nutritional requirements," he says. "They also tend to be the ones that fishermen love." The report recommends ensuring the orcas have "priority access" to early-season chinook in the Fraser River through fishing closures. It also calls on government to identify seasonal and annual prey thresholds for the whales, and to close fisheries when their needs are not met. The recommendations also include expanding slowdown zones for ships and expanding the minimum distance vessels must keep away from the whales to 1,000 metres, as well as prohibiting various ships from discharging grey water, sewage and scrubber wastewater into the whales' habitat. Barrett-Lennard says the southern residents are an old, distinct population of orcas with great cultural significance for Indigenous Peoples in the area. Losing the whales would be a "tragedy," he says. "Once we identify members of the population as individuals, everything changes," he says. "We can begin to recognize individual traits and behaviours. Some of them are shy and some of them assertive." The whales have "huge brains," he adds. "We know that they keep track of social relationships throughout their whole lives. They have mental maps of the coast … They have family bonds."