The Boreal Forest

The Conservative government has quietly begun looking into the charitable status of environmental groups in the Senate.

Senator Nicole Eaton is sponsoring an inquiry into what she calls "funding by foreign foundations." Eaton began her debate Tuesday by laying out what she considers to be a threat to the Canadian economy.

"This inquiry is about master manipulators who are operating under the guise of charitable organizations in an effort to manipulate our policies for their own gain," she said in the Upper Chamber.

Environmental groups don't see it that way.

"My fear is that they will just try to smear us and then walk away," said John Bennett, executive director of Sierra Club Canada. "And that they're hoping to frighten off U.S. foundations from supporting us... And they're going to try to turn off the public from supporting us."... Read more »

While the government says the Lower Athabasca regional draft plan is representative of competing interests, some special interest groups say it leaves a lot to be desired.

The plan was released for public comment Monday. This land-use blueprint covers an estimated 93,212 square kilometres of northeast Alberta, an area that includes most of the province's oilsands, large tracts of boreal forest and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo including Fort McMurray, Lac La Biche, Cold Lake and Bonnyville. The first draft of the regional plan was released in April for feedback.... Read more »