The Council of Canadians and Canadian Union of Public Employees speaking tour against the Canada-European Union free trade agreement continues this week in British Columbia.
Abbotsford – Tuesday October 11, 7 pm
University of Fraser Valley, 33844 King Road, Lecture Theatre, Room B101
Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow will be speaking alongside CUPE national president Paul Moist and Lynn Perrin, spokesperson for Water Watch Abbotsford-Mission.
Vancouver – Wednesday October 12, 7 pm
Maritime Labour Centre, 1800 Triumph Street, Auditorium
Barlow and Moist will be joined by Colleen Fuller, steering committee member of Women and Health Protection.
Victoria – Thursday October 13, 7 pm
University of Victoria, David Lam Auditorium, A144 MacLaurin Building, Ring Road
Barlow will be joined by CUPE BC president Barry O’Neill and Victoria city councillor Marianne Alto.
In Abbotsford, CUPE and the Council of Canadians have been fighting against he proposed $300 million-Stave Lake public private partnership drinking water project, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=10510. Notably, the current trade minister in Harper’s government is Abbotsford MP Ed Fast, who was also an Abbotsford city councillor between 1996 and 2005. Fast has now declined our invitation, citing scheduling issues, to participate in a CETA debate in Ottawa on October 18 at 3:30 pm. NDP trade critic Robert Chisholm, Liberal trade critic Wayne Easter, and Green Party leader Elizabeth May have all confirmed they will attend this debate. More details on this soon, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=10856.
And in Victoria, it was city councillor Marianne Alto who introduced the Council of Canadians-CUPE blue communities resolution to the city council there, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=9473 and http://canadians.org/blog/?p=9405.
This CETA speaking tour has now been to Calgary (on April 29), Montreal (May 24), Toronto (May 26), Saskatoon (May 31), Winnipeg (June 27), Halifax (June 28), St. John’s (June 29), Moncton (September 10), Hamilton (September 27), and Windsor (September 28). To date, the tour has reached an audience totalling more than 2,050 people in 8 provinces, with multiple media articles reaching an even larger audience.
A tour stop has also now been confirmed for Ottawa on Wednesday October 19. More details on this soon.
For more information and posters for the upcoming tour stops in British Columbia, please go to http://canadians.org/tradetour.
