There has been much discussion over trade agreements in the years I have been representing Saanich residents. The latest one is Canada-Europe Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

The trouble for local government is always the same, other levels of government negotiate these agreements, but it’s the wording or local impacts that are not really evaluated fully in a transparent way with local governments.

CETA is being negotiated behind closed doors, so local governments and the wider public don’t know all the details.

CETA threatens local government decision making and economic development:

How:  Undermining “made in Canada”, local content, social and environmental criteria in local procurement policies.

What:  A legal opinion found that CETA would add to the administrative burden of municipalities and open the door to legal challenges from European Corporations when they are unhappy with local purchasing decisions.

Saanich Council supports Councillor Brownoff’s motion on trade agreements.

The Government of Canada and the European Union (EU) are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the participation of all provinces and territories. After multiple rounds of negotiations, both sides have indicated that a deal will be signed soon. While details are confidential, framework documents indicate that the EU is determined to access public sector procurement at all orders of government including municipalities. In the absence of detailed consultation and communication, opposition to the agreement has been mounting.

For more information visit:  tradejustice.ca

In Saanich we have an adopted Official Community Plan and Strategic Plan which we have very strong sustainability policies. We are also looking at adopting a local food procurement policy to support local farmers. There are rising concerns from municipalities around the dispute resolution process and what happens to projects or contracts that are challenged, for example, does the initiation of a dispute immediately halt procurement of a project, or can work proceed with an expectation that a remedy will be found at a later point. Several municipalities including Hamilton, Kingston, Toronto, Victoria, and others have approved motions to communicate concerns to federal and provincial officials.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

a)       Saanich Council endorses the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) seven Municipal principles for  the Federal Government to apply to the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and future trade deals; and

b)       Saanich Council request the Government of Canada protect the powers of Saanich to create local jobs, protect the environment, and provide services and programs as it sees fit, from any restrictions to those powers in the CETA; and

c)       Saanich Council requests the Government of Canada and the provinces and territories solicit comments from all the parties that will potentially be affected by the proposed trade agreement before finalizing any such agreement; and

d)       Saanich Council communicate its’ position to the Federal Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Saanich’s BIG Family Bike Ride & Festival – April 22nd

What a day the weather was amazing and the numbers of families were so great. We estimate the ride was just over 2 km in length. We didn’t get a count for the main ride BUT the Kiddies Ride with Saanich Bike Squad at UVIC had 120 kids … police and volunteers were kept busy!!

Take a look at these pictures. The first riders coming to UVIC festival site … there are many many more coming along the route!

This picture shows that next year we will probably need more bike parking!

Various updates and links

Sustainability and an interesting link http://healingcities.org

Latest update on Saanich’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan.

There are some pages to read, the Saanich Issues section, as well as to CRD Issues. Check out my thoughts on engaging businesses, and perhaps learn something new about kitchen scrap collection. There is a section on deer management which has some interesting ideas.

Check out my new “Special Place” in Saanich… Saanich Municipal Hall, Gorge waterway and Blenkinsop Bridge.

Also checkout my Affordable Housing section.

Check out  Cycling and Walking mobility in Saanich .

Information on Public Safety in Saanich.

Some of what I have done towards Sustainability and Moving Forward on Food Security.

I believe Mayor Leonard, Councillors Brice, Wade, Wergeland and Gerrard made the wrong decision and that this resident has highlighted their bloopers:

Another 40 business bloopers

By Rick Spence, Financial Post February 21, 2012

If you’ve been in business more than a week, you’ve made your share of mistakes. What counts isn’t avoiding errors, but never committing the same mistake twice.

That’s why, in last week’s column, I offered a list of business bloopers commonly made by entrepreneurs – in the hopes that naming specific errors will help you recognize your flaws. In compiling that list, however, I identified many other mistakes – giving me an excuse to write a second column on the subject, and solicit readers’ suggestions. So here are some from me on ways to mess up your business, and others from frontline entrepreneurs across Canada:

1. Interpreting data to mean whatever you want it to mean.

2. Ignoring personnel problems in hopes they’ll go away.

3. Not asking for referrals from every customer and prospect.

4. Not empowering subordinates to challenge and correct you.

5. Not taking advantage of “green” solutions for cost savings and branding.

6. Assuming that a deal in which one side wins is a good deal.

7. Not taking time to explore other people’s ideas before you shoot them down.

8. Not understanding that feedback – from customers, suppliers, staff – is a gift.

9. Not overseeing (or setting clear policies for) accounts payable.

10. Treating dissatisfied customers as problems rather than opportunities.

11. Forgetting to sell job candidates on the virtues of your company.

12. Not offering new customers extra incentives to build their confidence and motivate sales staff.

13. Not keeping a special notebook or digital document to record ideas for new products and tactics.

14. Cutting costs by letting your insurance coverage slip.

15. Not getting to know your banker better – plus at least one lender from a different bank.

16. Not paying attention to your customers’ personal interests, their support staff, or their children.

17. Not telling staff you have confidence in their decisions.

18. Forgetting that great ideas are less important than how they are executed.

19. Not understanding the difference between leadership (Where are we going? Why?) and management (What do we need to get done today?).

20. Not setting up customized development plans for key employees.

21. Deciding impulsively to sell your business – succession events are best planned years in advance.

22. Not seeking out the best URLs and Twitter monikers for your business, whether or not you use them now.

23. Compromising on new hires, rather than waiting for the right candidate.

24. Not hiring outstanding people when you meet them; create their job as you go along.

25. Settling for average. Never accept an idea, initiative or sales pitch without asking “What could we do to make this unforgettable?”

26. Forgetting to say “thank you” to customers and staff. (Submitted by Kevin D. Hilgers)

27. Failing to use the maxim: “Trust, but verify.” People on your team may mean well, but without guidance they can go off-track. (Elliot Ross)

28. Failing to put your ego aside and take advice from those with more grey hair than you. You’ll be there soon enough, but for now, listen up! (Derek Cardy)

29. Hiring anyone with a law degree rather than an experienced business lawyer. (Catherine B.)

30. Ignoring common sense. Provide a solution for your customers (and employees) and they will always be your customers (or employees). (Dwayne Cann)

31. Hiring misfits – people who aren’t good fits for their job, team or manager. (Maureen S. Catania)

32. Not firing bad employees. In the long run, they will cost you more than the severance would. (Jeff Hamilton)

33. Not representing your business in the best light, through poor personal grooming or dressing. You will never know the business you didn’t get. (Martin Pawlak)

34. Not carving out more time for yourself. It’s not just about balance – you’ll get your best business ideas when you’re relaxing, running, or playing with the kids. (Amy Laski)

35. Thinking you’re the only game in town! (AMS Elevators Inc.)

36. Underestimating how long it will take your company to develop traction and become profitable (leading to dangerous cash squeezes). (Stan Stanley)

37. Losing confidence as a leader, allowing your corporate vision or strategy to splinter. (Brad Cherniak)

38. Assuming that a top performer at another company will be a top performer for you. (Maureen S. Catania)

39. Assuming your receivables will show up whether you chase down the money or not. (Dave Bell)

40. Not using vendors as a source of cash during cash shortages. (Dave Bell)

Mistakes are not to be feared – just corrected.

© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Another+business+bloopers/6183964/story.html#ixzz1n4uPxxA2

With the updated Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan, there were additional investigations required over the routine ones CRD had been doing.

The 2010 Annual Report presents results and updates for the different elements of the Macaulay and Clover points.

Surface water monitoring continue to show that during slack tide the sewage plume does still reach the surface. At Macaulay Point the highest fecal coliform count was during a visible plume event which happened in September but there is also plume surfacing in the summer, just not as frequent. Clover Point had it’s highest concentration in October and also had summer plume surfacing as well. The data indicated that the Clover Point effluent plume was predominantly trapped below the surface, with occasional surfacing events!

Seafloor Monitoring at Macaulay Point showed exceedences at monitoring stations within 200 m of the outall and included copper, mercury, PAHs, pyrene, phenanthrene, 1.4-dicholorobenzene (used in disinfectant, deodorant and pesticides), 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (solvent), and phenol (antispetics and disinfectants and used in manufacturing resins, nylon, dyes and pharmaceuticals).

Overall, 2010 results indicated demonstratable impacts of the outfall on sediment chemistry and thus there is potential for the biological communities to be affected by substances in sediments, especially at stations within 200 m of the Macaulay Point outfall.

Benthic Communities – A comprehensive multi-year trend assessment including the 2010 benthic community data indicated potential declining environmental conditions around the Macaulay Point outfall.  Conclusions made in the past assessments require revision because true changes are now occurring in the biological assemblages.

The most significant changes near the outfall included a lower total organism abundance, a modified benthic community with fewer types of species and lower numbers of individuals, reduced biological diversity that now extends beyond the initial dilution zone (and in some cases beyond the near field stations), a decreased abundance of sensitive species and an increase in abundance of pollution-tolerant species. 

In 2010 the benthic community data at the outfall terminus station were indicative of a “highly degraded” benthic community. Taxa richness at the outfall terminus has changed since the first comprehensive assessment was undertaken in 1994.

Seafloor monitoring at Clover Point showed exceedences of copper, mercury, acenphthene (used as plasticizer in manufacturing of PVC and in hydraulic fluid, also found in coal tar) and bis (2-ethylhexyl) and phthalate (used in coatings for pharmaceutical pills and nutritional supplements, adhesives and glues, and personal care products, to name a few uses).

Similar to Macaulay Point, these exceedences at Clover Point outfall has the potential to impact the biological communities due to the contaminants in the sediments.

There were a high resolution analyses of two components done in 2010. Tributyltin (organic compound of tin used as a biocide especially in marine antifouling paints) was one compound and the levels exceeded Canadian and BC water quality guidelines.

Methylmercury (an organic form of mercury that is most easily bioaccumulated in organisms like fish) is a highly toxic substance that can build up in predatory fish. 2010 analysis showed this was below guidelines.

Both methylmercury and tributyltin analyses will be shifted to the routine monitoring to allow for long-term monitoring of concentrations, environmental loadings and potential for environmental toxicity.

So monitoring does show a need to Treat our raw sewage waste that we put out into the environment!