No charges will be laid against the Mount Polley Mine Corporation, owned by Imperial Metals, for the collapse of a tailings impoundment on August 4, 2014, that sent an estimated 24 million cubic metres of mining waste into the pristine waters of Quesnel Lake.
The incident, considered one of the worst mining disasters in Canadian history, was simply the result of “poor practices,” according to B.C. chief inspector of mines, Al Hoffman, and not due to “non-compliances.”
There were no charges and no court imposed penalties for a company with $1.5 billion in assets that is owned by a multi-billionaire rated by Forbes as one of Canada’s wealthiest. Not a ten percenter, Murray Edwards is in Canada’s top 0.00004%. However, he’s also an effective bagman who has delivered millions of dollars to Premier Clark.
The same is not true for homeowners responsible for a minor slide of loose fill into a creek on a West Vancouver hillside. A couple was fined $100,000 but faced a $560,000 penalty in addition to $80,000 in municipal charges and legal fees. This scene of destruction is marked here with an X in the lower left.
Immunity from prosecution is not the only benefit to Imperial Metals Corporation. The company’s quarterly report to shareholders announced that its Mount Polley, Red Chris and Huckleberry mines have “signed on to participate in the power payment deferral plan announced recently by BC Hydro.” That lost revenue means the public utility must increase its borrowings to cover the unpaid industrial power charges. As BC Hydro’s only profitable customers, residential ratepayers are subsidizing a billionaire who apparently moved recently outside Canada to save income tax.
This financial advantage was extended to Imperial Metals even though its monthly mining revenues, which averaged $10 million in 2015, had grown 325% to $45 million in the first months of 2016. Compared to the same period a year ago, the company’s cash flow increased by $55 million in the three months ended March 31, 2016.
Again, let us compare how BC Hydro treated a disabled single mother who experienced a sudden and unexplained increase in her electricity billings. BC Hydro threatened disconnection if the entire bill remained unpaid. Because that was impossible, people on social media mounted a GoFundMe campaign to keep the lights burning.
In British Columbia, where income and disability assistance rates went unchanged from 2007 to 2016, the Campbell and Clark Governments have bent over backward to hand out corporate welfare to people who write large cheques to the BC Liberal Party.
Murray Edwards, controlling shareholder of Imperial Metals and numerous other companies, is but one of those.
Categories: Edwards. Murray, Justice
IN-SIGHTS 
The courts and government, they are completely corrupt, made corrupt by politicians who do nothing and let bureaucrats run government.
Thus generous friends to politicians and bureaucrats get a free pass in BC with the law, while the average person is shaken down by latter day grifters now called judges and bylaw officers.
More fines means more revenue for the clown car types who run government.
It will end very badly, very badly indeed.
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Touchy subject for most, however Mr.Harper did do something that has reigned in bylaw and other legislation which some would believe gives far too much power to the employees of government. The Conservatives did get a small amendment into our constitution which elevates the rights of the average citizen above the rights of governance. This was used by an old friend of mine recently in a Federal case in Richmond (a federal judge heard the case in Richmond). This case has been won by my friend and it was against the city of Richmond and the ALC Provincial employees. The Gestapo like tactics used on this charming friend and his wife by civic bylaw officers and Provincial ALC employees were heavy handed, over the top and the grounds for the search warrant were suspicious to say the least. This case will soon proceed to a penalty phase, this will result in many civic & Provincial employees and should contain a few elected ones as well. Hopefully it opens the eyes of the media to the ridiculous level of governance and the plethora of law that is counter to our constitution as it stands today. Once government decides to apply law selectively, I suggest the law is not valuable to anyone and actually impedes the fair administration of justice. There are many municipal & Provincial statutes which contravene this simple principle of equality under law. There should be many civic politicians and management types quivering in their shoes for some of the blatantly illegal actions they have undertaken in regards to enforcing municipal & Provincial laws.
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As my Mother always said, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. that was back in Socred days. Things have only gotten worse.
A billionaire gets a break on his electrical rates and a person on welfare has to have a go fund me page to pay her electrical bill. There is something very wrong with that, but hey, the people of this province did vote Christy into office. We have recall legislation, but there hasn’t been one B.C. Lieberal who has been “recalled”. We can only hope the people of B.C. vote Christy and her corporate welfare bums out of office next year. Lets hope enough “oxen have been gored”.
(yes I know how high the “standard” is to get someone recalled”)
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Those donations to the Liberals DO pay off…a spouse can even aspire to become the head of B.C. Transit
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