Infrastructure Protection

Indications that organizers of last winter’s trucker blockade of Ottawa are planning an anniversary visit have prompted Police Chief Eric Stubbs to flatly reject the idea. “The Ottawa Police Service will not allow for the conditions that led to the unlawful protests seen in February 2022,” he said December 19. “Vehicle-based protests will not be allowed to enter the downtown core or in areas of national significance and we will take appropriate action to preserve public safety.” [node:read-more:link]

NATO allies agreed today to assist Ukraine in repairing energy infrastructure heavily damaged by Russian artillery and missile bombardments and Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg decried Russia’s use of winter as “a weapon of war.” Russia has acknowledged targetting infrastructure but denies seeking to harm civilians. NATO foreign ministers wrapped up a two-day summit in Bucharest with a statement that “Russia's . . . persistent and unconscionable attacks on Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure, is depriving millions of Ukrainians of basic human services.” [node:read-more:link]

TransAlta, a Calgary-based electricity producer, concerned that petroleum industry fracking near a decades-old hydroelectric dam, is suing the Alberta government and its regulator. Two companies have applied for permits to use the injection technology with five kilometres of the dam despite evidence that the practice can cause seismic activity. [node:read-more:link]

The destruction by Russian forces of some 30 per cent of Ukraine’s power stations in little more than a week has led to “massive” blackouts, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said October 18. He also said there is “no space left for negotiations” with Russia. [node:read-more:link]

Danish officials say “powerful explosions” in late September were responsible for “extensive damage” to the twin Nord Stream natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Four leaks were confirmed in international waters but within the Danish and Swedish offshore economic zones. Sweden had already said its investigators had found evidence “serious sabotage.” [node:read-more:link]

Managers of an $11.3-billion federal fund set up in 2018 to support provincial and municipal disaster-resilient infrastructure projects are struggling with overload. Infrastructure Canada says that while only $2.2 billion had been assigned to 72 projects as of September, it has received more requests for support than the fund can accommodate. [node:read-more:link]

Amidst speculation about sabotage, Sweden said today that its coast guard had found a new leak in the Russian natural gas pipelines which supply the European Union. Denmark and Sweden had reported other leaks this week. NATO says they were “deliberate, reckless and irresponsible acts of sabotage” but Russia calls the suggestion that it had caused the leaks “predictable and stupid,” saying they had occurred in “zones controlled by American intelligence.” [node:read-more:link]

The Canadian Climate Change Institute said in a report released today that Canadians can expect to have to choose between higher taxes or reduced government services if more isn’t done to adapt to climate change. “We have some ability to change this future,” said Ryan Ness, director of adaptation research for the registered charity, which said that if the public and private sectors begin investing in making the country more resilient to extreme weather, the economic impact could be reduced by 75 per cent. [node:read-more:link]

Leaks in the submarine portion of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea between Russia to Europe are being investigated amidst accusations of sabotage. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck says the leaks “were not caused by natural occurrences or evens of material fatigue,” a position echoed by Danish, Polish and Ukrainian officials. [node:read-more:link]

After being shut down last week because electricity was not available from the national power grid, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear station, the largest in Europe, has begun receiving power again after power lines damaged by artillery shelling in the area were repaired. All six reactors remain shut down, but the plant needs external power to cool them and avert a meltdown in a situation the UN says remains precarious. [node:read-more:link]

A convoy of UN inspectors managed today to reach Europe's largest nuclear power station, in southern Ukraine, despite the presence of Russian forces embedded in and around the Zaporizhzhia plant. Some of the International Atomic Energy Agency team left after only a few hours but Ukraine's nuclear power operator expects five others to remain for two more days. [node:read-more:link]

Canada’s economy is predicted to take a $139 billion hit over the next three decades as floods, droughts and increasingly severe weather damages or destroys infrastructure. The grim projection is set out in a new climate-based analysis of seven countries by GHD Group, a global engineering and architectural services company headquartered in Australia. [node:read-more:link]

The RCMP spent $2.8 million dealing with last winter’s “freedom” blockades in Ottawa and Alberta, excluding regular salaries. This is according to a reply to an Access to Information request CBC access to information request, which also disclosed that most of the total is due to extraordinary travel costs, accommodations and meals during the month-long lockdown in Ottawa. [node:read-more:link]

As the national capital braces for more “freedom” protests over the Canada Day weekend, interim Conservative Leader Candice Berger says her caucus is free to attend the protests. “I support peaceful and legal demonstrations, and if my MPs want to be there, they're free to do whatever they want, and they'll answer to their constituents,” she said on the weekend. Meanwhile, Ottawa police plan to ensure no long-term blockage of the city’s downtown core. [node:read-more:link]