Database not found
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- Published on Friday, 05 October 2018 11:40
- Written by editor
If knowledge is power, what is a shuttered database?
Once upon a time, B.C. had a database that tracked the movement of hazardous materials around the province. It was searchable, publicly available and provided a critical tool for enforcement within the government — as well as for journalists who wanted to keep an eye on chemicals moving around the province.Then in the middle of an environmental controversy, it was mothballed.
Contaminated soils were being transported to the Shawnigan Lake watershed, which sparked protests from residents who depend on the lake for drinking water. The government says it's a coincidence that the database was shut down at that moment.
Regardless of their intention, the loss of the database was a blow to public accountability as well as to the government's own ability to keep track of hazardous materials.
Investigative journalist Ben Parfitt wrote about the consequences of this decision for The Narwhal.
Read on for more of this week's top stories.
Emma Gilchrist
Editor-in-Chief, The Narwhal
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Meet Danielle. She lives in Ladysmith, on Vancouver Island, and works as a flight attendant.She just became a Narwhal because a) she wanted that sweet T-shirt, b) she likes the "truth and perspective" she finds on The Narwhal compared to traditional media and c) she's stoked to support hiring a reporter in Alberta. Thank you, Danielle! Be Like Danielle
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By Matthew Robert Anderson
The "right to roam" is enshrined in UK laws, but not in Canada's. Enacting such a right here could help advance reconciliation while better connecting Canadians to the land, argues Matthew Robert Anderson of Concordia University. Read more.
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