Jean's Posts

By Peter Rusland

The Cowichan River still has heritage status, but its environmental protection from development could be drained by Ottawa's recent Bill C-45, a local MP and stakeholders claim.

Of 37 designated Canadian heritage rivers, just 10 now fall under protection by the Navigable Waters Protection Act, Cowichan NDP MP Jean Crowder's staff states. Those 10 don't include the Cowichan.

Pulling its protection "is clearly to allow (potential) development," said Crowder.

British Columbia businesses got hit again this week with a debit card scam, with many Starbucks outlets having their debit machines switched so the information off consumers cards could be read and transmitted.

While Canada has much stronger privacy laws than many other countries, sadly those laws are not keeping up with our digital age.

That’s why New Democrats introduced a private member’s bill to establish positive and balanced privacy protection measures that Canadians need now.

Cowichan has long been a destination: for Finnish people who moved to the Island to be part of the fishing industry, for war brides who came home with their new husbands after the War, for the many Hindi and Punjabi foresters who came to work as loggers.

So it is no surprise that immigration issues loom large in the casework that my constituency office helps residents with each month.

As I walk around downtown Duncan, one thing I hear from many small business owners is that credit card fees for merchants are making it harder and harder to break even.

 Hidden from most consumers, the fees that merchants have to pay credit card companies are not regulated and can be as much as three percent of the total sale.

 In Australia and the UK the price of electronic transactions is less than one percent.

It is time for local organizations to start thinking about applying for the Canada Summer Jobs program.

The application period opens February 1st and closes on February 28th.

This year, Nanaimo-Cowichan will see a slight increase in funding up to $409,205.

Many local community organizations depend on this program to help increase their staff for the busy tourist season. And many students depend on the jobs and experience they gain to help them when they return to full-time studies or when they graduate.