Yesterday's news here was full of the big story in our province, British Columbia -- the government here has plans to implement a carbon tax to discourage greenhouse-gas emissions. This is exactly the kind of eco-forward thinking that helped us choose this province (to be fair, the mild climate also had a lot to do with it), and we're pleased to see this being phased in sensibly.
The bill isn't perfect -- it exempts certain classes of polluters and allows trading credits to others -- but it's absolutely a step in the right direction. Living on an island (well, a peninsula of an island as Heather would correct me) makes us a lot more aware of our environment and the need for sustainability.
There's already a lot more Smartcars here than I've seen anywhere else in my life and other such "token" measures, but this progressive (and interestingly, revenue-neutral!) tax, which rewards people and businesses who are more carbon-neutral or carbon-negative on a relative scale, shows off BC as a forward-looking leader. Go BC!
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Welcome!
A blog about Charles n Heather’s decision to move to western Canada.
You know, that big landmass to the north of the US that most Americans know almost nothing about? :)
Turns out it’s a very diverse and interesting (and beautiful) place with history, culture, multiple political parties, a budget surplus (most of the time), eco-friendliness, world respect and a vision for the future.
We find that very attractive. We hope you will too.
2 comments:
"Living on an island (well, a peninsula of an island as Heather would correct me) makes us a lot more aware of our environment and the need for sustainability."
Actually, your use of "island" here is correct. We DO live on an island. Where I correct you is when you say "up island" when referring to something here in Victoria or the Capital Region District (CRD). The term "up island" means outside and north of the CRD...places like Duncan, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Qualicam Beach, Courtenay, and so on.
I also correct you when you say "on the island" for statements directly relating to your experiences in the CRD because you haven't been outside the CRD to make such a blanket statement.
In these ways I refer to us living on the Saanich Peninsula, because we do. The Saanich Peninsula is the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island. We're just a little section on a much larger island.
I correct you on your choice of words because sometimes it seems like you forget that there are other cities on Vancouver Island when you say "on the island" in a comparison statement. And Yes, Victoria is the largest of them, but that isn't the point. Besides, if you say that Butchart Gardens is "up island" to a local, they'll correct you too, not just me.
Anyhow, just my ranting and retentiveness to correct you.
Just when you get the Victoria/Vancouver Island geography sorted out, you'll start visiting Vancouver (city of). Then the geography fun starts again. The "West End", "West Van" and the "West Side" are all very different places. And the City of North Vancouver, and the Municipal District of North Vancouver are *not* the same place, though the one does encircle the other.
And I still can't figure out in which "Gulf" the "Southern Gulf Islands" are located! And I've lived in the lower mainland for over 20 years. And just why does the lower mainland include the southern part of Vancouver Island? Which is not on the mainland at all?
Welcome to this part of the world! I know every place has its own geographic oddities - these are just some of ours.
Make sure you visit Salt Spring at some point. Saturday market starts up March 22.
Cheers
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