Innisfail British Columbia - Faulty Water meters & Wastewater Bills

January 31, 2017

This article concerns a resident in Innisfail, British Columbia, Canadawho has problems with crippling bills not only for water but also for wastewater. Old faulty meters and the cost for replacement and wastewater charges may be something the present Oireachtas Committee on Domestic Water Charges should be considering.

Water meter anger resurfaces

Local realtor battling town hall over recent bill

Eva Austin inspects a water meter. The local realtor has heard several complaints about high water bills in recent months and is concerned over water meter issues with the town.

INNISFAIL – The alarm has been raised again over water bill issues in the community.

However, Heather Whymark, director of corporate services for the Town of Innisfail, says the challenges are partly due to the meter conversion that was implemented in the town between 2014 and 2016.

“Quite a few of the meters were not working properly. They shut down, they crashed, that’s what happens to (old) meters,” said Whymark. “When the new meters started going in, people started getting bills that they thought were atrocious. Their water meter hadn’t been working and they hadn’t been paying for the water they’d been using probably for five years.”

“They started getting bills of consumption and that’s when everyone started saying the town was overbilling them.”

Jerry Rochette is one Innisfail resident that has had problems with water bills in the past.

“When you know you don’t have a leak and they’re charging you for water going out. How can that be, when no water has come in because no one is living there?” said Rochette, referring to a previously vacant property. “It happened just about every bill.

“I have had high water bills,” he added.

The water bill issue in Innisfail has been in the media spotlight for the last couple of years.

Eva Austin is a local realtor who is bringing the issue to light once again after she was charged more than $2,100 for two water bills last November and December.

Like Rochette, Austin’s issue is with a vacant house. The house has been vacant since June 2016 and between then and this past Nov. 3 there was no usage in water or sewer, noted Austin. It then jumped to 20,000 to 21,000 litres a day until Nov. 10.

Austin is certain there is a problem with the meter itself.

“The meter is not accurate and I’m not taking that old meter back,” said Austin. “I’m totally dumbfounded about it.”

The town has disputed Austin’s claims, telling her she either had a broken line, a running toilet or someone was stealing her water.

They did agree to sit down and talk with Austin on Jan. 23 to go over her recent water bills.

Austin asked for a new meter, which the town agreed to. The town did two tests on her old meter and each passed, noted Whymark, adding the new system in place is automated.

One other area to note is the recent increase in sewer costs, said Whymark. The town now charges $2.30 per cubic metre for water and $3.40 for sewer.

The sewer impact on a water bill is not always noticed, she added.

“Water really isn’t what’s beating your bills to death. It’s the sewer (charges),” said Whymark, noting she wants the public to understand the importance of checking for leaky pipes, running toilets and related items.

Whymark said they have installed a new water meter at Austin’s property and will monitor it for the next three months for any issues.

If Austin does not have a problem during that time, she will be fully reimbursed, said Whymark.

Austin said she inquired about a possible warning system to alert residents to high usage, and she also asked about a test or an audit on the automated system.

“I do an audit every year when I do budget,” said Whymark. “If that consumption was way out of whack compared to what we pay (the commission) then yes, I’d say the system is (faulty).”

Austin said she was pleased the town will monitor the new meter.

“That’s very good if they do that. Then we can prove that there is nothing running in the house,” said Austin. “It’s not about me. To me, it’s an issue in the town. Many people are fighting their water bills.”

Source: Innisfail Province Jan 31 2017

One World One Struggle - Bloody Sunday Families' 45 Year Struggle for Justice

January 30, 2017

by James Quigley

The Bloody Sunday March For Justice took place on Sunday Jan 29 2017. It commemorated the Bogside Massacre in Derry in 1972 where 14 people were murdered and 14 injured when British Troops opened fired on peaceful, unarmed protesters against internment.

However the march was not the only event but the culmination of a week long series of events. This year's event was titled 'One World One Struggle' where the common and indeed international element of struggle against State violence, injustice and cover ups was highlighted. I congratulate the organisers and support the families of Bloody Sunday victims as well as all people who suffer injustice and intimidation. I encourage anyone who believes in 'One World One Struggle' to read Bloody Sunday March For Justicein the hope that they might come out next year or indeed anytime to support such a cause.

One little incident marred what was an otherwise exceptional week, an incident which I believe was at odds with the essence of Bloody Sunday March For Justice and the exposition of violence. During the march a shout of 'Aim to kill' could be heard clearly several times from what seemed to be a marshal of one of the bands. Perhaps I mistake the intention or meaning however, for people that might take such a violent call at face value, accompanied by uniformed personnel marching in formation, it is incongruous with anti violence and injustice.

It was noted that at several events during the week speakers spoke critically about Sinn Féin who in fact were very noticeably absent from the march. Even Kate Nash, from the platform, said "seven years ago there were attempts to shut the march down but that did not sit well with us. We felt that the battle had not been won. We knew the Bloody Sunday victims deserved more. Here we are today still on this platform demanding justice for the families of Bloody Sunday." see Derry Journal article.

Some events during Bloody Sunday week

Internment Then and Now

Joanne Donnelly, Eamonn McCann, Moazzam Begg and Francie McGuigan

Former internee Francie McGuigan who was one of a number of men brutalised by the British army here in the early 1970’s, which became known as ‘the hooded men’

Joanne Donnelly, spokesperson for the ‘Craigavon Two’ campaign outlined the background to the imprisonment of the two men Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton.

Moazzam Begg ex detainee of Kandahar; Bagram; Guantanamo Bay spoke about his experiences of interrogation and imprisonment at the hands of British and American security services while also locating the use of internment by both states in a more global context.

Climate Change, Nonviolence, and A Spirituality for Our Times

Alastair McIntosh, a Quaker, peace activist and author from the Isle of Eigg, Scotland and Bernadette McAlliskey, a Northern Ireland civil rights campaigner, an atheist and as she described herself 'maybe an anarchist' discussed religion, spirituality, nonviolence, climate change and community empowerment in the context of nonviolent resistance to injustice, war and environmental destruction.

You'll Never Walk Alone

This event will contrast the experiences and the struggles of three very different campaigns in pursuit of truth and justice.

Sheila Coleman, Hillsborough Justice Campaign

Having campaigned for many years, suffering deep disappointments along the way and having only relatively recently come through a gruelling inquest process where the jury returned a unanimous verdict of ‘Unlawful Killing’, Sheila Coleman, Hillsborough Justice Campaign, talked about the Liverpool families long running campaign for truth and justice for the 96 Liverpool fans.

Marcia Rigg, United Families & Friends Campaign

Marcia Rigg’s brother Sean died in Brixton police station in August 2008 after being held in a state of prolonged restraint by police officers. Marcia talked about her families campaign for their brother and her work with the London based ‘United Families & Friends Campaign’, which is a coalition of those affected by the deaths of their loved ones in police, prison and psychiatric custody and which offers support to others throughout Britain in similar

Belfast man Raymond McCord has been campaigning since 1997 following the murder of his son Raymond junior by the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). Deeply angered and frustrated by the lack of interest coming from unionists politicians within his own community Raymond went on to carry out his own investigation, discovering that the murder of his son had been sanctioned by North Belfast UVF commander Mark Haddock. Later discovering that Haddock was a police informer who wasn’t questioned for the killing of his son.

All event videos will be found on the Bloody Sunday March For Justice web site in due course.

Crown Estate flotsam washed up in Greencastle sheds light on Lough Foyle controversy

January 30, 2017

The flotsam referred to is of course a little memorandum that floated our way electronically. Mr Enda Craig, SaveTheFoyle, was able to snatch a copy of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission meeting in Ballymascanlon Hotel, Dundalk on 9th May 2007 from their web page before it was taken down.

The document is a revelation that sheds light on the controversy surrounding the ownership of Lough Foyle. You can view a recent RTE Prime Time programme here 'Prime Time disputed ownership of Lough Foyle - a clondyke for some but at what cost

The message,from the minutes of a 2007 Commission meeting on the subject of an agreement between CEC (Crown Estates Commission) and DCMNR (Dept of Communications Marine and Natural Resources), clearly states;

Wednesday 09th May 2007, Ballymascanlon Hotel, Dundalk
42nd Meeting of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights

" Barry Fox informed the Board on recent contact made with Charles Green from the Crown Estates Commission. He advised that there have been a number of queries from Charles regarding the hecterage currently being used for aquaculture in Lough Foyle. The Agency has been reluctant to supply this information as it will encourage CEC to pursue a higher rent in Lough Foyle than the Department of Marine may agree."

The Lough Agency is an agency of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission established as one of the cross-border bodies under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

This would suggest that the Irish Government have been paying rent to the Crown Estate. This is something that is recorded and must be known.

Due to the environmental disaster in Lough Foyle and many other problems and in light of England leaving the European Union, the question of the ownership of these Loughs can no longer be brushed under the carpet.