Sue's Blog

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Investigative Journalism - let's try this...

CBC Newfoundland and Labrador is running a Special Report called Newburbia. They describe it as this:

CBC Newfoundland & Labrador is exploring Newburbia. Across the northeast Avalon new neighbourhoods are being filled with new houses.
Who is living in these new suburbs, and why? We'll look the daily life of people who live in the suburbs, as well as the issues they face and the future they want to see.

I have been following it and it is an interesting piece.

There are three journalists involved as well as the use of news and other programming.

They have provided times lines from the 50's to now and have interviewed livyers, mayors and other planning and construction professionals as well. In a word - thorough.

The reader can even go online and look at how house plans have changed over the past 50 years.

There are probably some very interesting findings to come on why people move where they move and what quality of life they are seeking from their neighbourhoods.

What I would like to see is a similar commitment to a Special Report called the Upper and Lower Churchill.

Place online the various attempts to develop any part of the Lower Churchill - the deal on the Upper Churchill including any changes over the past 50 years.

Perhaps they could rerun the On Camera productions with Jennifer Davis that dealt with the right to wheel power, the potential for a deal with New York, and the deal that was lost.

The CBC could provide - online - the past proposed deals by Tobin and Grimes and whatever came of them.

They could highlight information about Hydro-Quebec and how they not us have become the powerhouse of hydro development.

They could show how many long-term jobs have been created in Quebec per MW of power and then explain how Quebec ratepayers benefit from developments.

They could attempt to show how HQ has used its revenues in the past to deliver government programs while maximizing their equalization.

The CBC might look at explaining to us what hydro power we already supply to Canada and how that ranks with other provinces and green  energy.

There could also be an extensive piece on how we not HQ got penalized under equalization for power from the Upper Churchill that Quebec not Newfoundland and Labrador benefited from.

The next item could be to examine significant hydro developments around the world that have attracted aluminum smelters and driven industrial development. Tens of thousands of jobs while still making money.

How does Iceland, Russia, Quebec and numerous other jurisdictions use their hydro power to drive population growth and job stimulation?

Considering the Premier continues to use our past with Quebec to promote the Emera deal should we not have the benefit of all the history to decide?

Does this deserve as much attention as Newburbia? You decide.

To listen to Talk with Sue tonight  PRESS HERE 

Danny Dumaresque will be our guest for the Program.



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