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Reposted by John Woodside

Canada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 1d

Dawn Farrell, the former CEO of Trans Mountain who now leads the federal government's Major Projects Office was asked whether the oil pipeline contributes to the fight against climate change.

“The answer is yes,” she replied.

Head of Carney’s Major Projects Office thinks Trans Mountain is good for climate

Dawn Farrell, the former CEO of Trans Mountain who now leads the federal government's Major Projects Office told the House of Commons environment committee that the oil pipeline helps fight climate ch...

www.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 1d

She was already a controversial pick to lead the MPO given her background, but now to hear her spreading pure climate denial from one of the most influential posts in government is pretty appalling.

Oh and she also said she makes around $700,000 per year in this new gig (more than the PM!)

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 1d

Dawn Farrell, the former CEO of Trans Mountain who now leads the federal government's Major Projects Office said the oil pipeline helps fight climate change.

Head of Carney’s Major Projects Office thinks Trans Mountain is good for climate

Dawn Farrell, the former CEO of Trans Mountain who now leads the federal government's Major Projects Office told the House of Commons environment committee that the oil pipeline helps fight climate ch...

www.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 2d

Should research published by banks be held to the same anti-greenwashing rules as other corporate documents? One shareholder group is pushing a Quebec regulator to decide, in a move that could open up a new battleground for corporate accountability. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/10/n...

Banks' ties to LNG raise questions of greenwashing in 'thought leadership'

Should research published by banks be held to the same anti-greenwashing rules as other corporate documents? One shareholder advocacy group is pushing a Quebec regulator to decide, in a move that coul...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by John Woodside

Elisha Dacey 🎤🏳️‍⚧️ @elishadacey.bsky.social · 3d

REPORTERS/RESEARCHERS/POLICY NERDS:

@nationalobserver.com has released a tool that automatically transcribes council meetings in 550 Canadian municipalities.

THIS Is how you use AI in the newsroom!

Check it out: civicsearchlight.nationalobserver.com

CivicSearchlight - by Canada's National Observer

Search transcripts of municipal meetings across Canada. Find discussions about topics that matter to your community with Canada's National Observer's search tool.

civicsearchlight.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 3d

This is also a great way to use our new Civic Searchlight tool (currently free for journalists and researchers). Set the search field to Ontario, type in "Enbridge", and poof a record of every time a municipality has publicly discussed the company. Revolutionary way to keep tabs on gas expansion.

Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation

Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...

www.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 3d

These obscene profits are thanks to governments' pro-fossil fuel agenda, and in Ontario, supported by rate hikes Enbridge secured after Ford kneecapped the regulator.

But its gas expansion is helped along by towns being suckered by marketing tricks about gas being cheap compared to alternatives.

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 3d

“I'm really pleased with both the premier of Ontario, Premier Ford; and the minister of energy … about their commitment to gas... The government's policy is to provide access to gas, to the maximum possibility." - Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel.

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 3d

Enbridge execs have been boasting to shareholders they plan to return $40-$45 billion to them over the next five years supported by gas expansions across the continent. Ontario in particular is a cash cow where they have an opportunity to "over earn."
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/09/a...

Enbridge investors to get billions as gas giant expands into small-town Ontario

Enbridge executives know Ontario ratepayers are a cash cow for its gas business, and in recent calls with investors they said they plan to milk it for all its worth.

www.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 4d

Beyond uncovering the spread of targeted, AI-powered climate disinformation used to pressure local governments, the tool has also unearthed backlash from municipalities against Ford’s Bill 5, and assisted with reporting on topics ranging from AI to hail to oil giants.

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 4d

We've been testing it internally for months, and it has facilitated important work. Like this one: www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/08/i...

How Canada's National Observer tracked a climate misinfo group going 'under the radar'

As KICLEI's campaign moves into the shadows, Canada’s National Observer has developed an unprecedented new tool: Civic Searchlight. To build it, we assembled a database of council meetings in more tha...

www.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 4d

Today we're launching a new, powerful tool for public accountability created by @rorywh.bsky.social.

Civic Searchlight compiles hundreds of municipalities' public meetings and makes them searchable for the first time. It's free to use and we hope you journalists and researchers put it to work.

Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation

Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...

www.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 4d

NWT Premier RJ Simpson came to Ottawa with a crystal clear message for the Carney government: “The North is ready. Indigenous governments are ready. Our projects are ready. We've talked about the North long enough; it's time to start building it." via @natashabulowski.bsky.social

Leaders urge Ottawa to build the North with next major projects

A delegation of Indigenous leaders and politicians from the Northwest Territories are in Ottawa this week, lobbying the federal government for consideration in its next tranche of major projects — and...

www.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 4d

Join us tomorrow! Should be a very interesting conversation on Canada and the EU working together to fight wildfires. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/06/n...

Partnering in the fight against wildfires: Canada and the EU

The Delegation of the EU to Canada, in partnership with Canada’s National Observer, invites you to join a panel discussion event on the fight against wildfires hosted by CNO’s David McKie on Thursday,...

www.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 8d

Not exactly surprising, but Danielle Smith was pretty deceptive with her pipeline stunt this week. Here are just a few of the ways she justified her new proposal.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/03/a...

Breaking down the justification behind Danielle Smith’s ‘pipeline to nowhere’

Oil production in Canada hit record highs last year, the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline is in operation, and more fossil fuel infrastructure keeps getting built, yet in Alberta Premier Danielle Smi...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by John Woodside

Seth Klein @sethdklein.bsky.social · 9d

Great takedown of Danielle Smith’s pro pipeline arguments here by @woodsideful.bsky.social www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/03/a...

Breaking down the justification behind Danielle Smith’s ‘pipeline to nowhere’

Oil production in Canada hit record highs last year, the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline is in operation, and more fossil fuel infrastructure keeps getting built, yet in Alberta Premier Danielle Smi...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by John Woodside

Canada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 9d

David Suzuki counts Jane Goodall among his top inspirations, but he isn't grieving her death.

He’s grieving she never got to see the big changes to the political, economic and legal systems that destroy nature and must be reformed.

Jane Goodall died before the world caught up, Suzuki says

David Suzuki counts Jane Goodall among his top inspirations, and said he isn't grieving her death — he's grieving the political, economic and legal systems that destroy nature have not been changed th...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by John Woodside

InfluenceMap @influencemap.bsky.social · 10d

"InfluenceMap found Canada’s big five banks (RBC, TD, BMO, CIBC and Scotiabank) provided US$131 bn to fossil fuel companies in 2024, on average representing 18% of their entire financing portfolios. That’s more than twice than the top US banks, & more than three times their top European peers." 👀👇

John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 12d

Mark Carney's 'Tragedy of the Horizons' speech was a landmark moment for the financial sector to recognize climate change was a severe threat, but a decade later he's flouting his own prophetic warning as climate breakdown rapidly approaches.

A decade later, Carney's climate wake-up call to financiers still falls on deaf ears

Mark Carney's 'Tragedy of the Horizons' speech was a landmark moment for the financial sector to recognize climate breakdown was a severe threat, but a decade later he's flouting his own prophetic war...

www.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 10d

Her proposal is built off disinformation. Lies about oil demand growing when it is in fact peaking before the pipeline would be built, lies about Feds blocking oil after nationalizing an oil pipeline to export more, lies about the emissions cap lowering production when forecasts show oil would grow.

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 10d

"If we can't build with the collaboration of the federal government and between provinces, and everybody gets to have their products going to market except Alberta, than it's not a country." - Danielle Smith, after the feds built TMX to the tune of $34 billion to get oil to market.

Danielle Smith announces Alberta will be the proponent in a new pipeline application

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a new proposed pipeline on Wednesday to carry oil from Alberta to the West Coast. The province itself will be the proponent applying to the federal Major Proje...

www.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 10d

With today’s news from Smith that she frames as part of a grand bargain (we’ll do pathways ccus if you give us a new pipeline) let’s not forget @cathmckenna.bsky.social ’s key point

Catherine McKenna @cathmckenna.bsky.social · 16d

“Why does anyone think they'll uphold any of their side of any bargain that is made? They did nothing other than fight every single policy, and there are none of these policies now in any serious way.” My take on oilsands.

@nationalobserver.com www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/24/n...

Catherine McKenna isn’t buying Carney’s carbon capture grand bargain

In a wide-ranging interview ahead of the launch of her memoir, former climate minister Catherine McKenna warns consequences are coming for the fossil fuel industry, even as the federal government purs...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by John Woodside

Canada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 10d

BREAKING
Danielle Smith says Alberta itself will be the proponent for a new pipeline to the BC coast.

BREAKING: Alberta announces new pipeline application

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a new proposed pipeline on Wednesday to carry oil from Alberta to the West Coast. The province itself will be the proponent applying to the federal Major Proje...

www.nationalobserver.com

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 10d

"Pouring billions more of Canadian taxpayers' dollars into a new tar sands pipeline when Europe and China are leading a global charge away from fossil fuels would be about as smart as investing in Blockbuster video stores when Netflix was on the rise.” - @climatekeith.bsky.social

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 10d

She accused Smith of moving “way outside of jurisdiction” using “backdoor methods” that disrespect Indigenous peoples and British Columbia.

“This behaviour will only divide us ... and it really sets a dangerous precedent for future relationships.”

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John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 10d

Marilyn Slett, President of Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative and chief councillor of the Heiltsuk Nation said the nations remain firm that their people do not support any new pipeline.

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