Published

BC and Oregon sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Hawaii IS volcanic — the islands literally wouldn't exist without volcanoes.

This creates risks. It also creates opportunities.

The Volcanic Landscape:

British Columbia:

• Multiple volcanic complexes (most dormant, not extinct)
• Mount Garibaldi, Mount Meager, Mount Edziza
• Cascade volcanoes extend into BC
• Last major eruption: ~2,400 years ago (Mount Meager)
• Geothermal potential: Significant, underdeveloped

Oregon:

This is the most important topic. Everything else depends on getting this right.

The Colonial Context:

British Columbia:

• Most of BC was never ceded by treaty
• First Nations have inherent rights to their territories
• Land claims and treaty negotiations ongoing
• UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) adopted provincially
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued 94 Calls to Action
• Progress: Real but inadequate

Oregon:

BC gets tourists. Oregon gets tourists. Hawaii REALLY gets tourists.

Tourism is economic blessing and environmental curse. How do we balance this?

The Numbers:

British Columbia:

• ~6 million international visitors/year (pre-pandemic)
• Tourism revenue: $20+ billion
• Hotspots: Vancouver, Whistler, Victoria, Tofino
• Challenge: Seasonal concentration, over-tourism in hotspots

Oregon:

BC has clean electricity. Oregon is getting there. Hawaii is trying but struggling.

Together, we could be a renewable energy superpower.

Current Energy Profiles:

British Columbia:

We have, collectively, some of the most spectacular temperate rainforest on Earth. We also have, in Hawaii, irreplaceable tropical ecosystems found nowhere else.

We've already lost too much. The question is what we protect going forward.

What We Have:

British Columbia:

Salmon don't recognize borders. They're born in freshwater streams, migrate to the Pacific, roam for years, then return to the exact stream of their birth to spawn and die.

This journey takes them through BC waters, Oregon waters, Washington waters (yes, Washington exists), and past Hawaii (the ocean part).

If any species embodies the case for unified Pacific coast management, it's salmon.

The Current Crisis:

Let's not sugarcoat this: Pacific salmon are in trouble.

BC:

British Columbia has been trying to become a "Pacific Gateway" for decades. The problem: we're one province, with limited ports, facing the largest ocean on Earth.

With Oregon and Hawaii, the game changes.

Current Port Infrastructure:

British Columbia:

Let's address the elephant in the room. Or rather, the marijuana plant in the room.

BC has a... reputation.

The Historical Context:

British Columbia:

BC Bud was a brand before legalization made it a taxable commodity. The Gulf Islands, the Kootenays, Vancouver Island — these regions developed cannabis cultivation into an art form. Underground, yes. Illegal, technically. But undeniably influential.

Let's be honest: none of us are Silicon Valley. Good. Have you seen what Silicon Valley has done to San Francisco's housing market? To its soul?

We can do tech differently.

Current Tech Landscapes:

British Columbia:

British Columbia already has "Hollywood North." Vancouver doubles for every American city on television. You've watched Seattle, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago — but you were actually watching Vancouver with different street signs.

This is our superpower. And it's about to get significantly more powerful.

The Current Landscape:

British Columbia: