Reading the Vancouver Sun’s business article, “First Nations chiefs to stage Site C showdown”, I find myself with a conflicted point of view on the issue. Relating the article to the PEST analysis tool (or PESTLE) in our latest class prep, you can see that BC Hydro is encountering a Legal and Environmental issue leading to political involvement that may restrict them from building their “$8-billion Site C hydroelectric megaproject”. These issues are external from their company. As BC Hydro is a crown corporation, it makes the issue even more complicated. As read in the “To the Tsilhqot’in, with gloves” article, first nations people have long been trying to protect their native land and have been interfering with the business plans of many Canadian companies.

My hometown of Revelstoke, BC, is home to one of the largest hydroelectric dams in Canada and my whole life I have been told what a fantastic, huge, and clean source of electricity it provides. This leads me to the slightly biased opinion that BC Hydro’s projected new dam is necessary as “B.C. will need new energy and new capacity at some point.” However, I do realize that the first nations are also stakeholders in the issue and it is unethical for the government to allow for the destruction of their land by BC Hydro.

Revelstoke Dam
Image credit:
BC Hydro. Digital image. BC Hydro. N.p., n.d. Web

Sources:

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/First+Nation+chiefs+stage+Site+showdown/10215965/story.html

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/07/26/Tsilhqotin-With-Gloves/