Podcasts about privacy association

- We start with breaking news as B.C. United leader Kevin Falcon says talks between his party and the B.C. Conservatives over avoiding vote splitting in October's provincial election have broken down. The CBC's Meera Bains joins us with details. Hackers have released corporate data stolen from London Drugs during last month's cyberattack. Guests were Mike Larsen, President, BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association and Roger Gale, program head of the Industrial Network Cybersecurity program at BCIT.And, Brian Minter answers your B.C. gardening questions.

Glacier Media editorial vice-president Kirk LaPointe and BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association president Mike Larsen discuss what they say is a lack of transparency and timeliness from the provincial government when it comes to COVID-related information. Master gardener Brian Minter answers your gardening questions.

Join hosts Matt and Jeremy as they welcome Mike Larsen for a discussion on the terrifying realities of facial recognition software. Mike Larsen is the Director of BC FIPA -- the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association -- and a professor of criminology at Kwantlen University. The hosts and Mike discuss the moral, legal, and philosophical dimensions of this emerging technology, and discuss the recent revelation that Clearview AI has been leasing facial recognition software to the RCMP and local police departments across the US and Canada. Just this month, privacy commissioners in BC and Ottawa weighed in on the legality of such technologies. Is privacy gone in Canada? Are we living in a dystopia? Should police be allowed to use such technologies? What can local, provincial, and federal governments be doing to retain a modicum of personal liberties in the age of Big Tech?

The Executive Director BC's Freedom of Information and Privacy Association discusses an Auditor General report looking into the handling of 18,000 medical devices in the Lower Mainland which found controls lacking, putting patient safety at risk. An MRI machine may not be what you picture when you think of cyber-hack, but B.C.'s auditor general worries that's exactly the type of device that could be easy bait.

In today's show I talk with a Policy Analyst from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives about the issue of fracking near BC Hydro Dams. The BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association informs me on what your rights are when it comes to border agents searching your electronic devices. And Kamloops Community Services Director chats about the proposed Performing Arts Centre and a new web page that will help answer any questions that one may have on the project before voting in the April 4th referendum.

In today's episode there is a focus on concerns about two doctors who are set to leave the Logan Lake community in less than a month and there is nobody set to replace them just yet. I speak with the Mayor of Logan Lake about her concerns around the soon to be vacant positions and I am also joined by Interior Health's Executive Director Clinical Operations Rural Acute & Community who fills me in on what the process is to find a replacement and what the interim plan is for health care in Logan Lake. I also speak with the BC Teachers Federation President regarding a rally that was held at the NDP Convention over the weekend. And I also speak with the President of the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association about facial recognition technology.

Have you ever wondered how much information your car is saving about you? Where you go. What you do. How fast you travel. Vincent Gogolek, executive director of the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, speaks to Kyla Lee about the report he authored, The Connected Car: Who is in the driver's seat? Strap in for some of the report's frankly astonishing findings. Download the report here: https://fipa.bc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/CC_report_lite.pdf Follow Kyla Lee on Twitter: twitter.com/IRPlawyer www.acumenlaw.ca www.vancouvercriminallaw.com

The BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association says that the expenses scandal at the BC Legislature this week goes to show that the Freedom of Information laws in our province are outdated, and in need of reform.   Guest: Sara Neuert Executive Director, BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association

British Columbia's finance minister says the province will become the first in Canada to adopt legislation requiring public servants to document key government decisions. But Vincent Gogolek, executive director of B.C.'s Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, said the proposed law does not come close to meeting the recommendations. GUEST: Vincent Gogolek- Executive Director of B.C.'s Freedom of Information and Privacy Association

British Columbia Civil Liberties Association policy director Micheal Vonn and British Columbia Freedom of Information and Privacy Association executive director Vincent Gogolek discusses the state of accountability in provincial politics. British Columbia children and youth representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond shares her thoughts on the state of child care. And our rabble-rousing panel - Eleanor Gregory, Bob Russell, Troy Sebastian and Allan Warnke - share their thoughts on the week that was in provincial and federal politics.

Dealth Penalty Information Centre executive director Richard Deiter discusses what impact Canada bring back capital punishment would have on the death penalty debate in the United States. Former Liberal cabinet minister Warren Allmand shares his thoughts on continued public support for capital punishment. British Columbia Freedom of Information and Privacy Association executive director Vincent Gogolek talks about his thoughts on a push by Canada's information commissioners for more openness by the federal government. And our rabble-rousing panel - Don Anderson, Eleanor Gregory, The Tyee's Andrew MacLeod and Bob Russell - share their thoughts on the week that was in provincial and federal politics.

British Columbia Freedom of Information and Privacy Association executive director Vincent Gogolek, Canadian Association of Journalists chair Dale Bass and freelance journalist Bob Mackin discuss public attitudes toward freedom of information. Former Western Standard senior writer Terry O'Neill talks about his decision to enter local politics. First Call BC coordinator Adrienne Montani shares her thoughts on child poverty in British Columbia. And our rabble-rousing panel - Don Anderson, Eleanor Gregory, Bob Russell and Allan Warnke - debate the week that was in provincial and federal politics.

Delta South independent MLA Vicki Huntington discusses Bob Simpson's expulsion from the provincial New Democrat caucus. Rivers Without Borders Alaska campaign director Chris Zimmer talks about the impact of British Columbia's proposed northwest transmission line on his state. BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association policy and communications director Vincent Gogolek shares his concerns about British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.'s new freedom of information policy. And our rabble-rousing panel - Eleanor Gregory, the Times Colonist's Dave Obee, Sheila Orr and Allan Warnke - debate the week that was in provincial and federal politics.

Since March 2008, The Local Grain Revolution series has been following the evolution of Canada's first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project for grain. A total of 180 members and one business from the communities of Nelson and Creston, British Columbia, are blazing a trail towards a local grain economy. Kootenay Harvest Revival I On this Part IV of the series, we explore the first in a two-part series of recordings from the Kootenay Harvest Revival - an event hosted by Deconstructing Dinner, the Nelson-Creston Grain CSA and All Seasons Café. The two-day event was held to celebrate the CSA's monumental harvest of grain and to use the success of the project as a "catalyst for a local food revolution." Day 1 of the event heard from a series of speakers who shared the history of food production in the Kootenay regions of British Columbia. By exploring what was once possible to grow and produce in the area, it was hoped that the event would inspire visions of what the soil is currently able to provide both now and into the future. Certainly the Grain CSA is one of those projects unearthing the potential of the region. On this Part I of the Revival recordings, we pay respect to the original inhabitants of the region - the Sinixt people, who, while not agriculturalists, understood the bounty of the land more than any other human population who has inhabited the area. Also to explore are one of the first groups of white settlers to inhabit the region; the Doukhobors - a spiritual Christian sect who also holds a rich history of living off the land. The event acts as an exciting model for other communities wishing to inspire a more localized food system. GE-Free Zones IV Acting as a pinnacle to our GE-Free Zones series, on November 3, 2008, the City of Nelson, B.C., officially became Canada's third GE-Free zone. In a unanimous decision by the City Council, a resolution was adopted that expresses opposition to the "cultivation of GE plants and trees". Deconstructing Dinner was on hand to record the monumental decision. Voices Eileen Delehanty-Pearkes, Author, The Geography of Memory (Nelson, BC) - A fifth-generation Californian, Eileen Delehanty Pearkes has been a resident of Canada since 1985. She has lived in Nelson, B.C., since 1994. She has published numerous essays and articles exploring the connection between nature and the human imagination, as well as The Geography of Memory, her first book. JJ Verigin, Executive Director, Union of Spritual Communities of Christ (Doukhobors) (Grand Forks, BC) - The Doukhobor movement emerged in 18th century Russia as a Christian peasant reaction to the excessive opulence and ritualistic authority of the Orthodox Church. In the early 20th century, a large number of them arrived in the interior of British Columbia where a large population still reside. Russell Precious, Board of Directors, West Kootenay EcoSociety (Sunshine Bay, BC) - After graduating with a BA in Asian History at UBC and UC Berkeley, Russell studied organic farming with pioneer organic farmer and teacher, John Harrison. Subsequently he co-founded the Naam vegetarian restaurant in Vancouver (still running after 35 years); an organic fruit stand & wholesale fruit operation; Quadra Foods Market on Quadra Island and Capers natural foods stores in Vancouver. In 1993 he was finalist for both the regional Entrepreneur of the Year and Vancity's Ethics in Action awards. In 1999 he was one of three first recipients of the B.C. Organic Pioneers Award. He most recently joined the Board of Directors at the Kootenay Country Store Co-operative. Kim Charlesworth, Steering Committee, GE-Free Kootenays (Nelson, BC) - Kim is a founding member of GE-Free Kootenays. She sits on the Board of Directors for the West Kootenay EcoSociety and is currently running for Nelson City Council in the 2008 municipal elections. Gord McAdams, Municipal Councillor, City of Nelson (Nelson, BC) Gord has worked as an Ecologist for BC's Ministry of Water, Air and Land Protection. In 2005, he was fired for bringing confidential government documents to the BC Supreme Court in support of a court action brought by the West Kootenay EcoSociety. On December 11, the Campaign for Open Government and the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association presented Gord with the Whistleblower Award for 2007. Gord is running for Mayor of Nelson in the 2008 municipal elections. Music Bessie Wapp, Musician/Performer (Nelson, BC) - Since 1995, Bessie Wapp has been busy performing and recording with Eastern European music ensemble Zeellia. Bessie Wapp is a two-time Jessie nominated musician, actor, designer, and stilt dancer who studied visual art and music before becoming a Co-Director of stilt-dance theatre company Mortal Coil in 1993. Bessie Wapp has worked with The Electric Company, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Caravan Theatre, and the Vancouver Moving Theatre among others.

The patenting of our food supply through biotechnology could be suggested as one of the greatest systems of control ever devised. As the executive branches of North American governments alongside corporate interests push forward the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), it must be noted that reference to ‘biotechnology’ is littered throughout SPP literature. While Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) has taken on the legitimacy of the SPP as a major campaign, it became clear following last week’s comments by MP Alex Atamanenko, that the ability to politically challenge this system of food control is running into more hurdles. There are, however, community-led alternatives – GE-Free Zones. Last week’s broadcast concluded with a sampling of audio clips from the first GE-Free Kootenays meeting that took place in Nelson, BC in November 2007 when 23 local residents and politicians gathered together to discuss the creation of such a zone. This broadcast continues in more depth and explores more of the dialogue that took place during that meeting, and in doing so, seeks to create better understanding of how communities can begin taking such concerns into their own hands. We also spend time learning of similar efforts being forged in one of the last areas of North America still free of genetically engineered crops – The Yukon. Guests Tom Rudge – GE-Free Yukon (Whitehorse, YK) – Tom is a steering committee member of the Society for a GE Free BC. He is a Director of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), a Founding Member of the Fireweed Community Market, the leader of the Whitehorse Slow Food Convivium. Tom has been around since the beginning of the organic food movement in the Yukon, and is part of Growers of Organic Food Yukon – a chapter of the Canadian Organic Growers. He has a degree in Agriculture, and operates a certified organic farm “Aurora Mountain Farm”. Jessica Stevenson – Researcher, Greenpeace Canada (Vancouver, BC) – Greenpeace Canada has been running an ongoing campaign titled “Say No to Genetic Engineering”. The organization has commissioned a number of polls, among them one that indicated British Columbians overwhelmingly demand labelling of foods that contain genetically-engineered ingredients. Greenpeace opposes the release of GE crops and animals into the environment based on the precautionary principle. They advocate interim measures including the labelling of GE foods and the segregation of GE crops and seeds from conventional and organic seeds. Greenpeace supports the 58 recommendations made in 2001 by the expert panel of the Royal Society of Canada. They also oppose all patents on plants, animals, humans and genes. Voices Angela Reid – Deputy Leader, Green Party of British Columbia (Kelowna, BC) – Angela has run as a Green Party candidate in four elections, two provincial and two federal, between 2001 and 2006. In the spring of 2006, Angela was appointed to the Federal Council of the Green Party of Canada (GPC), and soon after was elected as a Councillor at Large during the GPC’s August Convention in Ottawa. Angela is also the CEO of the GPC’s Kelowna Electoral District Association, and was recently appointed the Okanagan Regional Representative for the Green Party of British Columbia. She operates Tigress Ventures – providing consulting services for environmental and socially oriented businesses. Gord McAdams – Councillor, City of Nelson (Nelson, BC) – Gord has worked as an Ecologist for BC’s Ministry of Water, Air and Land Protection. In 2005, he was fired for bringing confidential government documents to the BC Supreme Court in support of a court action brought by the West Kootenay Ecosociety. The documents showed that the Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection had made “an unauthorized exercise of his statutory power” when he favoured a developer by agreeing to move an access road in Grohman Narrows Provincial Park. The government documents clearly stated that the new road would bury nests and kill eggs of endangered painted turtles in the Park. On December 11, the Campaign for Open Government and the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association presented Gord with the Whistleblower Award for 2007.