Clean Energy BC hosted the 2012 Generate Finding the Balance Energy conference held in Vancouver last week where shíshálh Nation Chief Garry Feschuk presented a poem to keynote speaker David Suzuki on behalf of the First Nations Employment Society.
Rachael Carson wrote Silent Spring, a book that inspired a generation about environmental awareness and with Suzuki's early leadership in taking Carson's story and providing guidance in the environmental movement, made a difference on how people view and treat the natural world around us. A great deal of gratitude is owed by many for his role in continuing to move the environmental topic into society mainstream.
The shíshálh First Nation, First Nations Employment Society, Regional Power and Human Resource Development Canada are actively involved in training aboriginal people to fully participate in the renewable energy business. With the Sechelt Centre of Excellence, Hydro Power Training Program, aboriginal plant operators and operations, people are trained for careers in the energy sector.
We felt it was only fitting to present David Suzuki with this poem recognising his invaluable role in supporting sustainable resource development, said Feschuk during the presentation. On behalf of all the partners in the First Nations Hydro Plant training initiative, he presented this poem written and presented to each of our aboriginal graduate students as a reminder of the importance of the role they will have in providing leadership in their communities on their management of our waterpower resources.
We believe that by using the Blue Planet Award-winning Sechelt Creek generating station located in our shíshálh territory as a model for training aboriginal operators, we can by example, demonstrate that waterpower if done and managed properly can create a wonderful renewable energy gift to the world, both now and forever.
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