With a new government, we have an opportunity to get off on the right foot and take meaningful steps to protect the nature and wildlife that make this province special.

As world leaders gather in Colombia at the UN Biodiversity Summit, COP16, to address the global biodiversity crisis, I want to see the action leaders promised here at home in B.C.

In B.C., we’re facing escalating climate change and habitat loss — more than 1,900 species and ecosystems are at risk of extinction.

Protecting the lands, waters and wildlife that make our home so special has never been more urgent. Healthy ecosystems are essential for the well-being of wildlife, our communities, our economy, and our future.

By prioritizing biodiversity, the government can demonstrate its commitment to a future where both people and nature thrive. This approach will help create a healthier B.C. for everyone.

This government was elected on a platform that included moving B.C. closer to protecting 30 per cent of B.C. by 2030 and a made-in-B.C. strategy to defend B.C. biodiversity.

I urge readers to join me in calling on the B.C. government to follow through on their commitment and work with First Nations to protect biodiversity.

We need to see action on conservation and climate change as a key part of their work to bolster community resilience.

Joan Hendrick

Saanich

A couple of recent letters decried the anti-tariff ads that Ontario ran in the U.S., and that B.C. is also contemplating. Their argument was that we should stay out of U.S. politics, otherwise we risk antagonizing Trump and prolonging the pain of tariffs.

Here’s the thing though: We became part of U.S. politics when Trump obliquely threatened to make Canada a state through economic pressure.

He continues to press the issue with recent talks of a shared Golden Dome.

The ads have two effects.

The first one is that Trump is learning that Canada would not be a Republican/MAGA-friendly state. A friendly ally would be preferable to an troublesome state that would continually threaten future re-elections.

One of the letters noted that Trump’s popularity is falling as American consumers pay the price of his incompetence. The ads have the effect of reminding American consumers and businesses where the source of their misery lies.

If they apply pressure on their government from........

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