#WORLD #WORLDWIDE #CANADA #ANARCHISM #News #Journal #Update - (en) Canada, Collectif Emma Goldman - BlackRock Metals on life support, politicians to the rescue! (ca, de, it, fr, pt)[machine translation]

 The 1.1 billion project of the multinational BlackRock Metals is more than ever

in the wing. After putting a stop in 2019 to the deforestation of the land where
the plant is supposed to be built in Grande-Anse, delaying the start of work on
the site (work which has still not started), here we have learned last December
23 that the multinational had to place itself under the protection of the
Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) since it is unable to reimburse its
providers. In addition to having failed its creditors, some members of the
Saguenay-Le Fjord Chamber of Commerce and Industry must today be disillusioned
with the situation of BlackRock Metals. In 2019, during the work stoppage, Sandra
Rossignol, then director general of the Chamber, declared: "They really put all
the chances on their side to avoid cost overruns because they know that winter
construction is expensive. The Chamber believes this is a good decision. We know
the BlackRock Metals team well. We have confidence in his ability to complete the
project. (1). I imagine that over time, trust must have crumbled...

However, there is nothing to worry about for the local bourgeoisie since the
majority of the time, when destructive projects sink, there are always
governments to come and save them and inject public funds into them. As La Presse
reports: "Since 2018, BlackRock Metals has unsuccessfully solicited 150
institutional investors, including the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and the Teachers
pension fund. She also made contact with around fifty family wealth managers and
around ten European capital funds. (...) Over the years, BlackRock has raised
approximately US$67 million in shares for a total of 149 million shares. (2).
Obviously, investors are not pushing themselves to the gate and the money raised
is a meager sum compared to the billion needed. Nevertheless,

Chibougamau and Saguenay want the project in their backyard

Faced with the difficulties encountered by BlackRock Metals, the various levels
of government are doing their bit to give a little boost, even a second life to
this destructive project. Andrée Laforest, the CAQ Minister of Municipal Affairs
and Housing, pats her on the back to encourage the multinational not to let go:
"In the wake of the information recently released concerning the BlackRock Metals
project, I wanted, as Minister responsible for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
region, to reiterate my support for the project in its current form, as approved
by the decree. This project is very important for our region and Quebec. (3). For
his part, Jean Rainville, the former chairman and CEO of BlackRock, is in good
shape and wants to scuttle the restructuring process,

In Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, the mayors of Chibougamau-Chapais and Saguenay are
bowing to have the project in their backyard. Manon Cyr believes that one of the
solutions would be to build the smelter near Chibougamau: "The project calls for
the ore to be transported over hundreds of kilometers before it is truly
transformed. Why couldn't we process it closer to the mine?[...]I have always had
a hard time understanding how one could justify environmentally and financially
the fact of moving so many minerals over a long distance before processing it
adequately" (5). Despite her green streak, the mayor does not seem to understand
that the problem does not lie in the transport of materials. Whether the plant is
in Chibougamau or Grande-Anse, the materials will have to travel hundreds of
kilometers by train in both cases, either to transport the raw product to La Baie
for processing near the terminal or to bring the finished product to the port
where it can be transhipped onto ships and sent to the international. The
environmental problem is in the project itself: dig an open pit mine, build a
factory that will be the second most polluting in Quebec and transport the
materials first by train and then in boats that will have to use the fjord as a
highway.

The Chibougamau-Chapais Chamber of Commerce (CCCC) obviously agrees with Mayor
Cyr. CCCC President Sébastien Valdal also uses language aimed at quietly
justifying this project under the guise of green capitalism: "Considering that
the potential of the Chibougamau-Chapais mining camp demonstrates an
iron-titanium-vanadium potential, we believe that developing local expertise
would be an important contribution to the economic development of the region and
an essential positioning in the race for the electrification of transport and the
development of a greener economy" (6). The electrification of transport, we are
talking here about the solo car and it is not with electric cars that we will
make the economy greener. The latter require, just like the gasoline car, the
multiplication of immense infrastructures (boulevards, highways, new streets and
bypass arteries, etc.) and the infinite exploitation of resources to constantly
produce new models. Instead, we must rely on public transit and alternative means
of getting around, as well as sharing our cars as much as possible in order to
maximize their use. After all, cars spend most of their time standing still in
parking lots. we must focus on public transit and alternative means of getting
around, as well as sharing our cars as much as possible in order to maximize
their use. After all, cars spend most of their time standing still in parking
lots. we must focus on public transit and alternative means of getting around, as
well as sharing our cars as much as possible in order to maximize their use.
After all, cars spend most of their time standing still in parking lots.

On the Saguenay side, the new mayor, Julie Dufour, reiterated in a press release
her "full support for the project in its current form". She goes on to say:
"Studies carried out by BlackRock Metals have shown that the industrial port area
of Grande-Anse was the best site to establish the plant. This is also what was
presented to the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE) and
which obtained all the permits and authorizations from the Quebec government. We
have also committed to a degressive tax holiday over 10 years for the
commissioning of the project. (7). This follows the departure of Gérald Savard,
prefect of the MRC du Fjord-du-Saguenay, who declared in the media to support the
project while calling on the Premier of Quebec to ensure that the project sees
the light of day in Grande-Anse. As if that were not enough, Marc Bouchard,
interim leader of the Democratic Renewal Team (ERD) and designated councilor of
the party, also launched his support by means of a press release, begging the
members of the city council " to do everything possible so that this $1.1 billion
project can see the light of day and that its processing plant be built on the
Port Saguenay site" (8). But apart from the place where the project should take
place, there is total consensus among the local political class. It is the turbo
version extractivism capitalism that they and they would like to establish in
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean on the Nitassinan. Marc Bouchard, interim leader of the
Democratic Renewal Team (ERD) and designated councilor of the party, also
launched his support in a press release, begging the members of the city council
"to do everything possible so that this project of 1.1 billion dollars can see
the light of day and that its processing plant be erected on the Port Saguenay
site" (8). But apart from the place where the project should take place, there is
total consensus among the local political class. It is the turbo version
extractivism capitalism that they and they would like to establish in
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean on the Nitassinan. Marc Bouchard, interim leader of the
Democratic Renewal Team (ERD) and designated councilor of the party, also
launched his support in a press release, begging the members of the city council
"to do everything possible so that this project of 1.1 billion dollars can see
the light of day and that its processing plant be erected on the Port Saguenay
site" (8). But apart from the place where the project should take place, there is
total consensus among the local political class. It is the turbo version
extractivism capitalism that they and they would like to establish in
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean on the Nitassinan. also launched his support by means of a
press release, begging the members of the city council "to do everything possible
so that this $1.1 billion project can see the light of day and that its
processing plant be erected on the site. of Port Saguenay" (8). But apart from
the place where the project should take place, there is total consensus among the
local political class. It is the turbo version extractivism capitalism that they
and they would like to establish in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean on the Nitassinan. also
launched his support by means of a press release, begging the members of the city
council "to do everything possible so that this $1.1 billion project can see the
light of day and that its processing plant be erected on the site. of Port
Saguenay" (8). But apart from the place where the project should take place,
there is total consensus among the local political class. It is the turbo version
extractivism capitalism that they and they would like to establish in
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean on the Nitassinan.

The state, a pillar in the extractivist economy

The different levels of government play a major role in extractivism and they
come to the aid of multinationals in various ways. First by financing them
directly via money loans or by building, with the help of public funds,
infrastructures for private companies. In Quebec, this means, among other things,
the construction of roads, hydroelectric lines, aqueducts (connecting factories
to city water), etc. (9). The state also comes to the aid of multinationals by
putting in place laws that give pride of place to extractivism. Pass laws or
remove them, so as to favor extractivist companies as much as possible. Thus,
Canada is the country where the most mining companies are registered since
Canadian law is very favorable to them (10). By establishing themselves in the
country of the maple leaf, the mining companies know that they will not be
bothered by the courts and they will have free rein to exploit the territories
(mostly in the South) and the populations who live there. Then, once the
resources have been looted, it is very often the government that has to pay to
clean up and decontaminate the exploited sites. In Quebec, this type of scenario
can be counted in the thousands (11). Finally, as is the case for BlackRock
Metals, when multinationals go under and fail to complete their project, there is
always the government to come and inject public money to finance or buy them out
and avoid , for a while, sinking. the mining companies know that they will not be
bothered by justice and they will have free rein to exploit the territories
(mostly in the South) and the populations who live there. Then, once the
resources have been looted, it is very often the government that has to pay to
clean up and decontaminate the exploited sites. In Quebec, this type of scenario
can be counted in the thousands (11). Finally, as is the case for BlackRock
Metals, when multinationals go under and fail to complete their project, there is
always the government to come and inject public money to finance or buy them out
and avoid , for a while, sinking. the mining companies know that they will not be
bothered by justice and they will have free rein to exploit the territories
(mostly in the South) and the populations who live there. Then, once the
resources have been looted, it is very often the government that has to pay to
clean up and decontaminate the exploited sites. In Quebec, this type of scenario
can be counted in the thousands (11). Finally, as is the case for BlackRock
Metals, when multinationals go under and fail to complete their project, there is
always the government to come and inject public money to finance or buy them out
and avoid , for a while, sinking. it is very often the government that has to pay
to clean up and decontaminate the exploited sites. In Quebec, this type of
scenario can be counted in the thousands (11). Finally, as is the case for
BlackRock Metals, when multinationals go under and fail to complete their
project, there is always the government to come and inject public money to
finance or buy them out and avoid , for a while, sinking. it is very often the
government that has to pay to clean up and decontaminate the exploited sites. In
Quebec, this type of scenario can be counted in the thousands (11). Finally, as
is the case for BlackRock Metals, when multinationals go under and fail to
complete their project, there is always the government to come and inject public
money to finance or buy them out and avoid , for a while, sinking.

However, whether it is BlackRock Metals or a front company belonging to the
Government of Quebec, we will always be there to oppose this project. Several
actions have already taken place: blocking of a railway line in Chicoutimi,
painting launched on the offices of BlackRock, action in Grande-Anse,
conferences, etc. Our world does not reside in the destruction wrought by this
ecocide project.

For a libertarian decline

As long as there is a tree to raze, a river to harness, a mountain to raze for
the ore, the multinationals, allies of the governments, will be there to derive
significant benefits. Of course, they will ''create'' in exchange some jobs in
regions which have experienced high unemployment rates for many years and which
are the product of development based on mono-industry. But what are these jobs
worth in a trashed and unlivable environment? But above all, what are we going to
do when the multinational has packed up once the soil has been exhausted and the
millions amassed? If we persist on this path, we will return to square one. The
only option: decide now to break this cycle of misery and exploitation and build
an economy based on the satisfaction of our real needs and the sustainability of
resources. Faced with the big useless projects that governments and
multinationals want to put forward, we must not only resist, but create our own
alternatives to this self-destructive system. We can no longer accept the bread
crumbs that big business is willing to give us to ''ensure'' our ''well-being''
for a while. Because let's face it, the only lasting thing in their system is the
misery and desolation it engenders. A libertarian degrowth, that is to say not
the cessation of the development of new technologies which facilitate and improve
our lives, but the stop the manufacture of useless goods (12) which feed this
consumerist society and which require more and more resources often exploited in
the countries of the South. A horizontal and egalitarian society based on our
real needs and built in complicity with the First Nations.

1. Radio-Canada:BlackRock Metals delays the start of its work in La Baie

2. André Dubuc, La Presse:Investissement Québec proposes to buy BlackRock Metals

3. Solveig Beaupuy, Le Quotidien:Andrée Laforest still supports the BlackRock
Metals project

4. Gilles Munger, Radio-Canada:BlackRock: Former CEO Tries to Block Restructuring
Process

5. Isabelle Tremblay, Le Quotidien:BlackRock Metals: Manon Cyr proposes an
integrated complex in Chibougamau

6. Isabelle Tremblay and Marc-Antoine Côté, Le Quotidien:BlackRock Metals: the
Chibougamau business community does not want a plant in La Baie

7. Vicky Boutin and Myriam Gauthier, Radio-Canada:The BlackRock plant must be in
Saguenay, reiterate Julie Dufour and the MRC du Fjord

8. The same .

9. Radio-Canada:Plan Nord: Quebec is building a road to the Otish Mountains

10. Sarah R. Champagne, Le Devoir:Canadian mining companies abroad: the creation
of an ombudsman position is still awaited

11. Alexandre Shields, Le Devoir:The toxic legacy of mining explodes

12. The cell phone is a good example. The cell phone is useful for our lives, but
we don't need to release dozens of new models every year. On top of that, they
are energy-intensive in rare metals and require a lot of resources and
infrastructure. In a libertarian decline, the goal is not to make cell phones
disappear and no longer produce them, but to stop endlessly manufacturing models
that are extremely similar from year to year and that are simply used to sell
merchandise and making profits for billionaire private companies.

Posted 13 hours ago by Collectif Emma Goldman

http://ucl-saguenay.blogspot.com/2022/01/metaux-blackrock-sur-le-respirateur.html
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