Essays by Will Horter on democracy, citizenship, corporate money in politics, and the stories British Columbians are told.https://willhorter.ca/en-cahttps://willhorter.ca/myths-die-hard-santa-claus-and-canadas-oil-discount/https://willhorter.ca/myths-die-hard-santa-claus-and-canadas-oil-discount/Myths die hard. For example, a third of Canadian adults say they still believe in Santa Claus. Myths endure because they serve a purpose, good or bad. Our…Sat, 12 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMTTruth & Rumourshttps://willhorter.ca/discount-frenzy-the-dirt-on-discount-oil/https://willhorter.ca/discount-frenzy-the-dirt-on-discount-oil/Politicians in Ottawa and Alberta are spinning a good yarn. Their tall tale taps into deeply entrenched Canadian insecurities as well as anxieties about…Sun, 30 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMTTruth & Rumourshttps://willhorter.ca/bc-needs-to-make-politicians-more-accountable/https://willhorter.ca/bc-needs-to-make-politicians-more-accountable/Dec. 1, 2018, the day after ballots are due, should be the beginning of a wider conversation about how to make this province more democratic.Wed, 14 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMTReinvigorate Democracyhttps://willhorter.ca/kinder-morgan-and-the-power-of-civil-resistance/https://willhorter.ca/kinder-morgan-and-the-power-of-civil-resistance/Citizens can shine a spotlight on bad laws or draconian consequences. Second of two parts.Sun, 27 May 2018 00:00:00 GMTRedefine Citizenshiphttps://willhorter.ca/kinder-morgan-and-the-rule-of-law/https://willhorter.ca/kinder-morgan-and-the-rule-of-law/Part one in a two-part series on whether arguments for the pipeline expansion are based on actual respect for legal procedure.Fri, 25 May 2018 00:00:00 GMTReinvigorate Democracyhttps://willhorter.ca/if-david-suzukis-campaign-of-calumny-is-such-a-big-deal-the-petrostate-must-be-spooked/https://willhorter.ca/if-david-suzukis-campaign-of-calumny-is-such-a-big-deal-the-petrostate-must-be-spooked/The backlash surrounding Dr. David Suzuki receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta is the best evidence yet that the petrostate…Fri, 11 May 2018 00:00:00 GMTCivil Societyhttps://willhorter.ca/bc-needs-to-use-full-toolbox-to-stop-kinder-morgan/https://willhorter.ca/bc-needs-to-use-full-toolbox-to-stop-kinder-morgan/The government wins on tone but falls short on putting constitutional obligations to First Nations up front.Sat, 28 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMTReinvigorate Democracyhttps://willhorter.ca/it-was-the-best-of-times-it-was-the-worst-of-times/https://willhorter.ca/it-was-the-best-of-times-it-was-the-worst-of-times/When they walked in front of the cameras with smiles that threatened to crack their faces, my heart fluttered. As they began talking about a new era of…Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMTCivil Societyhttps://willhorter.ca/thank-you-now-lets-get-to-work/https://willhorter.ca/thank-you-now-lets-get-to-work/It looks like British Columbians may finally get a government ready to fight for what’s right in B.C. Today, Christy Clark announced her intention to bring…Tue, 30 May 2017 00:00:00 GMTCivil Societyhttps://willhorter.ca/lies-misrepresentation-and-puffing-the-market/https://willhorter.ca/lies-misrepresentation-and-puffing-the-market/Last week the propaganda campaign pushing Kinder Morgan‘s controversial Trans Mountain oil tanker-pipeline proposal sunk to a new low. In an attempt to…Mon, 29 May 2017 00:00:00 GMTTruth & Rumourshttps://willhorter.ca/dirty-donation-deja-vu/https://willhorter.ca/dirty-donation-deja-vu/I love all kinds of movies, but my hands-down favourites are about underdogs. Any movie where the little guy takes on a big, bad villain and wins gets a…Thu, 16 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMTReinvigorate Democracyhttps://willhorter.ca/we-need-courageous-leaders-not-empty-promises-and-lies/https://willhorter.ca/we-need-courageous-leaders-not-empty-promises-and-lies/“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.” Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the…Tue, 13 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMTReinvigorate Democracyhttps://willhorter.ca/corporate-cash-addiction-corrodes-b-c-politics/https://willhorter.ca/corporate-cash-addiction-corrodes-b-c-politics/Would you pay $20,000 to eat rubbery chicken, drink a couple glasses of wine, shake some hands and listen to boring political speeches? No, probably not…Mon, 28 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMTReinvigorate Democracyhttps://willhorter.ca/justin-trudeau-dangerously-underestimates-british-columbians/https://willhorter.ca/justin-trudeau-dangerously-underestimates-british-columbians/Surprises are becoming the norm in recent elections. Last year Rachel Notley swept the NDP to an unprecedented majority in Alberta, then Justin Trudeau…Fri, 25 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMTCivil Societyhttps://willhorter.ca/in-every-crisis-there-is-opportunity/https://willhorter.ca/in-every-crisis-there-is-opportunity/Perspective is hard, especially in this moment of time when the clouds of darkness have descended like a blanket of fog. But when times are darkest I find…Thu, 10 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMTReinvigorate Democracyhttps://willhorter.ca/never-underestimate-british-columbians/https://willhorter.ca/never-underestimate-british-columbians/The last time a Prime Minister named Trudeau forced an unpopular energy policy on a western province, the backlash eviscerated the Liberals’ foothold in the…Thu, 06 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMTReinvigorate Democracyhttps://willhorter.ca/will-horter-trudeaus-new-pipeline-process-worse-than-national-energy-board/https://willhorter.ca/will-horter-trudeaus-new-pipeline-process-worse-than-national-energy-board/First Nations leaders left in the dark. The public, once again, denied the chance to speak. Add to that a clear conflict of interest at the heart of the…Fri, 05 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMTReinvigorate Democracy