the daily snivel

Here in Ottawa, Crown (federal) lands are managed by the National Capital Commission (the "NCC"), which is a Crown corporation chartered with the responsibility of keeping our parks, heritage buildings, monuments and recreational pathways a source of national pride. It has helped with the city planning for generations, emphasizing a Greenbelt through the city, and organizes major festivals in Ottawa, including Canada Day celebrations (held on July 1) and Winterlude. In recent years, it's also been under a lot of pressure to run a profit.

In preparation for this past Canada Day, the National Capital Commission was renting out information booths to organizations interested in informing the public about their activities and goals during the festivities. One non-profit group, the Canadian Renewable Fuel Associations, had reserved an information booth at Major's Hill Park (near the Parliament Buildings). Their spokesman, "Corn Cob Bob," was ready to make an appearance to promote the use of ethanol to reduce airborne pollutants. Unfortunately, Shell Canada, a major oil company and a sponsor of the celebrations, decreed that the alternative-fuel mascot wasn't welcome, and insisted that the NCC revoke their right to participate in the Canada Day Celebrations. And revoke it they did:

CBC NEWS – The National Capital Commission has apologized for banning an alternative-fuel mascot from its Canada Day celebrations at the request of a major oil company.

...

The association had secured an information booth at Major's Hill Park through the NCC, which had even offered a 50-per-cent discount on the usual fees.

But last Wednesday, the commission called to cancel the arrangement after pressure from Shell Canada, a key sponsor for the Canada Day celebrations in the capital.

...

"They said they were very sorry but they said one of their major sponsors had indicated there was a conflict between the message that we were promoting and their company's interests," he said.

Teneycke says the NCC shouldn't be in the business of caving into corporate pressures and curbing free speech.

...

The NCC called Monday afternoon to apologize to the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, and invited the group to attend next year's Canada Day celebrations.

A Shell spokesperson said the company's arrangement with organizers meant it had exclusive rights when it came to fuel products.

I like the NCC's approach of the deathbed confession. They get to screw the environmentally responsible non-profit group, keep the big bucks from the gigantic petroleum corporation, and still pull off a presto-chango face-saving turnaround days later when no one cares any longer because the party's been over for days.

So, who's more to blame: the wretchedly callow development commission that would do anything for money so long as it doesn't upset its sponsors, or the monstrous corporate behemoth that sweats hydrocarbons and pushes the aforementioned callow commissions around with meaty fistfulls of dollars in the first place?

Remember, kids: hybrid cars, biodiesel, clean energy, and ethanol blended fuels make oil companies scream. You know what you have to do.