Given that the Canadian Government Free Essay Example

Given that the Canadian government was unsuccessful in passing Bill C-300, that finding unfavorable information on Barrick Gold Corporation requires some digging, and because Barrick Gold Corporation has the ability to extend its power and dominion in literally any region, and there are some serious barriers to finding solutions (Lamarche, 2010). To elaborate, while the Canadian government did attempt to pass Bill C-300

which would have imposed accountability on corporations found to be “complicit in violations of human rights or environmental standards,” it was sadly defeated in the House of Commons (Lamarche, 2010).

For the reason that the Canadian government is not required to regulate the activities of Canadian extractive companies operating overseas, Bill C-300 was an attempt to give the government the power to investigate any allegations against their corporations (Lamarche, 2010). However, the defeat of Bill C-300 not only blatantly demonstrates that the Canadian governments concern does not extend beyond our borders, but the serious lack of involvement condones the actions of Barrick Gold Corporation and can easily be interpreted as consent.

Equally important, a simple internet search of Barrick Gold Corporation will tell you nothing about their disgraceful actions. To find information about the corporation that has nothing to do with its net worth, its career opportunities, or its stock prices, it is necessary to type in key words such as “ecological degradation” or “human rights violations.” Even with these key words, the vast majority of sources that appear are either newspaper articles or opinion pieces. While these are indeed valuable sources, they tend to be relatively short and lack in detail, which in turn has the potential to not be too persuasive.

On top of this, local news stations rarely if ever broadcast information about the actions of Barrick Gold Corporation, which means that Canadian citizens are not being informed of the atrocities that are carried out by Canadian extractive companies. Without the information readily available, it is easy to comprehend why there is no public outcry and more specifically, why Canadian citizens are not demanding that Barrick Gold Corporation change its ways or stop operating.

As well, seeing as Barrick Gold Corporation is a corporate giant based in one of the most prestigious cities on the planet, it has the power and the sway to operate wherever and however it chooses. Due to the incredible amount of influence it has over the countries in which it operates – particularly those located in the developing world – Barrick Gold Corporation is an evident example of modern day imperialism (“Imperialism,” 2019). As an illustration, Barrick Gold Corporation has extended their power through the recruitment of Tanzanian police officers (York, 2016). Enlisted solely for security reasons, these Tanzanian police officers are tasked with preventing local villagers from disrupting operations at the North Mara Mine, and have been responsible for killing 65 and injuring an additional 270 (York, 2016; See Figure 2). While villagers strived to show their disapproval of the mine – including their concerns over its environmental footprint – by trespassing, the number of people attempting to disrupt operations has gone down by an astonishing 99% (York, 2016). As can be seen, Barrick Gold Corporation has so much control that they are completely invincible to any attempts of fighting back from local citizens.

As has been mentioned, Barrick Gold Corporation has been criticized for a number of dishonorable and highly concerning actions abroad. While it is true that incidences are never identical, it is important to acknowledge that Barrick Gold Corporation repeatedly violates human rights and engages in environmentally destructive behaviour (Dean, 2013). For one thing, at the Porgera Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea, health care and education services have condemned Barrick Gold Corporation for issues ranging from chemical explosions and toxic releases, to accusations of unwanted sexual acts (Jell-Bahlsen, & Bell, 2012, p. 326-328). When focusing on chemical explosions and toxic releases exclusively, the Porgera Gold Mine has experienced major explosions such as an ammonium nitrate eruption which killed eleven people, as well as toxic chemical releases such as instances of cyanide, lead, and mercury being irresponsibly disposed into the longest river in the country (Jell-Bahlsen, et. al., 2012, p. 326-328). In terms of toxic releases, the Porgera Gold Mine has been blamed for poisoning aquatic life, for destroying forests and gardens with mine sediments, and for drastically polluting local drinking water (Jell-Bahlsen, et. al., 2012, p. 328). As well, the security force hired to guard the Porgera Gold Mine has been accused of horrifying acts of physical beatings and sexual assaults (Albin-Lackey, 2011). As of 2015, there were nearly 140 reported cases of extremely violent sexual abuse, with many of those cases being gang rapes (Jenkin, & Knuckey, 2015, p. 802: See Figure 3).

Similarly, in the Dominican Republic at the Pueblo Viejo Mining Complex, Barrick Gold Corporation has been criticized for its extreme environmental degradation that ranges from regularly contaminating local water sources, to poisoning various food items such as yucca plants and coconuts, to releasing enormous amounts of sulfur into the air (MacRae, 2018). In terms of the contaminated water, Barrick Gold Corporation has been blamed for the deaths of countless livestock and for causing horrific burns and skin conditions on community members that have come in contact with the water

(MacRae, 2018). On top of this, Barrick Gold Corporation utilizes enormous amounts of arsenic and an astounding 7200 kilograms of cyanide daily, which has severely polluted the area and has wreaked havoc with the local communities means of subsistence (Gordon, & Webber, 2008, p. 76). As a direct consequence of leakages, local citizens have been forced to travel elsewhere and purchase produce that has not been infected (MacRae, 2018). Just like in Papua New Guinea as well as in Tanzania, the Pueblo Viejo Mine also has serious problems with incidents of physical brutality (Shenk, 2019). For example, just last month peasant farmers that were objecting to the health impacts that they had suffered from the mine were savagely beaten, threatened, and then detained by police who were given direct orders to not let them near the site (Shenk, 2019).

As can be seen, Barrick Gold Corporation is an incredibly irresponsible company that consistently damages the environment and abuses individuals living in close proximity to their sites. While we may like to believe that Barrick Gold Corporation is a leader in responsible business practices, it is evident that they do not conduct themselves in “the Canadian way” (GAC, 2018). While it may be harder for Canadian citizens to be fully aware of what Barrick Gold Corporation does abroad, local citizens, environmental groups, and civic groups have been taking a stand (“Protest Against Mining Company,” n.d). In particular, organizing mass protests has become a common tactic not only for expressing dissatisfaction but to also call for change (Bamrud, 2012). Apart from taking issue with how Barrick Gold Corporation repeatedly fails to remediate the environment after a mine has closed, protests have also surrounded how the company consistently fails to properly clean environmental damages such as spills/leaks (Bamrud, 2012). On top of this, individuals have also attempted to make their voices heard by peacefully protesting against the company failing to generate economic benefits in the country in which it is operating – which includes not offering employment opportunities to native workers as well as paying incredibly low taxes – as well as its severe mistreatment of local citizens (Bamrud, 2012; See Figure 4).