Probe International

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Rare jaguar sighting in Macal River Valley! Nov 2002

Electricity rates highest in Central America
April 15/2007
"Each year, Fortis/BEL reports higher and higher profits as our rates go up and the [Macal] river gets worse."

BECOL will build third hydroelectric dam
May 8/2006
The new dam is planned for the Vaca area on the Macal River, about 6 miles from the Chalillo site.

BEL enjoying record profits!
May 8/2006
And while you were fumbling in the kitchen trying to find candles, BEL was counting the money from its best year ever.

Canadian power company gets failing grade from Belizeans
May 2/2006
In its report card released today, the Belize Institute of Environmental Law and Policy gave Canadian power giant, Fortis, a failing grade.

Chalillo dam report card
May 1/2006
Overall grade: "Fortis/BECOL has failed to meet its legal obligations in construction of the Chalillo Dam and providing for the health and safety of the people, the river, and the environment."

Chalillo dam is a bad deal
March 14/2006
"The third master agreement says that Belizeans take all the risks and will still pay more and more," says Alliance of Conservation NGOs.

Impacts of the Chalillo dam
March 14/2006
The BACONGO alliance of conservation NGOs say the Chalillo dam will produce higher electricity rates, lower water quality and higher health and safety concerns.

PUC broke the law – Senator Ambrose Tillett
Amandala January 18/2006
"PUC colluded with BEL to gouge customers . . . it gave BEL a blank check."

WeBAD says Chalillo concerns still linger
Amandala November 22/2005
While BEL and BECOL say that the dam is good for Belizeans, environmentalists contend the risks are too great, and that Belizeans would end up paying more for the dam than has been made public.

With little fanfare Chalillo generates first watts
September 13/2005
The Chalillo Hydroelectric Facility has generated the first of what it hopes will be many billions of watts of power.

Lifting the Lid on Foreign Investment Contracts
International Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development September 1/2005
Deals between foreign investors and governments have major implications for whether investment projects bring real benefits for the people and environments of the countries where they take place, or whether instead they undermine sustainable development.

Double whammy for 14,100 electricity consumers
Amandala Online July 24/2005
Bills to increase as much as 57% for Belize Electricity Limited customers who had benefited from a reclassification of the social rate category in April 2003, which was discontinued after BEL claimed the government subsidy for the program had dried up.

Chalillo dam construction site
May 18/2005
Chalillo dam construction site photos taken April, 2005.

Belize leader vows survival, warns of debt crisis
Reuters April 27/2005
Belize's prime minister has vowed to survive a wave of anti-government strikes and riots but warned that the tiny Central American nation's debt crisis poses a serious threat to its economic future.

Belize prime minister gets certificate of corruption
San Franicisco BayView April 27/2005
"Foreign companies now own our utilities ... and many government ministers, their relatives and friends appear to be doing quite well. Though premium gas costs around US$5, they are running around in brand new SUVs."

Mayan world to be destroyed
Belize Reporter February 25/2005
A closely guarded and secret archaeological survey of the Chalillo dam site reveals that hundreds of Mayan structures will be totally destroyed and gone forever when the ill-conceived Chalillo dam is completed and filled.

General strike in Belize
San Franicisco BayView January 26/2005
After years of alleged financial mismanagement and corruption by the People's United Party, civil unrest broke out in the capital city of Belize in January, provoked by the release of a new national budget with significant tax increases.

Damming Belize
E Magazine Vol. XV, no. 6 November 12/2004
Opposition against the Chalillo dam remains strong in Belize.

In Belize, electricity vs. tourism
The Christian Science Monitor May 24/2004
A $30 million dam, due to be completed next year, will generate needed power, but could turn off ecotravelers. "This is a bad project all the way around," says Gráinne Ryder, policy director of Toronto's Probe International.

Fortis Inc. acquires remaining 5 per cent interest in Belize Electric Company Limited
Business Wire May 21/2004
Fortis Inc. has acquired the remaining 5 per cent interest in Belize Electric Company Limited ("BECOL"), making it a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of the corporation.

Belize dam trial: Victory, what victory?
February 11/2004
True, Fortis narrowly escaped an injunction to stop construction of the Chalillo dam. Three out of five judges decided the Belizean government's environmental approval of the dam was not illegal, just flawed.

Power rumble in Belize jungle
Financial Post January 31/2004
In effect, the Belize government used the imprimatur of Canadian money (via CIDA) to push through approvals on the Chalillo project. After all, Canada is not a corrupt country . . . but this is flawed logic.

Green groups lose Belize dam battle approval
Independent (UK) January 30/2004
Coalition of environmental groups vow to fight on.

British Privy Council approves Belize dam to be built by Canadian firm
Canadian Press January 29/2004
In a split 3-2 judgment, a judicial committee of the council ruled that the environmental impact assessment done by regulatory authorities in Belize was sufficient to support construction of the dam.

Environmentalists lose battle to stop Canadian dam in Belize
CBC News Online January 29/2004
Stan Marshall, the chief executive officer of Fortis, called the ruling a victory for his company and the people of Belize, who he said support the dam.

High court upholds decision to build dam
Press Release [PDF format] January 29/2004
The decision to allow construction of a controversial hydroelectric dam in the Central American rainforests of Belize caused sharp dissent in the UK's Privy Council.

Objectors lose Belize dam appeal
BBC News January 29/2004
The committee, the highest appeal court for the central American Commonwealth country, did not accept the Chalillo dam would threaten rare species.

Privy Council judgment on the Chalillo dam
[PDF format] January 29/2004
"Not even the most protracted and determined paper chase could have got at the true facts" about Chalillo. Lord Walker, Privy Council decision, London.

Belize dam awaits far-off ruling
BBC News January 27/2004
The UK's historic Privy Council is hearing a challenge to the construction of the 50-metre-high Chalillo dam in Belize, in central America. Science correspondent David Shukman has been to see the work in progress.

Reason to rethink Belize hydro dam
Toronto Star December 10/2003
There's time yet for Britain's Privy Council to grant a Christmas wish to an indefatigable group of ecologists.

Wildlife in peril
The Sunday Times December 7/2003
Last week, five appeal judges in London did not find in favour of environmental campaigners. They have "reserved judgment" and say that their decision is unlikely until some time next year.

Judgment pending on proposed rainforest dam in Belize
December 5/2003
Lawsuit exposes concealment of key safety information by Belize government and Canadian company.

Belize PM stands by controversial dam project
Yahoo News December 3/2003
Belize's prime minister on Wednesday defended a dam-building scheme that environmentalists say would destroy one of the largest undisturbed wildernesses in Central America.

Campaigners fight Belize dam
BBC News December 3/2003
The UK's historic Privy Council is to hear a challenge to the construction of a dam in Belize, in central America.

Canadian-backed dam could be delayed
Canoe News December 3/2003
A dam in Belize backed by a Canadian company is fundamental to the country's economic development, Belize's attorney general said Wednesday as he warned of dire consequences if the project is delayed by Britain's Privy Council.

Canadian-backed dam in Belize faces legal challenge
Toronto Star December 3/2003
The British Privy Council begins a hearing that will determine the future of a Canadian-backed dam in Belize, which its opponents say will damage the country's sensitive environment and destroy Mayan archeological sites.

Canada under fire over dam
Toronto Star December 2/2003
Ottawa agency complicit in Belize plan that will endanger local people and environment, writes Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Historic challenge to proposed dam in Belize
Media Release December 2/2003
UK Privy Council hears a challenge by Belizean environmentalists to their government’s environmental approval of the project.

Historic challenge to proposed dam in Belize – Backgrounder
December 2/2003
This is the first environmental case in the long history of the Privy Council, which still serves as the final court of appeal for Belize and commonwealth countries.

Why Belize’s new dam is more than just a natural disaster
Sunday Herald, U.K. November 29/2003
It is believed to be the first time an environmental issue has come before the Privy Council in an almost 500-year history.

Fur will fly when Privy meets!
Belize Reporter November 28/2003
BACONGO charges reckless endangerment.

Privy Council to hear case on Chalillo dam
Save the Macal River Valley Coalition November 24/2003
The highest court in the Commonwealth will hear the case brought by environmental groups and business owners against the Belize government's approval of the Chalillo dam.

Trade, aid and jobs
The Guardian (UK) November 21/2003
It does not matter to [Fortis] that [their hydro dam in the Mayan mountains] will not work, because they have a 50-year monopoly to take their 35% plus interest repayment.

Fortis steps into spotlight
National Post September 22/2003
Operating primarily in the low-key electricity sector has kept Fortis Inc. a relative unknown - until last Monday , when it announced a leap forward with the biggest acquisition in its 16-year history.

British court denies request to halt Belize dam construction
The Miami Herald August 15/2003
A London court denied a petition from environmental groups to halt construction on a hydroelectric dam in a rain forest in Belize

Privy Council decision on request to halt Belize dam construction (PDF format)
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (UK) August 13/2003
Britain's Privy Council concludes that "the grant of an injunction at this stage would entail a greater risk of ultimate injustice than its refusal."

Legal fight doesn't stop construction
Channel 5 News, Belize August 6/2003
For the last several years the often harsh debate over construction of a hydroelectric dam on the upper Macal has been largely academic.

A movement's shifting stage
The Miami Herald August 1/2003
Environmental activists pitted against some of the world's biggest energy companies in the Third World are now increasing their concentration in fragile areas of Latin America.

Privy Council to hear appeal against Belize dam
edie – Environmental Data Interactive Exchange August 1/2003
The Privy Council in the UK has ruled in favour of an appeal against the building of the Chalillo Dam in Belize. It is the first environmental case to reach such a high level.

Last flight out
www.outsideonline.com May 9/2003
The campaign to stop Belize's Chalillo dam receives full-colour coverage in this spectacular report on the controversial Canadian hydro project by Internet travel resource, Outside Online.

Opposition groups continue to fight Canadian involvement in Belize dam
Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine May 5/2003
Groups opposed to the proposed Chalillo dam in Belize continue to campaign against the hydropower project, which is to be built by Fortis of Newfoundland.

AMEC: Counter report 2002
April 30/2003
"In this report you will find information on some of the most controversial construction projects in the world today."

Canadians among the ruins
April 30/2003
While a Canadian dam-building multinational is set to flood more than 1,000 hectares of renown Belizean rainforest, further north a Canadian-led archaeological dig has spent years struggling to preserve traces of Belize's lost Maya civilization.

AMEC's geotechnical assessment of the Chalillo dam project in Belize
April 24/2003
A geotechnical engineering expert finds AMEC's assessment flawed.

Probe International's letter to AMEC
April 17/2003
Probe International tries to determine the extent of AMEC's involvement with the Chalillo dam project in Belize.

Belize tour guide association asks Public Utilities Commission for fair hearing on Chalillo
April 14/2003
"How can we know what effects [the Chalillo dam] will have on our river, and potentially on the safety of people, both those of us who live downstream and the visitors we take up and down the river."

Chinese corporation cinches Chalillo dam deal
April 10/2003
China's SinoHydro Corporation signs on for its first project in Latin America.

Belizean macaws and tapirs threatened by dam project
The Independent – U.K. April 6/2003
Belize court rules Canadian power giant Fortis Inc. can build a dam in Belize's upper Macal River. The Belize Alliance of Conservation Non-Governmental Organisations (Bacongo) to appeal.

Letter to editor - Re: Chalillo dam forum
April 2/2003
Belize Times reporter Norris Hall accused Belize Zoo Director Sharon Matola of saying that Belizeans "are not capable of reaching the 'right' conclusion on the building of the Chalillo dam on the Macal River."

'An imbalance of power'
Maclean's magazine March 31/2003
It's Q and A time for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Maclean's magazine sits down with the high-profile environmental crusader to talk about war, profits, and Fortis Inc.'s proposal to build a hydro dam in Belize's Upper Macal River Valley.

VIDEO: The Crocodile Hunter from Australia (5 min. RealPlayer format)
March 26/2003
Steve Irwin speaks out against Fortis Inc.'s proposed Chalillo dam during a visit with Sharon Matola of the Belize Zoo.

Belize biologist leads fight to stop proposed dam
National Geographic Today March 14/2003
Sharon Matola, Director of the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, talks to National Geographic about the campaign to stop Newfoundland's Fortis Inc. flooding the Macal River Valley with its proposed Chalillo dam.

A forum on the Chalillo dam controversy in Belize
March 10/2003
On March 13, 2003, people on all sides of the Chalillo dam controversy will discuss the legal actions in Belize and the implications for Canadian public policy and governance of Canadian companies investing outside Canada.

U.S. geotechnical expert says AMEC studies 'inaccurate and incomplete'
February 21/2003
This means that the designers lack the information on which to provide an assuredly satisfactory and safe structure.

Public hearing equals public farce
The Reporter (Belize) January 20/2003
The public hearing on Chalillo, ordered by the Supreme Court, which was held in Cayo late last week, was supposed to give the Belizean public a forum to air their views and concerns about the controversial Macal River Dam. It did not do so.

World Conservation Union position on Fortis dam
January 20/2003
IUCN applauds Belize Supreme court decision to hold public hearings on Fortis' dam project prior to any final decision.

BEL bleats while profits soar!
Belize Reporter November 15/2002
BEL says it will have to raise electricity prices because of increased costs, however, Fortis has just announced increased profits and earnings from BEL and BECOL and revealed that Belize is proportionately their best profit maker and income earner.

BEL threatens electricity rate hike!
Amandala November 7/2002
The Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has indicated to the press that it is considering approaching the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for an increase in electricity rates due to a delay in building Chalillo, and rising oil prices.

An update on the Chalillo dam in Belize's Macal River Valley
Probe International August 23/2002

No green light for Chalillo dam!
The Reporter - Belize August 18/2002
"We trust Fortis will now respect the law so that Belizeans, not Fortis, will have the last word on this dam," says Probe International's Gráinne Ryder.

PUC approves BEL's gas turbines, while BECOL awaits Supreme Court ruling on Chalillo
Amandala (Belize) August 11/2002
Belize Electric Company Limited (BECOL), is awaiting the Supreme Court's ruling on Government's approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the construction of the Chalillo dam.

Belize denies hydro dam OK
The Telegram - St. John's August 9/2002
The Belize government denies giving Fortis permission to build a hydro dam in one of Central America’s last undisturbed rainforests.

Belize government disavows Canadian-backed rainforest dam
Probe International and Natural Resources Defense Council Press August 8/2002
In a dramatic turnaround, the Belize government has denied ever giving Canadian power company Fortis Inc. permission to build a controversial hydro dam in one of Central America's last undisturbed rainforests.

Fight over dam goes to Belize's highest court
Inter Press Service July 26/2002
"Fortis' conduct in Belize is an international disgrace," said Gráinne Ryder of Probe International. "Without legal actions to expose them, corporations like Fortis will never learn."

Chalillo case opens in Supreme Court
Channel 5 News (Belize) July 15/2002
The legal battles surrounding the Chalillo dam continue as the second judicial review sought by the environmental group BACONGO gets underway in the Belize Supreme Court.

Belize dam fight heats up as court prepares to rule
National Geographic June 7/2002
This week, a Supreme Court justice in Belize will begin hearings on two lawsuits that will test the country's environmental laws for the first time.

Belize: Dommages et intérêts Canadiens
Recto Verso May 31/2002
Au Belize, la compagnie canadienne Fortis construit un barrage qui met en péril la dernière forêt vierge d'Amérique centrale.

Cayo death toll could be thousands
The (Belize) Reporter May 17/2002
The geological mapping done by AMEC and presented by BEL and Fortis for the Chalillo dam site is so faulty that the Geology and Petroleum Departments in Belmopan, Belize, have demanded that new mapping be done.

Protesters greet shareholders of company building Belize dam
CBC News Online May 16/2002
A small group of protesters stood in the rain outside a hotel in St. John's Wednesday morning, speaking out against the Chalillo hydro dam project in Central America.

Chalillo dam threatens unique environment
The Telegram - St. John's May 15/2002
Sharon Matola, the director of the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, asks Fortis and Fortis shareholders, "Why do this to Belize?"

Fortis faces lawsuit over Belize dam
The Telegram - St. John's May 15/2002
BACONGO’s case will be heard by Belize’s Supreme Court this summer. Whatever its outcome, the lawsuit sends an unmistakable message to Fortis, writes NRDC's Robert Kennedy Jr. and Probe International's Gráinne Ryder in a letter to Telegram editor.

Look her in the eyes - PDF
The Coast May 6/2002
Message to Fortis shareholders: explain why your company wants to destroy rainforest wildlife. (requires PDF viewer)

Final report, mapping of the proposed Chalillo (PDF format)
May 3/2002
This report presents the findings of a re-study done on the geology of the proposed Chalillo Dam site during the period April 24th to April 29th, 2002.

Tell Fortis to Forget It!
List of Major Executive Shareholders of Fortis, Inc.
May 1/2002

Winners & Sinners
Environmental Guide 2002 May 1/2002
Fortis Inc. was highlighted as a sinner in a Winners & Sinners poll published by the Toronto Environmental Guide 2002.

Canadian MP asks Foreign Affairs to oppose Chalillo
Letter from Keith Martin to Bill Graham April 16/2002
Dr. Keith Martin, M.P. writes to Foreign Affairs Minister with grave concerns about the proposed Chalillo Dam in Belize.

Chalillo Chill
Alternatives Journal (Spring 2002) April 15/2002
Critics slam the dam that a Canadian company wants to build in Belize's valley of the scarlet macaw.

A watershed case
McGill Daily April 11/2002
Tacit Canadian support for a Central American dam project could destroy a "cradle of biodiversity," but the concerns of a group of environmentalists may well prevail.

CIDA not responsible for inaccurate geology assessment: Minister Whelan
Letter from CIDA Minister to Probe International April 9/2002

Canada's Senate examines dam issue
The (Belize) Reporter April 7/2002
Questions raised in the Canadian Senate over the role of Fortis, the Canadian Company, in pushing, for a second dam in Belize to complement the existing dam at Mollejon.

Belize scientist urges Canadian government to stop backing rainforest dam
Probe International Press Release April 5/2002
Leading Belize wildlife expert, Sharon Matola, will urge the federal government next week to withdraw its support for a hydro dam that threatens Belize wildlife.

VIDEO: The Dam Canadians
CBC Disclosure April 2/2002
View the Belize river valley threatened by a Canadian-backed hydro scheme. Canada's foreign aid money is not going to the people of Belize, but to a giant multinational company, AMEC.

Save Belize Jaguar River
Common Ground/April issue April 1/2002
Common Ground, a Vancouver-based health and environment magazine, highlights the Canadian threat to Central American wildlife with the construction of the Chalillo dam.

Paradise be dammed
March 28/2002
After months of investigation, CBC-TV's Disclosure program will air its report on the Chalillo dam controversy on Tuesday, April 2, at 9 p.m.

Hon. Janis G. Johnson statement in the Senate
Parliamentary Hansard March 27/2002

Environmentalists sue over secret Canadian deal to dam Belize
Probe International and Natural Resources Defense Council March 26/2002
Belizean environmental groups filed a lawsuit last week before the Supreme Court of Belize to block a controversial Canadian-backed hydro dam in Belize's Macal River Valley.

Firm's grant doubles after donation to Liberals
National Post March 26/2002
A multinational engineering company that in 2000 was awarded a $250,000 grant by CIDA to study a proposed hydro dam in Belize donated more than $31,000 to the Liberal party during the same election year.

Newfoundlanders report on Chalillo controversy
The Evening Telegram, Letter to the Editor March 26/2002

Field investigations of the Belize Scarlet Macaw (ara macao cyanoptera)
Wildlife Trust Conservation Division, Ministry of Natural Resources/Belize, Dept. of the Environment March 25/2002
The purpose of this two week field investigation was primarily aimed at re-documenting the speculated local commuting route of the Belize Scarlet Macaw.

Time for Fortis to display commitment to process
St. John's Telegram March 10/2002
Fortis has called the opponents of their proposed power dam in Belize hypocrites because they assign weight to environmental considerations, writes Newfoundland-resident in letter to the editor.

Cry me a river over threat to sanctuary
Metro - UK March 1/2002
Probe International's Gráinne Ryder goes in search of the endangered scarlet macaw.

Dam under fire
Latin America Press March 1/2002
Law suit could be one of the most important political moves in Belize’s environmental history.

Probe International accuses Canadian engineering giant of professional negligence and incompetence
Probe International Press Release February 27/2002
Probe International filed a complaint yesterday against Canadian engineering firm, AMEC, for professional misconduct, negligence, and incompetence regarding its geotechnical assessment of the proposed Chalillo dam in Belize.

Interview with Belize Prime Minister Said Musa
The (Belize) Reporter February 24/2002
In an exclusive interview with The Reporter, Belize Prime Minister agrees that the Chaillo dam should only proceed when all doubts about environment mitigation studies and the geolology of the site are resolved.

Lawsuit against Fortis charges GOB and BEL breaking the law!
Belize Reporter February 24/2002
Lawsuit challenges Belize government's conditional go-ahead for Chalillo dam project without public hearings or consideration of hundreds of pages of comments from leading scientists, as required by law.

Belize dam approval challenged in court
Environment News Service (ENS) February 20/2002
Belizean environmental and business groups have filed a lawsuit challenging the Belizean government's conditional approval for the Canadian-backed Chalillo hydroelectric dam.

Environmental and business groups sue to stop Canadian firm's dam in Belize rainforest
Probe Update February 14/2002
Belizean environmental and business groups filed a lawsuit last week to block a controversial Canadian-backed dam in an important rainforest wilderness.

Murky waters build behind dam project
The Telegram (St. John's) February 14/2002
There’s more to this story than the spin-masters at AMEC and Fortis would have Telegram readers believe, says Probe International in response to The Telegram's Feb. 5 article.

Canadian aid helps bulldoze Belize rainforest
Hill Times February 11/2002
In January, bulldozers began illegally tearing up the rainforests of Belize. Here's an ad that ran in Ottawa's The Hill Times. [.pdf]

Why are our tax dollars helping a Canadian multinational bulldoze the rainforests of Belize?
The Hill Times February 11/2002

Fortis, AMEC reject claims by Probe
The Telegram (St. John's) February 5/2002
Probe’s news release contains incorrect, irresponsible, and misleading statements, Fortis and AMEC tell The Telegram.

Canadian geological assessment of Belizean dam site wrong, experts warn
Probe International Press Backgrounder January 31/2002
Canadian power company, Fortis Inc., is set to build a hydro dam in Belize's Macal River Valley, an area with extensive bedrock fractures and faults that could prove unstable, geologists warn.

New disclosures on Chalillo point to grave duplicity
Belize Reporter January 27/2002
An announcement this week from the Canadian consulting firm AMEC states that AMEC has not signed a contract and does not intend to bid on the design contract for the proposed Chalillo Dam in Belize.

Legal injunction sought to stop Chalillo
The Guardian (Belize) January 24/2002
The Guardian newspaper in Belize highlights Probe International's press release announcing BACONGO will seek a legal injunction to stop the Chalillo dam.

CIDA helped pay for report on dam
Toronto Star January 23/2002
Assessment firm in conflict of interest. Probe International claims CIDA's "choice of consultant for conducting an environmental assessment has no credibility."

Fortis facing injunction at dam site in Belize
The Telegram (St. John's) January 19/2002
Environmental groups in the Central American country of Belize are preparing to seek an injunction against Newfoundland-based Fortis Inc. to stop all construction at its proposed Chalillo dam site.

Groups seek legal injunction to stop construction of Canadian-backed hydro dam in Belize rainforest
Probe International Press Release January 18/2002
Environmental groups in Belize are preparing to seek an injunction against Newfoundland-based company Fortis Inc. to stop all construction activity at its proposed Chalillo dam site.

PI in paradise
January 18/2002
Earlier this year, Probe International's Gráinne Ryder spent time in the area of Belize the Canadian-backed Chalillo dam will flood.

Environmental clearance for Canadian-backed hydro scheme in Belize illegal, say conservation groups
Probe International Press Backgrounder December 31/2001

Where things stand with Fortis's proposed Chalillo dam
Probe International December 24/2001
The last few months have seen major developments in the campaign to stop Fortis's hydro scheme in Belize's Macal River Valley. Here's an update of recent events.

Concrete Jungle: Dam set to go ahead despite danger
New Scientist December 22/2001
What is the point of gauging the environmental impact of a dam before it is built? Not a lot, if a row over a proposed Chalillo hydroelectric scheme in Belize is anything to go by.

Fight for the right to say no
New Scientist December 22/2001
Some large dams just shouldn't be built.

Letter to the Editor: Before it's too dam late
The Telegram (St. John's) December 21/2001
The director of the Belize Alliance of Conservation NGOs writes a letter to the editor of Newfoundland's Telegram.

Kennedy, Malone to visit Belize: Mission to stop Canadian rainforest dam
Probe International Press Release December 17/2001
Environmental activists Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Newfoundland's Greg Malone will travel to Belize to support citizens opposing the Chalillo dam that will drown a last rainforest refuge for Central American wildlife.

Probe International challenges BECOL
The Guardian (Belize) December 9/2001
If Fortis/Belize Electricity wanted the cheapest possible source of new power supply for ratepayers, it would have insisted upon an open and competitive bidding process, writes Probe International's Grainne Ryder.

Letter to the Editor: Fortis plan threatens endangered species
The Telegram (St. John's) December 7/2001
Newfoundlanders speak out against Fortis's plans to wipe out Belize wildlife. "This is our business as long as Fortis is in Belize," writes Colin MacDonald of St. John's.

Complaint to Auditor-General's Commissioner on Environment and Sustainable Development
Probe International December 4/2001
Re: CIDA's support for the Chalillo dam

A river in Belize runs through Newfoundland
Alder Institute December 3/2001
The campus and community radio station of Memorial University has been following the Challilo dam proposal in Belize. So far 5 episodes have been broadcast. The radio program airs each Wednesday night at 9 pm NF time on CHMR 93.5 FM.

Fortis faces opposition over plans for rainforest dam: Protests held in Atlantic locations
Journal Pioneer (Summerside) December 1/2001
Concerned citizens from across Atlantic Canada are taking part in a regional day of action, calling on Fortis Inc. of St. John's, Nfld., to immediately stop its plans to construct the Chalillo Dam in Belize, Central America.

Newfoundland company accused of threatening Central American rainforest
The Troubador November 30/2001
TV and newspaper ads are now part of a nationwide campaign aimed at pressuring Fortis Inc. to abort its plan to construct a $30 million hydroelectric dam in a Central American rainforest in Belize.

Probe International responds to Fortis
The Guardian (Belize) November 28/2001

Fortis responds to Probe International
The Guardian (Belize) November 16/2001

Newfoundland power company gets green light to flood Central American rainforest
Probe International Press Release November 15/2001
Belize government decision to grant clearance to Newfoundland-based Fortis Inc. for its proposed Chalillo hydro dam contravenes Belize environmental law, say citizens groups.

Belize dam pits Canadian firm against environmentalists
Inter Press Service November 2/2001
Inter Press Service, an Internet news provider on global issues, alerts its members to Canada's Fortis dam controversy.

Dam fight turns nasty as Fortis announces start-up
The Reporter, Belize November 2/2001
Leading Belize newspaper, The Reporter, publishes coverage of the recent media event in Toronto to stop the Fortis dam.

Fortis disputes Kennedy claims
National Post November 2/2001
"It's a major bombardment in the media of misleading information," says Fortis president and chief executive Stan Marshall.

Kennedy adds clout to Belize dam protest
Globe and Mail November 2/2001
Economic benefits 'probably . . . zero,' Kennedy says of project in crucial rainforest.

Kennedy slams plan for Canadian dam in Belize rainforest
Probe International Press Advisory November 1/2001
Environmentalists target TSE-listed power company.

Opponents of dam take battle to TSE
Toronto Star November 1/2001
Leading environmentalists launch campaign against Fortis Inc. today at a Toronto Stock Exchange conference hosted by Probe International.

Belize needs a free energy market, not more dams
National Post October 31/2001
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Canada's Industry Minister Brian Tobin responds
October 31/2001
Tobin passes the buck to Minister for International Cooperation for Fortis's dam fiasco.

Fortis to have final say on dam, says Musa
Latin American Newsletters October 31/2001
Belizean Prime Minister Said Musa says decision to build a second hydroelectric dam on Belize's Macal River is the responsibility of Fortis, the Canadian company behind the project.

Robert Kennedy Jr. met le géant canadien de l'énergie Fortis dans sa mire
Metro (Montreal) October 31/2001
Robert Kennedy Jr, écologiste américain bien connu entre autres pour son appui aux Cris contre le défunt projet Grande-Baleine, se joindra demain à la coalition internationale de verts s'opposant à la construction d'un barrage au Bélize.

Malone facing old adversary
The Telegram (St. John's) October 30/2001
Comedian off to fight Fortis Inc.'s Belize hydro development.

Probe International letter to Fortis Inc. Board of Directors
October 29/2001
Letter responding to Fortis' refusal to meet with citizens groups to discuss Fortis' proposed hydro project in Belize.

Chalillo: el desastre que viene
Tiempos Del Mundo October 25/2001
Tiempos Del Mundo, a Latin American weekly newspaper, interviewed Probe International for this detailed article (published in Spanish), about its campaign to stop the Chalillo dam.

Environmental groups stare down billion dollar Canadian company over rainforest-destroying dam
Probe International Press Release October 18/2001
A series of hard-hitting advertisements was launched today in the Maritime provinces by a coalition of groups united to stop Fortis Inc. from building a dam that would destroy a unique rainforest in Belize.

Letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Manley
Probe International October 12/2001
Probe International, together with representatives of citizens groups in Belize and Washington-based Natural Resources Defense Council, call on the Canadian government to withdraw all support for the proposed Chalillo dam in Belize.

Letter to Editor: Newfoundlanders dam insensitive
The Telegram (St. John's) October 11/2001
It seems that Fortis had slipped this behemoth project through the formal channels of environmental assessment with nary an eyebrow raised until the Natural History Museum of London, which immediately raised the red flag.

Minister's response to PI Aug. 28 letter
October 10/2001

Opposition MP Svend Robinson expresses concern over CIDA's involvement with Fortis, Inc.
Letter to Maria Minna, Minister for International Cooperation October 4/2001
"CIDA must make public its assessment of the impact of the dam and should not allow the project to continue if it does not meet Canadian environmental standards."

A river in Belize runs through Newfoundland: Challilo Part 3
Alder Institute October 3/2001
Listen: Radio program in real audio on internet
Chalillo Part 3 Audio file
Alder Institute Audio Archive

A river in Belize runs through Newfoundland: Challilo Part 2
Alder Institute September 26/2001
Listen: Radio program in real audio on internet
Chalillo Part 2 Audio file
Alder Institute Audio Archive

Canada's dark side in Belize
Globe and Mail September 20/2001
Actor Harrison Ford speaks out against Fortis, Inc.'s, proposed Chalillo dam for Belize.

Dam pristine river valley, says Canada's foreign aid agency
Probe International Press Release September 20/2001
A new report from CIDA recommends that construction of the proposed Chalillo dam in Belize begin early next year, even though scientists warn against the scheme because of its devastating effects on Central American wildlife.

A river in Belize runs through Newfoundland: Challilo Part 1
September 19/2001
Listen: Newfoundland radio program in real audio on internet
Chalillo Part 1 Audio file
Alder Institute Audio Archive

British expert appeals to Belize authorities re Chalillo
September 17/2001

Jury of 12 Belizeans may decide Chalillo
The Belize Reporter September 9/2001
All through September and into October a group of 12 Belizeans - the members of NEAC (National Environmental Appraisal Committee) - will study the 5 volume Environmental Impact Assessment on the effects of building the Chalillo dam.

British Natural History Museum Report on Chalillo
(PDF file) September 5/2001
Wildlife impact assessment prepared by British Natural History Museum as part of the 5-volume EIA report submitted by AMEC to Belize Electricity.

Hiding in plain sight
The Belize Reporter September 2/2001
Chalillo, if it ever goes through, will not come cheap. The environmental impacts show that Belize and Belizeans will pay a heavy price if the Government insists on pushing through the controversial hydro plan.

Eminent British scientists recommend “no-build option” to Canadian dam builders in Belize
Probe Alert September 1/2001
Report by British researchers in Belize confirms that the Chalillo hydro scheme will cause a "significant and irreversible reduction of biological diversity in Belize." [PDF]

Macal River Upstream Storage Facility Environmental Impact Assessment
AMEC and CIDA August 31/2001
The executive summary of the environmental impact assessment of the proposed Chalillo dam in Belize produced by AMEC for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Probe International slams CIDA secrecy
Letter by Probe International to Minister for International Cooperation, Maria Minna August 28/2001
In a letter to Canada's federal minister responsible for CIDA, Probe International challenges the minister's defense of CIDA's role in Belize's proposed Chalillo dam.

Power to the people?
Maclean's magazine August 22/2001
Canadian artist, naturalist and Probe International supporter Robert Bateman, speaks out against Belize's proposed Chalillo dam to Maclean's magazine.

Government versus the people
The Belize Reporter June 15/2001
The Chalillo dam debate has been subjected to the full force of the government media focused on trying to discredit all or anyone who dares to question the folly of the original Mollejon dam or the continuing folly of Chalillo.

BACONGO informs Canadians of the facts on Chalillo and urges BEL for disclosure of information
The Belize Reporter June 3/2001
BACONGO – the Belize Alliance of Conservation NGOs – calls on Canada's Fortis, Inc. to commit to openness and transparency.

BEL not truth telling in Canada
Belize Reporter June 3/2001
In blatant disregard for the truth, the Belize Electricity Limited C.E.O. and a Belize Government representative have told Fortis Inc. shareholders and the Canadian press untruth after untruth about the Chalillo hydro project.

M.P. Keith Martin demands CIDA act responsibly
May 29/2001
Dr. Keith Martin, Member of Parliament and Official Opposition Critic for Latin America and Africa today asked the Minister Responsible for CIDA to release the environmental impact assessment report on the Chalillo dam project in Belize.

CIDA Minister responds to Keith Martin, M.P.: Letter
May 28/2001
Maria Minna continues to defend CIDA secrecy

Letter to Fortis CEO Stanley Marshall
May 23/2001
Letter to Fortis President from BACONGO, Action Environment, Humber Environment Action Group, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Sierra Club of Canada.

Sharon Matola speaks to CBC's As It Happens
CBC Radio May 23/2001
The interview with Sharon Matola followed by Fortis President, Stanley Marshall begins at 3:50 minutes into part 2.

PEI environmentalists protest Canadian dam in Central American Rainforest
ECOPEI press release May 22/2001
Appeal to FORTIS/Maritime Electric to cancel hydro scheme.

Chalillo could flood Maya ruins
The Belize Reporter May 20/2001
The proposed Chalillo Dam threatens to flood three important Mayan sites, the Department of Archeology confirmed this week.

Canadian firm under fire over Belize dam
Ottawa Citizen May 17/2001
Probe International and other environmentalists take their concerns about Fortis, Inc.'s proposed Chalillo dam to Parliament Hill.

Environmentalists to confront power company on behalf of bird
CBC Radio May 16/2001
CBC Radio picks up on Probe International's plan to confront Canadian power company Fortis, Inc. over its plan to build a dam in Belize.

International scientists issue warning to Canadian multinational
Probe International Press Advisory April 25/2001
Canadian hydro dam threatens Central American wildlife. Some of the world's leading tropical ecologists and wildlife experts have joined the campaign against a hydro scheme that threatens endangered Central American wildlife.

Belize Dam
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador Radio April 17/2001

Editorial
The Belize Reporter April 5/2001
Geologist Charles Wright's work suggests that if the mostly granite area of mountain country is undermined by limestone, it would be sheer folly to proceed with a large dam at Chalillo.

Limestone caverns may drain Chalillo reservoir
The Belize Reporter April 5/2001
The prospect of undetected underground limestone caverns diverting water from the proposed Chalillo dam has come to light by one of Belize's most experience geologists.

Neglect it at your own peril!
The Belize Reporter April 5/2001
Within 5 years there will be virtually no timber resources left in Belize. This crisis affects the vital watershed along the Macal and Belize Rivers which not only serves communities but provides Belize City with fresh water.

Globalization in the jungle
Montreal Gazette March 25/2001
There's no disguising the fact the Chalillo dam "is a rotten deal" for Belize, says Probe International's Gráinne Ryder.

Cayo Coalition concerned
The Belize Reporter March 20/2001
A local river challenge race provides education about the risks posed to the valuable and fragile part of Belize's heritage by building the Chalillo dam.

Corp. backing harmful dam
St. John's Evening Telegram March 11/2001
Newfoundland citizen writes letter to St. John's Evening Telegram editor expressing concern over Fortis' proposed Chalillo dam in Belize.

Upbeat plan for a dam in Belize turns nasty
The New York Times March 2/2001
When a Canadian power company proposed a dam along a branch of the nearby Macal River, officials here welcomed the investment. But the plan has unleashed a barrage of criticism from environmentalists, who are looking beyond Belize's borders for support.

A desperate government lashes out
The Belize Reporter February 9/2001
The firing of a San Ignacio school teacher is an example of the government's furious and senseless lashing out at well versed and articulate environment critics whom the government cannot answer with either logic or good sense.

Public service ad exposes Fortis' folly
The Belize Reporter (advertisement) February 1/2001
Belizean citizens group places ad in the Belize Reporter.

Environmentalists urge Newfoundland-based Fortis Corporation to abandon hydro scheme in Belize
Probe International Press Advisory January 25/2001
Press Advisory - Canadian and U.S. environmental groups sign letter urging the Newfoundland-based Fortis Corporation to abandon its plans to invest in a hydro dam on Belize's Macal river

Letter urging Fortis Corporation President Stanley Marshall to abandon Chalillo dam
Letter signed and distributed by Probe International January 25/2001
Environmental groups urge Fortis Inc. President H. Stanley Marshall to withdraw from the proposed Chalillo hydro-electric dam project in Belize

At the public trough!
The Belize Reporter December 3/2000
"Fortis seeks and gets Canadian funding". Article quotes Grainne Ryder.

On foreign interference in Belize
The Belize Guardian December 3/2000
"Probe responds to Norris Hall on Chalillo". Article features a letter by Grainne Ryder.

Canadian aid agency pays engineering firm to justify dam construction in Belize
Probe International Press Advisory November 21/2000
Hydro scheme threatens jaguar, Scarlet Macaw habitat

World Conservation Congress: Canadian-backed dam in Belize threatens jaguar and other species
Natural Resources Defense Council October 19/2000
Last week in Jordan, the jaguars and tapirs of Belize gained another powerful ally.

Indiana Jones, Eco Warrior
High Life (British Airways in-flight magazine) October 1/2000
"A new hydroelectric dam threatens to destroy some of the richest rainforest in Central America, says campaigners. But now screen hero Harrison Ford has waded to the rescue."

Viable only by monopoly!
The Belize Reporter August 13/2000
In this letter to the editor, Grainne Ryder challenges the viability of the Chalillo dam.

Fortis dam will destroy rare habitat and wildlife
St. John's Telegram August 3/2000
Grainne Ryder argues for better alternatives to Fortis' Belizean hydro scheme.

Hydro-electricity project threatens Belize wildlife
edie July 28/2000
Conservation groups question the necessity of the proposed Chalillo Dam, citing concerns over the project's impact on the environment.

Protesters jumping the gun: Fortis
St. John's Telegram July 26/2000
Conservation groups dispute Fortis, Inc's assessment of the proposed hydrolectric project in Belize.

Canadian-backed hydro scheme threatens Belize wildlife
Probe International Press Release July 24/2000
Probe International argues for better alternatives to Canadian-backed Challilo dam in Belize.

Fortis owns hotels
Send an e-mail to the hotels owned by Fortis.

What You Should Know About Newfoundland's Dam in Belize

Belize

Chalillo dam trial: Victory, what victory?