ENERGY FOR ALL Julie MacArthur, Royal Roads University “WHEN PROGRAMS, projects, initiatives actually think about the benefit to society, that's innovative — this is really about social innovation,” says Julie MacArthur, the associate professor and Canada Research Chair in reimagining capitalism at Royal Roads University. “That is not something we have historically seen when it comes to the very engineering- and economics-dominated focus on energy systems and climate transitions. The innovation is in bringing things back to the question: ‘Who are we doing things for? And what does it mean to people?’ ” With this approach to innovation in mind, MacArthur is an active proponent of “energy democracy,” which seeks to bring a social justice lens to energy systems, and explore how energy poverty — limited or no access to energy — can be alleviated through energy transitions. “Much of what Iʼve been doing is looking at how ownership and control feature into making these systems more just or not, as the political economic system of capitalism
is about private ownership of resources and by women in Haida Gwaii and the idea is goods and profit making.” to have solar arrays because some of the “Democratizing energy includes opening communities there are diesel reliant … up access to people who have traditionally for reconciliation purposes, but also for been excluded from the process of decarbonization purposes, that is a natural ownership and/or decisionplace for there to be change. making. Historically, energy “The focus of this is not “The focus of industries have been malejust about getting more this is not just dominated, very centralized money into business as about getting and highly extractive in usual. This really is about Indigenous communities. transforming business as more money into Democratizing is about It needs to work business as usual. usual. decentralizing, extending for most people. The vast This really is about majority of the population, the technical, the social and political decision-making.” not everyone, because transforming This inclusive approach nothing works for everyone. business as usual.” Systems that benefit enough to energy allows for ownership of the charging people and don't keep the infrastructure, where solar panels can same people down,” MacArthur says. be distributed among people who live in “I think one of the goals of public the community where the power is being academic institutions is to ask questions generated and are able to make decisions that make the world a better place.” about it. Co-operatives are an example of how ownership models can be used to achieve energy justice, with one such co-op starting up on B.C.’s coast. “It’s led
THE WITNESS BLANKET IN 3D
MATT ZELENY
Connor Yutani-Patterson, Camosun College
“I think the most unique thing about our process is that we're actually scanning these artifacts and using that on a one-to-one scale.” 52
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THE WITNESS BLANKET was created by Kwakwaka’wakw and Coast Salish artist Carey Newman and now stands at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg. It’s a large-scale installation that holds hundreds of objects reclaimed from residential schools, churches and other sites across Canada. While The Witness Blanket has previously toured, greater accessibility was needed to honour the children and the survivors and continue steps forward in reconciliation. This is where Camosun College’s Camosun Innovates, B.C.’s first technology access centre, was brought in to collaborate with Newman to create a virtual version of the installation. “The idea of the blanket is to bear witness to the tragedy that occurred and it’s a reminder to not do that again. It’s a very powerful piece,” says Camosun Innovates team member Connor Yutani-Patterson. “We sent a team to Winnipeg to scan the blanket using 3D technology, to get all of it to scale. And we got from that as well, the texture information,” he explains. “I think the most unique thing about our process is that weʼre actually scanning these artifacts and using that on a one-to-one scale. Weʼre getting the actual texture from them, as opposed to abstracting it.”