An environmental charity at the centre of controversy surrounding political activism and foreign donations is taking the rare step of releasing a detailed account of grant recipients and international donors in an effort to stem attacks by Conservative politicians.

The Harper government has labelled Tides Canada, a Vancouver-based charity, a foreign-financed radical organization that channels donations to advocacy groups that oppose the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline to bring Alberta oil-sands bitumen to a port on the British Columbia coast.

But president and chief executive officer Ross McMillan disagrees. On Wednesday, he said, his organization will release on its website a detailed accounting of international donations last year that shows money going toward environmental initiatives, and not to pipeline opponents. Read more …