Ottawa has finally approved the Kinder Morgan Transmountain Pipeline. I was pleased to hear that. This is by far the best way to transport oil. It can be said that the ground is the natural habitat of oil and a pipeline spill would be far less damaging than a spill in the ocean or a waterway.
Pipelines are in general far away from dense population and cities and catastrophies like the one in Lac Mégantic Québec, and the one in Valdez Alaska, is unlikely to occur. Indigenous people would be the first to benefit from such a bold project. The country needs money in order to offer essential services such as health, education and housing. That money comes mostly from taxes paid by industry and commerce.
Oil is the blood of commerce. All countries producing oil are financially healthy. Those opposed to the creation of pipelines stand in the way of progress. Unfortunately, some environmentalists belong to that group. They see only the dark side of the issue. Oil sands produce pollution but they also produce wealth and welfare. Theoretically, if Canada were to eliminate pollution completely, we would become a third world country.
Aurélien Dupuis
Nelson
