The one issue that B.C. residents are talking about, as the long summer season comes to a close, is the Northern Gateway pipeline.
Almost everyone has an opinion on it. It is the only issue this summer which has caused residents to sit up and listen to what politicians (and others) have to say.
People look at it through some vastly different lenses.
Some see it as a straight environmental issue. Pipelines are at risk of spilling their contents; Enbridge’s track record isn’t great; and the pipeline would traverse a large portion of the central B.C. wilderness.
In addition, crude oil transported by tanker down Douglas Channel and out into the North Pacific presents additional and substantial environmental challenges.
Some see it as an issue of costs and benefits. They argue that B.C. may face some substantial costs (should there be a spill), but gets little in the way of permanent jobs or revenue. This is a powerful argument, one that has been taken up by Premier Christy Clark, and it resonates with many people who are otherwise ambivalent.
Some see the pipeline through the lens of unresolved First Nations treaties. Virtually all the First Nations whose territory the pipeline would traverse do not have treaties with the federal and provincial governments. In many cases, treaties have been under discussion for more than two decades already.
Given that the courts have found that First Nations without treaties have substantial interests in any land use decisions within their territory, this is an almost insurmountable challenge for Enbridge and the federal government.
The only way this particular obstacle can be overcome is if most or all First Nations leaders endorse the pipeline, and thus far they haven’t. Given that they, like B.C. as a whole, take much of the risk for little reward, this isn’t surprising.
But it is important to note that money alone isn’t the issue for many First Nations people. They want to continue to fish and hunt and use the land that has been theirs to use for generations, and they see the pipeline getting in the way of that.
The recent proposal for a refinery in Kitimat takes the discussion to a new level. Despite being pooh-poohed by the NDP and the oil industry (now there’s an unlikely combination), David Black’s proposal would be a major economic boost for B.C. It would bring the province more benefits and reduce risks, at least during the transport of refined products.
Any project that could provide up to 6,000 long-term, good-paying jobs needs to, at the least, be closely looked at. The NDP once proposed an oil refinery in South Surrey, where the Campbell Heights industrial park now sits. It seems odd that the party, which has long called for good-paying jobs, seems so opposed at this early stage.
One thing is certain. The talk about the pipeline is far from over.
