On Jan. 12 the BC Liberal Government announced its decision to approve the Kinder Morgan pipeline proposal. This followed on the heels of the federal government approval of the project on Nov. 29, 2016.
However, Sooke citizens in the plebiscite held in November 2014 stated clear opposition to a sevenfold increase in tanker traffic right past our harbour mouth and beautiful shoreline that this project will bring. Since then many coastal First Nations, the District of Sooke, the City of Vancouver, the City of Burnaby and the Union of B.C. Municipalities have all registered their opposition to the proposed expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans-Mountain pipeline expansion. So too has B.C. NDP leader John Horgan and south Island MPs Randall Garrison, Murray Rankin and Elizabeth May. In addition, concerned citizens from all across the country have registered their opposition and on Nov. 21, 2016 vigils against the Kinder Morgan proposal were held all over Canada.
Yet, unbelievably, Ottawa still went ahead with approval of this pipeline, threatening and putting at risk the entire southern coast of B.C. and Vancouver Island with devastating spills of diluted bitumen (dilbit), large and small.
Sadly, the photo op used by the premier when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made his prior announcements about infrastructure spending on marine spill response facilities was a clear indication that the B.C. Liberals were willing to sell the B.. coastal environment, culture and our livelihoods for the handouts promised by Mr. Trudeau.
As for “what price global climate change?” I think we have now clearly heard from the B.C. Liberals and that their concern for that issue is the same as President Trump’s I.e. zero!
So what can we do? How can we as concerned citizens exposed directly in the “sacrifice zone” of the pipeline and tanker route continue the fight to have this foolish and dangerous proposal stopped? On the March 15, the Sooke team from Dogwood Initiative are organizing an information night to address the next steps. We will host Will Horter and Charles Campbell from the Dogwood Initiative who will explain the B.C. Citizens Initiative and how the 250,000 pledges to oppose tanker traffic off the B.C. coast already collected will be leveraged to make this happen. David Anderson, a former environment minister, will also be speaking.
So come out and listen and ask questions. Be inspired to take action and become involved locally with the citizens initiative once it is launched. Take messages back to your MLA or MP. It is our coast, our risk, our sacrifice to be made, so it must be our decision.
The venue is the Rose of Lima church hall for 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on March 15.
– Roland Alcock, Sooke
