I am writing in the sincere hope that it will motivate our elected representatives to come together maturely to resolve the Trans Mountain pipeline so-called war.
The near future financial impacts are the primary focus overriding valid concerns over the catastrophic consequences of an oil tanker spill fouling our beautiful coastline.
The financial impacts to B.C.’s tourism and seafood industries must be factored into this discussion as well.
My family depends directly on West Coast tourists who come to enjoy the natural beauty of our pristine beaches. We left Alberta where I was born and raised by my family who have lived there over a hundred years.
I left because of the oil recessions, we chose Vancouver Island for the beauty. People call the island Canada’s Hawaii for good reason.
This is a gorgeous, fragile, and pristine place that deserves our leaders’ respect and consideration.
Therefore to facilitate this process I am inviting Justin Trudeau, Rachel Notley, Steven Kean, Andrew Weaver and John Horgan to come to have a forthright constructive dinner meeting here in Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island, at a local restaurant that serves fresh, made-to-order authentic cuisine minutes from some of the most spectacular coastline views that I have ever seen.
It would be our treat to host this meeting with the hope that our location could inspire a collaborative conversation between our leaders.
The so-called pipeline war is fast becoming a national embarrassment, as the London protests have highlighted. It’s time to work together democratically as one country to balance the needs of economic growth with the essential environmental protections necessary to preserve our coast for future generations.
This is a sincere invitation, and I hope that our leaders can come together to break bread on our beautiful coastline and find a better way forward. I personally have hope that there is an appropriate mix of technological advances and compromise that in combination will satisfy both sides for the betterment of all Canadians.
Virginia Mcnab
Qualicum Beach
