Campaign to protect British Columbia from Enbridge’s pipelines gains national attention

Enbridge is put in the hot seat again as opposition against their Northern Gateway project continues to mount.

Last week, ForestEthics’ Nikki Skuce joined Coastal First Nations leaders and representatives from the commercial fishing and tourism industries to let federal politicians know oil tankers on the Pacific North Coast would jeopardize vibrant coastal economies. In Ottawa, delegates talked to Members of Parliament and sent an open letter with 15 opposition politicians to the Prime Minister about the need for a permanent oil tanker ban to protect the coast from an oil spill that would bring “unacceptable economic, navigational and environmental risks.” See the coverage in the Globe and Mail >>

As federal politicians debated oil tankers in Ottawa, Enbridge came under fire from an unprecedented coalition of First Nations from BC’s Fraser watershed. Last Thursday, more than 61 First Nations held a press conference in Vancouver declaring opposition to the Enbridge Northern Gateway project and signed onto an ad published in the Globe and Mail. Now more than 70 First Nations communities have said 'no' to the proposed project, see the coverage in the Globe and Mail.

This past Tuesday, a motion in support of a legislated tanker ban for Canada’s Pacific North Coast passed in the House of Commons. The motion was introduced by Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP, Nathan Cullen, whose riding includes the Great Bear Rainforest and passed at a 143/138 vote. See the coverage in the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail.

A guest column was also published in The Province by Joy Thorkelson, the northern representative for the United Fisherman and Allied Workers Union and Prince Rupert city councillor, citing the threat an oil spill has on the thousands of coastal jobs that depend on a healthy marine environment.

And just today, Liberal MP and former BC Environment Minister, Joyce Murray, introduced a private member's bill to legislate a ban on oil tankers on BC's north coast in Ottawa. Read more in the Tyee blog, The Hook.