Michael Uehara's Row, Part 2: Enbridge vs. 'Integrity Personified'

This is part two of a series of blog posts by ForestEthics board member and president of the eco-luxury King Pacific Lodge, Michael Uehara, who sets off this Sunday to row 26 miles in a tiny boat through the waters of British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest. His mission? To raise awareness about the dangers of an oil pipeline proposed by energy-giant Enbridge.

Ayn Rand once said, “The question isn’t who is going to let me, it’s who is going to stop me.”  For the most part, Enbridge has dealt almost exclusively with processes and people who will let them.  The current process with the joint review panel generally (as in over 90% of the time) approves projects before it.  It has recently announced that the pipeline is “fully booked,” meaning that they have lined up buyers for the oil coming out of the pipeline in Kitimat.  Enbridge does a great job of projecting a very optimistic front to the business world, from which they get investors and potential customers.  In fact this 5.5 billion dollar project does a good job of many things.

There is, however, one place where the selling job may fall short.

Helen Clifton has asked all who will listen and help to stop the pipeline and its resulting tanker traffic at all costs.  Helen is my Gitga’at mother.  I was accorded the high privilege of being adopted by her deceased husband Johnny Clifton, the former hereditary chief of the Gitga’at. 

On Monday when I arrived I called her.  “Please remember; we need all the help we can get.  Make sure everyone knows about your row.” 

Helen Clifton, matriarch of the Gitga'at.

Helen is integrity personified.  To meet Helen is to understand completely the opposition to Enbridge.  It is to see hopes and aspirations of a people and a culture and how the presence of the pipeline and tankers will destroy it all.  She is selfless, tireless, straightforward and smart.  She commands respect and gives the same.  When she tells me something I listen and comply.  I am not the only one: captains of industry, politicians—would-be ones and experienced hands, chairs of boards, executives on NGO’s and leaders of all stripes fall into line under Helen’s spell.  

If this is a battle (and it is) Helen is our general.  And she is Ayn Rand’s and Enbridge’s stop.

Pat Marion is psyched!  We talked Monday about the row and he says he now realizes why he came to the Great Bear.  A native of Ottawa and marathon runner, Pat found himself convinced by Leanne Lalonde, manager of King Pacific, to literally switch from one bus to another to alter his choice of job and perhaps life.  Pat could probably do this row himself in less time, but we are committed to split distance and time.  I couldn’t have a better partner.  

And we opened our Arc’teryx gear box.  Arc’teryx, long one of our suppliers for the best outdoors gear on earth, has generously sponsored our row.  Former KPLer Marc Elbaz got the ball rolling on this and Ryan Letchford came through with great support.  Thank you Ryan, merci Marc.

Eli Andersen has come up from Portland, Oregon to help with the row as well.  Eli is no stranger to open water, non-motorized travel.  He built a kayak a few years ago and travelled from Washington State to Alaska.  Feeling this wasn’t quite enough of an intimate view of things, last summer he built a surfboard and paddled around Haida Gwaii.  His trip was inspiring and it exhausted him.  Eli’s knowledge of water and boats has been put to good use for the row.

On Monday we went over the boat.  Oar locks, oars, seats, lines, gunnels and hull.  A little tweaking is needed all around. Eli has brought his fiberglass, epoxy and other materials to fix things up.  It is great to have Eli’s expertise on board.

I also rowed for two and a half hours.  It was the first time in two weeks.  I was surprised how long it took me to get any type of cadence down.  Still after 20 minutes I was pulling 3.4 mph in calm water against a slight tide.  Three humpbacks beached within a hundred yards of the boat.