What I'm reading is that the populations of other provinces seem to support the Northern Gateway and Kinder-Morgan pipeline/bitumen-supertanker initiatives. And that's certainly the way Ottawa and Alberta are attacking British Columbia.
Our unelected, unelectable and outgoing premier, Christie Clark, isn't helping matters. She argues, correctly, that it's unfair that Alberta and Ottawa get all the gravy out of these ventures while British Columbia has to bear the
Jason Kenney came to Victoria to play frontman for Harper.
"I think taking a balkanized approach to the federation is unhelpful," Kenney said. "The notion that there are 10 separate fiefdoms and you have to tollgate everything you move from east to west would massively undermine the whole concept of an economic union and efficient operation of the Canadian economy," he said.
Yet the threat is very "Balkanized." It is British Columbia that is imperiled - our lands and our coast. Ontario isn't affected by that, nor is Quebec, Nova Scotia, Manitoba or Nunavut. Only one province, one people are in the crosshairs of this goddamned business.
It may well be that, within Confederation, British Columbia is powerless to stop this monstrosity from being forced on us. If we can't as a province safeguard our land and our coasts from this, then it's obviously going to have to be civil disobedience on a large scale and, if that doesn't work, revolt and the end of this Confederation.
For all Alberta grumbles about western separatism, British Columbians aren't necessarily adverse to the idea only without Alberta in the mix. No one is championing the cause now but that could change easily if Ottawa uses force and imprisonment to push this down our throats.
I wholeheartedly believe these pipelines will cause civil disobedience on a scale vastly beyond anything in the Canadian experience. Try to get your mind around hundreds, probably thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens being jailed again and again and again. That sort of sustained confrontation Ottawa cannot win and Canada might not survive.
7 comments:
If the country was receiving just amounts of revenue such as 80% from all its resources as does Norway, Clark and Redford wouldn't be haggling over 8% revenue for B.C. like little lost juveniles. Newfoundland at the moment is trying to negociate with ExxonMobile for a bigger amount of revenues. Exxon has threatened to move 30,000 on shore jobs out of St. John's to other climbs if the government presists. On the CBC morning show out of Calgary today, they broadcast a comment from a man regarding B.C. that was just down right shameful. He purported to know that B.C.ers are all on welfare and sit around in the morning eating their dietary fiber breakfasts and walk around all day doing nothing. First of all, people on welfare are not able to purchase such things as metamucil for breakfast. This sort of oral rot is divisive and I for one do not blame B.C. if they do not allow the pipe line from Alberta. And most important of all it is the ENVIRONMENT that ought to first and foremost in all Canadians mind.
So, Canada is just an economic union? That's the governments opinion. I guess that fits for them.
The RED CHINESE STEPHEN HARPER ENBRIGE NORTHERN GATEWAY PIPELINE WILL AND SHALL NOT HAPPEN...
trust me...
"Will British Columbians stand alone against Alberta's bitumen pipelines?"
No. Quebec faces a similar environmental disaster called 'Le Plan Nord'. It is a 'Liberal' (neoconservatives, in fact - just as in BC) plan to create jobs by pillaging the eastern boreal forest for extractable resources.
Many in Quebec are supportive and sympathetic to the struggles faced by the people of BC in their efforts to protect their environment, their province.
@ Anon 10:08. It is uplifting to think of Quebeckers and British Columbians finding some common ground in this. You are old Canada, we are the new, and yet many of us feel a similar detachment from the greater nation. We might find ourselves as distantly removed but natural allies.
Anonymous...not only Quebec but Newfoundland and Labrador. They have been going through this type of crap since 1960 with hydro, mining, oil and the fishery. Who was the thorn in Newfoundland's side....Quebec that's who. Alberta has taken a good lesson from Quebec. The rest of the country did nothing but make fun of Newfoundland & Labrador until just recently. Now, other parts of the country are going through this same crap...just a different colour including Quebec. Talk to any well educated Newfoundlander and he/she can give you a well documented, truthful earful especially regarding the fishery. It's not just the Conservatives who are responsibile for the loss of the fishery in Newfoundland. So..is B.C. alone..no they are not. This country needs to stand united without partisanship and fight for the people of this country. For example, why should we allow the sale of Nexen to the Chinese when they don't allow foreign investment in their own country. How many Canadians know that?
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