To the editor,
I want Alberta to get its product to customers. I just do not want those of us on B.C.’s lower coast to take the largest part of the risk in shipping a toxic mix of bitumen and even more toxic dilutant to Alberta’s customers.
The Salish Sea is a special place that cannot be put at any more risk. In the summer months there is nowhere better to boat or beachcomb and just enjoy the wildlife, including almost daily sightings of seals, dolphins, whales, kingfishers and eagles as well as many other fish, mammals and birds. The sea life in the area is abundant, especially in the many narrows which can have tidal currents making boating hazardous but creating an amazing environment for fish and plant life.
Picture a very large tanker filled with toxic material trying to navigate these narrow tidal passages between islands in a storm. One mistake or equipment failure and the ship is pushed by the wind and strong currents onto one of the many jagged rocks that line our passages, torn open and leaking toxins into our waterways. There is no way to clean up this material – some sinks, lots of it washes up on the pristine beaches on every part of the Salish Sea’s coastline. There is no amount of money or technology that will bring our coast and its wildlife back to its previous state.
I cannot judge whose economy is more important, that of the B.C coast or that of Alberta. But I do know that for me, and many others, our water and land are more important than any amount of money that can be put on the table.
Daniel Lines, Nanaimo
The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Black Press or the Nanaimo News Bulletin. If you have a different view, we encourage you to write to us or contribute to the discussion below.