The Northern Gateway Pipeline: What now?
That is the number of letters of comment sent by Canadians to the three members of the Joint Review Panel charged with recommending whether or not the proposed Northern Gateway Project poses an acceptable risk for the future of the region, whether or not construction of this massive piece of infrastructure is in the public interest.
I have spent a lot of time looking through these letters. The overwhelming majority are in opposition. In fact, randomly drawing, I have yet to fall upon a single voice in favour. Some are short and to the point, others present detailed research about the values at risk in this region. Many are written with great eloquence and passion. You can browse through them here. Go on, pick a couple at random – see what people are saying about this project. WWF’s own submission, containing a detailed analysis of several aspects of the proposed project, can be downloaded from this link.
The deadline for submitting letters of comment is now past, but the space for public participation keeps growing. Information and campaign websites abound, creative projects calling on Canadians to share their stories about the region, too. Nationally, more voices are speaking up as part of WWF Canada & Coastal First Nations’ Canadians for the Great Bear. Coverage of both the ongoing hearings and the public views on the project is fueled by the interest of Canadians. You can continue to put pressure on elected leaders at all levels through advocating within the social groups you belong to.
Canadians for the Great Bear: Grade 12 students from Fletcher’s Meadow Secondary School in Brampton, ON, economist Jeff Rubin, author Peter author Joseph Boyden, hockey great Scott Niedermayer, Vice President of WWF-Canada’s Pacific Region Darcy Dobell, President and CEO of WWF-Canada Gerald Butts, Art Sterritt, Executive Director of Coastal First Nations, and Tony Dekker, lead singer and songwriter for Canadian indie-folk band Great Lake Swimmers at the Toronto press event. © Katie Edmonds, WWF-Canada
In fact, the single most important thing you can do is also the easiest and most natural: share your concern with family and friends. Few issues have captured and maintained the space of social media like this one, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Use twitter, facebook, other social media sites, and kitchen tables and cafes!
The Panel members are currently involved in the first of three rounds of hearings over the Fall in which project proponents and intervenors are elaborating on the evidence they’ve submitted. Canadians deserve to hear questions posed and answered that speak to what we, as Canadians, value—what we see is critical to the future of our country, and the generations of Canadians who will live with this outcome. Through our blogs and outreach, WWF will be commenting on these proceedings and providing interpretation of the claims being made.
These hearings may seem removed from regular Canadians, but decisions like these are very much influenced by the court of public opinion. Collectively, the voices of everyday Canadians matter: after all, the public interest is our interest.
In BC, concern over this project has become a defining issue in the political and social landscape, and this can only intensify as we move towards a provincial election year in 2013.
For WWF, we want to make conservation of the Great Bear a defining issue for all Canadians. With your help we can do this.
