News

Today’s stories in the press are just the next shoe to drop in a targeted campaign by the oil industry and the Harper government to silence Canadians who are concerned about the controversial Enbridge pipeline. The interests of the few, including massive multinational corporations that own large investments in the Tar Sands, are being put above the citizens and First Nations who oppose highly controversial projects like the Tar Sands that threaten the health and well-being of Canada’s future generations.

I am Canadian, and along with thousands of other Canadians I have deep concerns about the Enbridge pipeline and super tankers on our coast and am horrified that my government is threatening to disband the hearings in order to quell opposition.

Enbridge’s legacy of pipeline spills – and efforts to distance itself from any responsibility for them – raises serious concerns for all Canadians.

This is a company that repeatedly puts corporate profits over responsibility to local communities, and Canadians won’t stand for it. Yet the Harper government has suggested that the 4,500+ people who are raising concerns should not be heard.

This pipeline is not being built to transport oil. It is proposed to transport diluted bitumen. This is a substance that is so corrosive that it is not a question of if an oil spill will happen, it is a question of when.

When those leaks or a tanker spill happens, Canadian taxpayers will be left with the legacy – and the bill. This pipeline puts Canada’s lush west coast at risk from tanker spills as well as the fragile Great Bear Rainforest, which First Nations have called home for thousands of years.

We share these concerns with Andrew Frank, who is clearly concerned about the government trying to silence Canadians. Andrew worked with us for many years and was a valued part of this organization. He is no longer a member of ForestEthics’ staff because he violated the confidence of the organization, and we are unable to carry out our work without a solid foundation of trust between colleagues.

But the bigger picture remains: It is a dark and chilling day for Canadians when our government tries to silence and intimidate non profit organizations like ForestEthics, and the thousands of citizens and civil groups who, like us, are concerned about the direction this country is taking and are speaking out.