I am writing about the pipeline project and asking all British Columbians to fight to save the future of our province. This project would inevitably trigger a spill, destroying fresh water supplies, our huge fishing industry, and more. Are we to be sacrificed to foreign interests?
We send our crude to the USA and it is their refineries that make the huge profits. Instead of investing in a pipeline for Asia to get supplies, we should invest in refineries in Canada. Refineries that produce aviation fuel would allow us to profit by refueling aircraft landing at Canadian airports.
Canada, because of our vast territory, will always need oil. It is a non-renewable resource.
Both Canadian Pacific and Canadian National railways have said they are prepared to ship crude to the coast. That’s more manageable that a pipeline.
We are already liquifying and exporting natural gas and can make good value-added profits. We have an abundance of natural gas. By not making our crude available to Asia I predict our crude would double in value.
I believe we are faced with a fundamental decision about Canada’s future. Are we always just to be the supplier of basic commodities to the world?
Raw lumber, grain, iron ore, coal and crude oil. Our abundance of energy resources should be used to develop our own industries.
We could start with Bombardier building huge cargo planes. Develop the transportation by air of finished goods and people over the pole route to Europe and Asia. It’s shorter and quicker. We would have the aviation fuel.
How about our grain making pasta and shipping that by air to Europe?
There could be endless ways for using our energy to develop employment in Canada, not just a one-time work project building a pipeline.
Patricia Meadows
Parksville