Karen Elizabeth Lee
This is a letter I have sent to some newspapers - so far, no one has
printed it
To the editor:
A report by David Hughes, one of Canada’s foremost energy analysts,
was recently quoted in an article by Andrew Nikiforuk about the
Northern Gateway Pipeline.
I was interested in this because Mr. Harper has been accusing
“environmentalists and other radical groups” who may be funded by
“foreign interests” of trying to stop the pipeline and thus
deprive Canadians of jobs. I myself received a letter from the Office
of the Prime Minister stating this very thing – even though my
correspondence to the Prime Minister was to express concern over the
Northern Gateway pipeline. And, to clarify, I am a 63 year old,
semi-retired grandmother who actually lives in Mr. Harper’s riding
– not a radical.
I question why Canadians would support a proposal to export oil to
either the United States or China, giving them refining jobs and
supplying those countries with our oil, when nearly half of our
country (Quebec and Atlantic Canada) get the majority of their oil
from the Middle East (780,000 barrels)? Canadian money is going right
into the hands of those countries that Mr. Harper’s friend Ezra
Levant says produce “unethical oil”?
Why are we not refining the tar sands oil ourselves and selling it to
our own provinces? The money and the jobs would stay within the
country.
Enbridge, who would build the Northern Gateway Pipeline, has been
responsible for 175 oil leaks or spills in the United States since
2002.
Why does Canada not have a credible energy plan that would help
ensure jobs for Canadians in the energy sector in the future?
I think that all the rhetoric about “environmentalists and other
radical groups” funded by “foreign interests” is just another
smoke screen to get people to support an unsupportable and unnecessary
project – the Northern Gateway Pipeline. And the question is, why?
Karen Lee
Calgary Southwest
There really is no such thing as ethical oil, it’s all bad. However, the tar sands oil is the dirtiest energy on the planet. Harper is sending the oil to China unrefined. Those jobs are for their own people. China is sending their own citizens to school, to learn English, they will work the BC coal mines. Harper is giving Canada to China, on a silver platter. Campbell gave our BC mills to China, along with our raw logs. Our BC mill workers, don’t even get the processing jobs. BC’s natural gas, is also going to China. The Port of Prince Rupert, has been expanded to accept the giant Chinese freighters. That freight is loaded on to the CNR. There is a rail yard enlarged, to store all the freight coming in from China.
Hoards of Chinese have overrun and bought up Vancouver, they are still coming here in hoards. Everything in Canada is for China’s benefit. You have a hell of a time in BC, to buy anything that isn’t made in China. Both Canada and the U.S. moved factories to China, for the cheap labor, and for the even more cheap child labor. Chinese children, only earn pennies a day. China also has trillions, in U.S. T-bills. So, cheap Chinese labor, has bought both the U.S. and Canada right out. They have our jobs and our money.
Well said Gloria, the shame is most people don’t know because they substituted concern for their own country with concern over not missing a soap opera and worrying about who is going to look after their kids while they spend time not caring.
My concern is by the time they wake up, it might be too late, if it’s not already.