Dear Sir:
After reading the advertising for free skating that was circulated around Hazelton recently by the media, municipal politicians, Northern Health and the school district, I began to think about the thought process that may have been used by the Trans Canada Pipelines.
Free public skating courtesy of TransCanada. Yup, no denying that. It is free, for TransCanada, but not for the taxpayers.
Site C dam will be built using taxpayer dollars to supply the power to run the LNG industry. The oil and gas industry is among the heaviest subsidized industry in Canada.
Free hot dogs and drinks. Hot dogs are an excellent replacement food when the salmon are diseased or dead. Consider the effect on salmon after numerous pipelines are built crossing fish bearing streams and a causeway and LNG plant are built on some of the world’s best salmon habitat at the mouth of the Skeena.
Free health screening by Northern Health. Good call guys! It is very appropriate for Northern Health to use taxpayers’ money to get health boards on line. Environmental degradations is always good for business at your local health authority and blood pressure and blood sugar may just be the beginning of our problems.
Consider the health effects caused when tons of unknown chemicals are mixed with our most precious resource, water, and pumped under high pressure way underground in a little process they like to call fracking.
Complimentary ice time to school groups. This is where the humour of this whole thing is lost to me. Sure winning the hearts and minds of our children must be part of the whole plan. But is not the purpose of our lives to leave a better planet for our children?
Our grandchildren and great grandchildren will have a story to tell.
One story could be about how their ancestors promoted the dirty fossil fuel economy and sat back and watched as greenhouse gas emissions climbed ever higher and global climate increased. They will tell of how the social and economic conditions deteriorated and how death and disease and wars over water rights became issues.
The other story could be about how we worked toward stopping the rise of greenhouse gases and how governments and industry joined with people to create an economy based on a combination of fossil fuels and alternate energy and addressing food supply and manufacturing issues.
Ken Smith,
South Hazelton, B.C.