It was a classic battle. Grassroots group versus giant corporate conglomerate. Hundreds of dollars up against hundreds of millions. David versus Goliath.
On April 12, Kitimat residents voted in a plebiscite to reject the Enbridge proposal for the Northern Gateway pipeline, thanks to the efforts of Douglas Channel Watch (DCW) a small grassroots community organization that began its campaign with a pretty paltry bank account to go up against Enbridge’s estimated $446 million.
“When we stated out, I think we had something like $500 in the bank,” said Patricia Lange of DCW, who along with Cheryl Brown will be telling the inspirational story on Saturday (Oct. 4) at the Brackendale Art Gallery at 7 p.m.
Being David: The Story of Beating Goliath in Kitimat tells how a community can make its voice heard about corporate development, said Lange.
It’s a lesson that’s especially appropriate for Squamish now.
“Squamish is facing similar development proposals as we did in Kitimat,” she said. “Looking at pictures of Squamish, it is a very similar area to Kitimat. So, we wanted to share, on a grassroots level, what happened with us and Enbridge.”
Lange said the presentation on Saturday includes a slideshow, short video and discussion about the creation of DCW.
“We want to tell people to keep hold of hope,” she said. “You don’t have to be a master of battle if you have the heart, drive and integrity to do what’s right. The people hold the power, and we don’t have to accept and feel defeated by corporate plans.”
The event is sponsored by My Sea to Sky, and admission is by a $5 to $10 donation at the door. For more info, go to http://myseatosky.org/event/david-inside-story-beating-goliath-kitimat.
