Editor's note: This letter is a response to a letter to local MP John Weston regarding the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline ("Stop the pipeline") that was printed in the Feb. 3 edition of The Chief.
Thank you for your recent correspondence concerning the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline Project. Be assured that I want what is best for Canadians.
We Canadians must in our unique situation avoid the trap of the "false dichotomy," that is, reducing complex circumstances to an either/or, black-or-white decision. Canada is the world's richest country, both in terms of our environment and our natural resources. I believe we should relentlessly seek methods to steward our resources and protect the environment, all the while developing environmentally sustainable technologies which themselves become marketable to the world.
The Minister of Environment has acknowledged concerns such as the ones you raise and accordingly referred the Northern Gateway Pipeline Project to a Joint Review Panel. The panel is conducted by both the National Energy Board and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. The review is an open process and any interested parties, including Aboriginal and environmental groups, can submit evidence and express their views. The panel has a broad mandate to examine project-related issues, including economic, safety and security, socio-economic and environmental matters. When the process is complete, reports and recommendations will be submitted to the Government of Canada. A final decision on the project will be made only after this process has taken place. The panel process will ensure that the government has all the information necessary to make an educated decision.
The pipeline could boost Canadian interests by expanding our energy export markets. It would add to Canadian gross domestic product and would result in the creation of a significant number of full-time jobs. By casting doubt on the Keystone Project that would have expanded our U.S. energy market, U.S. President Obama has increased Canada's need to diversify its energy markets. However, the project will not go forward until all aspects have undergone thorough examination.
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me.
John Weston, MP
West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country
