Islands Trust Council news
The Islands Trust Council has awarded the Lasqueti Island Forage Fish Team with one of its Stewardship awards for their work monitoring beaches for forage fish, the base of the marine animal food chain.
News release about the awards:
http://www.islandstrust.bc.ca/media/215612/communitystewardshipawards.pdf
Trust Council also unanimously voted "That the Islands Trust Council direct the Chair to write to the Port Metro Vancouver Board of Directors to express the Islands Trust Council’s opposition to the proposal to export coal through Fraser Surrey Docks, and transport it by barge to Texada Island for storage and then re-loading for shipment to Asia."
Council also had a session with Kinder-Morgan about the proposed increase in marine transportation of Alberta oil through Vancouver and the southern Gulf Islands. Under the current pipeline and shipping, 5 tankers a month (60 per year) leave the K-M Westridge Terminal in Burnaby. They propose to increase this to 34 tankers a month (410 per year). When I asked what the overwhelming need for this increase was, especially as it increases the chance of runaway, catastrophic climate change, the answer was simple - money. The oil would be sold into the world market, at $30 a barrel more than the North American price. The oil companies would make (I think he said) 60 to 90 million dollars more per day.
There was a respectful silent witnessing of the presentation and the questions and answer session by about 30 island and coastal residents who oppose the project. My view is that the session solidified people's opposition to the proposal, rather than persuading them that it will be okay.
Congratulations to the Lasqueti Forage Fish Team members for their work and commitment.
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