“Andrew Nikiforuk is one of the most astute, relentless and original writers of his generation.”

The Haida Gwaii Arts Council is pleased to host readings by Andrew Nikiforuk this weekend!

Skidegate – Haida Heritage Centre

Friday, May 24 starting at 7.30pm

Old Massett – Youth Centre

Saturday, May 25 starting at 7.30pm

If anyone would like to join Mr. Nikiforuk for dinner at Charters before the Masset reading, please RSVP before Friday: haidagwaiicoast@gmail.com

Have you heard the radio call from the Exxon Valdez?  The audio of the tanker captain’s call for help over the radio is the opening soundtrack for a 2 minute awareness ad for the campaign against the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline, and the expansion of tanker traffic on the coast of BC.  The ad gives us statistics on the potential impact of a spill like the Exxon Valdez in Canada, for example, costing 4,379 jobs, and $21.4 Billion dollars to clean up (biologists monitoring the ecosystems in Alaska point out that the Valdez spill was never fully cleaned up and that oil can still be found by digging a few feet into the sand of some beaches.  See Lingering Oil).  Set to the Sounds of Silence by Paul Simon, the video is a reminder to us of what is at stake in pursuing a resource-based industry in Canada.

While the members of the Haida Raid production were feisty and bold at the protest action, the event was largely peaceful and no arrests were made.

“The Haida Nation grilled Enbridge executives and pipeline experts with questions about the price of oil, how much money the federal government stands to make and which First Nations are in favour of the pipeline during final hearings for the Northern Gateway project last week in Edmonton. Council of the Haida Nation president Guujaaw and lawyer Terri Lynn Williams Davidson spoke on behalf of the Haida Nation at the Sept. 20 session.

Guujaaw began his questions by asking about prices for crude oil, and how they would be affected by the proposed pipeline, which would carry tar sands oil to Kitimat for transport to markets in the Far East.

Responding, Enbridge’s Neil Earnest said that the price for crude oil in Western Canada would definitely be higher if there was more transportation infrastructure. However, in response to more questions to Guujaaw, he said there is not a clear link between that higher price and the price that consumers in Western Canada would pay for gas at the pump.”

Read the rest of this article at http://www.qciobserver.com/Article.aspx?Id=5631

“The talk by Riki Ott was very good. I got a front row seat so I could see all the diagrams on the computer. When she started I felt like she was talking about what I knew…I was wrong! Enbridge was much worse than I thought. And spills are worse than I thought. In the Gulf of Mexico, toxic dispersants were used to clean up a leak. You don’t use toxic chemicals to clean up — that just makes things worse. And the dispersants just pull the oil under the surface so it looks good. Then the media leaves because the problem is not visible. Dispersants evaporate and when it rains thousands of people get sick. The symptoms are like nose and ear bleeds, brain fog, and that sort of thing. When they go to the doctor, the doctor doesn’t know what it is and can’t treat it because the oil companies are not saying what is in the chemicals. The chemicals destroy even the community. The Enbridge spill in Kalamazoo was very similar. People have gotten sick because of the bitumen. It is deadly and must be stopped. It is not possible to clean it up, it won’t work. That will happen to Canada and we are totally obvlivious. Except it will be worse because it will be in Haida Gwaii which has the lowest carbon footprint in BC and such an awesome ecological system.”

Riki’s recommended links:

http://www.earthisland.org/

http://movetoamend.org/

http://www.peacefuluprising.org/

Queen Charlotte

Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012 7:00 pm
Queen B’s Cafe, 3208 Wharf Street

Masset

Thursday, August 16, 2012 7:00 pm
The Haven, Harrison Ave (above Green Gaia)

Download the poster HG Think Tankers.

The new eBook, featuring a foreword by former Greenpeace International campaign director Tzeporah Berman, will be put together through an online campaign you can donate to at indigogo.com.  To learn about the project, get involved, or donate, go to:

http://igg.me/p/127271

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

As reported on Northwest Coast Energy News, the Haisla Nation has filed a legal document outlining their opposition to Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipeline.  The central issue for the Haisla Nation is their sovereignty over their territory and their right to be properly consulted.  It is a key question that both the Harper government and Enbridge have preferred to ignore in the hopes that constitutional issues will not beleaguer the pipeline’s progress.  In addition, Enbridge’s original filing of questions to the Haisla and other nations reveal their attempt to discredit opponents of the pipeline.

With the completion of the Joint Review Panel process, now estimated for December 2013, these important questions of territorial rights and sovereignty will come into greater focus as the campaign to stop the pipeline enters the courts.

For Northwest Coast Energy News’ coverage of the Haisla announcement in three related articles, please see:

Haisla Nation confirms it opposes Northern Gateway, demands Ottawa veto Enbridge pipeline; First Nation also outlines “minimum conditions” if Ottawa approves the project

The Empire Strikes Back I: Enbridge takes on First Nations, small intervenors

The Enbridge Empire Strikes Back II: The Haisla “fishing expedition”

Haisla outline where they believe Enbridge Gateway plans are inadequate

Haisla outline conditions, concerns for Northern Gateway project