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Nanaimo News Bulletin Thursday, August 9, 2012
Maurice Donn Publisher Mitch Wright Managing Editor Chris Hamlyn Assistant Editor Sean McCue Advertising Manager Duck Paterson Production Manager
OPINION
www.nanaimobulletin.com The Nanaimo News Bulletin is published everyy Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by Black Press Ltd., 777 Poplar Street, Nanaimo, B.C., V9S 2H7. Phone 250-753-3707, fax 250-753-0788, classifieds 250-310-3535. The News Bulletin is distributed to 33,372 households from Cedar to Nanoose.
2012 CCNA
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2012
EDITORIAL
Olympics show a better world In a world where there is often precious little to celebrate, where citizens must die for democracy, people are gunned down in a movie theatre and countless other acts leave us saddened, disheartened or just plain cynical, every two years a spectacle takes place that breathes life back into the human spirit. The Olympic Games are a two-week celebration of youth, goodwill and ultimate effort. A glimpse, perhaps, into the lighter side, the better side, of the human condition. The Olympics are a spectacle where failure doesn’t result in civil war or poverty, but only an acknowledgement that more work is required. To lose leaves little consequence; we simply move on to the next event and hope. Nanoose Bay’s Mike Mason’s high jump effort came up just short of the bronze medal. Simon Whitfield’s crash in triathlon and the women’s loss in soccer to the U.S. left us disappointed. But to win leaves us punching the air in celebration, with lumps in our throat as our national anthem plays. We see the joy and understanding in the athlete at the top of the podium, having carried an entire nation’s hopes on their shoulders and succeeded. To have so much sacrifice pay off. That is what we celebrate. And while every Olympics has its shortfalls, corporate sponsorships and huge investment in venues, the price is worth it. For two weeks, the world converges in one place without politics, religion or greed. For two weeks, we get a glimpse of a world without borders. As the 2012 London Olympics draw to a close, and as the Olympic Flame is once again set to be extinguished, we can look back and pocket the moments of inspiration, learn from the failures and embrace the human race. The Olympics is not only a spectacle, but a necessity. The Nanaimo News Bulletin is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org
Posturing over pipelines not helpful The B.C. Liberal government is the theme as he conducted his own taking its new hard-line approach belated tour of the proposed route to federal environmental hearings to reiterate his opposition. on the Enbridge Northern Gateway There had been earlier hints pipeline proposal in September. from Alberta that B.C. might need Environment Minister Terry further rewards for the risk. But Lake has filed the B.C. governwhen Clark made the “fair share” ment’s notice to cross-examine demand public, Redford was moved Enbridge, one of the world’s bigto channel Margaret Thatcher, gest pipeline operators. declaring: “The Premier of Alberta Lake outlined the is not going to blink on “tough questions” B.C. royalties.” B.C. representatives will ask The lady’s not for VIEWS about spill response blinking, but neither is capacity on land and B.C.’s Iron Snowbird, Tom Fletcher sea, tanker escort tugas Preston Manning Black Press boats, pipe wall thickdubbed Clark this ness, and Enbridge’s spring. sluggish response to All this political thea pipeline rupture in atre doesn’t amount to Michigan. much. I’ll stand by my That’s all fine, and January prediction that to be expected after the Enbridge proposal Premier Christy Clark’s is unlikely to proceed, high-profile confrontamainly due to the tantion with Alberta Premier Alison gled state of aboriginal claims. Redford going into the recent preWealthy U.S. foundations that miers’ meeting in Halifax. view the B.C. North Coast as their Clark’s demands for “world-lead500-year eco-experiment will be ing” safety and spill response, as happy to help fund a decade of well as meeting the constitutional legal challenges, while continuing obligation to consult and accomthe media-spinning and protest modate aboriginal groups along support they are doing now. the route, are mostly a statement Even if some way can be found of the obvious. to levy a B.C. tax on revenues from Her call for a “fair share” of prothe Northern Gateway pipeline, it’s ceeds from exported oil to reflect no solution. For one thing, it would B.C.’s risk has been assaulted from confer an advantage to the Transall sides. Mountain pipeline that has been Pipeline opponents seized on shipping Alberta oil to Burnaby Clark’s suggestion that a major oil and the U.S. for more than 60 years. spill might be tolerable if there The competing expansion prowas enough money in it for B.C. posal by Trans-Mountain’s current NDP leader Adrian Dix picked up owner, Kinder Morgan, shows
the inconsistency of opposition to pipelines. Does anyone really believe that a new pipeline built to the highest standards ever would be too dangerous, while a 60-yearold pipeline is acceptable? Protesters have an easy target in Kinder Morgan. With a tenfold increase to 25 tankers a month proposed to sail under the Lions Gate bridge, a heavy oil spill from Second Narrows to Stanley Park would be catastrophic to Vancouver’s environment and economy. Tankers have made that trip safely for nearly 100 years, but the congested modern shipping lane offers more threat of collision, and clearing Burrard Inlet for neardaily tanker transits would disrupt the rest of B.C.’s shipping trade. An Angus Reid poll last week showed as many as half of respondents remain open-minded about the costs and benefits of new oil pipelines across B.C. Unlike B.C. politicians, they seem interested in learning more before making up their minds. Dix and the NDP ran to the front of the anti-pipeline parade early, as they did with the carbon tax and other issues. Clark began the Northern Gateway discussion with a principled position to wait for the result of the federal review, but that’s apparently out the window with an election looming. ◆ Tom Fletcher is legislative reporter and columnist for Black Press and BCLocalnews.com. tfletcher@blackpress.ca