Today is a very, very sad day, a tragic day.
After more than 12 years of staunch resistance and fierce protests from communities and First Nations, the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion begins operation today.
Formerly owned by Kinder Morgan, Trans Mountain was sold to the Government of Canada for 4.5 billion dollars. After costing a total of 35 billion dollars to complete, all paid by our tax dollars, it is scheduled to start pumping diluted bitumen from the Alberta Athabasca Tar Sands to the Salish Sea.
Those who have been paying careful attention to this 300% expansion know that it is just a matter of time before very serious and significant negative impacts will be realized. Inevitably, this will come back to haunt all of us, especially those who loudly and proudly supported this extreme fossil fuels project, in a time of climate crisis. There will be absolutely no satisfaction down the road for those of us who would be able to say, “We told you so.” No, it is just a sad, tragic day, and a terrible mistaken waste.
I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all those who “spoke up and stood against” and made the sacrifices in the effort to try and help future generations. These sacrifices were sometimes very painful and wore I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all those who “spoke up and stood against” and made the sacrifices in the effort to try and help future generations. These sacrifices were sometimes very painful and wore heavily, at great personal cost. But they were made in the knowledge that the pricpaid by our environment and to future generations would come at a much greater cost if we stood by and did nothing. And so, we tried.
That we have reached this day is not a failure of those who tried to stop it, and it is not a victory for those who supported this pipeline expansion. It is an aching, painful failure of those who think only in the short term, and who sadly seem incapable of a long term vision that encompasses future generations. Sadly, this is not the end of the story, it is not a closing, on the contrary, it is only a new beginning of a long term pain. I believe this pain will only escalate, as of today, with the increased massive flow of diluted bitumen from the Tar Sands to the Salish Sea.
I was just one of the many, many people who spoke out and stood opposed. My own effort of resistance to this madness was in the form of making a film, This Living Salish Sea.
I would like to thank all those who morally and materially helped me in making my film. Your support was essential, so that I did not feel too alone over the many years it took to make. With your support, I was able to complete the work. Thank you all.
Climate Action Rally, November 29, 2015, Vancouver, B.C. © Sarama, video frame, 2015
