The oil industry says opening up BC's North Coast to tankers would be good for Canada's economy. But look at where the money actually goes. Most of Alberta's oil sands are owned by foreign companies and investors. The profits leave the country. The risk stays here.
What's Already Working on BC's Coast
Fishing. Tourism. Marine transport. These industries are worth billions every year, and they're already here, already employing people, already paying into local economies. They don't need a pipeline. They need clean water.
Who Bears the Risk of a Spill?
If a tanker goes down, it's not a boardroom problem. It's a problem for the gillnetter who can't fish that season. The clam digger whose beds are closed. The charter guide who has to cancel bookings. The processor who has no fish to process. These are real people with real bills, and no oil company is going to cover their losses.
What the Coast Is Worth
The tanker ban preserves the economic foundation that BC coastal communities have built over generations.
Sources for this page
CBC
Why the disastrous 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill looms large over northern pipeline debate | CBC News
The Exxon Valdez disaster happened more than 36 years ago off Alaska's coast, but the catastrophic oil spill still looms over plans for a pipeline from Alberta to the northern British Columbia coast.