As a communications specialist for two large energy corporations, may I compliment Jeff Nagel on his article, “Trans Mountain pipeline plan grows” (News, Jan. 15).
However, I find myself somewhat bemused with the claim by Christianne Wilhelmson, executive director of the Georgia Strait Alliance, that “Kinder Morgan may see support among its industry partners but predicts solid opposition among B.C. residents.”
I realize that Wilhelmson has a master’s degree in ecology from UBC, but did not know she was a marketing research guru who can tell how the residents of B.C., once properly informed as to the benefits and drawbacks of energy-related projects such as Enbridge, Kinder Morgan or LNG proposals for the Kitimat area, will indicate their support or lack of it.
Does she have a 200-person call centre like the B.C. Liberal Party does, where paid staff can phone everyone, say in Vernon in two nights, in order to gain insights into their thoughts on issues pertaining to the upcoming election with a very, very high degree of accuracy? I think not. Grandiose statements such as hers only go to further public opinion that these “professional” protesters are nothing more than disgruntled individuals who really don’t know how to bring about change in any domain – social, political or economic – but can prey upon the ignorance of the many and cause them undue anguish and fear. And they think, like the members of the Idle No More movement, that media attention will further their cause and bring about the changes that they are seeking. Far, far, far from it.
As for the risks involved, which her group does not assess in the same way, or by using the same criteria as hundreds of experts in oil transmission and tanker transport would use, what credentials does she or any member of her group have in risk assessment in any field let alone one such as this?
And, please, do not think that statements by politicians about the risks involved have any element of intelligence or insight to them. Their only risk assessment is how the benignly ignorant electorate will vote in the next municipal or provincial election.
Perhaps the Abbotsford News should Xerox copies of columnist Mark Rushton’s On The Other Hand, “Done with care, we can have it both ways”, about the challenges we as British Columbians face listening to this type of highly vocal minority and send it to the Georgia Strait Alliance members. But I doubt if they would read it. They are too much like the Republican party south of the border, where the line of thinking on anything is, “just say no to everything.”
G.E. MacDonell, Abbotsford