Heroic efforts stopped GSX pipeline

Peter Ronald
Letter-to-the editor
Victoria Times Colonist
December 28, 2004

The heroic efforts of many dedicated volunteers received short shrift in your recent editorial on the GSX pipeline’s demise (“GSX idea floats away;’ Dec. 22). The project’s cancellation is indeed very good news, but for all of Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands residents.

Cobble Hill and the besieged marine environment of Boundary Pass and Satellite Channel will be spared another utility corridor and B.C. Hydro’s Vancouver Island overall gas strategy has been weakened.

The breadth of public opposition included hundreds of people who attended five days of hearings in Port Alberni, 900 people in two days at North Cowichan, three massive public meetings in Nanaimo, more in Campbell River — all opposed to gas-fired plants in their communities.

Hundreds more expressed their pipeline objections at National Energy Board and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission meetings, hearings, information and scoping sessions in Victoria, Sidney, the Gulf Islands, Whatcom and San Juan Counties.

Thanks are due to these many caring and courageous residents who read voluminous reports, prepared briefs, participated in regulatory hearings, signed petitions, donated money and otherwise organized to warn of the significant economic and environmental flaws of this project. Without this effort we would still be saddled with a bloated white elephant impeding other future energy options.

Increasingly expensive, locally polluting and greenhouse-gas-producing, natural gas is not a sustainable path for our Island’s energy future.

Peter Ronald, Director,
Georgia Strait Concerned Citizens Coalition
& Marine Habitat Program Co-ordinator,
Georgia Strait Alliance, Victoria.