Enbridge ducks community forums planned by university
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Prince Rupert) Enbridge has told the University of Northern British Columbia it won’t be attending a series of community forums on the company’s controversial Northern Gateway Pipeline. Friends of Wild Salmon says Enbridge’s decision undermines communities’ right to open dialogue and shows the company is losing the battle for public opinion.
“If this pipeline is as good for British Columbia as Enbridge claims, they should be eager to participate in public forums,” said Friends of Wild Salmon chair Jennifer Rice. “Their refusal to engage with the public is a clear indication that Enbridge is losing the battle for public opinion.”
UNBC professor Ross Hoffman, who was organizing the forums, stated in an email that “with the exception of one community, we have been unable to secure local speakers who are willing to share a perspective that supports the project.”
“If no one in our region is willing to get in front of a microphone and tell us why this project is good for our future, it speaks volumes about the risks this project poses,” said Rice.
Enbridge did attend a public forum in Terrace last month, after initially declining the City of Terrace’s invitation because they felt it would not be a fair and productive venue.
“The terrace forum turned out to be balanced, informative and civil. Attendees heard from both proponents and opponents of the project,” said Rice. “I really don’t understand why Enbridge thinks other similar events wouldn’t be productive exercises.”
Haisla councillor and former Friends of Wild Salmon chair Gerald Amos stated that community forums are an important addition to the federal Joint Review Panel, which does not itself fulfill the need for public dialogue.
“The quasi-legal Joint Review Panel will be inaccessible to the average citizen, and has been designed to exclude many of the issues community members and First Nations have said they are concerned about.”
Contact:
Jennifer Rice: 250-600-2455
Gerald Amos: 250-632-1521