Enbridge forum suggested
Local resident John Phair wrote a letter to council on behalf of a coalition of local residents suggesting that a forum be held in Burns Lake in order to hear all sides of the debate over the proposed Enbridge pipeline project.
The letter was discussed by mayor and council during last Tuesday’s council meeting.
Phair said in his letter that the group would like the forum to be facilitated by a neutral third party and that both Enbridge and critics of the project as well as local residents should be invited to participate.
“Such a forum would differ from the federal review process currently being executed by the joint review panel, which is inaccessible to all of us who have neither the time, nor resources to attend two or three days of quasi-juridicial hearings. As well it would differ from the technical community meetings and the community advisory boards hosted by Enbridge, where both agenda and discussion are strictly controlled by Enbridge,” he wrote.
Phair requested that council participate in the debate by hosting the non partisan forum in Burns Lake.
Village of Burns Lake Mayor Bernice Magee said that she has personally spoken to Phair about the forum and that she would be willing to participate [with council] as an unbiased party.
Mayor Magee said that she understood the community group were looking at inviting entities from Michigan and Louisiana as well as scientists and First Nations groups.
“The local group has not yet contacted Enbridge as they wanted to set a date first,” she said.
Councillor John Illes said he was not quite sure what the group expected from council.
“Basically we have been asked to chair the meeting,” Mayor Magee responded.
“If it is unbiased and we receive information then I think it would be okay to do this, if it is not balanced, then it is unbalanced, how’s that for a quote? ” said Mayor Magee.
Councillor Eileen Benedict said she did not feel that council had any of the appropriate qualifications to chair the forum.
“I just don’t feel we are qualified to do that,” she added.
Benedict went on to say that a more appropriate facilitator would be someone who chairs the community advisory board meetings.
“An unbiased facilitator [Dan George] runs those meetings, Enbridge does not participate,” Coun. Benedict said.
Councillor Quentin Beach said to Benedict that Phair suggested in his letter that the forum move away from the community advisory board style meetings.
“He mentions in his letter that there is Enbridge involvement,” Coun. Beach said.
“That is his [Phair’s] misunderstanding,” Mayor Magee said.
“I suggest that we contact Mr. Phair and suggest to him that he contact facilitator Dan George to do this,” Coun. Benedict said.
Councillor Illes agreed.
“I am uncomfortable with this, especially when the letter starts out as “a coalition of citizens who have many concerns about the proposed Northern Gateway project” it may not be non partisan,” he said.
“It is not clear from the letter exactly what [Phair] is asking,” said Coun. Illes.
Councillor Beach agreed and said that he was also confused.
Phair said to Lakes District News that his letter was self explanatory and that they were simply seeking out the village to be neutral third party hosts.
“I did not say in the letter to council that we are non partisan, we [the local coalition] are certainly partisan,” he said.
“We are a coalition within a coalition of groups that are located right along the pipeline corridor,” he added.
Phair said that while the local group would be partisan there would be those invited that were non partisan as well as Enbridge who were also partisan to their cause.
He went on to say that because there would be the opportunity to have an open forum there was a need to have the discussion moderated.
Phair also said that the group would completely reject Coun. Benedict’s suggestion of inviting community advisory board facilitator Dan George to facilitate the local meeting.
“He is definitely not non partisan,” Phair said.
According to Phair, Enbridge hired a smaller company to conduct the community advisory board meetings.
“Council has to remember that they are here to represent all people of the village and they must be non partisan in their role,” he added.
Phair said in the event that council decides not to accept the role of facilitator for the meeting the group is giving thought to a lot of different options.
“We will still hold the forums,” he added.
Phair added that he has since been in contact with the village and he and a number of other coalition members will be making a presentation to council on Nov. 9 regarding to forum.
Enbridge was contacted for comment but did not respond before going to press.