Only the severely environ-mentally challenged or the extremely naive can believe that oil and natural gas pipelines will not be making their way through northwest B.C. to the coast.
Granted they will make a lot of noise and definitely have a role to play, but like it or not, those Alberta and eastern B.C. energy resources are coming west.
While the anti-everything crowd may be successful in shutting down Enbridge — highly unlikely — but possible, once Enbridge pulls up stakes another company will come.
There is simply too much increasing demand, too much money and ultimately, too much economic upside for someone else to not pick up where Enbridge could leave off.
The big question there is will it be a Canadian company?
Regardless, should the anti-pipeliners gain enough momentum with their political puppets and oil and gas pipelines are quashed, the oil will still come.
By rail or by road, that oil will come.
As mentioned, the anti-pipeline folk do have an important role to play. It is a beautiful sight and a testament to our great country that the anti-pipeliners are not only allowed, but actually urged to voice their opinions and concerns.
They should be applauded for pulling apart pipeline plans in minute detail and demanding answers. They need to be commended for questioning everything and holding both the proponents and the assessors accountable.
But at the end of the day, those resources, so intrinsically linked to our long-term economic and social well-being, will be shipped to the Far East through Northwest B.C. The only questions that remain is how and what.
By pipeline, or by rail and road?
Bitumen or refined?
Stopping pipelines forever is only for the deluded, the gullible and the foolish.
How and what we'll ship is for the realists.