Dear editor,
Re: Farm changes cause concerns (Record, April 3).
The Agricultural Land Commission Amendment Act ought to stir up a heck of lot more than mere "concern" when it comes to "opening the door to potential oil and gas development and value- added activities" (whatever that means to the oil industry).
This is not potential development but is active right now under our collective noses. Texada will be a coal transfer point for Asian enterprises. The hydro "improvements" south of Courtenay will be the supplier of hydro to the coal mining activity. Fracking for LNG is in the mill.
Folks, please do not believe our premier that all is safe with this industry. Who will suffer when the methane entrapped in the shale leaks and causes serious problems in the atmosphere? Just check up north, people.
Our aquifer will be contaminated by the oil industries' unidentified products being mixed with the water and pumped at high pressure into the shale formations. Even the oil industry has said there is no way to prevent contamination of groundwater.
Where will the water come from to support the fracking?
Try not bringing it in by little plastic bottles. Where will our water come from after contamination?
I will not even rant about parks being open to this wonderful industry.
The jobs will be created for our children and grandchildren — to try and clean up the greed we have left for them.
Our government is taking us to the cleaners. We are paying now for all this oil development. We are only killing our planet and our country, which seems to have a For Sale sign on it.
Are we not learning from northern B.C. and Alberta? I guess not.
Please wake up, Vancouver Island. The alarm has sounded.
Denial is not a river in Egypt. The insanity has got to stop.
I do hope there is an investigative journalist who has the courage to check out what is so quietly happening on the Island.
Al Buckham,
Courtenay