Today was the first of two days of oral statements for the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline hearings in Prince Rupert.

There were originally five days set aside for speakers, but the panel gave notice that they would be cutting it down to two.

Ocean Rutherford, a fourth generation Rupertite, talks about her perspective of home after travelling to different parts of the world.

“For eighteen years, the area of Enbridge's proposed pipeline was all I knew of the world. I have travelled since then and can attest to how delicate, untouched, and pure this corner of the world is."

Peggy Davenport, a former member of the Prince Rupert Emergency Social Services (ESS), talked about her experience working in the Emotional Support sector during the Queen of the North disaster in 2006.

“Members of my team did what we could to help families connect with people from the ship, and if it was a crew member they were looking for, where that person was.”

She says there was lots of confusion between community members and BC Ferries during this crisis.

“The ESS people presented help as they could, others from the community showed up to help, but where there may have been an organized process to deal with panic stricken crowds, there was confusion.”

She ended her speech saying that “if the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project goes ahead and a super tanker has an accident on [the] coast, Enbridge will not be responsible.”

The hearings will reconvene tomorrow morning at 9 am at the North Coast Convention Centre.