Northwest New Democrats Oppose Enbridge Plans

Four northwest New Democrats say they remain opposed to Enbridge's Northern Gateway Pipeline Project, following a boat trip last week between Kitimat and Hecate Strait.

M-L-As Gary Coons, Robin Austin and Doug Donaldson joined M-P Nathan Cullen in sailing the proposed tanker route. Coons says the amount of supertanker traffic expected through Douglas Channel if the project goes ahead makes a major oil spill virtually inevitable.

Meantime, a coalition of environmental groups has written to Enbridge, formally declining to be part of the company's Community Advisory Boards, which met in Kitimat and Terrace last month.

The groups, which include Friends of the Wild Salmon and Douglas Channel Watch, say the advisory boards are not independent and seem to operate on the assumption the pipelines will definitely be built and that supertanker traffic will be allowed on the B-C coast.

   Kathy Brookes, John Crawford -- Terrace