B.C. should leave if spill happens

All British Columbians, especially those in leadership, should take the threats coming from Alberta seriously. Alberta’s opposition leader has publicly stated that if he were premier of Alberta, he might periodically cut off fuel supplied to southwestern B.C. in order to get B.C.’s attention and to get B.C. to buckle to the pressure.

The government of B.C. should already be arranging with other suppliers an alternative source of fuel should the threats be realized. A strategic fuel supply similar to that of the United States might be necessary.

In the longer term, B.C. needs to force the rest of Canada to put some skin in this dangerous game. Other than Alberta, which has everything to gain, and British Columbia, which has everything to lose, the rest of the country is, at best, interested bystanders.

B.C.’s government could force the rest of Canada into the mix by passing legislation that would force any future B.C. government, in the event of a catastrophic bitumen spill that cannot be effectively cleaned up, to hold a referendum that if passed would see B.C. leave Confederation and become an independent country.

If such a referendum were to take place today, it would fail. It would be another story if British Columbians witnessed the horror of an ecological disaster on our coast. Emotions would be running high and, as a result, anything could happen. That would give the rest of Canada something to consider.