B.C. threatens national unity

Re: “Kinder surprise sets the stage for showdown,” column, April 10.

British Columbia has become Canada’s greatest threat to national unity, rejecting the rest of Canada while giving higher priority to economic union with the U.S. How? B.C. has:

1. Rejected overarching Canadian federal law in the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, while at the same time tacitly accepting the daily marine shipment of U.S. oil, in tankers of over one million barrels, travelling within a few kilometres of Vancouver, Victoria and the Gulf Islands. This hypocrisy has deprived Canadians of the pipeline’s benefits, while dismissing federally approved safety, environmental and risk analyses; and has deprived Canadians of world market pricing for hydrocarbons, effectively supporting American bargain-price purchases and profitability.

2. Proposed onerous “speculative” taxes on second homes owned by other Canadians, effectively telling non-British Columbians to sell or rent, and to get out of town.

3. Dragged its feet in improving its interior highways, particularly the Trans-Canada Highway. This has resulted in frequent dangers and delays in commercial and personal travel from B.C. to the rest of Canada. At the same time, B.C. (or at least the Lower Mainland) is embracing the idea of high-speed rail transportation from the Lower Mainland to the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

It’s time that the B.C. government and certain special-interest groups recognized the long-term national unity consequences of its actions, stopped acting like a Vancouver/Victoria city-state, and started acting like a member of Confederation. Those consequences are far greater than is acknowledged.

Glenn Johanson Eagle Bay