CIBC shrinks event after Whistler bills oil firm for climate change
WHISTLER — Whistler is learning that getting involved in the fight between environmentalists and oil companies can result in negative consequences.
Part of CIBC’s annual investment conference to be held in the community next month has been scrapped after the town council took part in a letter-writing campaign demanding oil companies compensate it for its costs related to climate change.
After Whistler sent a letter to Calgary-based oilsands giant Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., several energy firms reportedly said they would back out of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce event.
CIBC has since decided to cancel the oil and gas part of its conference, although it says the rest will continue. According to an online agenda for the 2018 CIBC event, 43 of the 114 firms scheduled to present were either oil and gas producers or provide oilfield services.
Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton issued a video apology late last week in which he said the town joined the letter-writing campaign with 15 other municipalities led by an environmental group to draw attention to the urgent issue of climate change.
“Our aim was never to make anyone feel unwelcome in Whistler,” he said. “I sincerely regret that anyone felt unwelcome here.”
CALGARY — Angry protesters demanding that Canada build new pipelines interrupted speeches by Calgary’s mayor and councillors at a downtown rally on Monday.
City council had passed a resolution declaring its support for the oil and gas industry as well as calling for solutions to a low oil price crisis blamed on a lack of pipeline export capacity.
But loud boos rose from the protesters at any mention of Quebec or free trade.
Rally organizer Cody Battershill of Canada Action stepped up to ask the crowd of about 1,000 to stop shouting when Mayor Naheed Nenshi began to speak in French — a message the mayor said was aimed at the people of Quebec.
“It’s important to remember that standing up for Canadian energy doesn’t mean we don’t believe in and care about climate change,” said Nenshi to shouts and boos.
“For those of you saying: ‘No, I don’t believe in climate change,’ good luck changing any hearts and minds, because we have to be able to say there’s no difference between standing up for the economy and standing up for the environment.
“We can do both and that’s what people in the oil and gas sector do every single day.”
A volley of boos also rang out when Coun. Peter Demong pointed out that Quebec City council supports pipeline construction and, therefore, Calgary residents should buy Canadian cheese, not take part in trade boycotts.
Quebec Premier François Legault recently said that there was “no social acceptability” in his province for a “dirty energy” pipeline from Alberta.
“We have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot as Canadians and we have to start supporting our energy sector, the foundation of our economy,” said Battershill.
Tim Vader, who said he is an under-employed well-site geologist, said he attended the rally to protest and send a message to Ottawa.
“We’ve had enough of the globalist elite determining how the rest of the world and average Canadians are going to live,” he said. “I’m tired of it.”
There was a scattering of yellow construction vests in the crowd, but none of the people interviewed said they are associated with the anti-UnitedNations Yellow Vest Canada group that held rallies in Calgary and other cities across Canada on Sunday.
There have been a number of protests aimed at heading off federal actions expected to make building pipelines more difficult. They include Bill C-69 to revamp the National Energy Board and Bill C-48 that would ban oil tanker traffic on British Columbia’s northern coast.
The anger expressed at the rally didn’t surprise Alberta Energy Minister Marg McCuaigBoyd, who agreed with Nenshi’s message of educating the rest of Canada to win support for the oil industry.
“When we’re divisive, we’re not going to get anywhere. … we need to work together on this and let’s be more Canadian about it.”