Freeloading off the north

Dear Editor: Les Leyne covers the Legislature for the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper and his column is covered by other B.C. newspapers.

In the Penticton Herald’s May 25 column, Les reports that 60 percent of B.C. voters want the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline stopped; those same 60 percent want social services strengthened, big changes in child care, and our voting system changed.

The NDP and Greens’ platform want all pipelines, railways and seaports stopped. The Green leader has previously stated, “absolutely no tanker traffic in B.C.’s coastal waters.” What he actually said was that all of Alberta and Saskatchewan’s oil and gas products could not be shipped to Asian markets from any B.C. port. The Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island voters have also voted to stop paying tolls on all GVRD bridges.

Now that B.C.’s Interior and northern voters (especially the B.C. Peace River district voters) know what the GVRD and Island freeloaders want. But what about us? For nearly all the years since 1952 when W.A.C Bennett was elected; the Interior and northern resource-based economy — on a per capita basis — paid for most of the Lower Mainland’s free ride: from new ferry fleets to schools, hospitals, highways, and bridges.

Perhaps the time has come for the B.C. Peace River district to make its move to join Alberta. Alberta and Saskatchewan have no other choice except to cut a deal with Montana, Idaho and Oregon to move their petroleum products to the Asian market.

Super ports on the remote (sandy) parts of the Oregon coast — an ideal location — where Alberta, Saskatchewan and all Western U.S. oil and gas products could be shipped overseas.

Alberta and Saskatchewan have plenty of bargaining (negotiating) chips.

Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. have a 1,000-year supply of coal after the oil and gas has been expended. Saskatchewan has a 200year supply of potash and hundreds of years of uranium. Saskatchewan has a renewable supply of agricultural products. Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Yukon and the NWT have half of Canada’s fresh water supply.

I would say the time has long passed where the B.C. Peace River region joins Alberta. Ernie Slump

Penticton