First off I would like to thank all of the organizers, performers, volunteers and citizens who came together to make the rally against oil tankers in the Burrard Inlet such a success.

Of course the purpose of the event was to raise awareness about the two supertankers of Alberta tar sands crude oil that move through our treacherous harbour every week, and help us achieve a legislated ban on oil tankers on Canada’s west coast. If the attendance and passion of the people are a barometer, the campaign is off to a great start.

One moment that is etched in my mind was being transported to the media boat from Second Beach in Stanley Park by two lovely Vancouverites in a canoe. The Carnival Band was leading the crowd down to the shore to wave goodbye to the flotilla, made up of boats of all sizes. The whole event was live streamed to the net thanks to the good people at rabble.ca and our allies in Toronto who held a rally in solidarity with our event and watched the proceedings on a big screen.

Only months before, Rex Weyler approached us and told us about this new threat which his friend Bill Gannon had uncovered when Bill saw a supertanker pass by his office window and starting doing research. What he discovered was crazy. With no public process or even an attempt to inform the public, a risk assessment had taken place and the federal government decided to allow massive crude oil tankers to pass through the shallow, narrow and busy Burrard Inlet. These tankers are carrying three times as much crude oil as was spilled by the Exxon Valdez. Not only is this a threat to our marine ecosystems - it is also a massive step in the wrong direction in the fight against climate change.

Speaking to the media and the public last weekend I reminded folks how important our role is in this fight. With the expansion of the tar sands in Alberta and the expanding markets on the West coast of the United States and in Asia, we need to be a voice of reason. With proposals to increase the tankers from two to ten per week, the danger of an oil spill causing irreparable damage to our coast is real, and mounting.

Now is the time where we can make the change that is needed. Stopping oil tankers on our coast is not only necessary to protect the invaluable bio diversity and natural beauty - we have the opportunity to be good global citizens and help stop runaway climate change.

To get more involved in this ongoing fight, please write a letter to our elected decision makers calling for a ban on oil tankers on our Pacific Coast.

Thank you for your time and concern - every voice makes a difference.

Ben West | Healthy Communities Campaigner
Wilderness Committee