The guest editorial by Jerry R. Johnson of Vancouver, July 25, Prince George Citizen, under the heading, "Have the Greens lost their way?" is interesting. He explores the mystery of the Green Party stand against the site C dam project. What can be more than green than energy from water power?
Of course, our new Premier John Horgan sings the same tune, pouring propaganda out against Site C. Evidently, in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island, a great number of people have come to believe, because of the propaganda by environmental groups wanting to raise money, that too much valuable land is being flooded by this dam and therefore it should not go ahead.
By siding with this view, did the NDP and the Green pick up enough votes in B.C.'s southwest corner to put Horgan in the premier's seat?
Perhaps some Vancouverites thinks that our economy comes from cutting each other's hair and selling real estate to Chinese gangster billionaires but I would suggest that without the 80 per cent of B.C. exports that come from the land beyond Hope, we would not do so well.
In regards to Site C, the Bennett dam and power generating plant has been a tremendous boost for our province. The 251-kilometre long lake behind the dam has opened a large area for timber harvesting that now could be transported by water to the new town of Mackenzie, to give work for thousands of families in the timber industries.
To achieve this, 1,761 square kilometres of fertile forestry land was made into a lake: Williston Lake.
It makes no sense giving up that much land for power production and to not use it to the fullest by having the three dams that were planned for it, so Site C should go ahead.
The postage size amount of land that would be flooded by Site C should not be an issue.
As for Horgan's opposition to a pipeline to Vancouver and tankers using Vancouver's harbour, this makes no sense.
Oil is being moved safely all over the world this way, in and out of city harbours and through narrow straights and fjords.
As well, why within Canada should one province be able to bar another province from getting its product to market? What is next? Would Alberta stop trains bringing B.C. lumber to the U.S. because of the polluting smoke from their diesel engines?
After being given the premier's office, hopefully Horgan will decide to use some common sense about the above issues.
Svend Serup
Prince George
