Today, a GPQ delegation travelled to Cacouna, Quebec to lend a hand to those fighting against the construction of an oil port that threatens to destroy an essential part of the St. Lawrence beluga whale habitat.
This oil port will be used to export oil from the oil sands to international markets by sea. It will be extended on site by the construction of the Energy East pipeline proposed by Trans Canada.
At present, neither the construction of the port nor the construction of the pipeline has received the green light from the authorities. Trans Canada is currently conducting seismic surveys in the area without any environmental assessment of the process.
St. Lawrence belugas are already considered a threatened species. Years of pollution in the river have not been easy for the belugas which are in constant decline and according to experts, they could soon be considered endangered.
Despite a known problem, the federal government maintains that Trans Canada does not need a permit to emit sound waves and dig holes, even at a time of the year that is important for the reproduction of the species.
The position of the Green Party of Quebec is well known. We are strongly opposed to the Trans Canada project and the arrival of oil sands oil in Quebec.
We also believe that the federal government is prepared to sacrifice endangered species for the benefit of their friends, the oil companies. The situation is noticeable in Cacouna, but also in British Columbia, where they recently took away the protected status of humpback whales on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Many sceptics believe that this decision is a tactic to allow the construction of Enbridge’s Northern Gateway oil pipeline.
Are we really at the point of jeopardizing the survival of endangered species in order to build a pipeline system for the oil sands?
Alex Tyrrell
Leader of the Green Party of Quebec
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