find allies. - integritybc allies - new.pdf · calendar use this calendar to make yourself a...
TRANSCRIPT
FindAllies.
Here’s the situation
Things are coming to a head.
We’ve got Alberta pushing, China pushing, some of the most powerful oil
companies in the world pushing to bring oil supertankers to our coast.
We can out-work them. We can hold them back and keep our waters clean,
but that’s going to take size and it’s going to take diversity.
That’s where you come in.
Your journeyand why it will have an impact
You’ll be going into your communities, online and on the ground, and
recruiting individual and business allies by using the very popular No
Tankers petition.
Political power comes from huge numbers of people acting in coordination.
It’s this simple:
(1) find allies,
(2) work with these allies to get good people elected, and
(3) raise the funds to pay for everything.
Your mission is to find allies in your community.
You have five mission objectives, which we think will take you less than 30
hours to complete:
1. Prepration and planning (3 hours)
2. On the web (4 hours)
3. On the streets (10 hours)
4. Business recruitment (8 hours)
5. Mission report (1 hour)
Once you’ve completed this mission we’ll send you a certificate formally
recognizing your accomplishment as a movement-building organizer. It may
come in handy for your resume or maybe it will go on your wall – either way
you’ll have earned it.
Your missionshould you choose to accept it
Marketing professionals say that when you askpeople to do something you have to make it sound easy.
There will be challenges but you can overcome them. The allies you bring back will add strength
to the movement to defend our coast from the threat of oil tankers and spills. You’ll have
gained movement-building skills and techniques that you can apply to your career, your life and
other issues you care about. You want to make a difference, right? Well, this is how you do it.
We’ll give you the special tools you need. The rest is up to you.
We’re not going to do that.
PREPARATION +PLANNING01.
Planning checklist
Grab a coffee or tea and read through this manual front to back to get an idea of what’s ahead.
Write down any unanswered questions or concerns you might have and call Celine at 250 686.2438 or e-mail [email protected]
How many new individual and business allies will you find? Set a personal goal and create a schedule using your mission calendar.
“To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time.” Leonard Bernstein
Take a good look at the fact sheets, maps and F.A.Q. at the end of this document.
Head back to your computer and fill in the Confirmed & Underway form so we can send you a No Tankers t-shirt:notankers.ca/do-more/findalliesunderway
PREPARATION +PLANNING01.
CalendarUse this calendar to make yourself a realistic one month work plan. Be sure to note your personal goals: How many individual and business supporters will you sign up? Remember to leave yourself around 2 hours to let us know how things went.
*This kit is a guide and should be altered to fit you! Take a shorter or longer time if you need to.
ON THE WEB02.
Online movement building is just what it sounds like. It means using the internet to bring all sorts of people together. We’ve broken it down into three objectives:
Online movement building
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”Margaret Mead
“A small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, but a super big group does it way faster.”No Tankers - Margaret Mead Remix
Start an e-mail cascade
Use social media
Harness blogs + websites
We’ll walk you through them. Ready? Let’s go!
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
Start an e-mail cascadePretty much everyone has an e-mail address. If you don’t...well, you’re adorable but to complete this mission you’ll need one.
Your objective is to trigger an e-mail cascade starting from within your personal network of family and friends. What’s a cascade? Well, it’s a series of small waterfalls. But we use the word in the sense of something that, once started, continues to grow without any extra effort. It looks like this:
ON THE WEB02.
To complete this objective, you’ll be sending e-mails to your friends and family, asking them to help you out by signing the petition AND by sending it on to their networks, too.
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Tips for an e-mail cascade
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Send one e-mail at a time, making each one personal.
You can structure it so that you have one personal paragraph that you change for each person, while the rest of the e-mail stays the same. This will save you time.
Ask for help (most people will want to protect the coast, but they’ll be more motivated if they’re being asked directly for help by a friend or relative).
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Ask people to spread the petition further through their own networks using e-mail, social media or by downloading a paper copy of the petition.
Let them know what your personal goal is, such as signing up 100 new people.
If you think your friends will respond with “Another petition? That’s not going to do anything!” you can let them know that the petition is the entryway into a sophisticated movement that is working at all three levels of government and in the financial sector. No joke! We’re legit.
Let everyone you contact know you’ll be following up. It sounds pesky but, hey...I’m more likely to do something if I know my friends will be cheerfully checking up on me.
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PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
Sample e-mail
ON THE WEB02.
It would be faster to send a single e-mail to your whole address book inviting people to sign the petition. It would also be less effective! Think about it: are you more likely to pay attention to an e-mail sent to 50 people, or an e-mail sent only to you?
Hi Sis, hope your field season up in Alaska went well! Hopefully you didn’t get charged by any grizzlies or eaten alive by mosquitos! Though we all know a grizzly is no match for a farm girl from Saskatchewan.
I’m e-mailing because I’ve undertaken a bit of a mission and I could use your help. I signed up with No Tankers, a campaign to stop the expansion of oil tanker traffic on B.C.’s coast, and my goal is to get 100 new people to join the movement by signing the campaign’s petition. Wanna sign?! You can read the petition text and sign at www.notankers.ca
I like No Tankers because once you sign the petition they go beyond that by linking you into a network whose point is to build real political power. Anyways, hope you can help! Like…by going here: www.notankers.ca
P.S. We’re going for an amplification effect so it would be sweet if you could e-mail this to more people and post a link on your Facebook wall inviting your peeps to sign too! I’ll keep an eye on my news feed just to make sure you do ;)
Love you and talk soon! Eric
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
E-mail cascade checklist
Make yourself a list with these headings: Name, Sent and Replied. Add the names of everyone you plan to email.
ON THE WEB02.
Send an e-mail to each person on your list, checking them off in the “Sent” column as you go.
If a person replies to your e-mail and says they signed the petition and/or spread it around, mark this in the Replied column.
For those who don’t reply to you, wait about a week. Then send one follow up e-mail checking in to see if they got your first e-mail, and if by any chance they were able to sign and spread the petition yet. Don’t send any more e-mails after that, because that would be annoying.
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
Use social media to spread the wordTo complete this objective you’ll need to have a Facebook and a Twitter account. If you don’t have either, sorry cupcake but you’ll need at least one of them. Take the plunge!
Once you’ve got your accounts up and running, post messages that link directly to the petition AND to our creative videos.
ON THE WEB02.
Tips for social media
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Make a personal goal and publicize it. As your mission progresses, update your Facebook status to let your friends know how things are going.
Increase your impact by posting links to cool tanker-related content every now and then.
Be informal, funny if you want to be, keep your messages short and always include links.
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
Sample social media posts
ON THE WEB02.
(If you’re a veteran, you know what to do)
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
Social media checklistGet yourself set up with a Facebook and Twitter account.
ON THE WEB02.
Join our Facebook page (search ‘Dogwood Initiative’) and follow our Twitter feed (@ DogwoodBC)
Over the course of your one-month mission, use your status update to post a link to the No Tankers petition, post it on one of your friends’ walls or on the wall of a group you belong to.
Familiarize yourself with some of the most commonly-used hashtags, such as #notankers, #Enbridge, #oil, #cndpoli, and #bcpoli
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
Harness blogs + websites
Re-post or link to a No Tankers article. More importantly, share your perspective on why it’s relevant.
ON THE WEB02.
Add a No Tankers logo to your site. You can find one atdogwoodinitiative.org/no-tankers/logo
Embed one of our videos. Ask for comments. Try to get a discussion going on the issue. You can find videos on our Youtube channel at youtube.com/user/dogwoodinitiative
If you have a blog or website, consider cross-posting a No Tankers article or two, available at:
dogwoodinitiative.org/blog
If you can add banners and logos to your blog or website, consider adding a No Tankers logo.
Checklist for blogs + websites
Add a link to the No Tankers petition, found atdogwoodinitiative.org/no-tankers/petition
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
We’re going to go ahead and say that most significant change happens because of real human-to-human contact. Online organizing is critical to building size and coordinating on-the-ground events, but nothing builds lasting relationships like actually talking to people face-to-face.
That’s what this mission objective is about: talking to lots of people in a short period of time and securing their support.
The No Tankers petition is an ideal way to start conversations and secure support from people you don’t know yet. Everybody knows what a petition is, and most people will be open to hearing what yours is all about. The great thing about the No Tankers petition is that, according to polling, opposition to tankers out-weighs support 3 to 1, so there’s a huge diversity of people out there just waiting to be approached.
There are three general ways to approach people:
ON THE STREETS03.
Streeting
Canvassing
Events
Streeting, canvassing + events
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PREPERATION +PLANNING01. ON THE STREETS03.
Streeting Canvassing EventsStreeting is staking out a high-traffic location in your community armed with a petition and approaching people to sign as they walk by.
Canvassing is going door-to-door, approaching people one household at a time.
Events means going to a festival or other high-traffic event and collecting petition signatures.
A poor location can lead to low numbers and boredom.
Big numbers with the right location.A great option if friends or family will be assisting you.
Your mission is to choose one of these methods and spend a total of eight hours on the streets of your community, talking to people and getting signatures on the petition.
You get to meet your neighbours.You’ll get better and better after each conversation.
Slow.Timing is critical so it’s best to canvass on weekends or after 5 p.m.
Big numbers with the right event.A great way to attend or participate in an event you care about.
Poor numbers with some events.You usually need to secure permission from the event organizer.
Pros
Cons
Pros Pros
ConsCons
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
Tips for streeting, canvassing + events
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Do you have a keen interest in meeting people in your neighbourhood? If so, we recommend canvassing. If not, perhaps you would prefer circulating the petition via streeting or at an event.
It’s best to recruit one or more friends to come out with you. It’s been proven that a team of two communicates legitimacy and professionalism.
When streeting, pick a high-traffic location. In Victoria we stand outside the Mountain Equipment Co-op, a great downtown location with a lot of people to-ing and fro-ing. Our team in Burnaby got permission from a Safeway store manager to set up a table outside the store. It’s great!
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Wear No Tankers t-shirts. It makes you look legit. Celine will send you a t-shirt (and other materials) when you fill out this form: notankers.ca/do-more/find-allies/findalliesunderway Approaching people on the street or at the door can be nerve-wracking at first, and there may be a certain amount of negativity thrown at you. Although the majority of reactions will be positive, be prepared to handle a certain amount of rejection. Don’t take it personally! Assume that your unyielding positive attitude will eventually be appreciated.
It’s often helpful to draw attention to yourself and let people know what you’re about before they get within talking distance. Our street teams use one of those plastic folding tables with a display set up, or a large sign that one of them holds that says “Stop the expansion of oil tankers. Sign the petition here!” Consider constructing a sign or sandwich board.
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3Find and connect with other organizers in your area using this handy map:notankers.ca/do-more/find-allies/FAmap
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
Tips continued
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Have fun with the mission and smile a lot. Being super serious is boring and doesn’t work as well. Definitely don’t show anger, ever!
You want to have as many conversations as possible in a short amount of time. This means keeping your pitch really short, and finding a way to politely end a conversation if things are dragging on.
Practice your pitch, which is what you’re goint to say to quickly explain the petition and wrap up the issue in a nice concise package. Don’t read from a script! Memorize it and modify it as you see fit.
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Sample pitch:
“Hello! Would you like to sign our petition to keep oil tankers off our coast?”
If they say yes, say “That’s great!” Hand them the petition and before (or while) they fill it out, briefly explain the issue.
“There are two major proposals to bring more oil supertankers to B.C.’s coast so that Alberta can send its oil to China and elsewhere. Up north in Kitimat, and through Vancouver. The oil isn’t for use in B.C. We want to protect the fishery, and coastal communities from oil spills, and we also want to recognize decisions already made against these tankers by First Nations.”
11 If someone gives you more than glancing eye contact, you have about 13 seconds to keep their interest. So be confident, quick and clear.
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Know the facts, know your rights
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Sample pitch:
“Hello! Would you like to sign our petition to keep oil tankers off our coast?”
If they say yes, say “That’s great!” Hand them the petition and before (or while) they fill it out, briefly explain the issue.
“There are two major proposals to bring more oil super-tankers to B.C.’s coast so that Alberta can send its oil to China and elsewhere. Up north in Kitimat, and through Vancouver. The oil isn’t for use in B.C. We want to pro-tect the fishery, and coastal communities from oil spills, and we also want to recognize decisions already made against these tankers by First Nations.”
Read the fact sheets in the resources section at the end of this document so you have the knowledge to answer basic questions. You don’t need to become an expert! If you don’t know something just say so and explain that you’re a volunteer. If people want further information, direct them to call the Dogwood Initiative at 250-370-9930.
Your rights
Basically, Canadians have the right to express their views (so long as it’s not hate speech) on public land. Public land includes places like sidewalks, public parks, boulevards, public squares, etc.
However, private property like café patios and some transit stops are off-limits to your message if the owner says so. Rented space, like special events and farmers’ markets are also considered private property.
If you are canvassing on a busy street in your community, it’s a good idea to figure out exactly where public land begins. If you do have any problems, give us a call and we will help you proceed.
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
Checklist for streeting, canvassing + events
Choose your locations and the days you’ll be on the street (we recommend two 4-hour days) and enter them in your calendar.
Recruit at least one friend to help you out or connect with other organizers you find on the map. Practice your pitch.
How many petition signatures will you collect? Set a personal goal and create a schedule using your mission calendar.
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Pack a petition kit including: • No Tankers t-shirt• Water and snacks• Weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes• Legal size petitions • Two clipboards per person with at least 10 petition sheets per
clipboard• A copy of the Issue Map taped to the back of each clipboard • A copy of the Coastal First Nations and Save the Fraser declarations
clipped under the petition sheets • Reliable pens (one for each clipboard plus two spares)
Mail your completed petition sheets to:No Tankers CampaignBox 8701 Victoria B.C. V8W 3S3
Fill out the ‘confirmed and Underway form so that Celine can send you some materials and a t-shirt: notankers.ca/do-more/find-allies/findalliesunderway
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
To get a critical mass of politicians on side we’re going to need to be big, but also diverse. The opinion of the business community carries special political weight because businesses employ people and generate a government revenue stream through business taxes, royalties, etc.
With a strong contingent of business supporters, elected officials will be less likely to marginalize our movement.
The good news is that we already have a good deal of business support, because whole sectors of B.C.’s economy rely on healthy rivers and coastal waters. But we need more.
This part of the mission requires you to arrange to meet with at least five business owners in your community, introduce them to the issue and ask them to endorse the No Tankers cause. They’ll do this by signing a special business petition, and if they have a storefront, hosting some No Tankers materials.
BUSINESSRECRUITMENT04.
Business recruitment
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Tips for business recruitment
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Any business support is good business support.
Start with independent businesses, not big chains. The support of a big chain would be great, but is super hard to secure.
A business with a strong presence in your community is best, because they’ll carry more weight.
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Who do you know? That’s where you should start. If you already know a business owner your mission will be a lot easier.
If you’ve got options, consider seeking the support of a business that you wouldn’t normally think would come on side. These are called unconventional allies and are especially persuasive. Think local industrial shops, construction outfits, businesses that build and make things, or businesses involved in trade such as importers/exporters. Think opposite of tree hugger.
Independent grocery stores and coffee shops are good because they see a lot of traffic.
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4 Check the map! These are the businesses that have already signed the petition. Take a look at what neighbourhoods haven’t been covered:notankers.ca/do-more/find-allies/business-map
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Tips continued
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Businesses that you frequent are good because you have customer credibility.
If all else fails go to your local neighbourhood health food store or kayak outfitter. Chances are pretty good with these sectors. They tend to get it.
Plan to arrive at the business during non-peak hours (e.g. 10 - 11 a.m. or 2 -4 p.m.)
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When people approach a business for support they’re usually asking for money or a donation of goods or services. You’re not. Rather, you’re just asking the business to lend its name to the cause.
Business owners are busy people, so be clear what you’re asking for and keep it short.
Sample pitch:
“Hi my name’s Eric. I’m a frequent customer and member of the community and I was hoping to speak with you for five minutes about securing your support on a business petition that’s going around the province. We’re gathering individuals and businesses that oppose the expansion of oil pipelines and supertankers across our rivers and coast. I was wondering if you’d be willing to sign our petition.”
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PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
Checklist for business recruitment
Get a piece of paper and write down a list of people either you know who own a business or friends who know a business owner. Don’t worry if you don’t know anybody. You will soon!
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Decide which of them qualify as unconventional allies. Which of them have a high-traffic storefront? Which of them have a strong presence in your community? Which of them do you frequent?
Using the criteria above and your own intuition, pick five businesses to approach.
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Call, e-mail or visit the business and explain who you are and what you’re doing and asking for, and if there’s a good time to chat. Be prepared to go through the whole thing then and there.
Check the map:notankers.ca/do-more/find-allies/business-mapHave the businesses you are considering already been approached?
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Practice your pitch: • Introduce yourself. Customer? Member of the community? • Explain that you’re seeking support on a province-wide business
petition to protect our salmon rivers and coast from oil tankers. • Allow the owner to read the Dogwood Initiative No Tankers Request
for Support letter and then ask if they’d be willing to sign the business petition.
• If they agree to sign, ask if they’d like to host copies of the petition for individuals in their store for customers to sign. If they would like these, hook them up (remember to bring a few copies with you!)
• Thank them for their support and ask if they know any other business owners who might be interested in supporting the cause.
Mail your completed business petitions to:No Tankers CampaignBox 8701, Victoria B.C., V8W 3S3We may keep a record of all your sign ups so that you can communicate with them in the future, if you like.
Checklist for business recruitment cont.
If you left any, remember to collect petition sheets for individuals after a month and mail them back to us.
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Whew! Congratulations on completing your mission! You’ve faced some daunting challenges but have conquered them. You’ve gone into your community and have come back with a source of additional power for the movement to stop oil tankers on B.C.’s coast: new allies. You’ve grown as a person and as an agent of change. You’ve learned techniques and have gained experience that will prepare you for future challenges. We salute your achievement!
Now is the time to report back on your successes. Please complete the form on the following page, and mail it back in along with your petition sheets.
Once we receive your report, you’ll get a phone call so that we can de-brief in detail. What worked, what didn’t, that sort of thing. Finally, we’ll send you a certificate officially acknowledging your efforts.
Don’t forget - once you’ve reported back, take some time to share your story with some of your closest friends.
On behalf of everyone involved in our movement, we sincerely thank you for making us stronger.
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Tell us how you did
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PREPERATION +PLANNING01. REPORTINGBACK05.
Mission Report (please print)Your name:
Your e-mail address:
Your phone number:
How many signatures did you get on the petition for individuals?
Did you meet your goal for individual petition signatures?
How many signatures did you get on the petition for businesses?
Did you meet your goal for business petition signatures?
Would you recommend this kit?
Would you like a completion certificate mailed to you?If so, please write your mailing address here.
Comments:What your experience like working through the kit? What step was the most challenging? Was it fun?
PREPERATION +PLANNING01.
The following pages contain the resources you will need to complete your mission and help us find allies!
They include:
RESOURCES06.
Facts, maps + more
Fact sheets outlining the threat, what’s at stake and the solution to the issue of oil tanker expansion on our coast.
F.A.Q.s. These are the question we’re most frequently asked.
A map of the proposed oil tanker routes.
A copy of the Coastal First Nations declaration.
A copy of the Save the Fraser declaration.
A map showing how much of B.C. is covered by these First Nation declarations
A copy of the Petition for Individuals (legal size *)
A copy of the Petition for Businesses (legal size *)
* We know, we know...it’s a hassle to print legal size petitions. But our experience has taught us that, surprisingly, paper size really matters when it comes to petitions. 8.5” x 11” is just too cramped to be effective. If you don’t have any legal size paper, give us a call at 250 370-9930 and we’ll hook you up.
The threat
Kinder Morgan’s Westridge terminal in Burnaby is already operating. There are up to two oil tankers per week filling up at this terminal. Kinder Morgan has plans to bring in more, and bigger, tankers (about 10 every week).
Both projects require pipelines to move the oil. Enbridge’s proposed pipelines would run from Alberta to Kitimat across northern B.C., crossing the Skeena and Fraser watershed, home to many of our major salmon rivers. Kinder Morgan wants to expand its existing Trans Mountain pipeline that runs from Jasper down through the southern interior to Vancouver.
The inevitability of oil spills is the big problem. Corporations make all kinds of promises, but humans make mistakes and equipment breaks. It happens all the time.
Two proposals threaten to bring more oil tankers to B.C.’s coast. Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway project would bring about 225 supertankers to B.C.’s Great Bear Rainforest every year. Some of these tankers would carry crude oil to Asia, while others would carry condensate, a gasoline-like substance destined for Alberta to dilute heavy oil.
Our coast: At the end of this section there’s a map that shows that B.C.’s entire coast is threatened by spills. This coast supports our fisheries and 45,000 jobs in the seafood and marine recreation sectors.
Our salmon rivers: The Fraser and Skeena watersheds are two of our greatest salmon nurseries. Spills from an Enbridge pipeline could spoil the Skeena, and spills by either the existing Trans Mountain or the proposed Northern Gateway pipelines could spoil the Fraser.
Our lives: The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill devastated the herring fishery, the lifeblood of the coastal town of Cordova, Alaska. Families went bankrupt and lost hope, and suicide riddled the community. Neither the town nor the herring population have recovered.
Our identity: Hartley Bay is a coastal village of the Gitga’at First Nation, located smack dab along Enbridge’s proposed supertanker route. When BC Ferries’ Queen of the North hit Gil Island and sank in 2006, the heroes of Hartley Bay took to the water to save its passengers. Hartley Bay resident Kyle Clifton says that if Enbridge’s proposal is approved, “We’re going to wake up every morning wondering if this is the day our community dies.” Hartley Bay is saying no. Are we the kind of people who support forcing the risk of catastrophe on them anyway? We hope not.
What’s at stake
Our local, provincial and federal governments can stop these projects. We’ve got a good number of politicians on side already, but we need a majority at each level. We can flex our muscle during elections to get the rest on side. The petition brings us together so we can be coordinated in our efforts.
B.C.’s First Nations should also be able to stop these projects, given that most have never legally given up decision-making authority over their lands and waters.
More than 70 First Nations have already signed on to two declarations banning further oil pipelines and tankers through B.C. These declarations are grounded in international law. Copies of both are included in the following pages. Hopefully they will inspire you as much as they inspire us.
The problem is the governments of B.C. and Canada continue to be shamefully slow in recognizing First Nations’ authority because it means they would have to give up some control. Well, too bad. A powerful solution to these tanker threats is to mobilize non-native support for these assertions of First Nations law, which are grounded in a responsibility to protect our province, not sell it off.
The solution
F.A.Q.Q: We all use oil. Without these tankers, where will get it?A: These oil supertanker proposals will not provide B.C. with oil, but will export Alberta’s oil to China and other Asian countries, and to the United States, while B.C. is left with the risk.
Q: What’s the alternative to these proposals? A: That depends on what your goal is. The goal of the big oil companies pushing these projects is to make an extra $2-3 per barrel by exporting oil to China. We don’t think British Columbians share that goal. Instead, our goal is to defend the communities and jobs here in B.C. that are reliant on healthy rivers and coastal waters.
Q: How far along are these tanker projects? A: Enbridge has filed a formal regulatory application for its Northern Gateway project.The first public hearings are in January 2012. Enbridge hopes to get through the review process by the end of 2012. Kinder Morgan has filed for permits to formalize existing traffic of two tankers per week. They are in discussions with the oil patch to see who’s interested in more oil tankers, up to 10 per week, but haven’t filed any formal paperwork for their bigger plans.
Q: How many people have signed the petition so far? A: More than 100,000 people have signed either this petition or an earlier version of it. We’re shooting for 400,000. That would be equivalent to 10% of B.C.’s population.
Q: Will this petition do anything?A: We’ll be able to get some media coverage when we submit the petition, and it will be an important measure of public support for the cause, but the most important thing the petition does is connect us all into an ongoing communications network. That’s what politicians worry about - our ability to stay connected and publicize their actions, especially during an election. Our ability to communicate with one another is powerful – it’s largely how we got all three federal opposition parties (the Liberals, NDP and Bloc) to support a tanker ban before the last election.
Q: Will Dogwood Initiative call me or send me e-mails?A: We don’t have any political power unless we continue to talk to each other and give each other updates. So yes, we’ll periodically get in touch via e-mail or on the phone to keep you posted and give you opportunities to help out. If you don’t want to be contacted, you can let us know at any time.
Q: Canada’s economy is dependent on oil exports so wouldn’t this benefit our economy? A: It’s questionable for our national economy to be overly dependent on oil exports because at some point we’ll run out of oil and then what? In B.C., our economy is deeply connected to the health of our rivers and coasts, which can provide for us indefinitely if we take care of them. It’s a choice between an oil economy vs. a sustainable economy. We choose a sustainable economy.
F.A.Q.
Q: What about the ethical argument? Isn’t it better if the world gets oil from a democratic country like Canada?A: Canada recently endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which states that Canada’s First Nations communities must give their consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands or resources. 70 First Nations affected by the proposed tankers have gone so far as to issue declaractions stating No, they do not consent. Ignoring these declarations would be a violation of international law and is by no means ethical.
Q: Won’t these tankers be safe because they’re double-hulled?A: Here’s an example of a recent accident: In January 2010, the double-hulled tanker Eagle Otome collided with another vessel, which punctured both hulls resulting in 11,000 barrels of spilled oil in Port Arthur, Texas. There’s no such thing as a fool-proof tanker. A report by B.C.’s Living Oceans Society actually found that double-hull tankers can be at increased risk for certain types of accidents, including ones caused by human error.
Q: There must be benefits to Enbridge’s project. What’s the other side of the story?A: The Enbridge project would create a large number of construction jobs, but they would be short-term and many would go to out-of-province workers. Enbridge claims 560 long-term jobs would be created in B.C. and about $36 million a year would be generated through taxes. Compare these jobs and revenue to the jobs and revenue that would be put at risk, however, and Enbridge’s proposal seems foolish. B.C.’s seafood and ocean recreation sectors alone employ more than 45,000 people and account for more than $5 billion in annual economic output.
F.A.Q.
PROPOSED OIL TANKER EXPANSION ROUTES
Enbridge Northern Gateway
Kinder MorganTrans Mountain
Coast FN declaration
Kwakiutl
Cook’s Ferry Band
Tseshaht First Nation
Fort Nelson
Da’naxda’xw Nation
Skeetchestn
Siska Indian Band
Shackan Indian Band
Skatsin/Neskonlith
Soowahlie
Saik’uz
Splatsin
Upper Nicola
Ulkatcho Band
Quatsino
Coldwater Band
Lhtako (Red Bluff)
Boston Bar First Nation
Save the Fraser Declaration
Xat’sūll (Soda Creek)
Chawathil First Nation
Lhoosk’uz Dene Nation
Okanagan Indian Band
We have inhabited and governed our territories within the Fraser watershed, according to our laws
and traditions, since time immemorial. Our relationship with the watershed is ancient and profound, and our inherent Title and Rights and legal authority over these lands and waters have never been relinquished through treaty or war.
Water is life, for our peoples and for all living things that depend on it. The Fraser River and its tributaries are our lifeline.
A threat to the Fraser and its headwaters is a threat to all who depend on its health. We will not allow our fish, animals, plants, people and ways of life to be placed at risk.
We have come together to defend these lands and waters from a grave threat: the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines project. This project which would link the Tar Sands to Asia through our territories and the headwaters of this great river, and the federal process to approve
it, violate our laws, traditions, values and our inherent rights as Indigenous Peoples under international law. We are united to exercise our inherent Title, Rights, and responsibility to ourselves, our ancestors, our descendants and to the people of the world, to defend these lands and waters. Our laws require that we do this.
Therefore, in upholding our ancestral laws, Title, Rights and responsibilities, we declare:
We will not allow the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines, or similar Tar Sands projects, to cross our lands, territories and watersheds, or the ocean migration routes of Fraser River salmon.
We are adamant and resolved in this declaration, made according to our Indigenous laws and authority. We call on all who would place our lands and waters at risk – we have suffered enough, we will protect our watersheds, and we will not tolerate this great threat to us all and to all future generations.
Declared at T’exelc (Williams Lake), Secwepemc Territory, and Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories, and affirmed by the following Indigenous nations:
St’át’imc
SaveTheFraser.ca
WE THE UNDERSIGNED INDIGENOUS NATIONS OF THE FRASER RIVER WATERSHED DECLARE:
Gathering of NationsP R OT E C T I N G O U R W AT E R S H E D F R O M O I L
SA
V E T H E F R ASER
Yakweakwioose
Burns Lake Band
Alexis Creek First Nation
Bonaparte
Campbell River
Stswecem’c/Xgat’tem (Canoe Creek)
Cape Mudge Band
Ktunaxa Nation
Lake Babine Nation
Nadleh Whut’en
Nicomen Indian Band
Penticton Indian Band, Okanagan Nation
Sumas
Adams Lake
Esketemc
Mt. Currie Band/Lil’wat Nation
Musqueam Indian Band
N’Quatqua
Nak’azdli
Nooaitch Indian Band
Takla Lake First Nation
T’exelc (Williams Lake Band)
T’ít’q’et
Tl’esqox/Toosey
Tsq’escen First Nation (Canim Lake Band)
Tzeachten
Wet’suwet’en
Xeni Gwet’in First Nations Government
Xaxli’p
Kwantlen
Lyackson
SUPPORTING NATIONS:
Bridge River Indian Band
Stop
the ex
pans
ion of oil su
pertan
ker t
raffic throug
h B.C.’s coa
stal w
aters
Petit
ion to th
e Ho
use of Com
mon
s and
to th
e Ho
nourab
le th
e Le
gislative As
sembly of th
e Prov
ince
of B
ritish Co
lumbia, in
Leg
islature Assem
bled
W
e th
e un
dersigne
d dr
aw you
r atten
tion to
pro
posa
ls by En
bridge
, Kinde
r Mor
gan an
d CN
Rail t
o ex
pand
cru
de oil ta
nker
traf
fic th
roug
h B.
C.’s coa
st to
ship oil to
Asia
, which
wou
ld put
B.C
.’s abu
ndan
t salm
on ri
vers and
coa
st at
risk of
oil sp
ills. A
sing
le Exx
on V
alde
z-‐lik
e sp
ill cou
ld je
opar
dize
thou
sand
s of f
amilies
and
live
lihoo
ds, e
ntire
cultu
res, and
a sp
ecta
cular d
iver
sity of
life
. Tha
t’s w
hy 70 First N
ation co
mm
uniti
es ban
ned th
ese ty
pes o
f pro
jects v
ia th
e Co
astal F
irst N
ations
and
Sav
e the Fraser dec
laratio
ns, w
hich
an ar
ray of
citi
zens
are
reco
gnizi
ng as a
n op
portun
ity to
unite
in pro
tection of
our
shar
ed coa
st and
adv
ance
reco
nciliat
ion be
twee
n First N
ations
and
the re
st of B
.C.
and Ca
nada
. Yo
ur pet
ition
ers r
ecog
nize
thes
e de
clar
ations
and
the au
thor
ity exe
rcise
d th
erein,
and
call u
pon Pa
rliam
ent a
nd th
e B.C. Leg
islature to
use w
hateve
r mea
ns are ava
ilable to st
op th
e ex
pans
ion of crude
oil tank
er tr
affic
throug
h B.C.’s coa
stal w
aters.
Nam
e (p
leas
e pr
int)
Phon
e N
umbe
r Is
this
a
cell?
Em
ail
Stre
et A
ddre
ss
City
Po
stal
Cod
e Si
gnat
ure
Priv
acy:
Dog
woo
d In
itiat
ive
resp
ects
you
r priv
acy
and
will
not
trad
e yo
ur n
ame
or a
llow
it to
be
used
by
third
par
ties.
Dog
woo
d In
itiat
ive
may
per
iodi
cally
send
you
info
rmat
ion
and
appe
als o
n th
is a
nd o
ther
is
sues
.
I, , the authorized representative of draw your attention to proposals by Enbridge, Kinder Morgan and CN Rail to expand crude oil tanker tra�c through B.C.’s coast to ship oil to Asia, which would put B.C.’s abundant salmon rivers and coast at risk of oil spills. A single Exxon Valdez-like spill could jeopardize thousands of families and livelihoods, entire cultures, and a spectacular diversity of life. That’s why 70 First Nation communities banned these types of projects via the Coastal First Nations and Save the Fraser declarations, which an array of citizens are recognizing as an opportunity to unite in protection of our shared coast and advance reconciliation between First Nations and the rest of B.C. and Canada.
I recognize these declarations and the authority exercised therein, and call upon Parliament and the B.C. Legislature to use whatever means are available to stop the expansion of crude oil tanker tra�c through B.C.’s coastal waters.
Signature Date
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