Five Days to Save Our Coast
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT - YOUR EFFORTS PAID OFF
THE HOUSE VOTED 143 - 138 IN FAVOUR OF OUR MOTION
See how your MP Voted at www.openparliament.ca
Read our press release about this victory for BC
Click here to Join the Mailing List for daily action updates. Sign the petition
December 3, 2010
Just yesterday, Parliament debated a New Democrat motion demanding that the government immediately legislate a ban on oil supertankers from plying the hazardous waters off British Columbia’s sensitive northern coast.
Next Tuesday, December 7, MPs will vote on it – and we need your help to make sure they vote to protect some of the most ecologically significant coastline in the world.
How will we get there? With a five-day campaign of one easy action you can take every day to leading up to the vote.
Day 5: Watch the Vote
Thanks for joining us during these five days of action – together we’ve made sure that MPs know it’s time to legislate a ban on oil supertankers off British Columbia’s beautiful northern coast.
Make sure your MP is standing up to protect our coast.
Today’s Action: Tune in to watch the vote at 3 pm PST (6 pm EST) – you can watch live here.
Stay tuned for updates following the vote!
Day 4: Contact your MP
Only one day until the vote – time to make your voice heard in Ottawa in the most direct way possible.
Today’s Action: Contact your MP and tell them that your position is clear: no oil tankers on our West Coast!
Send a quick email saying you hope they’ll vote to protect the coast in law, or take five minutes to pick up the phone and ask your MP if they will vote to support a ban on tankers tomorrow.
Find your MP's contact information here (by postal code). Need ideas for talking to your MP? Learn more about the ecological significance of the spectacular northern BC coast here.
When you're finished, post a note on facebook to say you've made your voice heard, and encourage others to do the same.
Your actions over the past four days have created an amazing buzz ahead of tomorrow’s vote – keep it up! Together we’re on track to protect our coast for generations to come.
Day 3: Sign the Petition
Thank you for sharing our campaign with your friends – we’re growing stronger every day! As we get closer to the vote, it’s time to put pen to paper.
Today’s Action: Sign a petition demanding that the government immediately legislate a ban on oil supertankers.
Want to really send a message to the government that we need a law to permanently protect the West Coast from tanker traffic?
Click here to print paper copies of the petition and distribute to friends, family, and colleagues. Once filled out, mail them for free back to New Democrat MP Nathan Cullen, who will present them in the House of Commons to send a clear message that oil tankers aren’t worth the risk.
Only two days until the vote to save our coast – every signature matters!
Day 2: Tell Your Friends
The response yesterday was great – thanks for joining our team! We’re gaining momentum, but we can’t do it alone.
Today’s Action: Tell five friends about the 5 Days to Save the Coast campaign, and encourage them to help by signing up here.
Share some of the reasons why we need our MPs to take action on Tuesday to permanently protect the West Coast from oil tanker traffic:
- The British Columbia North Coast is one of the most magnificent and ecologically diverse coastlines in the world.
- The coastal waters of British Columbia are home to over 20 species of marine mammals, over 120 species of marine birds, and many species of fish.
- According to Environment Canada, 100 small, 10 moderate and 1 major spill is predicted every year based on current levels of tanker traffic in Canada. A catastrophic spill is predicted once every 15 years.
- If the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline proceeds, oil tanker traffic on the BC coast will increase from only a few to as many as 220 tankers a year. Each tanker is longer than the Eiffel Tower and holds hundreds of millions of litres of oil.
- The proposed area of tanker traffic is adjacent to the Great Bear Rainforest, a globally-significant ecosystem that is recognized as a model for land conservation. The rainforest is heavily dependent on the health of the water that surrounds and runs through it.
Day 1: Join Us
Yesterday, Members of Parliament heard debate about the importance of the BC Coast the need to protect it from the threat of oil supertankers. Help us spread the word.
Today’s Action: Sign up for the campaign over email or Facebook and take part!
Join Five Days to Save the Coast on facebook
Sign up for daily action updates by Email:
The stakes are high and the potential for disaster is great; please take a moment to sign up and be a part of the movement to permanently protect one of Canada’s greatest ecological treasures.
Following is the text of Cullen’s motion:
December 2, 2010 — Mr. Cullen (Skeena—Bulkley Valley) — That, in the opinion of the House, the government should immediately propose legislation to ban bulk oil tanker traffic in the Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound as a way to protect the West Coast’s unique and diverse ocean ecosystem, to preserve the marine resources which sustain the community and regional economies of British Columbia, and to honour the extensive First Nations rights and title in the area.
