By: Mason Mattu, Section Editor 

According to the Port of Vancouver, dredging work in the Burrard Inlet could start as soon as this year. Supporters of this plan, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, say that this dredging project will allow for an increase in the amount of oil transported by tankers to the Trans Mountain Pipeline terminal. This project poses great threats — both to our environment and economy — and we must mobilize to stop it. 

Dredging as a process removes sediments and debris from the bottoms of waterways. When governments wish to transport more oil across bodies of water, the vessel requires more water to float. Dredging allows for that. However, it also allows for the destruction of habitats. 

What makes the proposed dredging so dangerous is the lack of care for the sensitive ecosystem of the area. Colonialism destroyed the Burrard Inlet’s ecosystem as settlers overexploited the fish supply, taking away the livelihoods of the səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh People). In the present day, despite both the government and corporations continuing to exploit the Burrard Inlet, the səlilwətaɬ has attempted to repair the ecosystem, focussing on restoring kelp beds (sources of food and shelter that support the ecosystem) to the inlet. Those working on this dredging project have shown little interest in the environment here. In fact, there is no funding from the federal government for proper research to be conducted before the project begins. 

Alongside this, with tankers carrying more oil, we face increased risks for a catastrophic oil spill. If a large oil spill occurs, which is a higher possibility with the amount of oil we wish to carry across the inlet, we’re talking about risks we can all feel! From a deterioration in air quality, to destruction of our food systems.

There is a reason why the stewards of the land, the səlilwətaɬ, have opposed this project.

Their name literally translates to “People of the Inlet.” 

Moreover, this project is not in the best interest of our local economy. When the ecosystem of the Burrard Inlet experiences environmental harm, it will impact the Salish Seas business of the səlilwətaɬ, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and ɬaʔamɩn (Tla’amin) Nations — a business that generates revenue from sustainable fishing and harvesting. 

Any project that supports the oil industry is not in the best interest of our national economy. According to estimates, global peak oil demand could be reached by 2029. This would create a conundrum in this heavily taxpayer-subsidized industry if we’re not prepared. In a time when global markets are moving away from oil and gas as part of climate agreement targets, we should be prepared to make generational investments in exportable clean energy, not a dying industry. 

Whether you care about healthy communities, or simply want taxpayer dollars to be invested in projects that actually prepare Canada for trade on the global market, there are a lot of reasons to not support this project. 

I encourage readers to write to their MLAs to reconsider project approval. Don’t know what to say? Just copy and paste the body of this article. Now is the time to get organized and stop this disaster from taking place.