Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Social Impacts

Social Impacts. Overnight injections of migrant workers will not build healthy communities and can have severely adverse impacts on existing communities, especially those of indigenous nations on their traditional lands. Such development brings vices and long term displacement too often. Drugs, alcohol and associated violence spreads. Hunting becomes difficult when the land is threatened, leading to a further loss of culture and tradition. In towns like Fort McMurray there is no planning for the future, but merely consumption in the present. However transient the individuals may be, the populations will not leave, as “development” takes on a logic all its own. All levels of run away development are subordinate to that development, not social need.

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PM takes a trip to Fort McMurray (2 articles)

PM hears frank concerns from locals in closed-door meeting

By CAROL CHRISTIAN
Fort McMurray Today staff
Tuesday November 06, 2007

There were no promises or money from Prime Minister Stephen Harper during his brief visit to Wood Buffalo Monday, and only vague answers about any tangible results of the visit from area MP Brian Jean.
But that didn’t stop some of those business leaders who participated in a roundtable discussion with the PM from calling it a success, especially when it came to raising awareness of issues faced by the region.

Prentice: "We need to 'demystify' the SPP"

Prentice: We need to 'demystify' the SPP

Jim Prentice, the federal Industry Minister, says governments and business leaders in North America must do a better job of selling the virtues of closer economic and security links among the three countries.

In a speech Tuesday to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, he said there is an urgent need to "demystify" the push to closer ties among Canada, the United States and Mexico, as outlined in the Security and Prosperity Partnership launched in March of 2005.

Cold-- K Beaton comic

November 4, 2007

Cold (click on the image to view)

by Katie Beaton

The Dominion - http://www.dominionpaper.ca

"Protect land ahead of [Mackenzie] pipeline, review panel told on last days of hearings"

Protect land ahead of pipeline, review panel told on last days of hearings

November 5, 2007 - 17:53

By: Bob Weber, THE CANADIAN PRESS

In two years of hearings in 26 northern communities, a panel reviewing the potential environmental and social impacts of a $16-billion natural gas pipeline down the Mackenzie Valley took in enough submissions to block a herd of caribou.

Six steps to “getting” the global ecological crisis

Posted by Prof. Goose on November 4, 2007 - 9:05am
John Feeney, Ph.D. Trained as a psychologist

Some of us who examine and discuss environmental matters are constantly puzzled and frustrated by the seeming inability of elected officials, environmental organizations, and environmental and political writers to “get” the nature of our ecological plight. Could it be they’re simply unaware of the ecological principles which enable one to understand it?

Fort Mac braces for huge rent hikes

Fort Mac braces for huge rent hikes
Three-bedroom place with leaky roof costs $2,950
By The Canadian Press
Sun. Nov 4 - 6:44 AM

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — Some apartment dwellers in northern Alberta’s booming oilsands were shocked this week to find notices posted on their doors warning of impending rent hikes exceeding $1,000 a month.

Management at River Park Glen told tenants the increases would become effective Feb. 1.

Edmonton: Rent crunch to worsen, go below 1% vacancy

Rent crunch to worsen
Vacancy rate forecasted to dip to under 1%

By KEVIN CRUSH, SUN MEDIA

Think the rental market is tight now? Just wait until next year.

That's when the apartment vacancy rate in Edmonton is forecasted to dip below the current 1% - making it that much harder for already frustrated renters to find a place to live.

"It's just getting retarded," said Jasmine, who asked her last name not be printed.

SIX MONTHS LOOKING

Jasmine said she's already spent more than six months trying to find a decent place for her and her fiance to rent with no luck.

Chief Terry Nelson, Roseau River-- Open Letter to Prentice on Enbridge Alberta Clipper Pipeline

Dear Minister Prentice,

Re: Pipelines Across Treaty # One Territory

I have yet to receive a response from you on the October 10th letter I sent to you regarding the Enbridge Alberta Clipper pipeline. This pipeline as proposed will cross Treaty one territory and is currently in the National Energy Board approval process. The federal government must take this matter seriously and you as the Minister in charge of pipelines must be proactive in addressing the concerns of First Nations in these matters.

Enbridge Announces TWO MORE (diluent & bitumen) Pipelines for Tar Sands

Enbridge to build C$2 billion oil sands pipeline
Fri Nov 2, 2007 10:31pm GMT

CALGARY, Alberta, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Enbridge Inc said on Friday it will build a C$2 billion ($2.14 billion) oil pipeline to handle tar-like bitumen from Petro-Canada's (PCA.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) planned Fort Hills oil sands project.

Enbridge, Canada's No. 2 pipeline firm, said the 480-km (300-mile) line will be capable of carrying 250,000 barrels of diluted bitumen a day from the project site near Fort McMurray, Alberta, southwest to an upgrader near the Alberta provincial capital of Edmonton.