Gitga’at Rally to protest the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline.

ByKeri Coles

It was so moving being up at the rally in Prince Rupert and seeing community come together with such solidarity against the Enbridge pipeline. Many remote and coastal communities depend directly on the lands and waters for their food, livelihood, and cultural practices. If there was a spill in the area, it would not just be an inconvenience, it would completely desecrate the way of life for thousands of people, not to mention sealife and wildlife. In opposing the pipeline, these communities are fighting for their lives.

One of the reasons I feel so strongly about getting personally involved as a photographer in this issue is the inequality in financial capacities of the opposing sides. On the “for” side we have oil and gas and the majority government. They’ve got a few dollars to throw around. They can pay for primetime ads. They’ve got their voice covered. It is the other side that I worry is being underrepresented.  The other side doesn’t have a media budget. They just have a lot of passionate people that are willing to fight for what they believe is right. So it will take tenacity, ingenuity, strength, intelligence, communication, sharing, and lots of other good stuff for us to get to a point of open educated debate on these issues.

Most major media didn’t go up to Prince Rupert for the rally. Too remote? Too expensive to go? Not newsworthy? I can only speculate. What I do know is that it was the most powerful display of civil society I have seen in a long while. I personally believe that needs to be seen, to be shared, and to be considered during the pipeline decision.

If you would like more information on the pipeline and its implications here are some great links:

Dogwood Initiative

Pembina Institute

Ecojustice

Humans are incredibly intelligent, innovative creatures. We have options. The pipeline is not the only option that could provide jobs and economic growth.

If you think this side of the debate needs more air time, please share.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took a video of the drumming and dancing on my iphone (that doesn’t do it justice at all!) that you can check out here.

,

Similar Posts

  • Lucas Family

    ByKeri Coles

    I just had the Lucas family back for another wonderful photo shoot. Philippe’s mother was in town so it was a great chance to capture the magical bond between grandmother and granddaughter. I just love shooting family love; especially when three generations are involved 😉 Little Sophie stole a piece of my heart when I first met her (you can check out our first Lucas family photo here). She is such a little darling! I got a very sweet email from Philippe after I dropped off their cd of images. A bit of it went like this…”Mary and I are…

  • Haida Carver – Lyle Campbell

    ByKeri Coles

    When I was up in Prince Rupert for the rally, I spent Friday just wandering around. I came across Lyle Campbell’s carving studio and went in to check out his amazing work. I love spending time with artists and witnessing the process of creation. Lyle’s fiance Kim was there as well, painting. I was grateful for the opportunity to hang out and chat and capture them in action. They are such a lovely couple. Be sure to check out their studio if you are ever in the area! You can see Lyle talking about his art here.      …

  • The twins

    ByKeri Coles

    First of all, I would like to give a big shout out to all parents of twins. You are an amazing bunch. I don’t know how you do it 😉 Humans have an incredible capacity to deal with whatever is thrown at them (in this case, two remarkably sweet and adorable little boys); but, being the mother of one, there are many days when I feel maxed and I could not even imagine the chaos². All you amazing Moms and Dads out there, give yourselves a pat on your back and a hug to your kids 😉

  • Sacred Mountain Lavender Farm

    ByKeri Coles

    On my way home from the cob building workshop on Salt Spring Island, Ella and I took a detour to Sacred Mountain Lavender Farm. Sadly, we were missing the lavender festival by two days but I thought we should still take the opportunity to go by the farm. It was soooooooo worth it. The lavender was GORGEOUS! Oh, the heavenly smell! The farm is a fabulous working demonstration farm where they encourage you to get in there and experience it. I think it is so important these days, with the prevalence of the disconnect between our plates and the farmers,…

  • Family fun in Goldstream

    ByKeri Coles

    One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to document the evolution of families. It wasn’t something I thought about when I was starting out but now that I have had clients come back to me year after year, I really cherish the times I get to catch up with them and see how beautifully their families have grown. This family is no exception. My last shoot with them was at Beacon Hill park last year. You can check out the images from that shoot here. This year we hung out and played at Goldstream. Ahhhh, Goldstream in the…

4 Comments

  2. Fabulous coverage of such an important event.
    It isn’t a matter of If there is a spill it is when.
    I grew up in Bella Coola and there is no room for
    Tankers anywhere on any of OUR coast.
    Thanks for being there

Comments are closed.