There’s no question that the Woodfibre LNG and its associated FortisBC pipeline have been divisive topics in Squamish.
It has been a point of disagreement among Squamish Nation members, families and friends.
At this point, a decade in, we all have pretty firm stances on it that are unlikely to be moved.
But we all have so much more in common than our disagreement over this.
We have a lot going for us, LNG facility or not.
What is not acceptable and could ultimately do us far more harm as a community than this project, is the way we have been treating each other over it.
Since our editorial critical of council’s decision on the temporary use permit last week, more than a few people have contacted us to say they agree, but don’t want to say so publicly. We get it.
Declaring you support council passing the TUP, or (gasp) the project itself, opens you up to being treated like you’re a climate change-denying, anti-Squamish idiot who has no understanding of the situation the Earth is in.
But the truth is that only a very small proportion of the population doesn’t believe climate change is real. (About 5 to 8% are actual deniers.)
So, the vast majority of us are on the same page.
Some believe this project is our best way forward globally, others don’t.
We all want a healthy environment for ourselves and our kids.
Yet, some of the sanctimonious discourse around this project and those who are taking jobs to build it is elitism and prejudice dressed up as environmentalism; weaponizing concern over the environment to demean and “other” those who support it, or who are working for it.
That is not OK. That is bullying.
One can be equally concerned about global warming, care about micro-plastics in the ocean, and want to prevent turtles from being impaled by straws and still not agree with council’s stand on the TUP, or believe the project is a done deal and want to get on with it.
Being loud against the project doesn’t give anyone moral superiority.
By the same token, we can criticize a council move without degrading the well-meaning individuals who serve on it. The vitriol unleashed at some council members, especially online, is beyond the pale.
All this to say, a bully is a bully, whether they are doing so in the name of saving the planet or capitalizing on being part of the majority in a room (virtual or real).
What ultimately separates us from the animals we all want to protect is our ability to use our grey matter to disagree civilly rather than behaving like those who disagree with us are prey.
Squamish will be OK during and after this project; whether we collectively are is up to us.
