More Teepee Creepers – Dogwood vs. Ksi Lisims LNG
I did not expect to be writing a part two of the SkeenaWild’s Teepee Creepers but a day later, we see more of the same thing from another group, also funded by the same American Anti Industry Organizations.
Lets not get ahead of ourselves, some of this might look familiar from our other article.
“A First Nation in British Columbia is proposing a new liquified natural gas (LNG) export facility to be built on the community’s treaty land and is making an environmental pledge to reach net-zero emissions within three years of commencing operations.
The Nisga’a Nation, whose territory is north of Prince Rupert near the Alaska border, is partnering with a group of Western Canadian natural gas producers called Rockies LNG Partners and a Texas-based energy company called Western LNG.
The project is called Ksi Lisims LNG and would include a pipeline to transport natural gas from the northeast corner of the province to the coast. The facility itself is estimated to cost $10 billion.”
One needs to understand just how important this project is and why, the following is a quote from Resource Works.
New LNG export facilities mean thousands of jobs, millions in government tax revenue, and an opportunity for Canada to help the world decarbonize — all the while advancing economic reconciliation with First Nations.
For the last few years, LNG Canada and Coastal GasLink have almost single-handedly saved the BC economy, certainly in the skilled trades and in the north. Those two projects, in addition to the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project and the Site C hydroelectric dam, make up a whopping 95% of construction jobs in BC and $100 billion in capital investment.
Why would you oppose a project that would help decarbonize the world, unless you had ulterior motives? Or if you were actually working for and getting paid by the competition.
The following is the wording verbatim, from the Petition by Dogwood , most likely from Kai Nagata their communications director who was also heavily involved in the battle they lost against Coastal Gaslink. Note in this particular sentence. (The petition is in blue type below) we just needed you to read one of their teepee creeper comments first.
“As residents of B.C. we respect the right of the Nisga’a people to develop their land and resources as they see fit.”
It begs the question of how many of the 5120 signatures they bragged about are actually residents of BC, or even Canada for that matter?
Let us also not forget how this same organization as recently as last year (2022) was found guilty of election interference.
Let me quote from the news.
Prior to that, Dogwood was soliciting volunteers to join its phone bank system and work in shifts to get people to join the BC NDP, as part of emails that were also high in praise for Appadurai and dismissive of Eby. The organization called it a “base camp” operation.
“All month long, we’re calling Dogwood supporters and sharing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put a climate champion in the Premier’s office!” read a Facebook post, which offered training on how to use Dogwood’s internal CallHub software.
Dogwood was also fundraising $3,500 boost the capacity of the call centre, and it’s unclear if the money raised is an indirect contribution to Appadurai’s campaign.
“That money will go directly to reaching 10,000 Dogwood supporters asking them to vote in the race to choosing the person who will lead B.C. for the next two years,” wrote Adam Bailey, Dogwood’s head of revenue, in emails to supporters Aug. 25 and 30.
“Appadurai, 32, disagreed with a report by the party’s executive that she engaged in “serious improper conduct” by working with third parties including the environmental group Dogwood B.C., which was found to have conducted membership drives on her behalf.” (source)
So ethics is really not high on Dogwood’s list of priorities. The end justifies the means.
Copied verbatim from their website, some major teepee creeping.
“British Columbia is a resource colony founded on land theft, white supremacy and genocide. These policies unlocked enormous wealth for corporations, but also laid the foundation for the social, economic and environmental problems we face today.” “Directing time, equipment and resources to Indigenous friends and neighbours working to defend their rights and reassert control of their land.”
So what they are really saying is they support the aboriginal right to develop their land and resources as they see fit unless it involves major industry or corporations, funny it almost sounds like colonial teepee creeping.
Should the Environmental Assessment Office even be taking these generic “leading the witness” letters seriously? Dogwood has already shown they are willing to bend the rules to meet their objectives. I look forward to a cross examination of the names they collected.
Another gas pipeline and tanker terminal?
To the Environmental Assessment Office:
As residents of B.C. we respect the right of the Nisga’a people to develop their land and resources as they see fit.
But the international oil and gas companies behind the Ksi Lisims LNG (liquified natural gas) proposal have an agenda that affects all of us. If approved, the impacts would reach far beyond Nisga’a territory.
The terminal alone would consume the entire power output of the Site C dam. We all have to pay for that dam — plus new transmission lines — on our BC Hydro bills.
If used for oil and gas projects, that electricity will not be available for heat pumps or electric vehicles. That means delaying the province’s transition away from fossil fuels.
The nearby Lax Kw’alaams Nation is strongly opposed to the LNG terminal because of its climate impacts, which threaten ocean life including wild salmon runs. We share that concern.
Supplying gas to Ksi Lisims would require another TC Energy pipeline through old growth forest and hundreds of streams and rivers, including the Babine, Skeena, Kispiox and Nass.
That means more destruction, division and conflict, as police and private security repeat the Coastal GasLink playbook in northern B.C.
If built, the pipeline and thousands of new fracking wells would vent raw methane into the atmosphere for decades to come. That leakage makes LNG worse for the climate than burning coal.
Now is not the time to build more oil and gas megaprojects. Our cost of living is high enough without propping up the profits of fossil fuel companies.
Now let’s look at how this is all bought and paid for and my whom? It is very relevant and important to take a close look at Dogwood BC. they are anything but a legitimate organization by people of the province of British Columbia, its a disguise, a clever one at that. Be sure to also review our article Dogwood Deception, for more on their antics.
Unlike Skeenawild, the Dogwood (website) and organization is not even a registered. What is posted on their website is “Our staff are members of the BCGEU and our volunteers, including board members, come from a wide range of backgrounds.”
Look at all these jobs, do you think its all unpaid volunteer work? This is why we need new laws that show transparency of funds received by any organization be it a registered society or organization. or not.
With the kind of funding this group has, one has to admit its less about truth and more about a paid career.
Adam Bailey – Head of Revenue
Ashley Zarbatany – Fossil Gas Campaigner
Laura Benson – Director of Administration and Human Resources
Pierre Chauvin Bookkeeper and Development Coordinator
Ernie Chow – Board of Directors: Director
Cassidy Crowe – Board of Directors: Director
Maggie Gilbert – Head of Digital Systems
Paige Gorsak – Organizing Coordinator
Molly Henderson – Communications and Campaigns Coordinator
Jamie Hynes – Interim Head of Digital
Aman Jhuty – Board of Directors: Treasurer
Ingrid Kastens – Board of Directors: Board President
Seth Klein – Board of Directors: Director
Dinjot Matharu – Surrey Organizing Coordinator
Aanchal Mogla – Board of Directors: Director
Kai Nagata – Communications Director – (Also these this page)
Christina Smethurst – Head of Communications
Matt Takach – Operations Director
Alexandra Woodsworth – Director of Organizing
Calum Campbell – Canvass Lead
Ashton Smyth – Canvasser
Reteka Yuvaraj – Canvasser
Now the numbers, oh what money can buy! Money that originated outside of Canada.
$1.6m in revenue. So they are richer than Skeenawild or Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition.
‘Only’ $300k in grants…When the big US Fdns slowed down funding Dogwood pivoted to hitting individuals. And who knows what ’fee for service’ they do or who they do it for.
