Transition Sooke and Awareness Film Night’s call for a non-binding “no more tankers” plebiscite question on the November ballot was approved last week by Sooke council. As the Dogwood Initiative’s regional organizer Terry Dance Bennink told us, “No other municipality has put this on the ballot. It’s a historic precedent right up there with the Kitimat plebiscite. Well done Sooke!”

The final wording of the question will be figured out at tonight’s council meeting. Staff has recommended our original proposal: “Should the District of Sooke join other municipalities in renewing and restating its opposition to the expansion of oil tanker traffic through coastal BC waters. YES or NO.” Sincere thanks to Amanda Johnston and her Dogwood Sooke team, local researcher Kandace Kerr and all those who wrote letters of support, filled council chambers and stepped up to the mic. 

Council will also respond tonight to an offer by Kerr to forward any issues or concerns it has with the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion to the National Energy Board. She and her husband Kelly are two of four local intervenors in the upcoming NEB hearings, the others being the T’Sou-ke Nation and another private citizen. 

On a related note, the United Nations Climate Summit is set for next week. The People’s Climate Change March is this weekend in New York City, and related events are occurring around the world. In this area, everyone’s invited to the family oriented One Wave Festival in Victoria. It begins at Noon on Saturday at Centennial Square and will feature children’s activities, interactive art, puppetry, dancing and more. The festival is produced by the Pacific Peoples’ Partnership, Canada’s only social justice organization dedicated to linking indigenous peoples throughout the Pacific Rim.

Many of you receive Avaaz updates, however in case you don’t, we urge you to sign and share this one … “100 percent clean energy is a realistic goal!”

If not now, when?
TS