Erin Empey http://www.erinempey.com Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:35:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Sinking Ships http://www.erinempey.com/2012/11/sinking-ships/ http://www.erinempey.com/2012/11/sinking-ships/#comments Sun, 11 Nov 2012 06:34:39 +0000 erin http://www.erinempey.com/?p=656 Purple starfishEarly this summer I traveled to Hartley Bay in Northern BC and had the privilege of meeting some people from the Gitga’at Nation. Their small, isolated community has lived off of the land for centuries. If the Northern Gateway pipeline proposal goes through, they will see hundreds of tankers pass through their territory every year, disrupting their fishing and tourism work. The noise from the tankers will disrupt marine life such as humpback, killer and fin whales, all of which have had significant population growth in the last 10 years. The people I spoke with are terrified of what could happen if there is a tanker accident. Their fears are not without precedent.

The narrow channels in the region are bordered by jagged rocks and subject to violent storms. There are two significant shipwrecks in Gitga’at territory that periodically leach chemicals. Even today they say on a calm day they can see small diesel slicks around the site where the Queen of the North ferry went down in 2006. Even worse is a rusting American World War II armament ship containing 700 tonnes of fuel and explosives, which has had two major leaks since 2003.

I wrote an investigative feature on these wrecks. Read the full story in The Dominion.

Sign in Hartley Bay Moon rise over Hartley Bay Hartley Bay village at dusk Sea anemone Shellfish bed Oar on the ocean Kelp Hartley_Bay_20120608_0004 Purple starfish Sea Lion rock Eagle carrying off dinner Killer Whale

 

Northern Gateway tanker/Queen of the North ferry route

]]> http://www.erinempey.com/2012/11/sinking-ships/feed/ 0 Vancouver’s Syrian community reacts to Hama attacks http://www.erinempey.com/2011/08/vancouvers-syrian-community-reacts-to-hama-attacks/ http://www.erinempey.com/2011/08/vancouvers-syrian-community-reacts-to-hama-attacks/#comments Sat, 06 Aug 2011 07:01:48 +0000 erin http://www.erinempey.com/?p=597 Vancouver’s Syrian community reacts to the Syrian government’s human rights violations: Vancouver Media Co-op

]]> http://www.erinempey.com/2011/08/vancouvers-syrian-community-reacts-to-hama-attacks/feed/ 0 Climate Justice Rally in Vancouver http://www.erinempey.com/2010/12/climate-justice-rally-in-vancouver/ http://www.erinempey.com/2010/12/climate-justice-rally-in-vancouver/#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:35:08 +0000 erin http://173.83.10.93/?p=548 Saturday December 11

GatewaySucks.org organized a rally in Vancouver to protest the BC Liberal government’s climate policies. Activists and labour representatives gave speeches before unloading a truck full of freeway-construction dirt in front of Vancouver’s World Trade Center.

Photos by yours truly, full story by Sandra Cuffe at the Vancouver Media Co-op.

Police Presence Action Van Irene Lazinger of the BC Federation of Labour Stop Land Removal from the ALR Solidarity Notes Labour Choir serenades climate justice rally in Vancouver. Former MLA Harold Steves takes direct action for climate justice. Sandbagging Sandbag assembly line blockades BC cabinet offices. Sandbag assembly line blockades BC cabinet offices. Sandbagging Sandbag barricade for climate justice in Vancouver. Indigenous Action Movement founder Cat Norris speaks out at climate justice rally. Maria in the Shower Climate Justice rally in Vancouver sandbags office of BC premier and cabinet. Earle Peach, Solidarity Notes Choir conductor ]]> http://www.erinempey.com/2010/12/climate-justice-rally-in-vancouver/feed/ 0