The following was published in The Province, Vancouver, Sept. 13.

By Joseph Maloney

As August began, three tankers with a combined capacity of almost two million barrels of oil prepared to pass through the Strait of Juan de Fuca to refineries in Washington State. Two of these ships were American, en route from Alaska. The third, the Nordtulip, flying the Portuguese flag, was delivering Russian oil out of Vladivostok.

Why, you might ask, would Russian oil be feeding the refineries of our neighbours in the Pacific North West?

You might also wonder why oil from Russia is helping to fuel your car in British Columbia.

Let me repeat that: why is Russian oil fuelling cars in British Columbia?

Alaska’s production is declining. Huge tankers still ply their way to refineries in Washington, but the amount of oil they supply is dwindling. It has to be made up from somewhere because, despite electric vehicles, demand for oil is projected to increase every year until 2040.

If you own a refinery in the Pacific North West, Russian oil is a substitute for the shortfall from Alaska. Unfortunately, you can’t say the same for Canadian oil. Although it originates thousands of kilometres closer, pipelines are operating at 100% capacity and shipping by rail from Alberta or North Dakota comes with its own problems.

So why not use Russian oil? We all know Russian oil is extracted according to the strictest environmental standards, workers operate under the best conditions and the indigenous people are consulted whenever any work would affect their environment. Oh, and let’s not forget about Vladimir Putin, that great defender of democracy and human rights. As my grandson might say: “Not!”

When we aren’t dreaming, we know that we’d much rather buy our oil from Canada than from Russia. I just don’t believe that, given the choice, Canadians would rather get our oil from a brutal dictatorship thousands of kilometres away than from a province right next door.

The refineries in Washington State that supply some of BC’s gasoline want Canadian oil too. At Anacorte, where the Nordtulip docked after its month-long ocean voyage from Vladivostok, both refineries get some of their oil from the Trans Mountain pipeline. The Andeavour refinery has made a “significant” commitment for Alberta oil over the next 10-15 years if only they can get more.

But before they can get it, the Trans Mountain extension has to be built. And there lies the problem.

Canada must be the only country in the world where a vocal minority of citizens protests against using their most valuable natural resource to maintain one of the world’s highest standards of living, best healthcare, pensions, education and other benefits too numerous to list here.

Does Canadian oil contribute to greenhouse gas emissions? Of course it does.

Should that be a reason for us to leave it to other countries – many of them vicious totalitarian autocracies – to supply a demand that’s going to exist whether we help fill it or not?

Canadian oil is getting cleaner: a barrel of oil from the latest oil sands facility compares favourably with the world average. Technological improvements continue to lower the GHG emissions involved in its production.

Transporting Canadian vs. Russian oil is, to me, a no-brainer. If you’re concerned about emissions from transportation, a pipeline beats a tanker any day of the week. Let’s not forget that spills from the current Trans Mountain pipeline over the past few decades probably don’t add up to a year’s worth of accidental discharges from commercial shipping in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Most important, Canada is a democracy. We have a process that, if flawed, gives a voice to communities and First Nations. We have legal protections for workers that benefit hundreds of thousands in the industry and millions in our communities. Russia, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria (three places from which Canadians get oil) don’t bother to consider such niceties.

Why are we supporting corrupt and dictatorial regimes in Saudi Arabia and Russia by buying their oil, rather than supporting our fellow Canadians, who share our values and contribute to our prosperity?

Given the challenges we face internationally, it’s time to stand up for our country. We’ll face some tough choices as we do, one of which will be over the Trans Mountain expansion. I know where I stand and where I believe a large majority of my fellow Canadians do too.