A large anti-Enbridge rally against the Northern Gateway Pipeline happened in Victoria last Sunday. Hundreds turned out to the Legislature lawns before taking to the streets to march to Centennial Square. Once at the square, there was an afternoon full of workshops and panel discussions related to the environment, the energy sector, and effective ways to get involved in the debate. Here are some images from the day:
My trip to Bella Bella involved beautiful landscapes, good friends, small world run-ins, and fabulous boat rides.
Thank you, Yoey, for being such a wonderful friend, host, and inspiration. It was so great seeing your place and all the incredibly beautiful work you have put into it. It is a little slice of heaven.
Thank you, Anna, for being such a fun, passionate, and thought-provoking friend and adventure buddy. I look forward to our next project!
Bella Bella Wharf:
The wonderful Yoey:
Anna capturing the seascape:
Yoey’s place and our home away from home for the week:
Yoey’s woodshed:
The gorgeous morning light:
I *heart* adventure mudrooms. This one belongs to Raincoast.
Raincoast’s wharf:
Leaving Raincoast Headquarters after a delicious dinner and great company:
Nighttime boat ride with Bella Bella lights in the background:
Seeing Yoey off to work:
Seeing Yoey off to work:
Boat ride back to Bella Bella thanks to Brian of Raincoast:
Clear message:
I flew in to Bella Bella yesterday to witness and photograph the Joint Review Panel Hearings being held there for Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipeline. Sharing my flight were the panel members as well as Heiltsuk’s high ranking Chief Woyala. The community came to the airport to greet their chief and to stand in solidarity against the pipeline. The demonstration was powerful, respectful, and peaceful. The panel members were taken in a van from the airport into town and over to a resort called Shearwater. The rest of us walked into town where there was a feast, speeches, and dancing. The afternoon was a moving display of a unified community. The feast was a celebration of all the local foods that sustain the community which included smoked oolichan (yum!), salmon, rock cod, halibut, and herring roe on hemlock branches. At the end of the speeches we were all shocked to hear an announcement that the Joint Review Panel was cancelling the next day’s hearing because they felt threatened by the community and had feared for their safety when they were at the airport. I got off the plane with the panel members and I was with them until they drove away in the van. At no point was there anything aggressive or threatening about the situation. Shock and disappointment are not strong enough words to describe how the community felt upon hearing the news. Not only was the announcement extremely insulting but months and months of work were put into getting ready for this event.
The tribal council is currently in negotiations with the panel to try to get things moving forward.
While we wait for word, I’ll leave you with some images from the day.
Canada is at a pivotal moment right now in regards to energy sector decisions. It is a hugely polarizing issue and BC has found itself in the middle of the scrum. The tar sands in Alberta are expanding at an alarming rate and a pipeline is proposed to carry the bitumen from the tar sands across BC to the coast where it would be shipped to China. There is also a massive dam being proposed in the Peace River Valley in order to provide power to the expansion of the mining and gas industries in Northern BC. The Sacred Headwaters in the Klappan Valley has been slotted for coalbed methane drilling and the list goes on and on. Because a lot of this is happening in remote areas of BC it has taken some time for awareness and opposition to grow. But grow it has. These are big decisions, with big impacts on BC, and BC residents want in on the debate.
It was so moving being up at the rally in Prince Rupert and seeing community come together with such solidarity against the Enbridge pipeline. Many remote and coastal communities depend directly on the lands and waters for their food, livelihood, and cultural practices. If there was a spill in the area, it would not just be an inconvenience, it would completely desecrate the way of life for thousands of people, not to mention sealife and wildlife. In opposing the pipeline, these communities are fighting for their lives.
One of the reasons I feel so strongly about getting personally involved as a photographer in this issue is the inequality in financial capacities of the opposing sides. On the “for” side we have oil and gas and the majority government. They’ve got a few dollars to throw around. They can pay for primetime ads. They’ve got their voice covered. It is the other side that I worry is being underrepresented. The other side doesn’t have a media budget. They just have a whole lot of passionate people that are willing to fight for what they believe is right. So it will take tenacity, ingenuity, strength, intelligence, communication, sharing, and lots of other good stuff for us to get to a point of open educated debate on these issues (without being overrun by glossy rhetoric). So what I have to offer on this side of the debate is my skills. I don’t have many but I take a decent picture. So that is what I give.
Most major media didn’t go up to Prince Rupert for the rally. Too remote? To expensive to go? Not news worthy? I can only speculate. What I do know is that it was the most powerful display of civil society I have seen in a long while. I personally believe that that needs to be seen, to be shared, and to be considered during the pipeline decision.
If you would like more information on the pipeline and its implications here are some great links :
Humans are incredibly intelligent, innovative creatures. We have options. The pipeline is not the only option that could provide jobs and economic growth.
If you think this side of the debate needs more air time, please share.
I took a video of the drumming and dancing on my iphone (that doesn’t do it justice at all!) that you can check out here.
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When I was up in Prince Rupert for the rally, I spent Friday just wandering around. I came across Lyle Campbell’s carving studio and went in to check out his amazing work. I love spending time with artists and witnessing the process of creation. Lyle’s fiance Kim was there as well, painting. I was grateful for the opportunity to hang out and chat and capture them in action. They are such a lovely couple. Be sure to check out their studio if you are ever in the area! You can see Lyle talking about his art here.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Bif Naked up at the Prince Rupert rally. I had never seen her live before. She has a casual and intimate air about her that made it feel like she was playing for us in her living room. For someone that has had to face some major challenges in her life, it is apparent that she rolls with the punches and comes out smiling. I will definitely try to catch her show again.
Leah & Andy are an exceptional couple that totally stole my heart. They had a beautiful wedding in the orchard of St.Ann’s a few weeks ago and I thought I’d give them a little extra surprise with their wedding photography. Here it is:
What a great show it was. I feel so fortunate to have connected with all these amazingly talented women photographers for the Exhibit A gallery show. The turnout to the opening was incredible; the gallery was packed from the moment we opened the doors right up until the end. The day that I sat the gallery, it was pretty quiet which allowed me to take a few photos and have some fun ;)
The series that I did for this show is called “Modern Portraits of a Heritage Town”. I created abstract art by incorporating movement into my shooting while photographing locations around Victoria, BC.
The movement in the pieces is all done in camera with very little post-processing work.
A big thank you to Georgie Wilson for putting this show together, Verbena Floral Design for the gorgeous flowers, The Community Arts Council for the gallery space, the talented photographers involved in the show (look at the end of this post for a list of all the brilliant ladies), and most importantly, my family and friends for your unwavering support and love. xoxo
Next photo taken by Georgie. Thanks, Georgie!!
Check out the fabulous photographers that were involved with this show:
Andrea Kucherawy
Ashley Ohtsijah Hall
Georgie Wilson
Jenna Shouldice
Jesse Holland
Kelsey Goodwin
Lana Robertson
Laura Taylor
Marisa Savegnago
Nancy Brown
Rachelle Polsom
Ryan Macdonald
Saskia Bjornson
The show would not have been hung nearly as perfectly if Lana Winnichyn didn’t help ;)
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