What an opportunity to make a difference!

Members of the Sunshine Coast Peace Group demonstrate at NanoosePresentation for the Sunshine Coast Peace Group

by Denise Birklein-Lagassé

Nanoose Bay Expropriation Hearings

July 19, 1999, 4:00 pm

Four Points Sheraton Inn, Nanaimo

Members of the Sunshine Coast Peace Group
demonstrate at Nanoose
 
 
 

The policy of the U.S. navy is neither to confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons.  In the year 2000 it is time this policy is challenged and changed.  The citizens of British Columbia have said: "No Nukes at Nanoose" and now  it is up to the Canadian Government to say as  Prime Minister Lange of New Zealand  (which is a Nuclear  Free Zone) said on February 4, 1985:  " If we don't know whether or not they are nuclear armed  they can't come.  This is going to be our continuing policy.  This is not anti-American, it is not anti alliance, it is anti-nuclear."
"There was just the silent flash.  Even though it was morning, the sky was dark, as dark as twilight.  Then
I saw streams of human beings shuffling away from the center of the city. Parts of their bodies were
missing.  Their eyes had been liquefied.  They had blackened skin, and strips of flesh hung like ribbons
from their bones.  The strangest thing was the silence.  It is one of the most unforgettable impressions I
have.  You'd think that people would be panic-stricken, running, yelling.  Not at Hiroshima.  They moved
in slow motion, like figures in a silent movie, shuffling through the dust and smoke.   I heard thousands of
people breathing the words, "Water, give me water." (Setsuko Thurlow)

Hiroshima survivors gather after the blast, August, 1945

Hiroshima survivors gather after the blast, August, 1945


At present we maintain on this planet the destructive power of 500,000 Hiroshima's. World leaders continue to hold us all  only minutes away from mass destruction  (9 minutes to midnight on the Doomsday Clock according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists).

That is exactly why citizens and grassroots groups continue to work for nuclear disarmament.  We love our planet. Each of our actions makes a difference.

Since March of 1983  the  Sunshine Coast Peace Committee has been meeting once a month to work on peace and disarmament issues.   The  Whiskey Golf Test Range in Georgia Strait has been a major focus of our energies and campaigns. We know that disarmament begins in our own backyard.    Therefore, in 1983 the Sunshine Coast Regional District which represents Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay , Pender Harbor and the Sechelt Nation voted the region a Nuclear Free Zone.  The definition of a Nuclear Free Zone is "Any well defined geographical area, regardless of size, in which no nuclear weapons shall be produced, transported, stored, processed, disposed of or detonated.  Neither shall any facility, equipment, supply or substance for their production, transportation, storage, processing disposal  or detonation be permitted within its borders."
 

Peace group kiosque at Sunshine Folk FestivalPeace group kiosque at Sunshine Folk Festival

In 1989, the Sunshine Coast Peace Group became a part of the submarine and nuclear vessel ship alert at Nanoose Bay.  Each time a nuclear powered or nuclear weapons carrying U.S ship arrived at Nanoose Bay, local residents posted bright yellow, "Danger" signs.

Iris Griffith prepared and presented a slide show and report about the hazards of nuclear vessels at Nanoose for local groups.  A few points I would like to emphasize here include:

1)  Most accidents on subs go unreported, but one study found they have a reported problem every three months.  Over a quarter of these involve the nuclear power plant.  The most common incident is the mistaken release of radioactive water used to cool the reactor core.  Some of the vessels which come here have been discovered releasing coolant in other harbors.

2)  A retired sub commander say they used to discharge it regularly, and not tell local authorities.  The American doctor who treated Chernobyl victims says the subs are leaking radioactivity all the time.

3)  Medium serious accidents are like the one in April, 1989--a Soviet sub sank off Norway from an electrical problem --or one in Scotland the year before where a cooling system fault took them within minutes of what an expert witness calls a "mini- Three Mile Island or Chernobyl which could have contaminated 2000 square miles."

4)   Finally, there are collisions.  U.S. nuclear subs have collided with cargo ships, Harbor tugs, barges, merchant ships, an aircraft carrier, a destroyer, a mine-sweeper, nuclear waste barrels, a target ship and a whale.

It is exactly for these kinds of reasons that in 1990  the Sunshine Coast Regional District unanimously passed the "Peace Motion" which urged the Federal Government "..to ensure that the policy of no nuclear weapons in Canada (a federal policy) is made consistent by declaring Nanoose Bay and the Strait of Georgia a nuclear weapons free zone".  The rationale for the board's concern is "... an accident involving nuclear powered vessels or an accidental fire aboard a ship carrying nuclear weapons at Nanoose Bay could threaten the lives and health of thousands of people on the Sunshine Coast, and could cost billions of dollars for which there is no legal liability."

8 year old Katerina helps plant a peace pole at CFMETR.

8 year old Katerina helps plant a peace pole at CFMETR.

This is local democracy speaking, a voice to be respected because it is the vision of the people, their lives and their communities.  To that effect, the Sunshine Coast Regional District on  May  20, 1999 also voted to send in a letter opposing the expropriation of the sea bed by the Federal Government.

In March 1996, the Sunshine Coast Peace Committee began the campaign "Make Fish not War" .  Our information showed that the federal government was spending  over 8 million to keep the Cold War alive in Georgia Strait at the Nanoose facility.  At the same time they were cutting $3-$4 million from Department of Fisheries Salmonid enhancement programs.  We lobbied hard sending 600 names on a petition to  Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign Affairs  because we did not want to see the agreement renewed between the Department of National Defense  and the US navy.

Then something amazing happened.  In the spring of 96, we discovered that the provincial government leased the sea bed to the federal government who in turn allowed access to the U.S. government so that they could lay their acoustic equipment on the ocean floor for weapons testing. We launched a new petition which asked the provincial government to cancel Aquatic Lands license #103025.  By December of 1996, we had a petition with 1,500 local signatures which we delivered to British Columbia Environmental Minister Paul Ramsey.  As a peace group, we realized that British Columbians have an incredible amount of power to change this situation. This is what you are
witnessing today.Denise presents petition to BC Environment Minister Paul Ramsey, 1996

Denise presents petition to BC Environment Minister Paul Ramsey, 1996

In February of this year, the Sunshine Coast Regional District passed the Abolition 2000 Municipal Resolution which calls upon the Government of Canada to take a leadership role in working to abolish nuclear weapons  world-wide.  In fact, a 1998 Angus Reid poll showed that 93% of Canadians want a world free of nuclear weapons.  Nanoose Bay is a good place to begin this commitment.

The policy of the U.S. navy is neither to confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons.  In the year 2000 it is time this policy is challenged and changed.  The citizens of British Columbia have said "No Nukes at Nanoose" and now  it is now up to the Canadian Government to say as  Prime Minister Lange of New Zealand  (which is a Nuclear  Free Zone )said in February 4, 1985," If we don't know whether or not they are nuclear armed  they can't come.  This is going to be our continuing policy.  This is not anti-American, it is not anti alliance, it is anti-nuclear."   What an incredible opportunity British Columbians and Canadians have to turn the nuclear clock back and show leadership to other countries.
 

Denise and Misca on the steps of the BC Legislature. Nuclear Weapons declared Illegal. World Court 1996Denise and Misca on the steps of the BC Legislature.  Nuclear Threat  Illegal.  World Court 1996

For the past 19  years we have petitioned, written letters to all Members of Parliament, folded paper  cranes, walked in parades, planted peace poles, met with staff at Nanoose Bay,  passed resolutions and supported each other with a vision of a just , sustainable and peaceful future for our children.  Every single minute of it  has  been volunteer time and funded by donations from generous hearts  because we believe deeply that there is no place for nuclear weapons in Georgia Strait or anywhere on this planet.

When you are a child you learn that if you hold a shell up to your ear, you can hear the ocean.  I am leaving you with this moon snail shell collected by my children on Cortes Island, because it reminds us to listen, listen to the people that live here and respect their knowledge and democratic choice. We have stated it in the Legislature.    More importantly , it reminds all of us who make our homes on the shores of Georgia Strait to listen to the ocean herself, to the  needs of this precious body of water that sustains all life in this sacred , rich ecosystem.

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