Fight the Power!
Powerful protest — A student-organized walk-out at South Delta Senior Secondary to oppose the VITR project attracted more than 600 people. Tyler Garnham photos (South Delta Leader), May 30, 2008
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Plenty of good reasons to object to new power lines
Letter
Vancouver Sun [British Columbia]
Published: Wednesday, June 04, 2008
I’m astounded at some of the comments I’ve seen in newspapers and on news and radio websites. I’m astounded at the narrow-minded people who say we are rich, stuck-up whiners.
I live in Tsawwassen. I’m not rich or stuck-up. I’m a single working mother living from paycheque to paycheque.
I don’t live under the power lines, but I’m as concerned as the rest of Tsawwassen about them — not because of housing prices, but because of the stunningly high voltage, their height and the way BC Hydro and the government are handling this frightening situation.
The powers-that-be are ready to pull the plug on hard plastic as a “preventive” measure but aren’t ready to take measures to ensure our kids are categorically safe from high-voltage transmissions lines and 30-metre towers?
The issue here is that there are other, safer alternatives. Bury the lines. Run them across uninhabited farmland. Run them down the highway. Put them anywhere but over our schools and playgrounds and backyards.
L. Lanoway Tsawwassen
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Hoods-up protest over Delta power lines
By Dan Ferguson – Surrey North Delta Leader – June 03, 2008
They parked their cars on the highway leading to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and raised their hoods.
The mass “break-down” on Monday afternoon slowed traffic to and from the ferry terminal from about 4-4:30 p.m. when Delta Police convinced them to move by threatening to bring in tow trucks.
“The cars miraculously came to life,” said Tsawwassen resident Debbie McBride, one of the protesters.
It was a demonstration against construction of new power lines through the South Delta community.
An existing line of wooden poles is being replaced with much taller metal towers that opponents say pose a health hazard to the people living near the lines.
McBride says the protest was a polite attempt to get the provincial government to listen to their concerns.
“Isn’t it sad that that’s what gets attention?” McBride said.
“It’s silly.”
McBride says drivers heading to and from the ferry terminal were able to get around the protest by taking side roads.
She wouldn’t say if more blockades were planned.
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Students protest against power lines
Sandor Gyarmati, Special to Surrey Now
Published: Friday, May 30, 2008
Their lives should be worth more than a few dollars saved, say students at South Delta Secondary, who held a protest rally against the new power lines this week.
Hundreds of students walked out at the start of their lunch hour and the plan was for them not to return to their remaining classes. At least 500 students were expected to take part in the event at Dennison Park across the street from the Tsawwassen high school.
Staff joined during the lunch hour portion of the protest in a show of unity and opposition to the installation of higher voltage lines through Tsawwassen.
“Besides sleeping, I spend more time at school than at home, so the power lines are very much a health risk,” said Connor Broadfoot, a Grade 10 student who helped organize the event.
“It’s ridiculous the government wants to save money at our expense. It’s just lazy. A lot of students here are concerned,” he added.
Fellow organizer Natasha D’Agostino, also in Grade 10, said another concern is the towers crashing down on the school if there’s an earthquake.
Tiffany Heering, who’s in Grade 8, also said she can’t understand why the government refuses to bury the lines.
Some adults drove down with placards for the students to carry as the event began.
The students said they wanted to help continue the momentum generated by the community rally that had more than 2,000 people come out earlier this month.
In a statement of response to the protest, the B.C. Transmission Corporation said it recognizes the right of citizens to voice their opinion in a legal fashion, however, the agency is bound by legal obligation to construct the new transmission lines. BCTC notes the electromagnetic field levels in all areas of the project will be well within the exposure guidelines.
Construction of the lines is scheduled to begin in Tsawwassen early next month.
Confrontation 
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