7 times more likely than what? 7 times nothing is still nothing.
I think you are in denial as to how much it can hurt us. What do you think up to a 100% increase in the cost of fuel would do to cost of goods in BC and the province's ability to compete in general?
Ships can go to Seattle which is the Port of Vancouver's main competitor. If you have been paying attention for the past few decades, you will know that the Port of Vancouver is always concerned about their ability to compete with Seattle. Aircraft only have to fly another hour to bypass YVR and land at YYC or YEG. Airlines do analysis as to whether it is more economical to tanker fuel or buy it locally. When the price reaches a point it is more economical to tanker that buy locally, their aircraft will carry as much as they can into the expensive airport so they only have to buy the minimum necessary for their next flight. Of course it costs fuel to tanker the extra weight which is bad for the environment but in a highly competitive industry, little things count.
Do you think people would be bitching if there was a 7 fold increase in shipping of any other kind? Alaska crude has been shipping since the early seventies under more challenging conditions that shipping out of Vancouver. Other than the Exxon Valdes which changed everything about the way oil is shipped, there have been no major incidents. Not only that, many of those Alaskan ships transit the Straight of Juan de Fuca enroute to American refineries right across the border.
It's not 7 times zero. Oil spills happen all the time and the independent studies say that an oil spill is 16% to 67% likely. We're talking in Burnaby in a narrow strip of water where millions of metro Vancouver people live.
You honestly don't think our opinion matters in this when it's our waterway?
Ya, people from the BC lower mainland accusing others of being "bought by China". Funny.
Excuse me? You think people in the lower mainland are enjoying what is happening with offshore buyers in this city? It's a constant protest and 4 out of 5 people in the province support the taxes put in place by our premier to keep dissuade more ownership.
My wording may have been harsh but there is no denying JT is heavily influenced by China and going out of his way to do a lot of business with Chinese government. One of our gripes in this city is how Quebec sells Canadian citizenship and JT tries to increase immigration and we're the ones out here getting priced out of our own city while Ottawa and Quebec see nothing but positive effects.
Enough already with the housing, we don't need to risk our waters too for Chinese interests.