Is Rainbow Lake Pipeline Negligent?

Forest fires in Alberta threaten community already hit by oil spill

Reaction of  Melina Laboucan Massimo, member of the Lubicon Cree and Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner, to today's announcement that clean up operations at the massive Rainbow Pipeline oil spill near Little Buffalo were suspended at 11 am this morning due to uncontrolled forest fires in the region. Currently in Alberta there are 84 forest fires with 29 that are listed as "out of control".

The Northern Sunrise county council has declared a local state of emergency for the areas around Little Buffalo and Marten Lake due to the forest fire. The Alberta Wildfire Facebook site has also asked members of the communities of Marten Lake and Little Buffalo to evacuate voluntarily as they are on an evacuation alert.

"Today's suspension of clean up operations and the evacuation of workers at the massive oil spill site near Little Buffalo due to wildfires shows the on-going threats that oil spills pose to local communities. We pray that this fire doesn't add more problems to an already devastating situation of Little Buffalo and for the environment."

"This is already the second evacuation of the spill site in less than a week. We want to know where the provincial and federal governments are in dealing with this dangerous and potentially escalating situation. Fears and concerns are mounting in the Little Buffalo community and both levels of government seem to be missing in action in dealing with this serious situation."

Background: Plains Midstream Canada, owner of the Rainbow Pipeline, issued a release earlier today saying it had suspended clean up operations due to a forest fire threat. The company cited an evacuation order issued by the Northern Sunrise County Emergency Response Centre that was effective at 11 a.m.

Residents, including children, sick after large oil spill in the Peace Region

4 May 2011 (Edmonton) — Little Buffalo community members, including school children,  continue to experience nausea, burning eyes and headaches after one of the largest pipeline spills in Alberta history last Friday by Plains All American leaked nearly 30,000 barrels of oil into Lubicon traditional territory in the Peace Region of Northern Alberta.

Instead of attending an in-person community meeting, the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) faxed a one-page fact sheet to Little Buffalo School. The fact sheet indicates that 28,000 barrels of crude oil, or 4,500 cubic metres, has spread into nearby stands of “stagnant water.” The spill, April 29 at 7:30 a.m., occurred only 300 metres from local waterways. The ERCB said the spill has been contained, but community members report that the oil is still leaking into the surrounding forest and bog. The ERCB also said to the community that there is “no threat to public safety as a result of the leak.” Yet people are still getting sick, the local school has been shut down and children ordered to stay at home. An investigation into the incident is underway.

“It has been four days since classes were suspended due to the noxious odours in the air. The children and staff at the school were disorientated, getting headaches and feeling sick to their stomachs,” said Brian Alexander, the principle of Little Buffalo School. “We tried to send the children outside to get fresh air as it seemed worse in the school but when we sent them out they were getting sick as well. 

“The company and the ERCB have given us little information in the past five days.  What we do know is that the health of our community is at stake,” said Chief Steve Noskey. “Our children cannot attend school until there is a resolution, The ERCB is not being accountable to our community; they did not even show up to our community meeting to inform us of the unsettling situation we are dealing with. The company is failing to provide sufficient information to us so we can ensure that the health and safety of our community is protected.”

The ERCB fact sheet states that air monitors are in place on site and have “detected no hydrocarbon levels above Alberta Ambient Air Quality guidelines.” But this is little consolation for a community that is scared to breathe the air. Veronica Okemow has six children, the youngest one attending the school, and she is very worried. “We are deeply concerned about the health effects on the community,” Okemow said. “It is a scary thing when your children are feeling sick from the air. People are scared to breathe in the fumes.”

Melina Laboucan-Massimo, a member of the Lubicon Cree First Nation and also a Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner said: “The Plains All American spill marks the second pipeline spill in Alberta in just a week, with Kinder Morgan spilling just days before. This is an alarm bell for Alberta residents. If this 45-year-old pipeline were to break elsewhere along its route there would be more safety and health hazards. Communities across Alberta and B.C. are demanding an end to this type of risky development; yet the government refuses to listen. Instead it continues on as business as usual without plans for the cleaner, healthier, sustainable future that is possible.”

Where is your Freedom

Just a quick note this morning. I have always been troubled by the arrests of the G20 Summit in Toronto. I had earlier blamed the Conservative Government as they are known for their Justice agendas.  However, With this article, I was surprised to find that the Liberal Provincial Government passed this "secret law".  When I further looked at our so called Charter, It would have broke the rules of our Charter.

So what has our country become? Are we now no different than the countries overseas that we wished we were never like? Life a frog in boiling water, If that's a true fact, our country has become blind to the abusive powers of our state.

Link to Secret Law passed.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gscPW57r14RHb_ffCOSSbvhnszRw?docId=6692219


Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Search or seizure

8. Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure.

Detention or imprisonment

9. Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.

Arrest or detention

10. Everyone has the right on arrest or detention

(a) to be informed promptly of the reasons therefor;

(b) to retain and instruct counsel without delay and to be informed of that right; and

(c) to have the validity of the detention determined by way of habeas corpus and to be released if the detention is not lawful.

Michelle Nieviadomy

I had the gift of photographing this beautiful First Nations woman from Edmonton this week. I met her while covering photos for an event with the Provincial Government at the New Remand Centre.  She wanted some photos for her upcoming promotions for her concert.  One of my passions is to represent Native people and promote them as role models. I listened to this woman on a rough song track and her voice is amazing! Some of the paraphrased lyrics were that it is "your turn to rise", the world could use another hero, Sound of a Warrior cry,world could use a little change. I'm sure if she continues to believe in herself and go for her dreams, you will hear about her soon!

Canvas Gallery Wraps - Family Portraits

For a limited time only, Order your family portraits and have them mounted on canvas for your feature wall. Approximately 6 feet across.  Prices starting at 1228.00 dollars.

Expires April 30th.

Easter Special Code.

National Aboriginal Achievement Awards 2011

Good day world:
I had an amazing weekend and give all glory to my Creator who made it possible. As I am a 60s scoop (History is that many Natives from the 60-70s were taken and placed in white foster homes for various reasons) With this came my years of identity crisis as I struggled with my Swiss citizenship but being brown and obviously native. Fortunately my town of Medicine hat had little natives so I was not prone to discrimination. I felt normal for the most part, except the times I scrubbed my skin hard to turn white like my 3 siblings.  As I grew older, I dated and didn't want to tell the girls I dated my nationality when they asked because of shame.  I attended Choices program by Thelma Box and this helped me to start my healing and love of my self.

This weekend I shot a wedding at the Fort Ed park and loved it. I don't normally advertise for weddings because I love my small summer weekends and hate shooting in them big crowds of other photographers and wedding parties. If I do them, I would prefer Friday and week day weddings, as this one was. It was also a smaller wedding with less attention, which I loved. So I was done by 5pm and was able to attend the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards.

I was looking at finding ways to attend this national award ceremony at the Jubilee Auditorium, but stopped when I learned the prices were 350 dollars a ticket.  I emailed Ontario and offered my services as an event photographer.  God works in funny ways, because that afternoon, my friend Leona Carter from the City of Edmonton asked me if I wanted to get some photos of the mayor and have a ticket. Well I said sure and was stunned to be attending. Well , in the end, I didn't have to take photos but got 2 tickets for my wife and I. I had a fun evening of capturing one of the most beautiful race of humble people I have seen. Remember, I have not been raised around natives until I moved to my place of birth  - Edmonton a few years ago. I was no longer ashamed as I seen so many beautiful native women and men. They were not the stereotypical type we see all the time. I held my head up high as I wanted to be like these.  Please see my photos in Facebook  under Trevor Boller Photography for the gallery for this evening.

Something happened this weekend as I attended church and was learning to forgive my birth mother who lost me as a child. I learned it was her that I was ashamed of and projected it towards all native people.  I go forward now with pride and a desire to work harder and sell harder. I am going to be fierce at my photography and lose any fears.  I am thankful for who I am - an original. After all, I'm probably one of the only treating carrying cards with Swiss nationality in the world? Should I call Guinness?

The photo with a model was in TVs Canada's top model one year.

Colors in Business

For those of you unfamiliar with colors, It is just a basic grouping of personality groups in 4 areas. We usually are strong in 1-2 of them. Without getting into detail, the orange are where excitement is at - Police, Ambulance, Entertainers, Thrill seeking, hate the office desk.  Gold - Administration people who go by rules and structure and thank God for them because your paycheck is always there because of them.  Blue are often caregivers and show empathy. Counsellors, nurses at times. They will cry at your long distance commercials.   The Green will take a long time to process what I just wrote. They can be engineers and wonder how something is built, rather than how it looks. Have fun in Ikea with them!

So in the world of hundreds of photographers, I need to market how I am different. Why does an event planner want to pick me out of the other hundreds of established companies. Well it involves some Sweet grass prayers I learned from the Native people, and some inspirational music by Martin Kloppers ( cello). So after picking up my traits from past training papers, I was able to find some defining points of who I am.  Very rough at this time, Boller Photography is uniquely capturing emotions from the heart, and  creating a group spirit during photo shoots.  I have underlined my strengths of my colors of BLUE and ORANGE. I know it needs work, but I need something for my new promo post cards!

By knowing colors, it will really help with your relationship with business people or your coworkers. You will understand why they are so anal in some areas and it drives you crazy. It will help you feel good about yourself with your traits, and that you are normal! I have names of people or organizations that do them if you are ever interested. Take care!

Family Portraits

Family Day weekend is spent in many ways in Alberta thanks to the Klein days.  Some of us attend movies, family visits, dinners, theatre, winter fun, or just relax.  This family from St Albert was celebrating an anniversary of their parents and had family come together from various parts of the province.  It can be nerve wracking but the music from my Blackberry kept me focused. I use music in my ear to help me stay creative when shooting, which is why I usually always have a wire coming from my one ear. I would rather look silly then have silly photos!  Homes by Audie Benson Estate Homes - St Albert