Sorry, Ken, but that is absolutley wrong.

Every statement against the oilsands on these forums are written by people who have never been there. Nor do they understand the situation. Even this PETROPOLIS thing is published with an agenda and is totally one sided.

I have been there, and seen the before, during, and after, and nowhere have I seen a location that was not left in better condition, ecologically, or environmentally, then it was before.

It may not be natural, but that is because Mother Nature chose to create a cesspool in the area. Man's actions, in this case has resulted in an environmentally superior condition.

My first terms of reference would be the diaries of Robert Service, who travelled the area enroute from eastern Canada to the Yukon +/-120 years ago, where he described, smelly undrinkable water, with oil streaks in it, fires burning constantly from gases leaking from underground, and huge flylike insects seeking your blood.

Regarding politics, which I abhor on this type of forum, I am a small c conservative, by virtue of having been a card carrying member of the Reform party for more than 30 years.

My only comment on the subject is that if one was to encourage a situation that usurped Harper's leadership, it tends to open the door to a replacement, and the prominent one might be Flaherty. That is enough for anyonre to find the need for imediate regurgitation.

But, all in all, remember that to keep things in focus, one needs to keep their tongue firmly in their cheek at all times.

Best regards

K