Dear Editor:

This letter is in regards to the recent front page article in the Osoyoos Times about the local senior who is starting a petition against the recent hikes by FortisBC.
Yes, I agree with Mr. Thorstieson, whether it is seniors or otherwise, that a six per cent raise on Fortis utilities is rough and all their excuses on their part that we should use less electricity.
Should we all pull the plugs when not using our washing machines, televisions and computers, etc.
Would it not be interesting to see the difference?
Is the smart meter going to make a difference to the control of our electricity?
Fortis knows very well that smart meters are not necessary and the manufacturers have the alternative wired meter far less costly.
The excuse of the cellphone and other commodities carried by hand are not 24 hrs.-365 days a year steadily on.
It is up to the individual.
B.C. Hydro uses the drug crops found in individual homes as an excuse.
It should be up to hydro to report to our police as that is their duty to do the requirements.
I recently had a phone call with someone asking several questions apparently to do with the Enbridge Pipeline.
The caller said that because I answered yes to questions one and seven that I agreed to the pipeline.
Well I assure you that without question Enbridge should never be allowed to lay pipelines through our mountainous B.C., through the Douglas Channel embracing Kitimat and on.
Please get a map of B.C. out and look at our coastline. It is one of the most hazardous in the World. The Douglas Channel is the longest and possibly the most difficult to manoeuvre.
An accident is not a question of never happening but when.
The damage will be catastrophic!
All that area and the Dutch Steel plan to manufacture natural gas has been cancelled thanks to the stand taken by the First Nations.
I have been through that area and it is one of the greatest salmon spawning river areas in the world. We need to make big business realize that Mother Nature and people come first.
We may have to take life at a slower pace and consider our surroundings, wildlife and our health. We need to take a stand and voice our opinions!  Since the free trade agreement, much of our industry has moved out of Canada into the Asian Countries, now they want our resources to keep them busy.
How crass can our governments become?
We Canadians have become too Liberal in our attitude and big business has under Conservative thinking taken every advantage. The big bucks count for them. Big everything and I do not have to point anything out.
That’s not good enough when they buck the unions because of people demanding a decent wage. Because of big business running to poor countries, setting them up and allowing low wages, we will find decreasing sales and livelihood in Canada.
In a generation or two who will reap the benefits? Even a cave might look good. Thanks for reading my penned thoughts.

Agnes Sutherland
Oliver, B.C.