Dear Editor:
I find it interesting that among the various anti-this and anti-that protestors and activists who seem to populate the media landscape of British Columbia, I’ve never seen one protesting against steel. People readily understand that steel is a vitally important material that has made the modern world possible. We all benefit from steel.
Yet, without metallurgical grade coal, a natural resource that British Columbia is fortunate to have in abundance, and one that is frequently the target of anti-this and anti-that protestors, there would be no steel and no modern world. British Columbia is blessed with a valuable gift in metallurgical coal. It’s a gift we are able to share with the world. And it’s a gift that creates tens of thousands of high-paying jobs for many of our fellow British Columbians who, in turn, support thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses all over the province.
So, the next time you see someone on the nightly news ranting against coal, stop for a moment and think about the steel that would be impossible without British Columbia’s coal. And then stop and think about the tens of thousands of British Columbia families whose jobs and livelihoods would vanish without that important natural resource.
Jason Walters, Burnaby
