In the summer of 2012, environmental journalist Arno Kopecky found himself casting off from the marina in Sidney, BC with professional photographer Ilja Herb. Together their plan was to sail Foxy, a 41-foot sailboat, up the coast to Kitimat, BC, following the route that the many oil tankers would take, should the Northern Gateway Pipeline be approved.
Kopecky’s newest book, The Oil Man and the Sea: Navigating the Northern Gateway, uses their journey to offer a unique perspective on the important issues concerning the endangered coastline. The travelogue brings to light the story of the coast that has been buried by politics.
“The story is about much more than the Northern Gateway,” says Kopecky. “The Gateway was a way into the story of the Great Bear Rainforest, and all of the coastal First Nations that have lived there for 10,000 years, who are just now on an upswing once again. It is about the relationship between non-indigenous and indigenous Canadians.”
Both Kopecky and Herb are seasoned travellers and thrive in the face of adventure. Neither of them, however, had ever learned how to sail a boat. Moving and docking Foxy proved to be a challenging and humorous task.
“The sense of unease and uncertainty became part of the story,” says Kopecky. “It became sort of a comical thing. Trying to take the piss out of myself, and not in any way glorify my abilities. You have to have a laugh and have a good time along the way.”
The Great Bear Rainforest and the surrounding area are of incredible cultural and ecological importance. Both Kopecky and Herb wanted to make sure their firsthand experiences in this exquisite wilderness helped the public to understand how detrimental the pipeline could be for the ecosystem.
“I think the lovely thing about writing a book about it, and having a lot of beautiful photography in that book, is that it allows you to really capture people’s minds and attentions, hearts, and imaginations, and make them feel what is at stake instead of just telling them what is at stake,” he says.
He hopes that The Oil Man and the Sea will lay out environmental issues and affect people enough to be moved to action, as we stand to lose a lot if the Great Bear Rainforest and BC’s coastline are destroyed.
“Everybody knows what’s going on,” says Kopecky. ”It’s not really a secret that climate change is happening or that biodiversity is at risk and the world’s oceans are polluted. Everybody knows these things, but it’s like, where do you begin? Or, how do you engage with this? Do it positively and have fun, and be cool. Have adventure and bring out your inner ninja, really take life by the horns and live it, because this is what we gotta deal with.”
The Oil Man and the Sea book launch
7 pm Tuesday November 5
2031 Swartz Bay Road, North Saanich3475 Ripon Road
BOOK LAUNCH address is WRONG.
Correct address is:
3475 Ripon Rd, Victoria, BC
Oak Bay, BC.