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Squabble continues over role of foreigners in Northern Gateway oil sands pipeline debate

The war of words over the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway oil sands pipeline has been unusual as proponents of the $6.6-billion project, including federal ministers, condemn opponents as outsiders hijacking what should be a Canadian debate.

The Globe and Mail reports many of the foreigners who've signed up to testify or submit documents at the joint review panel's hearings don't have some radical environmental agenda.

Some may simply be in love with the beauty of Canada's West Coast and want to fight to keep it pristine, the Globe reported Tuesday.

"Some may be professional environmental advocates; it's clear, however, that many are not," the Globe said. "One is a Brazilian bank worker with a heart for animals. One is a Colorado birder concerned about oil sands impact on migratory fowl.

"One is a Virginia massage therapist who says the northern B.C. landscape "sings to my soul." At least two are actually Canadians living abroad."

The hearings, expected to last more than a year, rolled into Edmonton on Tuesday. CBC News reported only about 50 people attended, compared with the hundreds who packed meeting halls for its stops along the northern B.C. route.

The pro-pipeline group Ethical Oil is lobbying to have Ottawa keep foreigners from appearing at the Gateway hearings. Right-wing author and TV host Ezra Levant told the Globe he's concerned about "hundreds of bought-and-paid-for puppets of foreign interests" engaging in the hearing process.

The Dogwood Initiative, which opposes tanker traffic along the northern B.C. coast, set up an online tool for people to sign up to make oral statements at the National Energy Board hearings, attracting 1,595 responses. Of those, 64 were Canadians from outside British Columbia and four lived outside Canada.

Another 400 people signed up through other web sites, including Brazilian bank worker Ines Gudic. The animal lover saw a DVD about the so-called Spirit Bear of northern B.C., a white-coated subspecies of black bear, whose habitat is near the route tankers would take to the pipeline's terminus at Kitimat, B.C.

Guidic said she was "totally unaware" she was registered to make an oral statement but admitted filling out the form to do so. Another Brazilian, Elano Ferraz, told the Globe he was signed up to speak. Both contradicted news reports they were signed up without their knowledge.

The outreach by anti-pipeline groups may have confused some people, the Globe suggests. Canadian David Esteban, a college professor in New York, said he thought he was merely signing a petition to protect the Spirit Bear. But the former Calgarian said he opposes the idea of the pipeline.

Some foreigners are being flown in by environmental groups to testify before the review panel. Several are from Michigan, site of a major spill along another Enbridge pipeline.

(CP photo)