I have done environmental work in the oil sands myself and have heard the hyperbole that the companies operate willy-nilly, irrespective of provincial and federal legislation. As someone who was part of enforcing that legislation, I find it appalling that this kind of rhetoric is out there.
But in terms of the oil sands, I think some perspective is in order. The total area of the oil sands is some 143,000 square kilometres, of which 600 square kilometres has been exploited, less than one half of one percent, and 60 square kilometres of that has already been reclaimed. If we look at hydro developments in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, we are looking at approximately 35,000 square kilometres of land that has been inundated in the boreal forest. Which of the two had a more serious impact on fish?