
But now, I adore it. When I was in Australia for six months, it was the thing I missed the most in the whole wide world. When I'm stressed out during the week figuring out how to make sustainability work in real life, I can't wait to finally jump in the car with the love of my life and my cat (yes, we seriously take our cat there every time we go) and get to the country. In the summer, when our downtown apartment feels stale, and all I can smell in the city is leftover food, garbage, and car fumes, breathing fresh air at the Boonies is...heaven. This past summer, I remember hoeing my potato patch, getting blisters in the sun by myself, listening to my bees hum, and thinking - man, this is the only place I want to be right now. This is exactly what I want to be doing.
And then I realized on Monday morning that there is a pipeline that goes from Montreal through the Eastern Townships and passes about 3.5 miles from my cottage. It's been there for decades and so far seems fine. I heard something last week about Enbridge's Pipeline Nine Project, which reverses the flow of oil between Sarnia, Ontario, and Montreal. After some research, I realized this pipeline would take Tar Sands oil (less refined and thicker - higher possibility of a leak) to Montreal, and the Trailbreaker pipeline would then take it to Portland, Maine to export it.
So I guess I found a new project for myself - working with the other PowerShift kids, pissed off landowners in Quebec, and community organizers to stop this thing.