B.C. worried about foreign funding for tar sands, not environmental groups: pipeline poll

Regulatory hearings into the controversial Northern Gateway pipeline -- a mega-project to transport output from Alberta's tar sands -- start tomorrow. But the federal government has lobbed accusations that the public hearings are being hijacked by 'radicals' with U.S. funding. 

• Enviros concerned about methodology of Enbridge poll 
• Harper worried about 'hijacked' Northern Gateway hearings  

The Canadian Press has the story:

Federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver says radical environmentalists backed by foreign money are trying to destroy Canada's attempts to sell oil to new markets through the Northern Gateway pipeline.

But a poll sponsored by several of those groups suggests British Columbians are much more concerned about foreign money funding the oilpatch.

Oliver says in a letter that foreign-funded environmentalists and jet-setting celebrities are trying to hijack regulatory hearings on Enbridge Inc.'s $5.5-billion proposed pipeline, which are set to begin Tuesday.

He says opponents are trying to inflict a radical environmental agenda on Canada that would block everything from pipelines to dams to mines.

A poll last April done for several environmental groups showed only 15 per cent of British Columbians were worried about foreign funding of their activities.

That poll found 75 per cent of respondents were much more concerned about the hundreds of millions of dollars from outside Canada that are going into the oilpatch.