The Martlet

Oil-stained loonies are turning up in change collections across the country, thanks to a campaign by The Dogwood Initiative, a Victoria-based non-profit environmental organization.

Last month the organization started distributing decals that, when placed over $1 coins, turn the loon black and advertised their campaign website: notankers.ca. The website urges citizens to pressure Parliament to legislate a ban on oil tankers on B.C.’s north coast.

A legislated ban would strengthen the 1971 suspension of tanker traffic in B.C.’s inner coastal waterways that is now being ignored since the Conservatives formed government.

“Every decal you see is there because somebody volunteered their time to put it there,” said Charles Campbell, a Dogwood Initiative spokesperson.

The campaign was sparked by the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway project, which would ship almost half the current tar sands crude oil production to Asia via pipelines and a tanker port in Kitimat when completed.

Dogwood insists that the volume of oil going through the coast would undoubtedly result in a spill.

“The decals are a good activist tool because they keep the issue in front of people’s eyes,” Campbell said.

The decals are for sale on the Dogwood website, and for $10 supporters are sent 42 decals.

Campbell said there have been over 400 orders from places as far east as Nova Scotia. They also sent decals out — free of charge — to many of their supporters.

The group has a deal with a community grocery store in Calgary to have decals put on all the loonies they give out.

“It’s a pretty exciting partnership for us,” said Campbell. “I don’t think people expect to see that kind of thing in Calgary — oil country.”

But according to the Royal Canadian Mint, decals are a trademark violation which contravene Section 11 of the Currency Act by using Canadian coins for purposes other than as currency.

They sent Dogwood a cease and desist order just days after the campaign was launched. But according to Campbell, the Mint seems to have backed off.

“We sent back a letter of response that said we would continue our campaign,” said Campbell. “They said they would get back to us within a week and [a month later] they never did.”

Over 200,000 decals have been distributed across the country and Dogwood has ordered another 250,000 to give out around March 24, which they and other environmental groups have deemed No Tanker Day. It also happens to be the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

“We’re asking our supporters to make all their purchases that day using No Tanker loonies,” said Campbell, noting that special party packs of the decals will be available on their website leading up to the event to help make that possible.

For more information about the campaign, visit notankers.ca.