Airing on a northern B.C. television near you, Coastal First Nations, an alliance of First Nations on the north and central coast and Haida Gwaii, unveiled this commercial today as a reminder of "the dangers and costs of bringing oil tankers to B.C.'s pristine coastal waters," the group announced in a press release.

The two-minute commercial features audio of the radio call from the Exxon Valdez oil tanker after it ran aground in Alaska 24 years ago, resulting in one of the worst oil spills in U.S history.

It's also tracked with clips from the song "The Sound of Silence" by American duo Simon & Garfunkel. Paul Simon's label granted the music license to the group for a small fee.

"An oil spill is the sound of silence. It silences communities, it silences cultures and it silences wildlife. That's what we'll have in B.C. if Enbridge's Northern Gateway Pipeline project is approved: A silent coast," said Coastal First Nations' executive director Art Sterritt in the release.

Last week, the federal government announced changes to improve oil tanker safety on B.C.'s coast, including annual tanker inspections, increased aerial surveillance, stronger measures for pollution prevention and response at oil handling facilities, as well as extended pollution penalties.

A Tyee video published Friday dives into the specifics of Vancouver's own dilbit shipping dilemma. See it here.

Robyn Smith is The Tyee's election editor.