More than 500 people are expected to attend the 4th Annual Healing Walk this July 5-6.
The Guardian UK reports this hour, “Hundreds of activists including Bill McKibben and Naomi Klein are going into the heart of Canada’s tar sands this week – not to protest the destruction of the local environment, but to pray for the ‘healing’ of land and the people. Native elders from all over North America will lead people past lakes of tailings wastewater and massive infrastructure of the tar sands industry along the Athabasca River in Fort McMurray, Alberta.”
“Organisers say the event, dubbed the Healing Walk, will be a spiritual gathering focused on healing the land, air, water and all living things harmed by the expansion of what is already the world’s largest industrial project. …There are plans to triple the size of the tar sands over the next two decades.” Notably, “An international science panel recently warned that the nearly 200sqkm of toxic wastewater is the biggest threat to the Athabasca and Mackenzie Rivers, a region they called Canada’s Serengeti.”
Council of Canadians staff Maryam Adrangi, Scott Harris and Aleah Loney have been playing a support role for the Healing Walk. That has included participation in regular planning calls, we have provided financial support for two vans that will take people from Vancouver to Fort McMurray (see Maryam’s blog included below), helped to organize the Caravan from the Lower Mainland/ Fraser Valley, plus on-site participation such as workshop facilitation and the driving of a support van.
For more, please read:
Canada’s tar sands project becomes focus of ‘healing walk’ by activists
B.C. residents drive to Fort McMurray to see the tar sands
