Chapter activists protested at the meeting of the NEB chair and Vancouver area mayors yesterday. Photo by Bob Ages.
The Council of Canadians Delta-Richmond and Vancouver-Burnaby chapters protested against the chairperson of the National Energy Board yesterday.
CBC reports, “Protesters heckled the National Energy Board’s CEO Peter Watson, who was in town to meet with Metro Vancouver mayors about concerns over the consultation process for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Watson was heckled by protesters when he said he deeply cares about people, land and water. …Watson told the mayors he wants a better relationship with them, but Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan called the whole [review] process a sham.”
The Globe and Mail adds, “[Vancouver] Mayor [Gregor] Robertson also had harsh words for the NEB chair. He said the mayors have made it very clear the board’s process for the Kinder Morgan pipeline project is flawed, pointing to what he said was a lack of environmental consideration and public consultation.”
And Delta-Richmond chapter activist Bob Ages highlights, “New mayor of New Westminster Jonathan Cote had best line of the afternoon, telling Watson that he had a bigger problem, and it’s sitting behind him – indicating the large group of us in the public gallery who made it clear the pipeline will never be built, no matter the NEB approves.”
Global News reports, “Watson is on a cross-country tour to convince the public the board is devoted to pipeline safety.”
We’re not convinced.
In January, our Halifax chapter and organizers Angela Giles and Tori Ball joined with Stop the Energy East Pipeline – Halifax for another protest of this cross-country tour. The media release for that noted, “The Chair of the National Energy Board is in Halifax to begin his ‘National Outreach Initiative,’ but will not be holding open meetings about the Energy East Pipeline. If they did, they would hear how many Canadians want them to include climate change in their review of the project.” And in February, our Calgary chapter and organizer Aleah Loney joined with allies to deliver more than 100,000 messages to the NEB office in Calgary demanding that climate change be included in their review of the Energy East pipeline.
The Council of Canadians opposes both the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline and the TransCanada Energy East pipeline.
