I will be taking part in the ‘Break Free’ climate action on Dow’s Lake in Ottawa this weekend.
A Greenpeace Ottawa Facebook post notes, “Join Greenpeace Volunteers in Ottawa on Sunday May 15th [at 1 pm] for a paddle on Dow’s Lake to show our opposition to Energy East and to call for a 100% renewable energy future. Come and bring your canoe or kayak, messages, and decorations! Meet us on the water at the Pavilion the North-west corner of Dow’s Lake.”
Dow’s Lake is a small lake on the Rideau Canal, situated in the middle of Ottawa.
In her report, Energy East: Where Oil Meets Water, Council of Canadians energy and climate justice campaigner Andrea Harden-Donahue writes, “The Energy East Pipeline would cross the Rideau River just south of Ottawa near Kemptville in the Baxter Conservation Area, which is known for its beaches and hiking trails. The Rideau River is an important inflow to the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The canal flows to the Ottawa River at the Rideau Falls, behind the Prime Minister’s residence. The Rideau Falls are approximately 40 kilometres away from the crossing. A major rupture at this crossing could see oil flow into the canal, through Ottawa, towards the Ottawa River.”
We have also noted, “A spill, like the 2010 Enbridge pipeline rupture in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River that travelled 56 kilometres, would leave a toxic and costly legacy in the Rideau Canal.”
Council of Canadians organizer Diane Connors will also be taking part in the ‘Break Free’ climate action in Burnaby this weekend.
Burnaby Now reports, “Climate change activists are planning to surround the Kinder Morgan marine terminal – on land and water – in Burnaby next weekend. The Saturday, May 14 event is part of ‘Break Free’, a global series of actions against fossil fuel projects. The Burnaby event includes an estimated 100 kayakers on the water, while others hold a sit-in on land, all surrounding the Westridge Marine Terminal [the endpoint for the the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion]… The event is on Saturday, May 14. The sit-in participants will meet at Westridge Park, at 320 Cliff Ave. at 11 a.m. and then march to the terminal gates after. The kayak flotilla participants meet at Cates Park on the North Shore at 10 a.m. and depart at 11 a.m.”
The Council of Canadians has been promoting the event in Burnaby through social media and this blog.
We also encourage our Ottawa-area members to join the Dow’s Lake action. For more on that, please see this Facebook page.
