Geraldine Manson and Chief John Wesley of the Snuneymuxw First Nation open the Pull Together Nanaimo evening with a blessing and welcome.
The Council of Canadians Mid-Island chapter helped to raise (an estimated) $3,500 on Thursday night for legal challenges by the Gitxaala, Heiltsuk, Haida, Kitasoo/Xai’xais, Nadleh Whut’en, and Nak’azdli Nations against the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.
This follows events in November in which the Council of Canadians Victoria and Vancouver-Burnaby chapters raised $1,230 for the Pull Together fund.
Last week, the Nanaimo Daily Star reported, “Nanaimo artists and activists will harness the power of the arts to lend support to five First Nations groups mounting a legal challenge to an oil pipeline from Alberta to coastal British Columbia. Artists in Solidarity, a group of concerned Nanaimo artists, the Mid Island chapter Council of Canadians and the Mid Island Television Society are behind Nanaimo’s Pull Together concert to help fund a battle against the Enbridge Northern Gateway proposal.”
Manly plays the CEO of $EnRich$, an oil extraction, pipeline and tanker company that also profits from ‘cleaning up’ its spills.
That article quoted chapter activist Paul Manly who said, “We want to show our solidarity with the First Nations who are standing up against this proposed pipeline. …There are so many reasons to oppose Northern Gateway including lack of proper consultation with First Nations, the climate effects of rapid expansion of the tar sands, piping raw bitumen across hundreds of fish-bearing rivers and streams, shipping raw bitumen through dangerous waters and the export of raw materials and Canadian jobs.”
After the event, Manly wrote, “Thanks to all of the Mid Island Council of Canadians crew that helped make this happen.”
Pull Together is seeking to raise $300,000 for the legal challenges. With the funds from the event in Nanaimo, it should now be at about $297,600 of that goal.
For a blog noting Council of Canadians actions in opposition to the 525,000 barrels per day Northern Gateway pipeline, please click here.
