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Montreal chapter in Coalition ÉCO march against pipelines

Montreal Chapter

The Council of Canadians Montreal chapter participated in a major protest in Montreal against pipelines this weekend.

CBC reports, “Protesters marched through the streets of Montreal Saturday afternoon to denounce the Energy East and Enbridge Line 9 pipelines. Organized by the Coalition Étudiants et étudiantes contre les oléoducs, the demonstration called for an end to the transportation of fossil fuel in Quebec. …Organizer Anthony Garoufalis-Auger said that Canadians are looking for a change in government come the Oct. 19 federal election.” The Montreal Gazette adds, “The coalition is made up of 15 Quebec student groups. The group says that pursuing fossil fuel projects destroy fragile ecosystems and can contaminate drinking water with just one leak from the pipeline.”

With the protest taking place just nine days before election day, Global News notes, “Chloé Houle-Johnson, a spokesperson for the Coalition of Students against Pipelines, told Global News that the Energy East pipeline and the Enbridge 9B pipeline ‘are high risk projects for the population and there’s no reward for the population here.’ She urges Montrealers and Canadians who participated in the rally to continue to push for climate justice well after election day.”

Green Party leader Elizabeth May also attended the protest. In a media release, May stated, “The City of Laval, along with 74 other municipalities, officially voiced their opposition to TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline project. Fifteen organizations, including Université Laval, the Council of Canadians and the Union des producteurs agricoles have done the same.”

As noted in our Voters Guide: The Conservatives approved Northern Gateway and Line 9, and support the Keystone XL, Energy East and Kinder Morgan pipelines. The NDP would cancel the Northern Gateway pipeline, oppose Keystone XL, are critical of Line 9, and support pipelines if they pass a strengthened review process. The Liberals would cancel the Northern Gateway pipeline, support Keystone XL, and want an environmental assessment of Energy East that includes climate change. And the Greens oppose all proposed pipelines, but would support pipelines to transport oil refined in Canada.

To watch a CTV News video of the protest (in which you can see the Council of Canadians banner in the march starting at the 1:46 point in the report), click here.

For more on the Council of Canadians campaign against the Energy East pipeline, please click here.


Photo: The distinctive yellow Council of Canadians banner can be seen in the midst of the march in Montreal.