The Council of Canadians Regina chapter will be holding a vigil on November 21 in front of the Saskatchewan Legislature to call on the Trudeau government to reject the Trans Mountain pipeline.
Texas-based Kinder Morgan is proposing to twin the Trans Mountain pipeline from northern Alberta to the British Columbia coast to increase the pipeline’s capacity from 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000 barrels per day. The pipeline would carry diluted bitumen from the tar sands through Jasper National Park, into the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, across the Vedder Fan aquifer and the municipality of Chilliwack’s protected groundwater zone, then across the Fraser River and to the Westridge Marine Terminal at Burrard Inlet for export on 400 supertankers a year.
Regina chapter activist Jim Elliott says, “Join in for a vigil that alights the fire for climate justice. Tell the Trudeau government to reject Kinder Morgan. Help deliver a special package to the Saskatchewan Legislature c/o the Saskatchewan climate justice movement. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is due to announce his decision on the Kinder Morgan tar sands pipeline any day now. We have to send a clear, national message to the Prime Minister that the Kinder Morgan pipeline would be devastating for the climate and Indigenous rights.”
Other Council of Canadians chapters are being encouraged to participate in this November 21 day of action.
Ottawa-based Council of Canadians climate justice campaigner Daniel Cayley-Daoust has highlighted that, “We need to show that it’s not just people in British Columbia, but people all across Canada who are paying attention and want this government to respect Indigenous rights, protect water, keep our climate promises and reject Kinder Morgan. The website kmvigils.ca has been created with a map and more information about this vigils. We also created an action toolkit to support anyone able to organize a vigil, with some planning tips and tricks.”
The Council of Canadians will also be mobilizing its chapters and supporters for a #StopKM march that will take place in Vancouver on November 19.
That march will begin at 12:30 pm at Vancouver City Hall (at 12th Street side between Cambie and Yukon) and march to Library Square (at Homer and West Georgia). Speakers will include Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sundance Chief Rueben George, Squamish First Nation Chief Ian Campbell, Musqueam activist Audrey Siegl, and Lubicon Cree campaigner Melina Laboucan-Massimo.
The Trudeau government is widely expected to approve the Trans Mountain pipeline by December 19.
The Council of Canadians has been opposing the Trans Mountain pipeline since August 2011 by participating in marches, protests and civil disobedience actions, supporting chapter activism, petitions and a court action, writing blogs, and organizing numerous public events and a six-community speaking tour.
Please go to our online action alert to send a letter to Trudeau demanding that he reject the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline.
#StopKM