The Council of Canadians South Niagara chapter and allies will be raising key demands at a rally outside the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario) general meeting on October 21 starting at 5 pm.
The Liberal Party meeting will be taking place at the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls on October 21-22. Their promotion says, “This will be the first gathering of Liberals in Ontario since our historic victory last October and is an event not to be missed. It will be a celebration of our party’s historic victory last October and an opportunity to continue to further strengthen the grassroots movement of our party as we prepare for 2019.” The regular registration fee is $350 with sliding scale rates down to $115 for “Youth and Indigenous”.
The outreach for the rally says, “Citizens are calling on Justin Trudeau to honour his environmental commitments laid out in his party’s election platform. With starting to end destructive projects that fuel Canada’s contribution to climate change. Divesting from fossil fuels! And for him to establish a Lake Tonawanda wetlands national park, that would rescue the Thundering Waters Forest.”
The groups will be demanding that the Trudeau government:
-
implement United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Canadian law -
clearly indicate it respects Indigenous Peoples’ right to say no to development on their land -
stop the Site C dam -
close the funding deficit for First Nations now -
stop pipeline, gas, and oil mega-projects: build green energy, transit, and houses -
introduce a climate plan that respects the 1.5 degree Celsius limit, adopting Harper’s emission reduction targets is a betrayal -
fully fund Indigenous-owned and controlled renewable energy projects.
The Thundering Waters Forest is threatened by a plan to build the $1 billion ‘Paradise’ development project, which includes a hotel, entertainment facilities, apartment housing, and a private school.
Oneida Nation member Karl Dockstader has written, “GR (Can) Investment Co. is still intending to destroy 200+ acres of Carolinian forest, protective thickets, and other delicate spaces adjacent to 200+ acres of protected Wetlands and no government entity or authority has expressed any opposition to or advocated for protection of this proposed destruction. …The size of the Thundering Waters Forest is one of the largest remaining continuous forests in the region of Niagara and the protected parts of the slough forest wetland complex are interconnected with the unprotected parts.”
For more on Facebook about the October 21 rally, please click here.
