Chapter activist Ruth Cook
The Council of Canadians Thunder Bay chapter is calling on its City Council to oppose the Energy East pipeline.
In an op-ed published in The Chronicle-Journal today, chapter activist Ruth Cook writes, “On Monday, May 29, Thunder Bay’s city council will once again consider a resolution asking members to vote in principle against the TransCanada /Energy East Ltd.’s Energy East Pipeline. This resolution has been deferred for two years due to concerns about lack of complete information (as well as unforeseen administrative delays).”
She adds, “A group of representatives from five local groups have been working on understanding the implications of the Energy East pipeline for five years now, and are adamantly opposed to the development of such a pipeline.” The other local groups represented in the coalition are: Environment North, CUSP, Ontario Nature, and the Environmental Law Students Association.
Cook highlights, “In parts of Northwestern Ontario, there is a waterway of some sort every 500 metres; most of the area north of Thunder Bay has a waterway at least once every kilometre. These waterways are all interconnected, and are the lifeblood of the several aquifers which exist in this area. The Lake Superior Watershed pours its water into Lake Superior: a spill would threaten the drinking water of many citizens in our area and downstream. In total, the proposed Energy East pipeline threatens almost 3,000 lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers – the source of drinking water for over 5 million Canadians.”
She also notes, “Climate change is expensive and destructive. Thunder Bay has seen floods, and is plagued by ticks which can cause Lyme disease. Thunder Bay has spent a huge amount of time and money to ‘climate proof’ the city, but cannot keep ahead of the rapidly changing climate.”
Cook concludes, “If Thunder Bay’s city council votes to disapprove in principle the Energy East pipeline, this will be an act of leadership which will indicate our forward-thinking nature and our readiness to move into the future, away from fossil fuel dependence and into clean, renewable energy sources. I would urge everyone who reads this to write or call the mayor or a city councillor and ask them to vote against Energy East on Monday night.”
The contact information for Thunder Bay City Council can be found here.
Further reading
WIN! Gatineau city council rejects the Energy East pipeline (October 20, 2016)
WIN! Sackville votes against Energy East pipeline (February 14, 2017)
