SAINT JOHN – People across New Brunswick are joining Red Head residents in a march to protest TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline.
Who: The Red Head Anthony’s Cove Preservation Association (RHACPA) is calling on all New Brunswickers to join them in a peaceful march to raise awareness about the Energy East project.
Featured speakers include Lynaya Astephen and Leanne Sutton of the RHACPA, Ron Tremblay and Russ Leticia of the Peace and Friendship Alliance, Maria Recchia of Fundy North Fisherman’s Association, Stephen Drost of CUPE; and Mark D’Arcy of Council of Canadians as well as representatives from Quebec and Maine involved in the successful campaign against the planned Energy East Cacouna port and the South Portland local ordinance against tar sands exports.
Featured musicians include Debbie Adshade, Jesse Cox, Hubert Francis Band with special guest Judie Acquin and Kickin’ Krotch.
What: The event begins at 1:00 p.m. with a 2.5 km walk. Participants will carry banners with the names of local rivers or bays they want protected from the risks of pipeline and tanker spills. The march ends at the beach where a flotilla of canoes and kayaks will meet them, carrying local residents and Indigenous representatives from throughout the province.
A smoke ceremony will be followed by the presentation of a Water Declaration to protect waterways and the Bay of Fundy on behalf of the Peace and Friendship Alliance, representing non-governmental groups and Indigenous peoples from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Maine.
Participants will then form a human chain along the beach, a “Line in the Sand” to stop the Energy East pipeline and the expansion of the tar sands. Speeches will be followed by family-friendly activities including a barbecue, music performances, and an evening beach bonfire.
Where: Intersection of Hewitt Rd and Red Head Rd
When: Saturday, May 30 at 1:00 p.m. ADT
Why: Passing through over 300 local waterways, TransCanada’s 1.1 million barrel per day Energy East pipeline project proposes a 150-hectare oil tank storage facility and a new deep sea water port that will serve at least 115 tankers exporting 1 to 2 million barrels of oil each – all in the rural community of Red Head, near Saint John.
Local residents are concerned about the impacts on their community, their economy, marine wildlife including endangered North Atlantic right whales, air quality, as well as the very real risk of catastrophic spills and emergencies in Red Head and the Bay of Fundy.
Energy East would carry diluted bitumen which has been proven to sink when spilled, making it more expensive and nearly impossible to fully clean up. One federal study found it sank and formed tar balls in marine conditions such as those in the iconic Bay of Fundy. Filling the export pipeline would allow an almost 40% increase in tar sands production and would generate more pollution than any single Atlantic province currently emits.
-30-
For More Information:
Leanne Suttton, RHACPA (506) 657-6721
Lynaya Astephen, RHACPA (506) 653-7959
