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Thousands protest pipeline expansion in Canada

Sunday, 20 November 2016 7:32 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 20 November 2016 11:22 AM ]

People protesting against the proposed expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline walk toward downtown Vancouver, Canada, November 19, 2016. (Photo by Reuters)

Thousands of protesters have staged a protest rally in the Canadian city of Vancouver against the controversial proposed expansion of a pipeline in the country, which they say harms the environment.

Among the demonstrators who took part in the Saturday rally were environmentalists, First Nation groups and members of the parliament.

They were protesting the three-fold expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline, which links Alberta’s oil sands with Metro Vancouver’s harbor in British Colombia.

Some of the protesters, who carried banners and chanted slogans, made their way downtown, while dozens of other protesters took to the water, protesting the pipeline while rowing kayaks and sailing boats in the city’s bay.

This image shows kayakers protesting against the proposed expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline in Vancouver, Canada, November 19, 2016. (By Reuters)

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said at the start of the Saturday rally that the protesters wanted “to send a clear message to our prime minister, his cabinet, and members of parliament to say no to Kinder Morgan’s pipeline and oil tankers.”

“We’ve been strong, solid and fierce about our opposition to this pipeline proposal… We need to stand strong in the days ahead… We hope and we expect and we pray that our prime minister and his cabinet are going to do the right thing,” Robertson said.

The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is yet to announce its decision on Kinder Morgan.

Activists say the project will have a detrimental impact on First Nations communities, pose serious threats to the environment, and worsen climate change.

“It’s a very sensitive issue… People care about it across all of walks of life,” Robertson said.

The National Energy Board approved the plan in May 2016, issuing a list of 157 pre-conditions for its implementation.

Robertson referred to that process as “a sham.” The board failed to consider scientific evidence highlighting the project’s risks, as well as the consequences a potential oil spill could have on the region’s ecology and economy, according to the official.

The government has until December 19 to approve the 6.8-billion dollar, 1,150-kilometer Trans Mountain pipeline project.

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