B.C. pipeline protesters target MLAs' offices
Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan opponents rally outside 63 B.C. MLAs' offices
CBC News
Posted: Oct 24, 2012 6:31 AM PT
Last Updated: Oct 24, 2012 9:28 PM PT
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A colourful crowd of costumed anti-pipeline protesters — including a papier mâché oil tanker — gathered in front of Premier Christy Clark's constituency office on the west side of Vancouver on Wednesday.
The protest was one of more than 60 organized around the province targeting the offices of MLAs from both parties.
Organizers were aiming to use momentum from Monday's anti-pipeline protest in Victoria, which saw an estimated 3,000 people turn out on the legislature lawn to protest the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.
Before marching on Clark's office, long-time environmentalist Tzeporah Berman told the crowd they're at a tipping point in history and they have the capacity to change the future of pipelines.
UBC Prof. George Hoberg told protesters the premier is not taking a firm stance against the pipeline and still offers Enbridge a deal as long as the province gets a cut of revenues.
Prince George protests
In Smithers, organizer Nadia Nowak said the pipeline issue has united British Columbians.
"We've never seen communities coming together like this ... the fact that we have over 63 communities willing to work together to defend the coast — it's pretty monumental," Novak said.
Anti-pipeline protesters marched on Premier Christy Clark's constituency office on Wednesday. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
Novak said their message is directed at all members of the provincial government, which so far has expressed a lack of confidence in the proposed pipeline project and has demanded much higher revenue from the pipeline if it is ever built.
"We want B.C. to take a firm stand, to enforce a permanent tanker [ban] on new oil traffic on B.C.'s coast, and so effectively that will also stop these pipelines from coming."
Novak said there are currently no rallies planned targeting the federal government, even though Ottawa has the final say on pipeline decisions.
"Hopefully, this message will reach [Ottawa]," she said.
The 1,100-kilometre Northern Gateway pipeline proposed by Enbridge Inc., which would run from the oil sands to the port of Kitimat, B.C., is in the midst of federal review panel hearings.
Kinder Morgan is also seeking to nearly triple the capacity of its Trans Mountain Pipeline from Alberta to Burnaby.
With files from the CBC's Marissa Harvey and the Canadian PressShare Tools
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