Protest rally against Kinder Morgan in Burnaby, BC. /MARK KLOTZ
A group of concerned citizens are planning to deliver their worries about the recent approval of Kinder Morgan and Line 3 pipelines in the form of coal to Jim Carr, the MP for Winnipeg South Centre and Minister of Natural Resources.
The protest will be begin on Thu. Dec. 22 at 12:30 p.m. at River Osborne Community Centre, 101 Pembina Hwy., and will walk to Jim Carr’s office at 611 Corydon, remaining at Daly at Corydon until 1:30 p.m.
Jim Carr, Minster of Natural Resources
“Jim Carr has definitely earned his way onto the Naughty List this Christmas,” said Becca Ward, referring to the pipeline approvals.
Jim Carr and the Trudeau government approved reconstruction of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline that runs from Vancouver through to Edmonton, and of the Line 3 pipeline that runs from Edmonton through Manitoba to Superior, Wisconsin.
“We are very disappointed that Jim Carr approved Kinder Morgan and Line 3 even after clear opposition from Canadians,” said Nyree Bridgman. “The approvals go directly against Trudeau’s agreement to the Paris Accord and agreements at COP 21, and his agreement to UNDRIP,” he added, referring to the 2015 Sustainable Innovation Forum, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“Plus, the science behind the potential carbon emissions supported by these pipelines directly contradict Canada’s climate goals,” Bridgman said.
People are planning to gather in their most festive attire to deliver the coal. They say they will be prepared with educational hand-outs for those passing by that specify how the pipelines will impact their lives.
The group is not suggesting oil replace coal, which also creates greenhouse gas when burned. Rather, they want to play off of the holiday trope of badly behaved children receiving coal in their stockings from an otherwise generous Santa Claus.
These approvals come at a time of increased attention around the energy economy and Indigenous rights relations in North America. The protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline have introduced these issues into international dialogue, specifically in terms of land rights, treaty relations and Indigenous people. People from across the world have taken action in solidarity with those at Standing Rock.
For more information, contact the protest’s organizer, Mitchell Van Ineveld at (204) 793-7877 or at mitchell.vanineveld@gmail.com
Standing Rock solidarity march in San Francisco, November 2016. /PAX AHIMSA GETHEN
