Arrests keep happening at Kinder Morgan’s tank farm in Burnaby, B.C. but one prominent activist says not everyone is getting the same treatment.
And she’s referring to the arrests of people like Elizabeth May, the federal Green party leader, a couple weeks ago compared to the recent detention of land defender Suntree Larue.
“Like Elizabeth May’s arrest you could see her hooking her arms into both sides of the police officer and walking out,” said Kanahus Manuel. “She wasn’t held in a Canadian prison cell for doing what she believes is right. But Indigenous people are.
“Suntree spent six days in a Canadian prison cell for fighting for our Indigenous rights. That’s our collective rights as Indigenous people across this country. And he’s standing up for all of us.”
More arrests are expected this weekend at the gates with Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, from the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, saying he intends to be arrested.
It’s supposed to be an act of solidary by breaking a court injunction.
But another protest has been unfolding for several months. It’s known as Camp Cloud and sits across the road from the gates of Kinder Morgan.
And just outside of the area covered by the court injunction.
APTN’s Laurie Hamelin sat down with two land defenders this week. They explained why they are camped out.
“We gotta defend (water) by all means necessary. For me personally it would have to cost me more than just my life,” said Joshua Williams.
And up the highway from Burnaby along the pipeline route is a different battle.
One where status Indians have been denied band membership at Peters First Nation where the Kinder Morgan pipeline runs directly through. It’s a story APTN first reported just over a year ago.
The three people have asked the Federal Court to make them members.
Guy Peters is one of the three and has been waiting over 30 years to be a member just like his father and brother.
“He states that it is very unsettling for him,” said Karey Brooks of JFK Law that represents the trio. “He doesn’t feel part of a community that he identifies with.”
It’s now in a the hands of a judge to decide after arguments were made last month in Vancouver.
N2N.ca
What exactly is being protested? The current pipeline terminus will still be there.
Additional navigation aids and controls will be put into place at significant cost. If the volume of oil shipped is the same the unit cost will increase. Without additional shipping volumes these additional safeguards may not be put in place. We will still have an oil pipeline and we will still be shipping oil every day. Pipelines are the safest method of transport. Without an expanded pipeline we will have more oil shipped via rail through the Fraser Canyon putting our fishery at much higher risk.
I would rather have en expanded pipeline than the alternate. The oil is being produced in Alberta and the best way to maximize the benefit to Canada is to ensure that the oil gets to the market by the safest and most economic means.
Not all bands oppose the Kinder Morgan expansion based on a record of safe operation through their territories for about 60 years. Modernization of the operations will reduce the risk from spills as if and when a spill occurs the spill response will be faster and the damage will be minimized because of better and quicker response times. To my mind the chances of actually stopping the pipeline expansion now is very low. The public consultation period is over. The National Energy Board has issued their report and the Government of Canada has sanctioned the expansion. Many bands have signed agreements that will benefit their members. Show me the benefit to stopping this project and I might change my mind but overall the benefits outweigh the negatives.
What exactly is being protested? The current pipeline terminus will still be there.
Additional navigation aids and controls will be put into place at significant cost. If the volume of oil shipped is the same the unit cost will increase. Without additional shipping volumes these additional safeguards may not be put in place. We will still have an oil pipeline and we will still be shipping oil every day. Pipelines are the safest method of transport. Without an expanded pipeline we will have more oil shipped via rail through the Fraser Canyon putting our fishery at much higher risk.
I would rather have en expanded pipeline than the alternate. The oil is being produced in Alberta and the best way to maximize the benefit to Canada is to ensure that the oil gets to the market by the safest and most economic means.
Not all bands oppose the Kinder Morgan expansion based on a record of safe operation through their territories for about 60 years. Modernization of the operations will reduce the risk from spills as if and when a spill occurs the spill response will be faster and the damage will be minimized because of better and quicker response times. To my mind the chances of actually stopping the pipeline expansion now is very low. The public consultation period is over. The National Energy Board has issued their report and the Government of Canada has sanctioned the expansion. Many bands have signed agreements that will benefit their members. Show me the benefit to stopping this project and I might change my mind but overall the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Let kinder Morgan build the pipeline, sell the oil, and we will reclaim the land ,when the oil is gone. We have a need for this to happen,now, or it would not be happening. Certain people will always find some (cause) to fight over something.
Let kinder Morgan build the pipeline, sell the oil, and we will reclaim the land ,when the oil is gone. We have a need for this to happen,now, or it would not be happening. Certain people will always find some (cause) to fight over something.
Considering the RCMP and court resources required in this matter it is appropriate
all members of the lunatic fringe that are arrested be fined to the maximum.
Considering the RCMP and court resources required in this matter it is appropriate
all members of the lunatic fringe that are arrested be fined to the maximum.
OK,here we go
This world lives because of water.
Our lives depend on it . praise to the first people of Turtle Island.
We have never stopped defending what the Great SPIRIT has given us.The Great Spirit watches every spirit on this planet earth and everywhere else.
We have already seen terrible oil spills and no clean up ,no support.water turned to poison and the land turned dead.
The earth needs these things in intact for it to rotate.by extracting
Cracking,oilsands.big money
Please stop killing our Mother earth .look for other ways to protect Mother earth pray to God our GreatSpirit .use our sacred seven teaching s
Miigwetch..
There’s people that are hungry, there’s too many availing of our social programs,today, they need to work, they want to work, they should be able to go to work, the pipeline is work. The pipeline that is already there,has been there since 1953,there’s drinkable water alongside this pipeline.The world will still revolve,when this BETTER pipeline is built.
Continuing to cling to an exclusive, obsolete, fossil fuel-driven economy will just perpetuate the conditions you’ve cited. By embracing, supporting and developing the alternative energy technologies that have become the main economic engine on the planet (Canada excluded), the number, quality, inclusivity and sustainability of small business and job opportunities would be vastly superior to anything the last-gasp profiteering boondoggle of a dying petro-bank oligopoly will deliver.
OK,here we go
This world lives because of water.
Our lives depend on it . praise to the first people of Turtle Island.
We have never stopped defending what the Great SPIRIT has given us.The Great Spirit watches every spirit on this planet earth and everywhere else.
We have already seen terrible oil spills and no clean up ,no support.water turned to poison and the land turned dead.
The earth needs these things in intact for it to rotate.by extracting
Cracking,oilsands.big money
Please stop killing our Mother earth .look for other ways to protect Mother earth pray to God our GreatSpirit .use our sacred seven teaching s
Miigwetch..
There’s people that are hungry, there’s too many availing of our social programs,today, they need to work, they want to work, they should be able to go to work, the pipeline is work. The pipeline that is already there,has been there since 1953,there’s drinkable water alongside this pipeline.The world will still revolve,when this BETTER pipeline is built.
Continuing to cling to an exclusive, obsolete, fossil fuel-driven economy will just perpetuate the conditions you’ve cited. By embracing, supporting and developing the alternative energy technologies that have become the main economic engine on the planet (Canada excluded), the number, quality, inclusivity and sustainability of small business and job opportunities would be vastly superior to anything the last-gasp profiteering boondoggle of a dying petro-bank oligopoly will deliver.