THUNDER BAY - Shouts of shame on the Liberal government and shame on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cut through the wind outside a local MP’s constituency office as protestors across the country speak out against the federal government’s purchase of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline.
“I was just like other people who had a similar reaction, I was absolutely appalled and floored that the federal government would move forward with such a decision without any consultation with Indigenous people or the public at large,” said Lana Ray, an executive for the Council of Canadians Thunder Bay Chapter.
Protests were held at constituency offices across Canada on Monday, including a demonstration of nearly 40 protestors outside Minister Patty Hajdu’s office in Thunder Bay organized by Ray and the Thunder Bay Chapter of the Council of Canadians.
Earlier this month, the federal government announced plans to purchase the pipeline project that transports crude oil from Alberta to the B.C. coast. The $4.5 billion purchase of the pipeline that has been operating since 1953 could also see future expansions, such as twinning of the existing line.
Ray said there is a plethora of reasons why the purchase of the pipeline is not in the national interest of the country.
“We have a country where we have treaties and we have protected in our constitution the inherit rights of Indigenous peoples,” she said. “The vast majority of British Columbia is located on unceded territory of Indigenous peoples, that means Indigenous people still have title to that land.”
There are also many outstanding land claims settlements, Ray added, and moving forward with the pipeline project and expansion is breaking the federal government’s promises of free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples.
“If you think about the actual budget, chapter three in the federal budget that goes until 2023 earmarks $4.5 billion for reconciliation as a whole, which was one of the largest platforms the Liberal government ran on,” Ray said. “Not a budget item, but now all of the sudden there is an additional $4.5 billion to buy an aging pipeline no one wants to buy.”
“It just makes no sense,” Ray continued. “It doesn’t make sense socially, it doesn’t make sense in terms of our values we have here in Canada, and it doesn’t make sense economically as well.”
Ray said she hopes MPs across the country will listen to their constituents and the voices of people across Canada who are calling the decision to support the Trans Mountain pipeline is “a grave mistake that they need halt.”
For Ray and others, the issue goes well beyond the people of Alberta and British Columbia and it is an issue that is incredibly polarizing for all Canadians, but is something that has far reaching ramifications.
“We don’t have the luxury anymore to just continue what we’ve been doing,” she said. “We’ve seen where that’s gotten us. If we are to have any change in terms of climate change, we need to start making those changes today.”
Hajdu was in Ottawa on Monday but released a statement to thank the people in her riding for sharing their concerns regarding the project, but she stands behind the government’s decision.
“By ensuring this project is built we are protecting our environment and thousands of good, well-paying jobs at the same time,” the statement reads. “The Trans Mountain Expansion Project was approved by both the federal and British Columbia governments after the most rigorous environmental assessment in our country’s history. We are pursuing it with confidence because this is an investment in Canada’s future and our national interest.”
