Protestors oppose pipeline
Locals voiced their concerns over a northern project to bring oil through British Columbia
About 70 people lined the street in front of MLA Marc Dalton’s office on Wednesday afternoon to show their concern over Enbridge’s plans to build a pipeline in northern B.C.
Photograph by: Maria Rantanen , TIMES
Drumming and singing could be heard on Wednesday afternoon as local residents protested in front of MLA Marc Dalton's office Wednesday against a proposed pipeline.
About 70 people were out in the drizzling rain expressing their concern over Enbridge's plans to build the Northern Gateway pipeline.
This was one of about 50 such protests across the province, following Monday's protest in front of the legislature in Victoria that attracted several thousand people including Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows residents.
Verity Howarth was one of the organizers of Wednesday's demonstration, and she said, while she's more of social activist than an environmentalist, the pipeline issue has inspired her to get involved.
Howarth grew up in Prince George where the Northern Gateway pipeline is planned to go through, and she works in Abbotsford next to a pipeline that Kinder Morgan wants to expand.
"It's right in my backyard on two fronts," she said. Even kids know about conserving and alternative energy sources, Howarth said.
"I felt that I could not not get involved," she said.
Geri Pinel, from the Golden Ears Transition Initiative (GETI), said he was at the protest "because oil is not the answer... too much of our civilization is based on oil."
Pinel said all of modern civilization is based on fossil fuels, and society shouldn't have "all its eggs in one basket."
Howarth was among the thousands who were in Victoria on Monday to protest against the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.
Howarth, who is with the Fraser Valley Pipeline Watch Group, said she is concerned about the possibility of tanker spills and toxic gases from a bitumen spill.
In the event of a tanker spill, Howarth said the Fraser River and the health of the salmon would be at risk.
In addition, more focus should be put on finding alternative energy sources and not on tarsands, Howarth added.
"Incentives/subsidies to create green-economy jobs could actually benefit business in Maple Ridge and create local jobs," Howarth said.
"With the current situation, we are sending more and more of our workers to the tarsands. I know of four families this year where the dad has started commuting to Northern Alberta to work."
About 70 people lined the street in front of MLA Marc Dalton’s office on Wednesday afternoon to show their concern over Enbridge’s plans to build a pipeline in northern B.C.
Photograph by: Maria Rantanen , TIMES
