28 December 2016 – In Montreal, protesters called for an end to the 9B pipeline on Dec. 18, walking through snow and sleet from Suncor refinery in Montreal East to Montreal City Hall. The protest marks one year since Enbridge Inc. began transporting its dangerous oil from Alberta to Montreal through Line 9.
Stopping along the route of their 16-kilometre march, the protesters expressed their views to those who stood to listen. “Enbridge Line 9B is a threat to our drinking water,” said Louise Morand, a member of Regroupement Vigilance Hydrocarbures Quebec (RVHQ), which is made up of 130 citizens groups across the province.
“[Line 9] is an old pipeline, it’s degraded and it’s dangerous to our population,” said demonstrator, Amélie Violette. “Drinking water for millions of people in under threat.”
The pipeline crosses many of Canada’s critical waterways and they argue that all it takes is one spill to paralyze almost all of Montreal’s pumping stations.
“If there’s a spill, it’s going to be apocalyptic,” said activist Marc-André Toupin. “I really hope people start realizing that.
“It’s an old pipeline. It’s more than 40 years old. It should be dismantled. It serves to give a new access for the dirty oil from Alberta, and we don’t need that,” Morand said. The old pipeline transports crude from Alberta through Southern Ontario. It runs parallel to highway 401 between Sarnia, Ont., and Montreal.
The oil is then shipped to foreign markets – something the National Energy Board (NEB) gave approval for in 2014 without democratic input, especially from organizations and people concerned with its dangers or the impact the pipeline can have on Montreal and surrounding areas.
Line 9 a threat to Montreal’s drinking water
Protesters said that Enbridge’s Line 9 pipeline poses a threat to Montreal’s drinking water. “We want to see alternatives for sure, but today is about shutting down Line 9, which is an emergency for our drinking water,” said Amelie Laflamme. “We want to have a government that starts to think of alternatives, of solutions, we have to collectively get into that.”
Organizers said that last year’s reversal of the pipe’s flow, roughly 300,000 barrels of oil flow each day, was approved by the Trudeau government. They pointed to a number of safety order issued for the pipeline by the NEB which indicates more than 20 repairs were made to the pipeline in the past year in Quebec.
Chippewas of the Thames First Nation at the forefront
It was noted that the Chippewas of the Thames First nation court case in Ontario is, like the ongoing defenders of the land at Standing Rock, North Dakota, a battle which demands consent. They are both against a pipeline which desecrates their ancestral lands, and threatens the health of their people.
A message was received from Rachel Thevenard of Run Against Line 9 !
She thanked the organizers “for keeping our spirits up in the fight against Line 9. “I’m so glad people are coming out and continuing to show their opposition to this incredibly dangerous tar sands pipeline.
Let’s remember that at the forefront of this fight is Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, whose Supreme Court challenge was heard November 30th. We now wait six months to a year for the results. After that, it is up to Enbridge to actually respect the court decision. Let’s keep supporting Chippewas of the Thames.”
The legal fees for their court case have exceeded half a million dollars. Please consider a gift to the legal case.
Rachel encouraged everyone to “continue to organize with and support each other, because we know that whatever decision is made at the Supreme Court will likely still require the people power to actually be enforced.”
To make an online donation go to http://www.gofundme.com/chippewas
Mail cheque or money order to: Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, 320 Chippewa Road, Muncey, ON N0L 1Y0.
Thank you!
For further information see www.cottfn.com/dutytoconsult and
www.chippewassolidarity.
First published Toronto East End Against Line 9