Photos: No Enbridge protest follows Harper's approval of the Northern Gateway pipeline

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      The evening of June 17, hundreds of people stopped rush hour traffic on Georgia Street to voice their opposition against the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline.

      The demonstration at the CBC building at Georgia and Hamilton streets was held just hours after the government of Prime Minster Stephen Harper granted conditional approval for the project.

       The Northern Gateway pipeline is planned to transport oil from the Alberta tar sands (also known as oil sands) across British Columbia to ships that will carry it to Asia. Twin pipelines will carry 525,000 barrels of diluted bitumen and 193,000 barrels of condensate per day between Bruderheim, Alberta, and Kitimat, B.C., where the oil will be loaded onto 220 tankers per year.

      Jakub Markiewicz was at the June 17 demonstration and uploaded photos to the Georgia Straight's Flickr pool. Follow Markiewicz on Flickr and Twitter.

      Comments

      5 Comments

      Irene Starkie

      Jun 18, 2014 at 2:03pm

      I will absolutely no longer support the Harper government after their approval of the Enbridge pipeline project. Disgusted and angry and lost all respect for the PC government. NO NO NO to the pipeline!

      Long Term Future

      Jun 18, 2014 at 4:28pm

      This seems like a great opportunity to put our money where our mouth is in terms of environmental safety. Any way we move tar it all goes up as CO2 and contributes to global warming which affects us all. Now, last time I checked renewables generated about 10% of the planet's electricity which puts them nearly on par with nuclear. Wouldn't we be prudent to invest in the long term future by becoming a world leader in sustainable technologies rather than a world leader in clinging to outdated and short-sighted industries?

      Now more than ever we are perfectly situated to support the future industries we want. The cost of photovoltaics has fallen dramatically by about 80% in the last five years bringing the amortization period down to about 20 years. Even better is the latest generation of electric cars; in Vancouver a Leaf can pay itself off in four years! Better still would be to have more Canadian made options. That's why I build my own electric vehicles.

      So next time you feel like saying 'someone should do something', be that someone; march yourself down to the hardware store, pick up one solar panel and take the power back.

      Vikesh Kohli

      Jun 18, 2014 at 6:02pm

      Enbridge has told everyone that Northern Gateway project will cost $6.5B while it has known for months that the cost as proposed currently is above $22B. It has been cost cutting & working on different pipeline routes to ports other than Kitimat but larger diameter pipes. It is planning to change the final design of the terminal completely. It will no longer be a land terminal but will be a floating storage terminal in Kitimat area waters or other potentially more cost effective waterways in west coast of BC. It is keeping this information confidential in order to receive government approval. Enbridge is hoping it can go ahead with a totally revised plan using existing conditions & approval processes which were in place for the original lower risk project. Deceiving its customers, the public and the government is normal practice at Enbridge. This is a fact: As the government makes a decision to approve the project, Enbridge plans to change it all together while misleading everyone knowingly for months.

      Pat Armstrong

      Jun 19, 2014 at 10:04am

      I see the issue of resource based industry as this: We either accept the fact that BC has always survived based on its economy being built on our natural resources. If it can be done safely, we need to do it. Or we can become a "have not" province very soon!

      Gee what a crowd!

      Jun 20, 2014 at 2:54pm

      I notice they didn't trumpet the numbers on this one, was it smaller than a Canada Line train load? If you don't want a resource economy that is great but take a look at the BC budget, the Alberta budget and transfer payments from Ottawa: without resource development there would be no handouts from Ottawa and precious little in the way of social programs. The tech industry, tourist industry and entertainment industry are blips on the balance sheet in BC: the bulk of your public services are funded directly or indirectly by resource dollars. Your EI, welfare, public school, healthcare and subsidized university education have been funded by coal, gas, oil, tar, uranium, potash, wood, diamonds, and everything else people have taken out of the ground here.

      Want to change it? Come up with something better than showing people around, serving them drinks or carrying their bags. The current situation is a carry over for short-sighted federal policies that sought western resources for eastern industry. Industrial development was actively discouraged at times in order to protect the interests of Ontario & Quebec. Ultimately the western economies grew into foreign markets and with the collapse of manufacturing in Ontario became the primary supporters of Canada's provincial welfare system.

      The real issue for the bulk of those against pipelines is the economic system. They fantasize about something that they can only agree is "not capitalism" but beyond that they get into shouting matches. They are standing astride the system screaming "NO" but haven't figured out exactly what they want besides a few platitudes. Their "positions," as typified by demands "articulated" by the occupy sediment, consist of a range of statements from each different caucus or sub-group.

      The anti-pipeline movement is a typical coalition in that it is only as dedicated as the weakest group. Some opponents will be bought off with money, jobs or a compensated oversight role some opponents will be bought off with promises. By the end what remains will be the same disaffected groups that remain behind when any protest fails. We can see some of the remains of the BC solidarity movement, the anti-cruise movement as well as the APEC & G20 protesters protesting not just this pipeline but all pipelines. Pipelines will be built, just as restraint, cruise, APEC & G20 went forward.