Thursday, June 19, 2014

Northern Gateway

Steven Harper's government approves the Northern Gateway tar sands pipeline.  In the video below, Chief Namox of the Wet'suwet'en tribe describes how the proposed route would illegally split the Wet'suwet'en territory in half while endangering and destroying the environment.  The Wet'suwet'en never ceded territory for the Enbridge Northern Gateway and were never properly consulted in accordance with treaty and Canadian law. 

  

Hundreds of Canadian towns rallied in Vancouver, British Columbia this month to protest the Northern Gateway Pipeline.  In the video below, a speaker tells the crowd, "They have lobbyists, but we have determination."  The crowd vigorously chants, "No! No! No! No!" to the Northern Gateway as an eagle, symbolic of strength, courage and wisdom, reportedly circles above the protesters.  

2/3rds of Canadians oppose the tar sands project. 




Editor's Update, 7.19.2014.  The Globe and Mail reports 7.14.14 a slew of First Nations court actions against the Northern Gateway, and which also "underscores the significance of a recent Supreme Court of Canada decision related to B.C.’s Tsilhqot’in Nation, which confirmed the group holds aboriginal title to a specific tract of land in the province and is being used as a springboard for new actions challenging Ottawa’s approval of Northern Gateway."

In this July 17th 2014 news video opposition leaders criticize the Harper government, including Thomas Mulcair who calls Steven Harper a politician "who doesn't care," and states,
"We're talking about a severe threat to social order, social peace - not only in British Columbia, but across Canada - if Mr. Harper continues to ignore science, continues to ignore First Nations, continues to ignore communities.  And that's his track record.  He doesn't listen to anyone.  He makes it up as he goes along and he decides in advance what it's going to be.  We all knew what today was going to be because he preordained it.  He had talked three years ago, in spite of the fact that there was supposed to be this big objective process, he had already talked three years ago about how he was backing it.  Not surprising that it wound up in his hands because he was going to approve it.  But you know what?  It's a poison chalice that he handed those companies that he thinks he's helping.  Because this is not going to move forward." 
 He then says that it will be going into the 2015 elections.

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