Order of Canada recipient arrested at pipeline protest
Ruffolo: It’s a cloudy June 30th on Burnaby Mountain. But protesters of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project are here in full force to voice their opinion.
These land defenders and water protectors were willing to risk arrest to oppose the pipeline expansion project.
Many of them refused to move out of the way as the mounties intervened.
Jean Swanson is an anti-poverty activist and member of the Order of Canada. She was one of seven people arrested today.
Swanson: I’m Jean Swanson, and I’m running for city council in Vancouver in October. But really, the reason I’m here is because this pipeline is just evil in so many ways.
Ruffolo: Those protesting at the gate into the pipeline project now face up to 14 days in jail for their actions. But Jean isn’t too worried, she’s looking on the bright side.
Swanson: It should be a good education.
Ruffolo: Ya? It’s a learning experience?
Swanson: Ya. For a 75 year old.
Ruffolo: Tzeporah Berman, an environmental activist and campaigner, was on site in support of the protesters.
Berman: I’m Tzeporah Berman and I’m the deputy director of Stand.earth. I’m working with Protect The Inlet, which is a coalition of groups supporting indigenous leadership in their stand against the Kinder Morgan pipeline.
Today there was a woman named Jean Swanson who is a member of the Order of Canada. I mean, this is the highest award that our government gives to its citizens for protecting and acting in the benefit of Canada. And the idea that we now have elderly people, who have spent their entire lives working to make this country a better place, blocking a pipeline that our federal government has bought with our taxpayers’ dollars seems kind of crazy.
And it’s sad that we’re going to see our elders go to jail.
Ruffolo: On the eve of Canada Day, there were over 200 protesters on Burnaby mountain to to oppose Trans Mountain. Susan Lambert, the Former B.C. Teachers’ Federation President, was also one of the seven arrested.
The Federal Government of Canada recently bought the pipeline from Kinder Morgan with taxpayer money. This purchase came with a 4.5 billion dollar price tag. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that this was done in order to ensure that the pipeline gets built so that we can get our resources to new markets.
It’s going to be a long summer on Burnaby Mountain.
