Official press release of the action :

7 December 2015 (Ste-Justine-de-Newton, 21950 Morrison Road) – Concerned activists are blocking the valve of a section of the Line 9B pipeline at the border of Ontario and Quebec in order to stop the reversal of the Enbridge pipeline that has recently begun in order to bring crude oil from western Canada to Montreal.

The authorization of this pipeline, contrary to popular opposition against tar sands and promises from the new federal government to replace the evaluation process for pipeline projects, is unacceptable.

The Enbridge Line 9 project puts the health of millions of people in Quebec and Ontario at risk by threatening the drinking water of numerous communities. This 40-year-old pipeline crosses multiple rivers and major watercourses in both provinces, including Lake Ontario and the Ottawa River.

Photo : Camp Ligne 9

Photo : Camp Ligne 9

“It is unacceptable that Enbridge can go forward with the Line 9B flow reversal while communities along the route have not received the necessary contingency plans in the event of an emergency”, said Jean Léger, community member from the Lower Laurentians. “Considering the state of the pipeline, and the corrosive nature of bitumen, we know that a spill is inevitable and would impact the drinking water and farmland of millions of people in Ontario and Quebec.”

The current process of the National Energy Board (NEB) has been repeatedly denounced mas illegitimate and conducted in an anti-democratic manner. The community of Aamjiwnaan, situated in Sarnia, Ontario at the start of Line 9, is impacted by the worst air quality in the country as a result of the dozens of refineries on their territory. The Chippewyas of the Thames are currently in a legal process at the Supreme Court against the federal government in order to oppose this project that harms their ancestral rights.

“It is unthinkable that we could start shipping this oil to Montreal without the free, prior and informed consent of First Nations,” said Will, an activist on site. “The attitude of the Canadian government and the oil industry regarding this pipeline demonstrates the continued violation of Indigenous lands and rights, as well as the lack of will from the government to seriously engage in reconciliation with First Nations.”

“While the climate conference is taking place in Paris, it is urgent for us to realize that these projects are incompatible with the limits of the planet, and with the larger struggle against climate change,” declared Alyssa Symons-Bélanger, another activist lending her support. “The Enbridge pipeline particularly aggravates climate change by promoting the expansion of tar sands, which increase greenhouse gas émissions generated by this industry that profits from the destruction of the climate.”

Photo : Camp Ligne 9

Photo : Camp Ligne 9

Couverture médiatique (abondante) :

Web journals read by shareholders of irresponsible companies like Enbridge even mentionned it :

Coincidence? On the same day, Enbridge’s stock market value drops by 8%.