Protesters gather in Regina today. Phot by Manfred Joehnck.
About two dozen anti-pipeline protesters gathered in front of the Legislative Building today to press their demands that the federal government turned down a plan to build a pipeline from Alberta’s oil sands to the B.C. West Coast.
It is part of a national day of action against the Kinder Morgan pipeline, which could receive approval within the next few weeks.
One of the speakers at the rally was Darlene Desnomie, from the Peepeekisis First Nation. She told the crowd she has had enough of watching the land be destroyed, water being polluted and her people suffering, especially the children.
“It hurts so bad and the pain is so great, and you don’t know what they have done to my people,” she sobbed. “I pray, I pray to you guys, look at your children, look at your grandchildren.”
The protesters also delivered a giant size letter to the premier, demanding he take action, rather than fight measures to reduce reliance of fossil fuels.
Premier Wall is vehemently opposed to a carbon tax. Today, he also expressed frustration with another federal announcement. This one on phasing out coal fired generating plants or converting them to clean coal by the year 2030.
Protest organizer and U of R researcher, Emily Eaton, says the premier needs to get on side.
“He has really taken it upon himself to fight Trudeau’s very modest climate change plans, which includes a price on carbon and the phasing out of coal,” she said. “So, he is one of the only premiers on the national stage who is getting in the way of that progress.”
In a written statement, the premier says he will not back off on his opposition to the carbon tax. He also criticized the federal government over its announcement to phase out coal plants without first consulting with the provinces.
Canada’s first ministers will meet next month to discuss the plans.