Pipelines and environmental concerns

This year saw many demonstrations in opposition to proposed pipelines. On September 8, a protest was held outside the U.S. consulate in Montreal against the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). This proposed pipeline has been approved by the current Trump administration despite prolonged protest in North Dakota, across Canada and the United States. DAPL would carry crude oil across sacred Sioux territory as well as the Missouri River, an important water source for the indigenous community, among others. The September 8 protest also took issue with the proposed Energy East pipeline, which would transport crude oil from Alberta’s tar sands to oil refineries in Eastern Canada. This pipeline would cross the Saint Lawrence River, putting a major Eastern Canadian water body in grave danger. There is currently major resistance to this pipeline from both environmental groups and Denis Coderre, the mayor of Montreal. Later, in the fall on November 7 there was another demonstration in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Nation, the indigenous community at the forefront of this conflict. By November thousands had already gathered on Sioux land in North Dakota to protest DAPL in person. There were many reports of human rights violations perpetrated by police against peaceful DAPL protesters. Kenneth Deer, a journalist and educator from Kahnawá:ke addressed these violations saying, “The brutality of the police force out there is unforgivable. There is no need for peaceful protesters who are defending the water and defending their land and their territory, defending their treaty rights, to be tear-gassed, to have rubber bullets being fired at them or bean bag rounds.” This demonstration was also organized to encourage individuals to withdraw their money from Canadian banks that are invested in DAPL, namely, Scotiabank, the Royal Bank of Canada, and TD Bank.