Federal pipeline purchase opposed
Peterborough activists take part in national protest with rally outside Monsef’s office
Demonstrators gathered outside of Peterborough-Kawartha MP and Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef ’s constituency office on Monday as part of a national protest in opposition to the federal government’s buyout of the Kinder Morgan pipeline.
The federal government announced last week that it would be purchasing the controversial pipeline for $4.5-billion to guarantee that the project would move forward.
The crowd of almost 40 demonstrators gathered outside of MP Maryam Monsef’s office on Bethune St, each holding a letter to spell out “Stop Kinder Morgan”.
The protesters were wearing red, the traditional colour of the Liberal party, but they weren’t there in support of the decisions made by the federal government.
Demonstrators chanted, waved signs and sang an environmentally centric take on the national anthem, written by Linda and Al Slavin of Localizing the Leap.
The protest anthem was sung throughout the morning and argued against the environmental and economical costs of purchasing the Kinder Morgan pipeline.
“Our prime minister has said that Canada will nationalize it,” said organizer and activist Roy Brady.
“It will take it on and spend the money that is necessary, hoping a private buyer will show up later which is obviously not going to happen because it’s really economically unviable.”
Demonstrators delivered a letter in opposition to Monsef ’s office, though staff informed the
group that the MP is currently in parliament and they will get a response when she returns to the city.
For protesters who voted for the Liberal party in the last election, the decision to purchase Kinder Morgan is a betrayal.
“When they cancelled the proportional representation initiative, I was disappointed, but with this I am disheartened,” said Ruth Bishop, who had spent the previous federal election campaigning in support of Monsef.
“I feel bad for all the people I talked to going door to door giving these promises about following the Paris according, dealing with climate change and introducing proportional representation, and that I was lying to those people,” Bishop said. “I feel really bad about that.”
There were protests at MP offices across the country, but some demonstrators, like Alan Crook from Lindsay, said that the message was more effective if it was concentrated in Liberal ridings.
“The Liberals are in power and they’re the ones who made this decision,” said Crook.
“You can’t cook the planet in order to save it.”
Demonstrators marched through the downtown on their way to Peterborough Square, but the streets were relatively quiet because of the cold weather and potential rain.
The crowd stayed downtown until noon, holding up protest signs, with statements like “there is no Planet B” and “Kill Kinder Morgan” to passing motorits.
The Peterborough demonstration was organized by Localizing the Leap, Leadnow, Council of Canadians, For Our Grandchildren, and 350.org.
Kinder Morgan has until July 22 to find a different buyer in the private sector before accepting the buyout offer from the federal government.