UPDATE: Click Here to Donate to the Legal Support Fund for Burnaby Mountain Arrestees.
In late October the National Energy Board granted Kinder Morgan access to begin work on their TransMountain tar sands pipeline expansion project in a designated conservation area on Burnaby Mountain, despite overwhelming opposition from local residents, Indigenous peoples and politicians.
In response, community members have established a camp and prevented Kinder Morgan from accessing the site. They have been slapped with a $5.6 million dollar lawsuit by Kinder Morgan and are facing an injunction from the company. The good news is that the mobilization is growing and backing up opposition on Burnaby Mountain. Here are some ways you can support the opposition.
Kinder Morgan is already facing mounting opposition on the ground, so let them know that you’re watching and standing with the people protecting Burnaby Mountain and our climate. We’ll gather these messages and then deliver them to directly to Kinder Morgan to send a message that this camp is not alone and that thousands of people are backing up community opposition.
2. Donate to the legal defence funds.
Kinder Morgan has slapped a number of the camp member with a $5.6 million dollar lawsuit, that’s a lot for anyone to stand up to. Help support those people standing strong against this attempt by Kinder Morgan to steamroll opposition by donating a few dollars to the legal defence fund here. A second legal support fundraiser has also been launched for BROKE members also named in the lawsuit, you can donate to that fund here.
3. Get Involved on the Ground.
Between the ongoing camp, trainings being organized by allies and actions being planned there are plenty of ways to get involved in supporting this action on the ground. A Facebook group has been established for the camp, and you can also connect with Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Expansion (BROKE) for updates and info on how to get involved on the ground.
4. Share the story
Helping spread the word about what’s happening on Burnaby Mountain! A few things you can share on social media:
- A letter of support from over 65 community groups and organizations
- Stories about the camp and the lawsuit
- This graphic on Facebook
5. Take Action in Your Community
The battle on Burnaby Mountain is the latest flashpoint in the ever growing resistance to tar sands expansion, and whether it’s Kinder Morgan or another pipeline project, there are plenty of ways for you to get involved and take action in your community. Actions could take place along the TransMountain pipeline route, at the offices of elected officials, or really anywhere that you can gather people in your community to send a message. Send me an email at [email protected] if you need any help!