Ladysmith residents concerned about tar sands, pipelines and tankers are joining a province-wide movement this week.
Ladysmith is one of 48 B.C. communities included in a province-wide Defend Our Coast day of action to show growing opposition to the risks posed by tar sands pipelines and tankers this Wednesday (Oct. 24).
Rallies will be held at MLA offices across the province, and participants will link arms to symbolize B.C.’s unbroken wall of opposition, according to a press release.
The action at MLA Doug Routley’s constituency office located at 524 First Ave. will take place Wednesday at noon. Local volunteers are organizing the event with province-wide support and facilitation by online campaign organization Leadnow.ca.
The day of action will follow the Defend Our Coast mass sit-in Monday at the provincial legislature in Victoria, which was endorsed by community, union, business and Aboriginal leaders, including David Suzuki, Stephen Lewis and Chief Jackie Thomas of the Yinka Dene Alliance, as well as celebrities like Michael Moore and Ellen Page.
Support for the community-based events reflects recent polling data by Stratcom that shows a majority of British Columbians oppose the proposed Enbridge and Kinder Morgan pipeline, according to the press release.
“People from all walks of life — First Nations, ranchers, fishermen, business owners, foresters, teachers — are coming together like never before to form a wall of opposition and to call on our provincial leaders to defend our coast from tar sands pipelines and tankers,” said Nadia Nowak, local outreach co-ordinator for Leadnow.ca. “These pipelines affect all British Columbians.”
For more information about the Defend Our Coast day of action, click here.