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3/2/2020

Wet'suwet'en supporters building pipeline through minister's St. John's office | CBC News

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Wet'suwet'en supporters building pipeline through minister's St. John's office | CBC News

Nfld. & Labrador

Wet'suwet'en supporters building pipeline through minister's St. John's office

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About 25 protesters occupying federal Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan's office

CBC News · Posted: Feb 27, 2020 11:44 AM NT | Last Updated: February 27
A group of protesters has begun to build its own pipeline through Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Reagan's office in St. John's on Thursday. (Mark Quinn/CBC)

Supporters of the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs — and opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline — built a symbolic "pipeline" Thursday inside the St. John's office of Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan.

About 25 people are occupying the office in St. John's, and some aren't saying when they plan to leave. 

Indigenous members brought drums and are leading the group in singing of traditional songs, and some of the protesters have written "Reconciliation is Dead" on miniature Canadian flags.

Others are constructing a "pipeline," made of PVC pipe, through O'Regan's office. According to Robert Leamon, a member of the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation, it's a symbol of the disruption that a gas pipeline will cause in the Wet'suwet'en nation.

"It is obviously not a good situation to be in that there's a pipeline being built on the land, where it's getting in the way of everything else you are trying to do," he said. "Indigenous people have been trying to live peacefully on this land for generations." 

  • A who's who of the Wet'suwet'en pipeline conflict

Tensions between supporters of the Wet'suwet'en, police and government have begun to bubble over the last week as protesters have attempted to shut down rail lines across the country, some engaging in scuffles with officers.

Protests are being held to show solidarity with Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who oppose a natural gas pipeline project that would cut through Wet'suwet'en territory in northern British Columbia.The St. John's protest on Thursday has been peaceful.

About 25 protesters are occupying O'Regan's office. (Mark Quinn/CBC)

Office staff have been welcoming to protestors and say there is no plan to ask them to leave. 

In a statement, the Department of Natural Resources said O'Regan and his staff "staff welcome the opportunity to speak to constituents about their views."

"Our work on this matter has always focused on finding a peaceful and lasting resolution in a way that builds trust and respect among all parties involved," says the statement.

Leamon said the group was targeting O'Regan's office because they believe he has the power to "put an end" to the conflict.

"He's the minister of natural resources, so he's clearly a very influential player in the way that pipelines proceed in this country," he said.  "So yeah, we absolutely are hoping that he will step up and bring truth to the conversation around reconciliation."

  • Dozens gather at MUN during Muskrat Falls announcement to protest B.C. pipeline

In mid-February a group in St. John's blocked traffic on downtown streets on a Saturday, and about 100 people showed up to a Muskrat Falls announcement at Memorial University to stand in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en Nation. A small group in Corner Brook took to Remembrance Square to do the same.

Stan Nochasak, an Inuk from Labrador, says even if the protesters leave O'Regan's office, their message will stay. (Mark Quinn/CBC)

Stan Nochasak, an Inuk from Labrador who now lives in St. John's, said he has great environmental concerns about the Coastal GasLink pipeline. He said he decided to attend the protest at the last minute to support other protesters across the country.

"We all need land, and when you destroy it you eventually destroy generations," he said. "We can't see it, but the spirit has an eye that can see ahead of time." 

Angelica Vincent, a university student in St. John's from Hopedale, says she wants to see the RCMP leave Wet'suwet'en lands. (Mark Quinn/CBC)

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

With files from Mark Quinn

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Related Stories

  • A who's who of the Wet'suwet'en pipeline conflict
  • Dozens gather at MUN during Muskrat Falls announcement to protest B.C. pipeline
  • Activist group holds St. John's rally in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en nation protesters
  • Protest in Corner Brook a show of support for the Wet'suwet'en



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Tags: Decolonization, CBC NL, Wet'suwet'en

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3/2/2020

Green New Drinks finds new home for environmental activism at St. John's brewery | Local | News | The Telegram

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Green New Drinks finds new home for environmental activism at St. John's brewery | Local | News | The Telegram

Green New Drinks finds new home for environmental activism at St. John's brewery

Social Justice Co-operative of Newfoundland and Labrador operations co-ordinator Lea Mary Movelle (left) and project co-ordinator Neria Aylward. - Contributed

First event of new year this Wednesday at Bannerman Brewing

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. —

If you want to hear people talk about pressing environmental concerns while enjoying some local craft beer, the Social Justice Co-operative of Newfoundland and Labrador (SJCNL) has you covered.

The group, in partnership with Green Drinks St. John's, has hosted several Green New Drinks gatherings at various venues in St. John's over the last few months, bringing in speakers from a variety of backgrounds to tackle topics relevant to the environment and social justice.

Memorial University associate professor of anthropology Robin Whitaker speaks at the first Green New Drinks event in St. John's last August.

For the new year, the event has found a new permanent home, with the Bannerman Brewing Company agreeing to host the monthly talks, which are held the first Wednesday of each month.

"Our goal is to bring all the people who are interested in environmental activism in the community together in an informal setting, because there are so many people in this city who are interested in doing something about the climate crisis," SJCNL project co-ordinator Neria Aylward told The Telegram. "It's never really felt more pressing."

The event can serve as a sociable starting point for people curious to learn more about what people locally are doing to help make St. John's and Newfoundland and Labrador as a whole proactive in addressing the effects of climate change.

The first Green New Drinks gathering at Bannerman Brewing takes place this Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. and will focus on local transit. Coun. Ian Froude and Kirsten Morry, both from the St. John's Transportation Commission, will be joined by Liam O'Neill from the Memorial University Students' Union executive for Wednesday's talk.

St. John's Transportation Commission members Kirsten Morry, left, and Coun. Ian Froude are among the guest speakers at Wednesday's Green New Drinks event at Bannerman Brewing in St. John's. - Contributed

Green New Drinks enables attendees to learn about what the speakers are doing, and serves as a networking opportunity, and the audience for the monthly event has grown considerably over time, Aylward said.

In addition to being a wheelchair-accessible space, Bannerman Brewing as a venue allows for Green New Drinks to be an all-ages event. Madison Acker, a member of SJCNL, works as a science interpreter and creates themed activities for kids as part of Green New Drinks.

"It's not just that the kids can come, it's that they'll have things to do as well," Aylward said.

Future topics for Green New Drinks this year include democratic reform (Feb. 5), anti-environmental racism (March 4) and food sovereignty (April 1).

Twitter: @CBNAndrew


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Tags: Green New Drinks, The Telegram

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