Anti-pipeline group demonstrates in Saskatoon

Demonstrators in Saskatoon joined a nationwide call for a halt of reviews planned for two major pipeline projects.
 
A few dozen people from Climate Justice Saskatoon braved the cold Friday to stage a rally in Friendship Park.
 
The action came after an Ottawa-based group put out a call for a national day of protests against the federal Liberal government.
 
The demonstrators were voicing their disappointment that the Trans Mountain and Energy East pipeline projects are set to be reviewed by the National Energy Board even though a Liberal pledge to overhaul the regulator remains unfulfilled.
 
Demonstrator Justin Fisher said he feared the consequences of having the reviews done under a process instituted by the former Conservative government of Stephen Harper.
 
 “Pipeline reviews aren’t taking into consideration long-term climate change impacts. They don’t take into consideration greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.
 
Fisher said he felt First Nations’ concerns with the project weren’t being addressed.
 
He said he had hoped for better from the newly elected government.
 
“It’s really discouraging that the Liberals would have campaigned against the Conservative environmental assessment process and then to just go ahead with it — it’s pretty underwhelming,” he said.