Energy East is Dead!
This morning, we got the news we’ve all been fighting for!
TransCanada has announced that they are cancelling their Energy East and Eastern Mainline pipeline proposals.
This is truly a monumental victory for every Canadian. Today, we stopped 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day—some of the dirtiest oil in the world—from being shipped 4,500 km across the country and burned, sending thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Today, we stopped ourselves from investing in antiquated infrastructure for the economy of the past.
Today, we stood alongside Indigenous communities to defend Indigenous rights to their lands, resources, and livelihoods.
Today, we stood up for the thousands of waterways that this pipeline would have crossed, the veins of our earth and source of our drinking water.
How did we get to this point? This victory belongs to the people—to the front line communities, Indigenous nations, environmental organizations, and individuals who have stood up against this project since it was first announced by TransCanada in 2013. We raised our collective voice to government and industry to denounce the pipeline as incompatible with a safe climate and future. We elected a government on the promise to include climate impacts in the pipeline review process. We stood up at town halls across the country and spoke the truth—that this project is not in the best interest of Canadians. We did it together, and today we celebrate together.
What have we learned? This victory shows us that people, organized and united, have the power to speak louder than industry. When we come together and combine our unique skills, energies, and perspectives, we have the power to cut through the propaganda of the fossil fuel industry and shift the public narrative on energy in this country. And we see that as we lead, the government follows.
Read moreMEJC Denied Intervenor Status at NEB Hearings
The National Energy Board is the primary official way for citizens and organizations to participate in decision making about pipelines and other resource extraction projects. MEJC applied to participate as an Intervenor, the most effective designation for participants. We were not accepted as Intervenors and were instead downgraded to Commenter status. The denial of Intervenor status means that we do not have a strong voice in the NEB process, cannot effectively contribute our knowledge, and cannot voice our concerns within that process.
Read moreMEJC Provincial Election Report Card
In an effort to learn more about the provincial parties' positions on climate, environment, and the Energy East pipeline, the MEJC sent a list of questions to each party. We asked for simple yes or no answers to our very clear, unequivocal questions. Most parties included some commentary along with their answers, while some avoided taking an accountable position by responding with qualifications and conditions. One party (Brian Pallister's Progressive Conservatives) refused to participate at all despite numerous requests by email, telephone, and in person. We have included here our final report card as well as each party's complete response, together with a brief response from MEJC.
To view the full report card, please click this link: MEJC report card all v2
The Energy East Pipeline in Manitoba: Avenues for Government Action Outside the Broken NEB Process
Today the Manitoba Energy justice Coalition released a report detailing the legal and political options the Government of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg have to protect citizens from the risks of the Energy East pipeline proposal.
This report explores additional regulatory and public intervention options, external to the National Energy Board review, that are available at the subnational level for assessing the Energy East pipeline project. The report is especially concerned with climate and environmental impact, and the threat to the Winnipeg aqueduct. Based on the research in this report, MEJC recommends:
- Move the pipeline away from the Winnipeg aqueduct, other drinking water sources, and natural gas lines
- Request the PUB to open an investigation into the safety of the Winnipeg aqueduct
- Request the Clean Environment Commission under its own authority to initiate an investigation into the implications of Energy East
- Carry out public education through the media of hearings (during the CEC and PUB assessments), open houses, pamphlets and flyers at political offices, and press statements.
Selinger has Fork-Tongued Position on Pipelines and Climate Change
For Immediate Release – January 11, 2016
Selinger has Fork-Tongued Position on Pipelines and Climate Change
WINNIPEG – Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition (MEJC) denounced the Manitoba premier’s two-faced comments on the Energy East pipeline following his meeting with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. In a meeting on Friday January 8, Premiers Rachel Notley and Greg Selinger signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding cooperation on national energy issues.
Read moreWhat the Liberal Majority's Environmental Position Means For Manitobans in Opposition to the Energy East pipeline
With Justin Trudeau decisively anointed the prime minister-elect by a crimson wave, the country has waived goodbye to 10 years of Conservative majority rule and now has to reckon with the leftovers. The Conservatives have left a completely gutted environmental review process of pipelines and tar sands infrastructure, leaving pipeline projects stuck in review within a National Energy Board process which is fundamentally flawed. Under a new government there is some reason to be optimistic, though we have our work cut out for us and must remain diligent, in the short and long term, to ensure the Prime Minister is held accountable to his bold and promising campaign declarations.
Read moreGroups to Selinger at Premiers Meeting: You Can’t Be a Climate Leader and Be Pro Pipeline
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2015
WINNIPEG – 350.org, Council of Canadians – Winnipeg Chapter, and Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition (MEJC) denounced Premier Selinger’s decision to sign — along with the other Canadian premiers — an agreement that fails to recognize that pipelines and climate leadership don’t mix. The agreement fails to acknowledge the importance of absolute emission reductions and and the need to stop expanding oil infrastructure in Canada.
Read moreOpposition to Tar Sands Expansion Hits Winnipeg Streets
The Winnipeg Paddle and Pedal was a huge success! The bikes and boats brought the message through the city that Canadians should reject TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline and the threat it poses to the land and water. Read some of the media coverage HERE and HERE
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Read moreReport Details Potential Impacts of Energy East to Winnipeg
A new scientific report released today by our alliance of environmental, community, and religious groups shows that TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline would directly threaten the drinking water of more than 850,000 Manitobans, including the entire population of Winnipeg.
The report shows that every township in Manitoba has roads with ditches that channel water into streams or drains constructed around Winnipeg and other municipalities. This means that if the Energy East pipeline ruptured (the report documents TransCanada’s frequent pipeline failures), closing the valve on a major water crossing would not necessarily be effective as a rupture on even a minor water crossing could drain into waterways Manitobans depend on for water. Municipal water supplies would thus be impacted.
Read moreManitobans Demand NEB Cancel Energy East Review
We paid a visit to the Winnipeg Free Press Cafe to deliver a message to National Energy Board Chair Peter Watson on behalf of 60 Organizations. We were proud to be able to project the voices of people from across the continent opposed to the expansion of the tar sands.
Read the letter we gave to Peter Watson HERE
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