By Vito Pilieci, Ottawa Citizen, February 2, 2015
A group of Ottawa environmentalists interrupted a presentation given by
TransCanada Corp.’s Energy East pipeline president François Poirier at the
Château Laurier on Monday. Poirier was due to speak at 12:50 p.m., but had
barely taken the podium at the luncheon meeting of the Canadian Club of Ottawa
when four members of Ecology Ottawa walked to the front of the room and silently
unrolled long banners protesting the pipeline. The banners read, “We can’t drink
oil!” and “Stop Energy East!” Two other pipeline opponents remained in the
audience and photographed the protest. The Ecology Ottawa members paid $75 each
to enter the event. The banners were small enough that they could be rolled up
and stuffed in the arms of coats that were carried into the dining room at the
hotel. The protesters were escorted out by hotel security guards. No charges
were laid. For Ben Powless, a pipeline community organizer with the Ottawa
group, the demonstration was meant to remind TransCanada of the stiff opposition
the pipeline faces. “It’s about sending a message to TransCanada that as
citizens of Ottawa we don’t want the pipeline coming through our city,” he said.
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Ecology Ottawa disrupts Energy East pipeline speech at Château Laurier |
Ottawa Citizen.