Protesters rally in Toronto against the plan to reverse the flow of Line 9.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Toronto on Saturday Oct. 29 to oppose Enbridge’s proposal to reverse the flow of oil in the Line 9 pipeline. Final hearings between Enbridge and the National Energy Board (NEB) were set to take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, but a last minute announcement made by the NEB, citing security concerns, postponed the meeting. According to the NEB, the presence of protestors at the hearing the night before was cause for alarm.
“The end of [Friday’s] hearing raised concerns with respect to the security of participants,” said the NEB in a notice signed by Sheri Young, Secretary of the Board. “As a result the reply argument of the applicant Enbridge Pipelines, Inc. has been postponed until a future date to be determined.”
The protesters gathered on Saturday nonetheless. Seeing the cancellations as a partial victory, rally leader Sakura Blue said: “By cancelling these hearings, the NEB is just showing that they are afraid of people coming together and affirming their truth and affirm[ing] their dedication [to] protecting the land.”
Led by the Idle No More movement, most participants were advocating for environmental and indigenous rights and entitlements. They gathered across the street from the convention centre and peacefully marched around the corner to the other side of the building, carrying signs that read “Oil Spills, Capitalism Kills” and “Stop Line 9.”
“We oppose Line 9 and any resource extraction that happens on native communities and territories,” said Crystal Sinclair, a member of the Bald Eagle clan in Manitoba, “We will exercise our sovereignty.”
The project proposed by Enbridge intends to reverse the flow of the pipeline that currently runs from Montreal to Sarnia. Built in 1976, Line 9 has carried 240,000 barrels of conventional crude oil per day to Southern Ontario. The reversal of the pipeline’s flow so that it will travel from west to east will increase the amount to 300,000 barrels.
The expansion of the Alberta oil sands is a major factor driving the plan. The reversal of flow to the east will help connect western oil resources to eastern markets, including the U.S. and Europe.
Ignoring promises and reassurance from Enbridge, those in opposition to the reversal of Line 9 worry about the environmental consequences of the plan.
Bitumen exported from Alberta must be further refined to become usable, and due to its viscous consistency (similar to that of peanut butter) it must be diluted to ensure its flow. This mixture, called dilbit, would be ecologically disastrous in the event of a breach.
Residents in close proximity to the pipeline, First Nations particularly, have expressed concerns for local watersheds and vulnerable species in ecologically sensitive areas. They also cite the rupture of Enbridge’s Line 6b, which leaked 684,000 litres of bitumen and devastated the Kalamazoo River in Michigan in 2010.
Proponents of the plan, such as public policy analyst Jean-Francois Minardi, argue that the reversal is “a critical step in ensuring the future of Quebec’s refining and petrochemical industries.” Quebec’s two refineries employ an estimated 1,000 workers. Critics charge that dilbit is more corrosive than conventional oil and is therefore not safe for the existing infrastructure and will jeopardize aboriginal lands.
“We’re out here to support all of these First Nations and environmental groups,” explained Tom McGarthy, a University of Toronto student and member of the student group Environmental Action. “We’re challenging the idea that our economy must be structured around resource extraction at the expense of those who live on that land.