Cyclists show opposition to Northern Gateway during Critical Mass Bike Ride
By Nelson Daily Staff
Vehicles in the streets of downtown Nelson took a back seat as host of bikers took over the heart of the Heritage City Saturday afternoon for a Critical Mass Bike Ride.
More than 100 cyclists showing opposition to bitumen pipelines participated in the event.
The event was organized by Kootenays for a Pipeline-Free BC.
The event began at noon at the 800 Block of Baker Street before winding its way through the business district and onto Rotary Lakeside Park for a short rally with speeches and music.
The federal government is expected to give its go-ahead by this Tuesday’s deadline.
The B.C. government of Premier Christy Clark officially declared its opposition to Northern Gateway and told the federal panel reviewing the project that it shouldn’t go ahead as planned.
Clark has repeatedly said while the final decision is in the federal purview there are about 60 permits the province will have to issue for construction to begin.
“We want a clean energy future, not pipelines that will spoil our climate and endanger our coast,” says Margaret-Anne Murphy, one of the organizers.
“Bicycles are a fun and excellent way to show how we can make better choices for our future.”
