Advertisement

Vancouver city council candidate Jean Swanson arrested at Burnaby pipeline protest

Jean Swanson puts on a t-shirt while preparing for a demonstration to announce the Poverty Olympics and torch relay near the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics countdown clock in Vancouver, B.C., on Sunday January 17, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Another B.C. politician has been arrested at a protest outside Kinder Morgan’s Burnaby Mountain facility.

Anti-poverty activist and Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) Vancouver city council candidate Jean Swanson was one of eight people arrested at the site, located in the 8000-block of Shellmont Street, on Saturday.

Burnaby RCMP says the protesters were arrested for violating a court-ordered injunction preventing anyone from obstructing access to the facility.

“Despite being asked to leave, these demonstrators failed to do so and were arrested. Each of these demonstrators have since been released and will appear in court over the coming weeks,” said the RCMP in a media release.

In her own media release, Swanson — who is a recipient of the Order of Canada — said she engaged in civil disobedience in protest of the federal government’s decision to buy the pipeline from Kinder Morgan.

Story continues below advertisement
“I’m here because it’s so gross that [Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau is spending billions of our public dollars on this pipeline project that doesn’t have consent of the First Nations of this land and which will create more climate-destroying emissions and risks catastrophic bitumen spills on this coast,” she said.

“All those billions of dollars could do something good, like provide clean water to Indigenous communities or end homelessness.”

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

WATCH: Elizabeth May outside courthouse after pleading guilty for role in Kinder Morgan protest

Click to play video: 'Elizabeth May outside courthouse after pleading guilty for role in Kinder Morgan protest'
Elizabeth May outside courthouse after pleading guilty for role in Kinder Morgan protest

The federal government inked a deal to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline for $4.5 billion at the end of May.

Story continues below advertisement

The move was designed to ensure the pipeline gets built, and came after Kinder Morgan had threatened to withdraw from the project without assurances the project would proceed.

Ottawa maintains the plan is to find a new buyer for the pipeline.

READ MORE: Trans Mountain protesters interrupt Finance Minister Bill Morneau during speech in Calgary

Swanson is not the first politician to be arrested on Burnaby Mountain this year.

Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and Burnaby NDP MP and independent Vancouver mayoral Candidate Kennedy Stewart were arrested at the site back in May.

Both pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of court. May was handed a fine of $1,500, while Stewart was fined $500.

Sponsored content

AdChoices