Vancouver physician perched in trees to fight Trans Mountain pipeline expansion

A Vancouver physician is camping out in several trees to fight the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Dr. Tim Takaro is camped out in the trees in a forested area near North Road to prevent Trans Mountain from clearing the trees along the Brunette River in New Westminster.

“I didn’t expect to find myself living in a tree at 63 years of age,” Takaro said in a statement.

1:57 Anti-pipeline protesters raise the stakes

“I am a public health physician who has been studying and working on policy regarding the health impacts of climate change for nearly 30 years. This threat has compelled me to put my body on the line to prevent construction of this climate-killing project.”

Last month, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed a challenge by a coalition of First Nations of the federal government’s approval of the pipeline expansion, effectively ending the years-long legal battle over the multibillion-dollar project.

Last year, a man dubbed the Protesting Grandpa was arrested after he perched himself in a tree on the property of Burnaby’s Westridge Marine Terminal.

Terry Christenson, then 71, spent about 34 hours in the tree before he was removed by members of the RCMP’s emergency response team.

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In 2018, anti-pipeline protesters dangled from the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge for more than 35 hours.

— With files from Simon Little