The B.C. Supreme Court has granted Trans Mountain an interim injunction to stop pipeline protesters from setting up blockades and interfering with construction on Burnaby Mountain.
But David Mivasair, one of 15 people named in a notice of civil claim, told the NOW “we are not deterred.”
“It won’t stop us from stopping Kinder Morgan’s destruction,” he said. “It might mean small, tactical changes, like stand over there instead of over here, but it’s not going to stop us. It is intended to intimidate, and once you know that, it loses power."
Since last November, Mivasair and a handful of others – a group by the name of the Justin Trudeau Brigade – have set up blockades at the gates of Kinder Morgan’s Westridge Marine Terminal. Their goal has been to delay the project as much as possible, and ultimately stop it.
According to the notice of civil claim, the blockades have resulted in “significant harm” to Trans Mountain, including operational delays, delays in construction schedules, increase labour and equipment costs and high security costs.
The Texas-based company filed for an injunction and an interim injunction on Thursday, asking protesters not come within 50 metres of the Westridge Marine Terminal and the Burnaby Terminal.
On Friday, the courts granted the interim injunction and the hearing for the injunction was adjourned until Wednesday, March 14.
Mivasair said the timing of the injunction is “really important.”
He said Trans Mountain is in the middle of clearing trees for its Burnaby Mountain tunnel, and it needs to finish the work before March 26, he said. If crews don’t meet that window, clearing the site would be delayed until August because of migratory bird restrictions.
“We’ve gotten in the way of them cutting those trees,” he said.
In an emailed statement, Trans Mountain said it applied for the injunction in order to protect the safety of workers, contractors and the broader community, and to allow it to carry out its work.
Kinder Morgan’s $7.4-billion Trans Mountain expansion project will carry diluted bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands to B.C.’s coast.
Meanwhile, a mass anti-pipeline demonstration is planned for Saturday, March 10 in Burnaby.
