Public Safety says Emergencies Act measures not needed for Coastal GasLink attack

Coastal GasLink

2024 Student Journalism Conference

Applications are now open for The Democracy Fund's third annual Student Journalism Conference. This is a one-of-a-kind, all-expenses-paid opportunity for young aspiring journalists in Canada!

TDF Student Journalism Conference 2024

E-transfer (Canada):
[email protected] - password RebelNews if required

Cheques made out to Rebel News:
Rebel News Network Ltd.
PO Box 61056 Eglinton/Dufferin RO
Toronto, ON M6E 5B2

Crypto

The Coastal Gaslink worksite, near Houston BC was attacked by a mob of approximately 20 vandals in the early morning hours of February 17, 2022, after a nearly 60-day blockade of the site. Local RCMP described the incident as "a violent confrontation with employees of Coastal Gaslink", which also included a "road blockade." Coastal Gaslink issued a statement saying employees at the remote worksite were "terrorized".

RCMP has recently released a video of the carnage at the worksite as well as surveillance images of the attackers, which can be seen here. Several pieces of excavation equipment were smashed and remote job site trailers were destroyed in the overnight ambush.

Todd Doherty, the Conservative MP for Caribou-Prince George asked the Public Safety Ministry:

Does the Marten Forest Service Road and the Coastal GasLink location near it meet the meaning of "infrastructure for the supply of utilities such as ... gas", for the purposes of paragraph (a) of the definition of "critical infrastructure" in section 1 of the Emergency Measures Regulations; (b) what are the details of the actions taken under the Emergency Measures Regulations to prevent, mitigate or respond to these acts or, if none, why were none taken; and (c) what are the details of the actions taken under the Emergency Economic Measures Order to prevent, mitigate or respond to these acts or, if none, why were none taken?

The Public Safety Ministry spelled the name of the multi-billion dollar energy project incorrectly in the response tabled in the House of Commons. Liberal MP Pam Damhoff, the parliamentary secretary to the minister, replied that invoking the Emergencies Act to protect a piece of critical infrastructure like the pipeline, which met the federal definition, from a violent band of arsenious, axe-wielding maniacs was not necessary:

The RCMP considers that the Costal GasLink drill site would have met the definition of critical infrastructure set out in section 1 of the emergency measures regulations while they were in force, as a place or land on which infrastructure for the supply of utilities such as gas are located.

No actions were taken under the emergency measures regulations to prevent, mitigate or respond to these acts.

Existing authorities were sufficient.

What happened at the Coastal Gaslink camp may be the violent culmination of a weeks-long campaign of terror against employees of the company.

The site of the onslaught is 60 kilometres from Houston, B.C. and only accessible from the Morice River Forest Service Road, that was blocked by felled trees, fires and tire spikes in a 59-day blockade by environmental radicals.

The RCMP reported being attacked by smoke bombs and fire-lit sticks on the road to the site while attempting to respond to the scene. For several weeks preceding the attack, Coastal GasLink reported experiencing several incidents where unknown people used forest trails to access the construction site, and disrupt activities by confronting and intimidating workers.