How We Are Changing the World: Arrested – “For my granddaughters, and for all our grandchildren.”

UCV Climate Justice Activist Catherine Hembling was arrested on September 23, 2021 for breaking an injunction and obstructing access to a piece of equipment at the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) project’s tank farm in Burnaby. She will appear in court on February 15, 2022.

The TMX will, if completed, transport an additional 600,000 barrels/day of diluted bitumen from the tar sands to the export terminal in Burrard Inlet, and lead to an increase of ~15 Megatons of upstream GHG emissions, equivalent to the yearly emissions from >3 million cars. (TOTAL yearly emissions will be many times more than this when this fuel is processed and burned outside of Canada – probably equivalent to close to 20 million cars! [SOURCE])

Catherine Hembling is a member of the UCV Environment Team actively opposing the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) project. Catherine’s activism has included regular meetings since September, 2018 as a member of an inter-faith prayer circle near the First Nations Watch House beside the tank farm. The inter-faith prayer circle has also been meeting since January, 2020, to support the “tree sitters” near the Brunette River who are protecting a stand of trees slated to be cleared for the TMX project.

Catherine will likely serve 2 weeks in prison. She decided to get arrested after a great deal of thought and after years of anti-pipeline marches, petitions, letters and meetings. To her,

“This is a collective movement on the right side of history. I did it for my granddaughters, and for all our grandchildren.”

We honour and support Catherine for her courageous and inspiring action. 

She is helping us Change the World


Categories:

Climate Action • Environment