Cate White
Third year
Poli-sci
I think what’s interesting about non-violent protests in general is it is more about relationships. It’s about community. People think this is such a polarized issue but in the end there is a relationship to the land both with resource development, with [Burnaby residences], and the indigenous groups. It’s trying to find that common ground of this relationship to the land in the end.
Cory Zydyk
Second year
English
My friend lives in Burnaby and I was thinking I should go and take part in the protests because I agree with them 100 per cent. I always see the Kinder Morgan ads on YouTube and I always get so mad. I’m totally against the tar sands and pipeline expansion, especially if they have to go through unceded Native land, and it’s just not cool.
William FitzGerald
Second year
Chemistry
It’s not something I’ve paid much attention to give an opinion on.
Raven Dickof
Fifth year
Geo-chem
One thing I’d like to throw out there that a lot of that are people protesting forget to realize is that pipelines are the safest way to transport this crude. It’s going to be transported whether we want it to or not and using rail lines, [it’s] way more risky—things go wrong /all/ the time on railroads, even on the highways. You want big tankers rolling down the street? So pipelines prevent that from actually happening and if they are maintained properly, especially in earthquake sensitive zones, they are able to be controlled and not be completely destructive. At the same time really what we need to be doing is not transporting the crude; we need to be refining the oil here in Canada and selling the gasoline here in Canada and making more money instead of sending our resources across the ocean.
Elaine Thomson
Fifth year
Bio-chem
I read an article about RCMP arresting protesters and I think they are doing it well. Our judicial system is broken and people lash out and attach blame to police but they are doing the best they can.
Lowell Orr
Fourth year
Literature
It seems positive those who were arrested were released without charges, but I don’t think it’s indicative of any success on their part. I think eventually it’s going to go through and there will be a pipeline put in. Kinder Morgan has a lot of sway politically. But it is good to see people banding together and trying to stop things like this. I think the fact they were released without charges shows that there is a trend towards possible success in the future.
