Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre announced the city’s official opposition to TransCanada Corp’s proposed Energy East pipeline project this Thursday, saying the risks outweigh possible economic benefits. Mr. Coderre, along with mayors from neighbouring cities Laval and Longueuil, spoke on behalf of the Montreal Metropolitan Community, which represents 82 municipalities and about 3.9 million people.
“We are against it because it still represents significant environmental threats and too few economic benefits for greater Montreal,” said Coderre. The announcement comes after extensive public consultations organized by the Montreal Metropolitan Community last fall. They received more than 4,000 submissions, with environmental concerns and economic ramifications of a potential spill being prominent concerns.
Mayor Coderre voiced concerns about the project in the past, but until now hadn’t taken an official position. “They (TransCanada Corp) didn’t do their homework, obviously,” he said at Thursday’s announcement. “They were a bit arrogant, frankly. Let’s call a spade a spade: It’s a bad project.”
More than half the population of Quebec, along with 300 Quebec municipalities, are opposed to Energy East. A number of First Nations along the pipeline route have also come out against the risky bitumen pipeline.
Check out the Energy East section of our website to read about the risks the proposed pipeline poses to the livelihoods of New Brunswickers, our freshwater and drinking water systems, and the marine ecosystem of the Bay of Fundy on our website.
We’re pleased to see leaders in the Montreal region protect their communities from this pipeline project. This week’s announcement is yet another signal that we should be turning the page on fossil fuel energy projects and moving toward job opportunities in energy efficiency and locally-owned clean power.