Line Nine protest at Dundurn Castle

Line nine protesters held an “idle no more” rally at Dundurn Castle in Hamilton earlier Monday.

It’s one of three demonstrations scheduled for Hamilton this month as the National Energy Board’s hearings are set to begin on the controversial proposals Tuesday in Montreal. Protestors say the expansion of the pipeline flows will not only cost thousands of manufacturing jobs in Ontario and Quebec, but will also threaten drinking water.

Danielle Boissoneau is a Line 9 protestor: “Line 9 runs directly through Hamilton’s watershed. There is an imminent possibility of an oil spill and this will directly affect the quality of our drinking water. If it’s built you can’t un-poison water.”

The National Energy Board hearings will shift from Montreal to Toronto next week and will be live streamed on the internet. Opening statements by Enbridge will be followed by arguments from 40 intervenors, including oil companies, unions, governments and citizen groups.