Protesters digging in at anti-pipeline camp as eviction notice expires

BURNABY, B.C. – Protesters at an anti-pipeline camp in Burnaby, B.C., say they are ready to defy an eviction notice handed out from the city.

The City of Burnaby issued a 72-hour notice to those occupying “Camp Cloud” on Wednesday, but protesters say in a news release that isn’t enough time to comply with concerns raised over safety.

The release says Camp Cloud will not be evicted, and that the notice was wrongly issued without adequate consideration of a recent court decision or consultation with camp residents.

The B.C. Supreme Court ruled in March that both the camp and a nearby watch house could remain in place in response to a court injunction filed by Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd., the company behind the construction of the Trans Mountain expansion project.

No one from the city could immediately be reached for comment, but city manager Lambert Chu said on Wednesday there were concerns about safety and how the footprint of the site has grown.

The notice is set to expire Saturday morning, and instead of moving out, protesters say they’ll hold a news conference to relay their side of the story.

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