Calling all residents, students, parents, elders, streamkeepers, treeplanters, guerilla gardeners, blockaders, rebels, climate defenders, farmers and freeway fighters!
As chainsaws roar and bulldozers get set to roll on the controversial $2 billion South Fraser Perimeter Road freeway (SFPR), join local residents and community groups to stand up for climate justice!
Last October, hundreds of people dug up the freeway construction site in Surrey with shovels and wheelbarrows, and in December we used sand from the SFPR to build a dike blocking the provincial cabinet offices. Now it's time to step up the campaign of mass direct action against climate crime. We need to turn up the heat, in order to turn down the heat.
WHAT & WHEN: Mass Direct Action against Climate Crime, beginning at 2 pm on Friday April 22 (Mother Earth Day). Actions may continue over multiple days on this long weekend and beyond. Like our previous actions, it will be non-disruptive to area residents, even as we disrupt continuation of the South Fraser Perimeter Road freeway (SFPR). There will be a variety of ways people can get involved and demonstrate their support, including roles with little or no legal risk. All are welcome to participate.
WHERE: Meet at Annieville Supermarket, 10996 River Road, Delta. (Take the 640 bus from Scott Road Skytrain/Ladner Exchange, or the 312 bus from Scott Road Skytrain/Scottsdale Exchange) Call 604-355-2771 for walking directions from there.
Note: This was the original meeting place. The camp is located at 10765 River Rd.
Ride the Wave Against the Pave!
If you are planning to attend the Vancouver Earth Day Parade, a group bike ride to the action will be departing at noon from Napier Green, (Napier St. and Commercial Drive) near the end of the parade route. The 27 km ride should take less than 2 hours at a moderate pace.
FREE BUS TICKETS AND LUNCH are available to those who want to go from the Parade to the Action - check in at the Stop the Pave table at the Britannia Oval, for the first 80 takers!
A series of public "Teach-Ins" to help plan the action were held on March 19 in Delta, March 26 in Vancouver, and April 9 in Surrey. Attendance at these teach-ins is not required to attend the action. All are welcome!
WHO: This is an initiative of climate justice activists from GatewaySucks.org, local Council of Canadians chapters, the Critical Criminology Working Group and others. We welcome your involvement in the planning process, especially at a teach-in before the action (see above). We seek endorsements and input from other organizations, and your help in mobilizing your friends, neighbours, community groups or affinity group to join us!
WHY: Now under legal challenge in federal court, the estimated $2 billion proposed SFPR freeway would greatly increase greenhouse gas emissions, pave invaluable farmland, scar the banks of the Fraser River, pollute elementary school playgrounds, and damage indigenous heritage sites. This freeway is an irresponsible waste of public money, and many similar projects have been stopped before. The SFPR has already been "downgraded" due to lack of funds, and dubbed a "white elephant" in the mainstream press. We will emphasize the need to shift resources from climate crimes like freeways to public transit, and to protect communities from flooding and other effects of global warming. Read more in our Q & A.
Endorsed by: Against Port Expansion, Bridgeview Community Action Group, Car Free Vancouver, Citizens Against Urban Sprawl Society, Forest Protection Allies, Friends of the UBC Farm, Indigenous Action Movement, Lily Point Defenders, Livable Region Coalition, No One Is Illegal, Pedal Revolutionary Radio, Rising Tide North America, Root Force, South Fraser Action Network, Streams of Justice, Sunbury Neighbourhood Association, Transformative Communities Project, UBC Social Justice Centre, Unitarian Church of Vancouver Environment Committee, Van.Act!, Vancouver Island Community Forest Action Network, Voters Taking Action on Climate Change, Wild Salmon First, Women Elders in Action, Youth Taking Action on Gateway, add your group's endorsement now!
CONTACT: Send endorsements and questions to info@stopthepave.org or call 604 877 1223, and visit us at StopThePave.org
TO CONTACT THE ACTION (or if you are lost) call 604-355-2771.
UPDATE April 7: This action is already receiving extensive media coverage, and the push is on now to get the word out to every possible neighbourhood. Posters and leaflets are available for all at these locations:
- Burns Bog Conservation Society, 4-7953 120th Street, Delta (Tuesday-Saturday)
- Spartacus Books, 684 East Hastings Street, Vancouver (7 days per week)
You can also download the poster here and leaflet here. Weekly outreach meet-ups are happening for leafleting, postering and door-knocking. Drop us a line at info@stopthepave.org to get involved. Don't forget to hit the facebook event and invite your friends.
REQUEST FOR DONATIONS:
Please donate now to support this action! We can squeeze a lot of action out of a few bucks. Click here to donate via PayPal to info@stopthepave.org (or contact us to make alternate arrangements)
We also need donations of the following items. To arrange drop-off or pick-up, call 604 877 1223 (North of the Fraser) or 604 588 4203 (South of the Fraser)
- pop-up shelters and tents
- large water containers
- burn barrels or fire rings
- dry firewood
- outdoor chairs and tables
- flashlights and work lights (preferably LED)
- extension cords
- tarps, ropes and bungee cords
- blankets and cots
- banner making materials (sheets, paints, paintbrushes)
- food: rice, grains, beans, sugar, peanut butter, jam, tea, coffee, canned and non-perishable food and beverages
- pots, pans, dishes, cups, utensils, yoghurt containers
- cooler boxes for food
- volleyball or badminton nets
- beach balls and other outdoor games
- first aid supplies
Thanks for your support.
Let's kick off a hot summer of resistance!
A workshop to plan action and build the movement
Organized by the Council of Canadians and GatewaySucks.org
Hosted by Streams of Justice
When: 11 am - 2:30 pm, Saturday November 13 (Light lunch by donation)
Where: Grandview Calvary Baptist Church, 1803 E. 1st Avenue (1 block east of Commercial Drive) (wheelchair accessible - from the north side)
Why: The next major round of UN climate negotiations will be held in Cancun November 29 to December 10. The last one in Copenhagen failed miserably.
This past summer has seen severe wildfires in Russia, devastating floods in Pakistan, mudslides in China, droughts in the Sahel and Niger, and an 87-square-kilometre chunk of ice break off from Greenland.
Why wait for governments to take action?
It is the collective voice of people that can make climate justice a reality. Join us to plan and coordinate actions during the UN Climate Negotiations and beyond.
The Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, Council of Canadians, Indigenous Environmental Network, and KAIROS have endorsed a call for actions and People’s Assemblies on Climate Justice during the Cancun negotiations. See the Call to Action at http://www.canadians.org/assemblies
On Sunday October 10th, about 250 people participated in a mass direct action against climate crime in Surrey, BC. Marching from Scott Road Skytrain to a South Fraser Perimeter Road construction site, we dug it up and filled sandbags to raise the dike protecting the low-lying community of Bridgeview from flooding. Using shovels and wheelbarrows we took a significant bite out of the huge pile of 'pre-load' sand next to Bridgeview Elementary School and raised a section of dike by about three feet using 350 sand bags. A lawyer was on standby in case of arrests, but the police did not intervene.
A massive thank you goes out to the many participants, volunteers, safety marshals, and the 21 groups who endorsed this action and helped make it such a huge success.
Check out the VMC video! http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/video/can-you-dig-it/4837
The action was also featured on CTV, Global, CKNW, News1130 and others. See all the coverage here: http://gatewaysucks.org/dig-in-media
It was exciting and inspiring to see so many familiar faces, and so many new ones at this event. Let's keep the momentum rolling: tell your friends, this is just the beginning, we'll see you at the next one!
Help plan the next action:
Action for Climate Justice: Building the Climate Justice Movement
A workshop to plan action and build the movement
When: 11 am - 2:30 pm, Saturday November 13
Where: Grandview Calvary Baptist Church, 1803 E. 1st Avenue (1 block east of Commercial Drive) (wheelchair accessible - from the north side)
Why: The next major round of UN climate negotiations will be held in Cancun November 29 to December 10. The last one in Copenhagen failed miserably. Why wait for governments to take action? It is the collective voice of people that can make climate justice a reality. Join us to plan and coordinate actions during the UN Climate Negotiations and beyond. For more info see: http://gatewaysucks.org/workshop
10/10/10 - Dig in for Climate Justice!
Mass Direct Action against Climate Crime
Last October thousands of people marched in Vancouver as part of the largest ever coordinated global rally - 5,200 demonstrations in 181 countries demanding action on global warming. This year, it is time to do more than march. Now is the time for mass direct action against climate crime. Now is the time to help communities deal with increased flood risk and other dangers caused by global warming.
When: Sunday October 10, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Where: Meet at Scott Road SkyTrain (East / Taxi Stand side) then march to 129th St. and 115b Ave in North Surrey – near Bridgeview Elementary School (Map: http://bit.ly/bQzSHl)
This year as part of the 350.org 10/10/10 Global Work Party (Oct 10, 2010), we will get to work stopping a deliberate climate crime –the South Fraser Perimeter ‘Road’ freeway which is part of the Gateway Program. The estimated $2 billion proposed freeway would greatly increase greenhouse gas emissions, pave over some of BC’s best farmland, scar the delicate banks of the Fraser River, and pollute elementary school playgrounds.
Freeways = Climate Crime
Presently, the South Fraser Freeway route is marked by piles of ‘preload’ sand. We will use this sand to start raising the flood control dikes around a Surrey neighbourhood to protect it from flooding caused by global warming.
We need people to fill sand bags and use them to raise the dike, and lots of people to help out in other ways and show their support. The risk of arrest is very low for anyone who does not wish to risk arrest. Legal information will be available.
This action will emphasize the need to shift resources away from climate crimes to creating green jobs and climate justice. Every cent is needed for solutions like public transit and electric passenger trains, and to protect communities from flooding and other effects of global warming.
Questions and Answers about this action.
What can I do right now? Go to www.350.org/dig-climate-justice and sign up to receive more information, including volunteer orientation and work party times.
Direct Action / Legal Workshop and Volunteer Orientation
Monday, Oct 4th 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Grandview Calvary Baptist Church. 1803 E. 1st Avenue (1 block east of Commercial Drive) (wheelchair accessible - from the north side).
If you want to volunteer on 10/10/10 please attend this important workshop and volunteer orientation. We will cover the basics of mass direct action and provide legal information. We will also be assigning specific tasks to individuals and groups for the day of the action.
Posters and Leaflets are available at:
- Bridgeview Hall. 11475 126A Street, Surrey (15 min walk from Scott Rd Skytrain).
- Burns Bog Conservation Society 4-7953 120th Street, Delta BC, V4C 6P6 Tel: 604-572-0373
- The Council of Canadians 700-207 West Hastings St. Vancouver, BC, V6B 1H7 (604) 688-8846 (Near Waterfront SkyTrain Station and on many bus routes)
- The Wilder Snail (Grocery and Café) 799 Keefer St, Strathcona (Vancouver)
- People’s Co-op Books 1391 Commercial Dr. Vancouver, BC (On the #20 bus)
The 10/10/10 Dig in for Climate Justice is a project of the Council of Canadians (Delta-Richmond, Vancouver-Burnaby, and Surrey-White Rock-Langley chapters), and GatewaySucks.org
Endorsed by: Bridgeview Community Action Group, Bridgeview In Motion, Check Your Head, East Vancouver Abolitionists, Grandview Woodland Area Council (GWAC), Greenpeace, Livable Region Coalition, No Tanks, Pedal Revolutionary Radio, Root Force, Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG), Solidarity Notes Labour Choir, Streams of Justice, Sunbury Neighbourhood Association, Transformative Communities Project, Unitarian Church of Vancouver Environment Committee, Vancouver Action (Van.Act), Vancouver Catholic Worker, Village Vancouver, Voters Taking Action on Climate Change (VTACC), Youth Taking Action on Gateway (YTAG)
Will your organization endorse this action, and help us make it a success? Please send endorsements to edoherty (at) uniserve.com, call 604 877 1223 or 604 340 2455 for more information.
Logging Started on Witness Trail – Group Hike Sun. Feb 6, Action on Mother Earth Day April 22
Group Hike on the South Fraser Witness Trail!
The South Fraser Witness Trail follows the route of the proposed South Fraser Perimeter 'Road' freeway through an urban forest in Surrey. Named as one of the city's five major natural area hubs in a recent study, it is home to deer, beavers, herons, owls, salmon, and endangered species such as the Red legged frog and Pacific water shrew.
Now the provincial government is starting to log the easily accessible sections of the South Fraser Freeway route, including at the west trailhead of the Witness Trail. Come on the hike to see what is at stake if the South Fraser Freeway gets built, and find out what we can still do to stop it and other freeways in the region.
When: Sunday February 6, 1:15 pm
Where: 168 St. & 108 Ave. in Surrey (meet at bus stop - map: http://bit.ly/aXEEZG)
(The C74 bus runs direct to this location from Surrey Central Skytrain. Just get on the bus at 12:49 pm at Bay 12 under the tracks [not in the bus loop], and ask the driver to let you off at 168 St. & 108 Ave.)
The trail includes rugged sections. Bring drinking water, a snack, and water resistant footwear. The hike will proceed rain or shine and will only be canceled in case of high winds or dangerous conditions. For more info call 604 588 4203 (including day of) or email witnesstrail@gmail.com
April 22 - Join the Wave Against the Pave! Save the Date(s) and Mother Earth.
As chainsaws roar and bulldozers get set to roll on the controversial $2 billion South Fraser Perimeter Road freeway (SFPR), join local residents and community groups in standing up for climate justice on International Mother Earth Day! Last October, hundreds of people dug up the freeway construction site in Surrey with shovels and wheelbarrows, in December we used sand from the SFPR to build a dike blocking the provincial cabinet offices.
Now it's time to continue the campaign of mass direct action against climate crime. Beginning on the 2nd International Mother Earth Day, Friday April 22, 2011 (Easter Friday), we will be holding a mass direct action for climate justice somewhere on the route of the South Fraser Freeway. The action(s) may continue over multiple days during this long weekend. More details and organizing meetings will be announced soon.
South Fraser Witness Trail
A beautiful new trail through the forest between Fraser Heights and Surrey Bend is being built by volunteers from Surrey Environmental Partners and the Wilderness Committee.
The first 2 km section opened in January 2010. Hiking this transit-accessible trail is a great way to keep fit and learn more about the environment right here in our city. This escarpment forest is listed as one of Surrey's five major natural area "hubs" in a study recently commissioned by the city. It is home to deer, beavers, herons, owls, salmon, and endangered species such as the red legged frog and Pacific water shrew.
Hikers pass an old growth spruce tree on the South Fraser Witness Trail
The trail follows the route of the proposed South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR). Although preliminary work has started on some sections of this freeway project, a growing movement is calling for its cancellation so the funds can be directed to other priorities. No work has yet been scheduled along this section of the project.
Click here for the full size map
GETTING THERE
The trail is easily accessed by transit. The C74 bus runs direct to the trailhead from Surrey Central Skytrain Stration every half hour. Just get on the bus at Bay 12 under the tracks, and ask the driver to let you off at 168 St & 108 Ave. Click here for the timetable and click here for the route map.
TRAIL BROCHURE
A handy brochure with the basic info and map can be downloaded and printed at tiny.cc/trailbrochure
MORE INFO
-Visit wildernesscommittee.org/bend for more details about the area and why it should be preserved.
-Check out this recent podcast and article about the trail.
-Email witnesstrail@gmail.com to arrange a free guided tour or to volunteer for trailbuilding.
-Sign up for trail announcements by joining the Witness Trail Google Group!
See you on the trail!
SEND US YOUR WILDLIFE PHOTOS!
There have been a growing number of wildlife sightings on trail: everything from red legged frogs to deer, beavers, herons, and owls. Send us your pictures at witnesstrail@gmail.com
Saucy No Truckin Freeways lawnsigns now available... contact Bernadette (in Surrey/Delta) or Eric (in Vancouver) to get signs for you and your neighbours.
Flouro-orange and HOT! Get yours at Critical Mass on Friday Sept 27 or the Welcome Back Betty Krawczyk party that evening at the Anza, or at the RALLY on Saturday.
Thank you to all who donated to gatewaysucks.org...much more fun to be had...
Visit the online petition...just topped 2,000 signatures! Plus another 5,000 hard copy brings it close to 7,000 voices heard...that is POWERFUL STUFF.
StopThePave.org is a network of individuals and groups who are ticked off about The Gateway Project.
We are dedicated to firing up roots-level resistance to this destructive greed-driven plan, and to networking the many organizations and individuals who are working at every level to find genuine solutions.
StopThePave.org is 100% volunteer organized and implemented. We do this work because we cannot imagine NOT doing it – and because it's fun.
Money will make this campaign more effective.
We can squeeze a lot of healthy mischief out of a few bucks. A few hundred dollars can buy a load of stickers, banner material, or t-shirt or flyer printing. It will rent a venue for a party or an action.
So if you can, please contribute a few dollars toward StopThePave.org. Together we have the collective intelligence to turn this thing on its ear.
Yours with cheer and gratitude,
The StopThePave.org team
Donate via PayPal or contact us to make alternate arrangements.
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