Motorists looking to fuel up at Chevron stations in Saanich Saturday were blocked by protesters joining a global call to action against the company’s Pacific Trail Pipeline project.
About 30 cyclists spent the afternoon blockading stations — one at Quadra Street and Cloverdale Avenue, another at Shelbourne and Pear streets and one at Gordon Head Road and McKenzie Avenue — consecutively for about one hour each.
Apache Canada Ltd. and Chevron Canada Ltd. have signed a broad agreement to build and operate the Pacific Trail Pipeline and Kitimat LNG project.
The pipeline would run 463 kilometres from Summit Lake, north of Prince George, to Kitimat, where liquid natural gas plants are planned.
The pipeline would run through the traditional territory of the Unis’tot’en, a clan belonging to the Wet’suwet’en nation.
“A lot of people thanked us for participating,” said protester Serina Zapf. “It seems to me from the experience today that the majority of people were really in support of calling on companies to respect First Nations’ sovereignty.”
Dozens of protests occurred internationally, according to organizers, including ones held Saturday in Calgary, Montreal, Smithers, Toronto and Burnaby.
The Victoria-area protests, which began with a rally in Fernwood Square, were peaceful and participants were largely co-operative, said Saanich police Sgt. Dean Jantzen.
There was only one minor altercation when a man tried to break the blockade at the Gordon Head and McKenzie station.
“A young fellow tried to force his way into the gas station,” Jantzen said. “He wanted gas.”
The man received a traffic ticket for improperly displaying his licence.
