THOSE opposing the expansion of Kinder Morgan's oil pipeline are taking their message to the stage this weekend.
The Salish Sea Summer Gathering, hosted by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust on July 27, is an event to raise awareness about the proposed pipeline expansion, which would run from the Alberta tar sands to the Westridge export terminal on Burrard Inlet.
The day-long music festival with a political message will take place at Cates Park/Whey-ah-Wichen in North Vancouver, directly across from the terminus of Kinder Morgan's TransMountain pipeline.
"It was brainstormed collectively. We just came together and said 'How can we put out the word?' and we wanted to do something on the North Shore," said Rueben George, Tsleil Waututh Sacred Trust spokesman, of the idea behind the concert.
"We wanted to do something for the North Shore community because it's right in our backyard and we want our neighbours to get on board," said George.
The almost eight-hour event will feature 10 live bands - including The Boom Booms, Omar Khan and Sophia Danai - 10 speakers, a traditional salmon barbecue, food carts, an art show and even a kids' area. Admission is free but organizers are requesting donations to cover the cost of the event. The gates open at 12 p.m. with traditional canoes arriving at 1:30 p.m. "I think what's beautiful about this event is that it's a celebration. We're talking about not only what we're trying to protect but the opportunity that we have for the future," said Ben West, spokesman for Forest Ethics Advocacy, an environmental organization that has partnered with the Tsleil-Waututh for the event.
Irwin Oostindie, executive producer of the Salish Sea Summer Gathering, said although the pipeline is hot button issue for many people, there is a lack of general awareness about it among the general population.
"We thought what a great way to bring experts and artists and concerned citizens together with the people who are leading this effort, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation," said Oostindie. "And witness that beautiful park and witness the beautiful water and celebrate what we all share together."
Gathering the numerous bands, artists and speakers was easy, said George, as everyone was ready and willing to jump on board.
"There are a lot of people that do care, there are a lot of people that do want to do something about it and that doesn't exclude artists," he said.
Oostindie said the event attracted so much support that some bands had to be turned away. "In many ways artists are the canary in the coal mine, artists are the messengers feeding back to the public issues of concern."
An outdoor town hall, supported by the Forest Ethics Advocacy, will include a panel of key speakers, plus a question and answer period. Once that has concluded, there will be space reserved for the public to ask the speakers more questions oneon-one, said George.
"We want the community's input as well," he said.
West said he thinks it's important to learn from First Nations people. "To figure out how we can find a better way forward together and do it in a way that's really fun and celebratory," said West. "We're hoping that this concert provides an opportunity for that sort of thing to happen."
If approved, the expansion would increase the capacity of the current pipeline from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels of oil per day. The shipping terminal in Burnaby would also be expanded, raising shipping traffic from around five tankers per month to approximately 34 tankers per month in 2017.
It's not the first time Oostindie has been involved in festivals with political overtones at Cates Park. He was also one of the driving forces behind the Under the Volcano Festival - an annual event that brought music and social activism together at Cates Parks for 20 years.
