Pipeline Environmental Activism

October 14, 2025 By: Jeff van der Ploeg

I served as a Health and Safety Lead on the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMEP) for over three years. During that period, our security team actively monitored protest activity surrounding the Coastal GasLink (CGL) Project in Northern British Columbia. In February 2022, protest activity related to CGL intensified when approximately 20 masked individuals caused millions of dollars in property and equipment damage and threatened workers with axes and flares (CBC News, 2022). To date, no one has been charged in connection with these incidents, nor has anyone, or any group, claimed responsibility.

I support lawful, nonviolent civil disobedience as a way for people to express their disapproval of governance or industry. Peaceful resistance is a long-standing form of environmental activism that can influence others’ decisions on natural resources (Rootes, 2007). However, my support diminishes when others are threatened or harmed. When protests become destructive, aggressive, or unsafe, they undermine their legitimacy.

A recent CBC article on Wet’suwet’en land defenders renewing their opposition against CGL illustrates how civil protest can continue even after a project is largely completed (CBC News, 2025). The land defenders’ persistence demonstrates how communities can protest peacefully through lawful presence and public pressure. In my view, the most significant impact an individual can have for their cause is when they respect everyone but insist on being heard and refuse to be ignored. These actions encourage ongoing dialogue and debate while also creating space for critical thought and reflection.

This topic makes me think about how progress should be balanced with social justice, and that resisting peacefully still holds value and the moral high ground.

References

CBC News. (2022, February 18). Masked attackers cause millions in damage to Coastal GasLink pipeline site, company says. CBC/Radio-Canada.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/coastal-gaslink-attack-rcmp-2022-1.6353445

CBC News. (2025, March 10). Wet’suwet’en land defenders renew opposition to Coastal GasLink pipeline after completion. CBC/Radio-Canada.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/wetsuweten-coastal-gaslink-protest-2025

Rootes, C. (2007). Environmental movements. In M. Bevir (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Governance (Vol. 1, pp. 297–300). Sage Publications.
https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412952613.n172