Massive banners on Burrard Bridge say ‘no’ to newly approved MAGA pipeline
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VANCOUVER / UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh AND səlilwətaɬ TERRITORIES — During last night’s Festival of Lights fireworks show at English Bay, a group of pro-democracy and climate justice organizers delivered a bold message to thousands of spectators. Positioned on the Burrard Bridge, the group held illuminated letters spelling out “STOPPRGT.CA,” directing people to a website with more information about the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline.​

The action aimed to raise awareness about the U.S.-backed pipeline project in Northern B.C. The display was clearly visible to the crowds gathered along the waterfront, combining a moment of celebration with a call to action.

“People across B.C. are waking up to the fact that this pipeline isn’t just a climate and Indigenous Rights disaster — it’s a political power grab by Trump’s billionaire backers,” said Dogwood Organizing Manager Paige Gorsak. 

“We chose this moment to shine a light on what’s happening because most people have no idea the B.C. government just handed control of our energy future to MAGA oligarchs. But once they find out, they’re ready to fight back,” Gorsak added.

Despite the project’s Environmental Assessment Certificate expiring in November of last year, the B.C. government deemed it “substantially started,” allowing the pipeline to proceed with construction under the original certificate from 2014. This decision comes even though the project has cleared less than two per cent of the 750-kilometre route in the decade since its original approval.

The pipeline route crosses hundreds of salmon-bearing rivers across unceded Indigenous lands in northern B.C., including 50 kilometres through Gitanyow territory. The Gitanyow Nation opposes the pipeline, while Ts’msyen communities near the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG terminal say their concerns have not been adequately addressed.

“We hear Premier David Eby and the B.C. government talk about caring about respecting Indigenous Rights and taking climate action. But the approval of this decade-old, American pipeline says otherwise,” said Wilderness Committee Climate Campaigner Isabel Siu-Zmuidzinas.

The pipeline has drawn criticism over its ownership. PRGT’s main investor is Blackstone Inc, whose CEO Stephen Schwarzman is a top-10 Republican donor and a close advisor to Trump. Another early investor was Apollo Global Management, whose CEO and chairman, Leon Black, paid deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein at least $170 million for, he claims, “financial advice.”

“British Columbia is well positioned to resist ‘drill baby drill’ billionaires with close ties to Jeffrey Epstein,” said Dogwood Campaigner Kai Nagata. 

“We have skilled workers and Indigenous-led renewable energy projects ready to build. We can hand our resources to the Wall Street plutocrats fuelling Donald Trump’s political project — or we can ally with First Nations, democratic U.S. states and other countries around the Pacific to usher in a world beyond oil and gas expansion,” Nagata said.

Activists, organizations and people across B.C. will continue to support Nations and northern communities in their fight against PRGT. This pipeline has a new route, new owners and B.C. has new laws. Climate science is unequivocal that fossil fuel expansion must end and global energy markets have shifted. Together, communities, organizations and people across the province will continue to call on the BC NDP government to put the pipeline through a new environmental assessment in this context.

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High resolution photos from the action will be uploaded into this folder. ​​​​Credit to Danielle Costelo and @dani.costelo on Instagram.

For further information on PRGT pipeline, visit stopprgt.ca.

For more information please contact:
Isabel Siu-Zmuidzinas | Climate Campaigner, Wilderness Committee
781-572-2795, isabel@wildernesscommittee.org

Paige Gorsak | Organizing Manager, Dogwood
paige@dogwoodbc.ca

Molly Henderson | Video and Communications Coordinator, Dogwood (French)
molly@dogwoodbc.ca