A shelter for women and children is the latest addition to the ever-growing protest camp outside the gates of the Trans Mountain terminal in Burnaby.
The structure is being built by volunteers and supporters of Camp Cloud protesters, and is meant to provide a safe place for women and children who visit.
Since January, Camp Cloud has grown from a single trailer to a full camp site outside the terminal gates in Burnaby. The small community conducts ongoing surveillance of Kinder Morgan’s activities and post regular updates on social media.
Last week, Camp Cloud’s Facebook page posted a request for help building the structure.
Burnaby resident and carpenter Jason Maloney lives near the tank farm. He said he’s been opposed to Kinder Morgan for years, and when he saw the post on Facebook he came to lend a hand.
“I really respect and admire these people. They’ve got lives too, right? And they’ve decided to dedicate their time to do it,” he said. “At least they’re standing up for what they believe in, and that’s something to be cherished, right? I’m here in solidary with that.”
Maloney has been coming to the site, donating firewood and food since the protest camp started.
“I’m just a concerned citizen. I live down the road, and I’m totally against this Kinder Morgan crap and I have been for years, right? My community has been opposing it every step of the way, and has just been walked over, walked over, walked over,” he said. “I’m tired of it.”
Workers began building the shelter following the construction of “watch house” commissioned by members of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation during the protest March 10, located metres away from the south east corner Kinder Morgan’s property line. That structure is built of cedar planks in the traditional style of a Sechelt Longhouse, on top of the proposed pipeline’s path.
