A man known among activists as the “Protesting Grandpa” was arrested for a third time Wednesday morning for allegedly trespassing onto the Trans Mountain terminal in Burnaby in order to hang an anti-pipeline banner from a barge.
A 71-year-old man was found by police in a wet suit and snorkel gear shortly after 3:50 a.m., Burnaby RCMP said in a news release. It’s believed he had entered onto the facility property from water.
Mounties said the man, who remains in custody, “was in breach of a court ordered injunction that stated demonstrators could not come within five metres of a Trans Mountain site.”
Environmental campaign group Stand.Earth has identified the man as Terry Christenson, of Ontario, who calls himself the “Protesting Grandpa.”
READ MORE: RCMP arrest protester in tree at Trans Mountain terminal
Christenson was arrested for similar high-profile protests in March 2018 and again in April of this year, when he scaled trees inside the Burnaby Tank Farm for 16 hours and the Westridge Marine Terminal for 34 hours, respectively.
Hour 32. Looks like they’re almost here. Some good climbing technique. pic.twitter.com/yIlVS4WmTm
— protestinggrandpa (@grandpa_protest) April 30, 2019
According to a news release sent by Stand.Earth on behalf of Christenson, his protests are intended to draw attention to how climate change will impact his grandchildren more than it will impact him, specifically in respect to the twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby.
ALSO READ: Environmental groups challenge Trans Mountain, citing killer whale concerns
“When the federal government re-approved the Trans Mountain pipeline, they knew the protesters would come,” he said. “My goal today was to send a message loud and clear: this pipeline is a disaster in waiting,”
The Ontario man appeared in court Wednesday, but as of 4:30 p.m. no charges have been laid.
Meanwhile, construction on the federally re-approved pipeline is expected to begin in September.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/9lMSQo2ugy
— protestinggrandpa (@grandpa_protest) April 29, 2019
@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
