Earlier today Canada’s National Energy Board approved TransCanada’s ‘Keystone XL’ pipeline linking Alberta’s tar sands to Texas. Meanwhile, hundreds of Canadians pledged personal actions to stop a competing pipeline by Enbridge Inc. that would link the tar sands to Asia via British Columbia’s coast. 

From 10:45 am to 3:45 pm Pacific Time, 240 Canadians sent in personal pledges of action to stop Enbridge’s ‘Northern Gateway’ pipeline and tanker project. Individual pledges came in from Victoria to Ottawa, and included commitments to organize marches, demonstrations, and educational events, write letters, sell Enbridge stock, and organize gallery exhibits.

A Vancouverite pledged to cycle the length of the Great Continental Divide between Banff and Texas, and a Calgarian pledged to swim the Athabasca River from its headwaters in Jasper National Park, past the Tar Sands, to the northern community of Fort Chipewyan – a distance of 1,480 km.

The pledges were made through Dogwood Initiative’s website.

“Enbridge is facing challenges on all fronts,” says Eric Swanson, Dogwood Initiative’s Corporate Campaigner.

“The oil industry is committing to Keystone, not Gateway. And the fact that Gateway is facing some of the most concerted opposition in Canadian pipeline history makes that a pretty good call.”

A ‘Word Cloud’ of the pledges of action made today by Canadians is included below. High res version available by clicking here.

Pledge Cloud-3