Environment Minister Catherine McKenna is spending a second day in Victoria attending conservation events. She started the day with a bike ride with the Greater Victoria cycling Coalition.
But as she arrived in Centennial Square to rendezvous with the cycling group she was greeted by a flotilla of inflatable killer whales, and chanting anti-pipeline protesters:
" McKenna! Trudeau! Trans Mountain's got to go..."
McKenna stopped to speak with the group. Pointing to a tanker spill off Norway's coast last week, McKenna was asked if she could guarantee no oil spills in BC waters.
She said that would be impossible, and tried to add that many vessels complete journeys without issue -- she was shouted down:
Protesters: " Cancel the pipeline! Cancel the pipeline!"
That ended the exchange, and McKenna went off with the bike group.
Wilderness Committee member Torrance Coste says the protesters successfully delivered their message "Peddle bikes, not pipelines."
" There's a lot of desire and passion from people in Victoria, and all across this country, that you can't just come into our communities, take these photos, jump on a bike, and then force pipelines on communities that don't want them."
Coste credits the minister for stopping to talk, but says accidents happen, and the stakes are too high in the Salish Sea:
" There was a recent accident just last week in Norway, and again whenever any minister that's asked about that they can't guarantee it, because there is no guarantee we won't have an accident. Accidents happen. And when the stakes are as high as they are on this coast in the Salish Sea, that's just too cavalier an attitude. We can't be taking those risks."
McKenna is making several announcements regarding the environment in Victoria and in Richmond Tuesday and Wednesday.