Protestors descend on Line 9 pipeline site near Woodstock

CTV Kitchener: New Line 9 protest Demonstrators have moved in and stopped work at an Enbridge pipeline work site in Oxford County. Marc Venema reports.

For the second time in three weeks, protestors gathered Tuesday at an Enbridge pipeline site in southern Ontario.

A group of protestors arrived at the Line 9 work site on Oxford County Road 5, north of Innerkip in Oxford County, early Tuesday morning.

Calling themselves “Dam Line 9”, the group stopped work Enbridge was planning to do at the site.

“We hope to stay here indefinitely,” protestor Rachel Avery told CTV News.

By late morning, approximately 25 people remained at the site.

OPP said the group were protesting “peacefully” and, although initially trespassing, was granted permission to remain at the site by Enbridge.

“Everything is very peaceful and being done in a safe manner,” said Const. Lisa Narancsik.

That permission was expected to expire at 6 p.m. Tuesday, although protestors said they planned to stay at the site past that hour regardless.

An Enbridge spokesperson says workers had been installing a valve shutoff at the site when the protestors arrived.

“By interfering with this important work, these protest groups have put safety at risk,” Kristen Higgins said.

According to Avery, the protestors’ concerns included the age of the pipeline and the potential impact of an oil spill on the nearby Thames River.

“Line 9 is a very dangerous pipeline,” she said.

In July, another section of Line 9 between Cambridge and Brantford became ground zero for a similar protest.

Some of the same people demonstrated at both sites.

Plans for Enbridge to reverse the flow of Line 9 and increase its capacity have received federal approval.