Vancouver doctor who spent days in trees blocking pipeline work will serve jail time

Tim Takaro occupies several trees in New Westminster in protest of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion Aug. 4, 2020.

A Vancouver doctor and activist was sentenced to time behind bars after spending several days camped out in trees in protest of a British Columbia-Alberta pipeline project.

Tim Takaro, who is also a professor at Simon Fraser University, was sentenced to 30 days in jail earlier this week, his supporters said, after entering a guilty plea for criminal contempt.

Takaro was charged after setting up tents and sleeping in trees last year, an effort that blocked construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

The sentence imposed by a B.C. Supreme Court justice is nine days short of what the Crown had requested.

Some felt he shouldn't spend any time behind bars.

"Dr. Takaro has inspired a generation of public health leaders and advocates, and instead of being in his community, serving his community, doing the good work, he's going to spend 30 days behind bars like (a) criminal?" questioned Kate Tairyan, a fellow professor at SFU.

His sentence came after 50 Canadian health professionals penned an open letter to the prime minister saying the doctor should not be sent to jail.