VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Vancouver’s mayor is increasing pressure aimed at stopping more oil tankers from coming anywhere near the city’s waters.

Gregor Robertson has joined forces with local First Nations, speaking out about how the economy benefits from our natural beauty.



To make his stance official, Robertson announced today was Save the Fraser Declaration Day, which is an indigenous law put in place with the hopes of banning tar sands pipelines and tankers from crossing into BC waters. It has been signed by over 130 First Nations.



“Crossing this province with pipeline projects and tankers up and down our coast is a serious threat to our environment and our existing economy. We believe there needs to be sanity here,” says Robertson.



He adds overexploitation of oil will only lead to an environmental disaster which will damage resources, while also putting future generations at risk. “We can’t put our waterways, we can’t put our land at risk for a short-term gain for some people. We have to think about all of the people from now forward, all the generations to come.”



Meanwhile, First Nations groups say they will use all means possible to stop any pipeline projects across the province. Next month in Vancouver the groups say they’ll hold a demonstration to fight proposed projects like the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline.



“We are here, not just as leaders but as one person. We’re here representing nations. I’m here representing 5,000 Tahltans and that’s the kind of power you’re going to see,” says Tahltan Central Council President Annita Mcphee.



“We’re not coming out to be civilly disobedient, rather we’re obeying the law of our people, which is to protect Mother Earth and to protect the interests of our grandchildren,” says Gerald Amos with the Haisla First Nation.



No details of next month’s demonstration were released, although the groups are asking for as many people as possible to come together.