For immediate release
May 3, 2015 (Ottawa): Ecology Ottawa applauds local musicians who are taking a stand by refusing to play at a music festival sponsored by TransCanada Corporation, the company behind the proposed Energy East pipeline, as well as a community crowfunding effort designed to send TransCanada packing.
“It’s a great example of the power of musicians to turn up the volume on critical issues in our society,” says Graham Saul, Executive Director of Ecology Ottawa. “It reminds me of the days when musicians came together to launch a cultural boycott of South African Apartheid. Musicians are saying they aren’t going to play for oil and pipelines.”
John Carroll and other popular local musicians have announced that they will refuse to play at the upcoming Dandelion Festival (May 22 to 24) in Kemptville, Ontario, if TransCanada Corporation is a sponsor of the event. Their statement can be found here: http://johncarrollmusic.com/
Members of the community, who strongly support the Dandelion Festival but share the concerns of local musicians, have launched a crowdfunding effort to raise money to return TransCanada’s sponsorship. In less than a day they have raised over $3,000 of the $5,000 they need to refund TransCanada’s sponsorship and remove the company from all festival advertising. See: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/replace-transcanada-sponsorship-of-dandelion-fest
“It’s inspiring to see local artists and the community working in their own way to stand up to a giant oil and pipeline company,” says Graham Saul. “It shows that small efforts can send a powerful signal that we need to transition away from our dependence on oil towards a clean energy future.”
For more on opposition to TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline, see: http://ecologyottawa.ca/campaigns/tar-free-613/
Graham Saul, Executive Director, Ecology Ottawa
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 613-710-2819
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