honorable mention
Luis Busca canada
title
Protectors of the Coast
The expansion of the Trans-Mountain pipeline is part of a larger plan to transfer oil from the Alberta tar sands to the ports in the Burnaby area. Apart from the damage to the environment inherit in tar sand extraction and transportation, this project also brings the added threat of increased tanker traffic off the coast of British Columbia, endangering already fragile ecosystems in an already congested waterway.
The protest was led by representatives of local First Nations (Musquem, Squamish, Tsawwassen) on occupied and unceded Coast Salish land, and included a group of five thousand students, families, environmental organizations and local activism groups. It drew little media coverage, bringing to attention the importance of civil photojournalism and social media communication. Moments of civil protest and unrest should be documented, discussed and understood in order to create a larger dialogue on socially impactful policy.
Protectors of the Coast is a tribute to the unity of those fighting to protect our land and water - it is a reminder to the pledge that was taken that day and to the power/energy that can be harnessed when so many people come together under a common cause.
Luis' style incorporates traditional lomographic methods with modern digital techniques. He currently lives and works in so-called Vancouver, on occupied and unceded Coast Salish territory.
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entry description
On November 19th, 2016, over five thousand people took to the streets in Vancouver, British Columbia in protest of the proposed Burnaby Mountain expansion of the Kinder Morgan Trans-Mountain pipeline. This protest halted transit in downtown Vancouver, as the mass of people moved across the Cambie bridge and towards the downtown core. There they pledged civil disobedience should the Canadian Federal Government green light the project later that year. Less than a month later, Justin Trudeau approved the expansion and this pledge was activated.The expansion of the Trans-Mountain pipeline is part of a larger plan to transfer oil from the Alberta tar sands to the ports in the Burnaby area. Apart from the damage to the environment inherit in tar sand extraction and transportation, this project also brings the added threat of increased tanker traffic off the coast of British Columbia, endangering already fragile ecosystems in an already congested waterway.
The protest was led by representatives of local First Nations (Musquem, Squamish, Tsawwassen) on occupied and unceded Coast Salish land, and included a group of five thousand students, families, environmental organizations and local activism groups. It drew little media coverage, bringing to attention the importance of civil photojournalism and social media communication. Moments of civil protest and unrest should be documented, discussed and understood in order to create a larger dialogue on socially impactful policy.
Protectors of the Coast is a tribute to the unity of those fighting to protect our land and water - it is a reminder to the pledge that was taken that day and to the power/energy that can be harnessed when so many people come together under a common cause.
about the photographer
Luis Busca is an emerging artist working predominantly with film and digital photography, but includes collage and poetry in his portfolio. His work focuses on the documentation and photojournalism of alternative and hedonistic lifestyles, including the culture, music, stigma and social activism intrinsically tied to them. He has worked and exhibited both locally and internationally.Luis' style incorporates traditional lomographic methods with modern digital techniques. He currently lives and works in so-called Vancouver, on occupied and unceded Coast Salish territory.
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