Several Mennonite congregations in Manitoba are sending letters to TD Canada Trust, demanding that the Canadian bank stop financing the Line 3 pipeline. In Minnesota, Line 3 cuts through Anishinaabe land without the Free, Prior, and Informed consent of the Indigenous peoples who live there. Enbridge, the Canadian company, owns Line 3 and receives billions of dollars in financing from several Canadian banks. TD is the top funder and has provided Enbridge with $13.59 billion since 2016.
Indigenous Water Protectors in Minnesota are fighting to protect their lands and waters from Line 3. If built, Line 3 would destroy the sacred wild rice beds that the Anishinaabe people depend on for their food, culture, and way of life. Additionally, Line 3 would contribute as much damage to the climate as 50 new coal-fired power plants. The pipeline would endanger more than 800 wetlands and 200 waterways.
In Minnesota, Anishinaabe Water Protectors are literally putting their bodies on the line. They are building numerous resistance camps along the pipeline route and chaining themselves to construction equipment. Police have already arrested dozens of people. North of the colonial border, the Canadian segment of Line 3 has already been built.
But in smalltown Gretna, Manitoba, an Enbridge pumping station is a reminder for all those fighting and resisting the construction down the pipe.
Several Mennonite churches have started sending letters to the executive of TD, urging the bank to divest from Line 3. Some church-goers who currently bank at TD have warned they will transfer to a different bank. Others are taking part in actions outside TD branches, like the one organized by the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition on the Global Day of Justice on May 8.
To take part in the letter-writing campaign to TD Bank, use this template. If you live within Manitoba, you are encouraged to send your letter by “snail mail” to the address indicated. Otherwise, send a letter by email or hardcopy to a TD branch near you. If you have questions about the campaign, feel free to contact justiceteam@hopemennonite.ca.
