This arrest began with a train trip from Toronto to Ottawa accompanied by my friend Anthony (founder of For Our Grandchildren). We arrived in Ottawa in the early afternoon and took a taxi to the University of Ottawa where training for the sit-in had already started.

The training took over eight hours and ended late that night. It was adequate but too long. Among other things we practiced how to climb over a three foot barrier which is what was likely to be necessary at the sit-in. We also formed waves (groups of six people who were supposed to go over the barriers at the same time) and were given green armbands to show that we had attended the training.  We were also given advice on the possible legal outcomes and a phone number to write on our forearms in case we needed to speak with a lawyer.

Other than that the training was pretty basic with emphasis that our protest was to be peaceful and we were not to resist arrest. Friends  Rita and Rene arrived later in the evening. René was not going to be arrested but was going to support those who were. Rita and I were in the same wave.

After the training, I walked to a nearby hostel where I had a room. My sleep was not very sound due mainly to the fact that I was worried about the possibility of being imprisoned for my civil disobedience. Ottawa police no not have a reputation for treating prisoners gently.

On Monday morning we collected at the confederation flame on Parliament Hill. First several of us handed over bail money to René to take to the legal assistance team. It was recommended that we might need it to bail us out of jail if we got charged for certain offences.

Several speakers talked about their objections to the tar sands. The majority of them spoke with passion about the impact on the indigenous peoples in the vicinity. Although I agreed with them, I felt that there was not enough emphasis on the greenhouse gases which are emitted both during the extraction and refining of the bitumen and in the subsequent end-use of the crude oil. Indigenous drummers accompanied us as we climbed over the barriers. Green Party of Canada leader, Elizabeth May and GPC Climate Change Critic (and friend), Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu, were there to support the sit-in.

We formed into waves (as we had been trained) and prepared to climb over the barriers under the guidance of marshals. This was complicated by the fact that the media were so close to the barrier that we didn't have room for six of us to go over at the same time, and could only manage two or three. RCMP officers on the other side of the barrier explained to us that if we climbed over the barrier we risked being arrested and tried to persuade us not to do so but I declined their advice.They offered to assist me when it appeared I was having difficulty getting a foothold on the other side of the barrier but I refused.

Rita and I climbed over the barrier and joined the others sitting in a row on the grass. It was hot and, on the advice of another friend who had previously spent a night in an Ottawa jail, I was wearing a fleece jacket. This friend had warned me that it was very cold in jail and he had to attempt to sleep on a metal bunk. However, it was hot on the lawn (the temperature was around 26 degrees Celsius) so I became uncomfortably warm. The organizers threw bottles of water over the barrier for us to keep hydrated along with snacks. One supporter brought pizza which was passed though the barrier. Sunscreen was also circulated for those who, like me, had overlooked this.

One woman collapsed with what looked like heat stroke. Some of the protesters tried to cool her by pouring water on her limbs and the RCMP fetched a stretcher. But she insisting on walking out without the stretcher. I don't know if they arrested her. Another protester was in a wheelchair. Not sure how he got over the barrier with that. I spotted a woman knitting what looked like socks. Since we had been instructed not to bring anything that looked like a weapon I was surprised to see the knitting needles. 

After several hours on the lawn we got arrested. The RCMP took us one at a time and handcuffed us with zip ties.Then they turned us over to the Ottawa police who gave us a trespassing ticket and a $65 fine. The RCMP gave us a paper explaining that we were banned from being 

on the Hill for one year. They then bundled me along with four other women into a paddy wagon and drove us to a nearby Tim Horton's where we were released. Others were released without being arrested after the RCMP removed the fence. Anthony also was arrested after climbing over the barrier.

The organizers had arranged a picnic in a nearby park for those who wanted to share their experience. Later many of us met at University of Ottawa to discuss the events. Emotions were mixed. Some felt that the sit-in had met their expectations. Others, including myself, were not so sure.

I left the meeting to have dinner with Rita, René, and another protester, Ken, and then returned to my hostel and attempted to sleep. The following morning, I managed to spend some time walking along the locks on the Rideau Canal - close to Parliament Hill - before taking a bus to the train station where I met Anthony and took the train back to Toronto.

My conclusion about the sit-in was that it was a game being played by two sides, the protesters and the RCMP. When the RCMP got tired of playing they just took their fence away and declared the game over. Our admission fee was the $65 fine. Being banned from Parliament Hill was just a bonus.

Did we get our message out? I'm not so sure that we did. There was some media coverage and the NDP raised the issue during question period in Parliament.