Mayor vows war in court against Kinder Morgan; MP appeals to company president
Posted November 21, 2014 7:15 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BURNABY (NEWS1130) – The rhetoric is ramping up in the fight over the future of Burnaby Mountain.
Both the city’s mayor and one of the MPs for the area are speaking out, as people protesting work by Kinder Morgan promise to stay at the site where a couple dozen activists were arrested yesterday.
Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan is vowing a war against the oil company, and Burnaby-Douglas MP Kennedy Stewart is making a direct appeal to the company’s president.
Stewart is calling for Ian Anderson to put a stop to Kinder Morgan’s surveying work on the mountain.
In a letter to Anderson, Stewart says while the company may have the legal permission to go ahead with the work, it doesn’t have the moral or social license. He’s calling on the company to stop its work on the mountain.
Stewart says Kinder Morgan’s actions are causing unnecessary suffering to people in Burnaby, who he’s been hearing from through phone calls, emails, and visits to his office. He’s spoken in the House, blaming the Conservatives for the situation.
“The government’s changes to the National Energy Board Act have completely removed the ability of British Columbians from having any voice and planning if and how, this massive energy project should proceed through our community.”
“They have compounded this problem by calling anyone who objects to these projects, a radical,” he adds.
“I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that the vast majority of these protesters are not radicals. They are local, law-abiding Canadians forced into this obscene position by this Conservative government. They are parents, grandparents, university professors, teachers, students and homeowners. They are on Burnaby Mountain because they feel their community is threatened and they have no other way than protesting to voice their concerns.”
Derek Corrigan hasn’t been shy about voicing his opposition to the proposed expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline, and the idea of running the line under Burnaby Mountain. But according to the Province newspaper, he’s now declaring he’s prepared for a war in the courts that could last a number of years.
He says this fight has been a long time coming.
Corrigan is urging demonstrators not to put themselves in a position that could lead to being arrested or injured.
