Reaction to pipeline announcement pours in

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The TransMountain expansion has been strongly opposed by some BC politicians in the path of the pipeline.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson says he’s profoundly disappointed with what he believes is a lost opportunity for Canada to take a hard turn in a greener direction.

He says the Trudeau government is risking a thriving economy in Vancouver in order to double down on heavy oil.

Burnaby NDP MP Kennedy Stewart calls today’s announcement a “sneak attack”.

“He knew this would be unpopular, he knew that people would see him for what he really is. So today he announced it early amidst other decisions to try to lessen the blow to British Columbians,” says Stewart.

He feels voters here will see this as a betrayal — Stewart says the approval under the current NEB regime is an all-out broken election promise.

Indigenous leaders will fight pipelines

Some indigenous leaders say they will fight any pipeline projects or other work connected to expanding the oilsands in Alberta.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, of the Union of BC Chiefs, says there are no conditions under which he can accept the expanded Kinder Morgan oil pipeline from Alberta, currently being considered by the federal government.

Phillip says the environmental risks from increased tanker traffic are simply too great.

He says if the project gets the government’s approval, the struggle will intensify and there will be more legal action.

The Tsleil Waututh nation on the North Shore has been very active in opposing Kinder Morgan’s project — even sending representatives to Ottawa this week to make a final plea — a plea which appears has fallen on deaf ears.

Elected councillor Charlene Aleck says the risks are too high for this expansion to take place.

“It’s not ‘if it still happens’ it’s ‘when it happens’. Thousands of people can be sick — it’s not in our back yard it’s right in our kitchen. We’ve got marine life, we just reintroduced elk into our territory,” says Aleck.

“Being First Nations and having traditional knowledge on the land and living off the land, it will great effects.”

Federally, interm Conservative leader Rona Ambrose is critical.

“I think today what we saw is one project be rejected which is 4,000 jobs, and another project sadly be approved that I think all of us know has a very little chance of actually being built,” says Ambrose.

“Now he needs to his political capital to see this project build and I don’t think he has enough of it. I think protests will ensue, the fight is on.”

Not all bad

There’s at least one group in the Lower Mainland that is encouraged by today’s announcement.

President of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Iain Black is pleased and says this move will help the economy while protecting the environment.

“Every day that we do not have access to world markets for our natural resources costs us about $15 million in tax revenue that could be spent on schools, hospitals, and roads,” says Black.

“Indeed it’s at a chapter that will lead to ultimately moving away from carbon-based resources. That day is not here yet, we have to get there in stages, and this is a very important step in that direction,” he continues.

“There’s no question that it impacts us in BC and the Lower Mainland…but this is a national decision of national importance and I think we have to recognize that the Canadian government has a responsibility of looking out for the economic interests of the entire country and making these decisions, difficult as they may be.”

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