Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces his government is approving Kinder Morgan’s proposal to triple the capacity of its Trans Mountain pipeline from Alberta to Burnaby, B.C. — a $6.8-billion project that has sparked protests by climate change activists.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces his government is approving Kinder Morgan’s proposal to triple the capacity of its Trans Mountain pipeline from Alberta to Burnaby, B.C. — a $6.8-billion project that has sparked protests by climate change activists.
Photo Credit: Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press

Canada’s pipeline decisions: years of controversy ended, years more begin

After years of controversy and protest, the federal government announced decisions on some major oil pipeline projects. Although the decision had been made days earlier, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau only made the public announcement late yesterday afternoon.

One project,  the “Northern Gateway” proposal was one of the hotly contested lines.

It proposed to stretch over 1,000 kilometres from an oilsands terminal in Alberta to the Pacific coast passing over the mountains and through several First Nations territories.   The former Conservative government and the National Energy Board had agreed to the project. In the announcement yesterday by the current Liberal government, the proposal has been rejected.

The project would see the Northern Gateway Pipeline travel 1,177 kilometres and deliver bitumen from Alberta to B.C.’s coastline. (
The project would have seen the Northern Gateway Pipeline travel 1,177 kilometres and deliver bitumen from Alberta to B.C.’s coastline. It did not get government approval, and a ban on tanker traffic along this section of the coast was also announced © Enbridge/Canadian Press

Another pipeline is called Line-3.  It runs from another oilsands terminal in Alberta some 1,600 kilometres to Wisconsin to a pipeline terminal there. The 7.5 billion dollars project has been somewhat less controversial as a new pipeline would replace an existing older one but would be larger and almost double capacity.

Enbridge is proposing to replace its Line 3 pipeline from Hardisty, Alta., to Superior, Wis. It will approximately double the amount of oil shipped daily and although not withour some controversy, was approved by the Liberal government yesterday
Enbridge is proposing to replace its Line 3 pipeline from Hardisty, Alta., to Superior, Wisconsin in the USA. It will approximately double the amount of oil shipped daily and although not withour some controversy, was approved by the Liberal government yesterday © Canadian Press

KinderMorgan’s Trans-Mountain pipeline however, has been extremely controversial. Although it would twin an existing line, opposition has been strong and growing. Proponents argue it would create up to 15,000 jobs, but environmentalists and many First Nations indigenous groups are bitterly opposed.

The Trans Mountain pipeline will add a second line to an existing one as it passes through Banff National Park, the Fraser river watershed and on the the terminal at Burnaby B.C.
The Trans-Mountain pipeline will add a second line to an existing one as it passes through Banff National Park, the Fraser river watershed and on the the terminal at Burnaby B.C. © NEB

Elizabeth May of the federal Green Party notes that the product cannot be refined at the Chevron refinery at the Burnaby terminal, but the mixture of raw crude and diluent will be shipped out.  She says more jobs could be created and the value-added product used in Canada if money was invested in upgrading the current refinery.

The 6.5 billion dollar twinning would increase oil shipment to the west coast by almost 600,000 barrels per day.

The decision enthusiastically supported by the B.C. Premier, and by the mayors in the major Alberta cities of Calgary and Edmonton, but strongly opposed by Vancouver’s mayor who told media the approved twinning will result in “protests like you’ve never seen”. Still while opposition to pipelines is very strong, there are many who now welcome the potential jobs and investment.

In making the announcement, the Prime Minister said  he knew whatever decision the government made it would upset people, but he said, “it was the best decision for Canada and Canadians”.

Environmentalists are aslo concerned that the Trans Mountain line will increase tanker traffic in the tricky waters and environmentally sensitive Salish Sea and Juan de Fuca Strait
Environmentalists are aslo concerned that the Trans Mountain line will increase tanker traffic in the tricky waters and environmentally sensitive Salish Sea and Juan de Fuca Strait © wilderness committee.org

Other major pipeline decisions involve the XL pipeline project from Canada to the US.  Another previous Conservative government approved project, it is supported by the Liberals under Trudeau. The outgoing US President Obama has been against it, but President-elect Donald Trump is likely to approve the American section.

A fourth pipeline proposal, Energy East to bring crude from Alberta across the country to eastern Canada is also highly controversial and no final decision has been made.

Additional information-sources

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