First there was the snow. City and highways road crews got the worst of it, they not only had to get rid of the stuff, they were targets of a zillion complaints because they couldn’t do it well enough or fast enough to please everybody.
Then came the cold, with no targets for complaints.
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While protests against the Site C Dam remain hot and heavy, the B.C. government is under fire in another row, Kinder Morgan’s proposal to twin its pipeline to carry diluted bitumen from Alberta to B.C. for transport overseas.
British Columbians oppose the plan on two counts, the construction of the pipeline is contentious, and the huge increase in tanker traffic will undoubtedly increase the risk for mishaps.
A major spill could damage the ecosystems that support our coastal communities, like the fishery and tourist industries. Premier Notley can whine and snivel about Alberta needing money and jobs, and Prime Minister Trudeau can bray about the best interests of Canada coming first, but B.C. will pay the price if something goes amiss.
Delay the project? You bet. Delay it until Kinder Morgan and the federal government can Do It Right. That includes a world-class spill plan and funding to compensate B.C .for any catastrophes on land or sea.
The feds backed down on the eastern pipeline after strong opposition from Quebec politicians.
Why is B.C. different? Our concerns are the same, lack of consultation with local municipalities and Indigenous communities, climate change, plus the issues with tanker traffic which weren’t even considered by the federal environmental assessment process which only dealt with the pipeline.
Let’s hope the two premiers and the Prime Minister will act like statesmen (statespeople?) and find a solution that is good for Canada, but not at the expense of B.C.