Why not route the contentious Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline through Tsawwassen?
That was the suggestion by Perry Bellegarde, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
In a recent interview with the Canadian Press, Bellegarde talked about how the federal government could find it easier to get the pipeline built if it changed the route and the marine shipping terminal to avoid Indigenous communities that oppose the project.
He said he has spoken to chiefs who support the idea of a terminal near Tsawwassen, describing it as a “win-win” scenario.
However, Tsawwassen First Nation Chief Bryce Williams is opposed to the idea, telling the Optimist this week, “Tsawwassen First Nation does not support the proposed pipeline, and we would not accept relocating the project to either our territory or land near our community.”
Noting the pipeline twinning project has already gone through the environmental process and received federal approval, Delta South MLA Ian Paton said it doesn’t sound like a good idea.
“We’ve already done our fair share over the years by taking on Deltaport in our community along with all the road infrastructure and railway lines. I certainly don’t think we need any pipeline crisscrossing through Delta farmland heading to Deltaport. So, we shouldn’t take on Burnaby’s problem and I stand with Bryce Williams in not supporting a change to the route of the Trans Mountain pipeline,” said Paton.
It’s not the first time Delta has been mentioned as potential alternative route.
In 2015, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley suggested Kinder Morgan's pipeline twinning plan, which has also drawn heated opposition from Burnaby and Vancouver as well as environmental groups, might need to be re-routed. She pointed to South Delta as one possibility.
Former B.C. premier Mike Harcourt was among others who also later weighed in, saying that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should consider a "Plan B" to the $5.4-billion project. He said an alternate route has to be considered, either to Roberts Bank or to the Cherry Point refinery in Washington state.
In a letter to the Optimist, Michael Davies, senior director of marine development for Kinder Morgan, noted the company believes the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby is the optimal location and the company isn’t considering alternative options.
The courts recently determined Ottawa didn’t undertake adequate consultations prior to approving the pipeline expansion, which has left the project in limbo.
