Trans Mountain oil pipeline twinning still faces many hurdles
Portions of the twinned Trans Mountain pipeline have already been built. Whether the new pipeline will be built in the Lower Mainland of B.C. is still up in the air, largely due to court challenges filed by First Nations. The B.C. government’s recent approval of the Kinder Morgan proposal to twin the Trans Mountain oil pipeline doesn’t mean the pipeline will be built – but it is a significant step forward. The project now has the approval of the federal government and the provincial government, and Kinder Morgan has reached many deals with First Nations along the pipeline route. The existing pipeline crosses many First Nations reserves, and since it was built in 1953, First Nations have gained many more rights in relation to proposed resource projects and developments on traditional lands. If the project doesn’t go ahead, which is the outcome many B.C. residents fervently hope for, it will most likely falter over an unfavourable court decision. Several lawsuits are in th...