Frankly Speaking

NDP leader John Horgan is likely to be the next B.C. premier within a few weeks. I've got a few thoughts about the state of B.C. politics, following today's announcements and accord-signing. First, the NDP-Green accord is ambitious, but is mostly in line with what a majority of voters were looking for. It's safe to say that most wanted a stronger environmental commitment in the form of carbon tax increases and opposition to the Kinder Morgan pipeline twinning; a move towards a new electoral system, and correctly putting that option to the public for a final decision; and referral of the Site C project to the B.C. Utilities Commission. The NDP had their way with removing bridge tolls - a big issue in Surrey, Langley and Maple Ridge. With their 41 seats, they also prevailed on issues like the minimum wage, which they say will rise eventually to $15 per hour. They also will cut MSP premiums in half at first, and look to removing them entirely. The accord calls for the ...

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...

Kinder Morgan photo The Trans Mountain oil pipeline twinning project has been given the go-ahead, but the fallout will continue for a long time yet. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet have decided that the twinning of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain oil pipeline will go ahead. The decision, announced last Tuesday (Nov. 29), has prompted a firestorm of criticism and plenty of political positioning, particularly in B.C. The pipeline decision has a direct effect on Surrey, as the existing pipeline runs through North Surrey from Port Kells to a location near the Port Mann Bridge, where it crosses the Fraser River. The second pipeline will likely follow a different route. Plans call for it to be located adjacent to the CN rail line through Surrey, with a river crossing to Coquitlam near the existing pipeline. This map shows the proposed pipeline route through Surrey for the additional pipeline planned by Kinder Morgan. The Surrey Board of Trade has taken the po...

Kinder Morgan photo A portion of the twinning of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain oil pipeline through Jasper National Park has already been built. The B.C. government hasn’t closed the door tightly on Kinder Morgan’s plan to twin the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, but Monday’s submission to the National Energy Board from the province is certainly a devastating blow to the twinning proposal. In particular, the province is unable to determine whether the project meets two of five conditions it has insisted upon for supporting heavy crude oil pipelines, based on the information provided. These relate to oil spills along the pipeline route and at the Burnaby marine terminal, and the company’s ability to respond to emergencies. Most B.C. residents support the strong stance the province has taken, and the five conditions that Premier Christy Clark has insisted must be met for B.C. to accept such a pipeline. It is important to remember that the Kinder Morgan pipeline played...