Southern Pipeline Route Relieves Northwestern BC Leaders

Northwestern BC leaders are breathing a sigh of relief as the federal and Alberta governments consider a southern terminus for a new West Coast oil pipeline. The proposed one-million-barrel-per-day pipeline would largely follow the existing Trans Mountain corridor and respect the North Coast oil tanker ban, removing Kitimat and Prince Rupert from consideration.

Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth acknowledged that the community would have been split on the issue, with some relieved by the loss of possible economic activity and others disappointed. He noted that an oil pipeline has never been a simple proposition for their community, saying 'There's no project more controversial.'

Germuth and Haisla elected Chief Maureen Nyce met with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in November, two days before the federal government and Alberta announced a pipeline memorandum of understanding. The Haisla Nation's opposition to an oil pipeline through the region made the northern route unlikely.

Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond also welcomed the decision, saying it validated council's choice not to enter a heated debate over a project that had no defined route or plan. He noted that the community would likely have been divided on the issue, with some residents welcoming economic activity and others fighting to keep the tanker ban in place.

Julia Hill, executive director of SkeenaWild Conservation Trust, expressed concern that the decision-making process was not evidence-based, but rather 'decision-based evidence making.'