Prior to becoming an intervenor in the Trans Mountain Pipeline Review, Marc Eliesen was the CEO of BC Hydro, former chair of Manitoba Hydro, a board member at Suncor and a deputy minister in seven federal and provincial governments. He offered the National Energy Board (NEB) the insights drawn from 40 years in senior executive positions. In the letter of withdrawal he emailed the NEB last Sunday, the former BC Hydro CEO calls the Pipeline Hearings a public deception
There was a celebration on Cortes Island a little more than a week ago. Close to a hundred people came out in the rain to munch on some of the goodies and listen to some of the community’s elders. After more than a quarter of a century, Whaletown Commons became a park.
On October 4, 2014, group of Lasqueti Island residents joined with kayakers and boaters in a nautical response to the proposed expansion of Texada Island’s coal port. In the interview that follows one of the organizsers, Andrew Fall, explains how and why they decided to blockade the Sabine Channel.
Kinder Morgan’s subsidiary, Trans Mountain Pipeline, wants to build a larger pipeline from the Alberta tar sands to it’s Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, BC. This will triple the amount of diluted bitumen flowing through the lines. The city of Burnaby does not want this. On September 2, it stopped a Trans Mountain’s crew from working in a Burnaby park. The National Energy Board (NEB) intervened, which led to the crew’s return on Wednesday, October 29. They found their path obstructed by concerned Burnaby residents. This was expected. According to a witness, the Trans Mountain crew brought three cameras and only two chainsaws. The following day, five of the protestors were served with what has been described as a “1,000 page” lawsuit. That sounds like a lot of work for Kinder Morgan’s lawyers to prepare in one day. Is Trans Mountain’s Burnaby lawsuit a set-up?
The City of Burnaby’s Application for Leave to Appeal to the Federal Court of Appeal, about the NEB’s Ruling, is being served today.
By Roy L Hales
Kinder Morgan has filed an injunction against Burnaby residents preventing one of its crews from doing a feasibility study on Burnaby Mountain. At 5 pm Thursday, five defendants were served with a pile of legal documents “over three inches deep.” Simon Fraser University (SFU) professor Lynne Quarmby, SFU professor Stephen Collis, Adam Gold, Mia Nisson and Alan Dutton will appear in BC Supreme Court today at 2 pm today. The court will decide whether to “restrain” them from their “trespass upon Burnaby lands, and their wrongful obstruction, impeding, interfering with and prevention of” the pipeline company’s activities. Kinder Morgan is claiming it loses at least $5.5 million in direct costs and $88 million in lost revenue every month the Trans Mountain Pipeline project is delayed is also seeking a permanent injunction, damages, interest and cost. Yet the pipeline company is in the park against the City of Burnaby’s expressed wishes and it is not certain if the NEB ruling that gave the pipeline company access is legal.
