Board of Trade president says pipelines — not lattés — boost economy
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade says opponents of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion should consider the economic benefits of the project.
Board president Iain Black told CBC's The Early Edition Canada needs access to the international oil market if it wants to stop losing money in the sector.
"The only people who buy our oil from us are the Americans. They're doing so at a radically discounted rate relative to the rest of the prices in the world, and while they've been doing that, they've been developing their own resources — which means they're not going to be dependent on us much longer," the former B.C. cabinet minister said.
"If you're going to sustain the standard of living we've become accustomed to in this country — the hospitals, the schools and the roads — that [funding is] not coming off the tax revenues of lattés. Those are coming off the men and women working up north with hard hats," he said.
"I think sometimes we forget that in the Lower Mainland because we see the end result in the harbour to be shipped off to foreign markets."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the project's approval in Ottawa last week, saying the pipeline — which will run from Edmonton to Burnaby, B.C. — will "effectively triple" Canada's ability to ship crude oil to international buyers beyond the U.S.
That will help boost federal and provincial government revenue by $4.5 billion, Trudeau said.
But many British Columbians started protesting the pipeline within hours of its approval — concerned over the risks it poses to the environment.
The Tsleil-Waututh First Nation said it was prepared for a "long battle" against the project, and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said he was "profoundly disappointed" with the decision.
In Alberta, where people are hungry for an economic boost, the approval was widely celebrated. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley — who described the expansion as a "light" during a dark economic slump — is travelling west this week to try and bring British Columbians on board.
To listen to the audio, click on the link labelled Iain Black on supporting the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion
