Canada approves oil pipeline to the Pacific Coast

The Canadian government has approved a proposed pipeline to the Pacific Coast that would allow Canada's oil to be shipped to Asia.

The approval was expected. Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been a staunch supporter of Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway pipeline after the U.S. delayed a decision on TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline that would take oil from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

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I had a feeling this was going to happen when obama rejected the pipeline.

a reply to: Ancient Champion

Still up to us BC'ers. I'm thinking....mmmm



no.

Why aren't Canadians outraged? I thought they were more environmentally conscious than Americans?

No, they did not. There are hurdles and legal battles yet...hold on to your gas pumps.

Stupid stupid canadians, letting the harper government force feed us crap, selling our ressources for cheap to china and now helping to destroy more land.

Does not feel good to be a canadian right now.

Either way the oil goes to Asia, it is a Chinese venture. The pipeline project would create jobs for a little while building it but very few long term jobs. It actually is not worth the risk. On top of that, we would be paying the Chinese for transporting our oil across the country, because it is their pipeline and the goal is to get rid of the existing pipeline. That means that more money will be leaving the country. This is how I understand it anyway, but I don't know if the articles I read were actually real, they were from environmental sites a few years back. They usually are pretty accurate on something like this. The ownership and money trail is what is important here.

It may never flow, wait and watch the people speak.

For those who don't know, tar sand bitumen is a solid, not a liquid.

To turn it into a liquid so it can flow in the pipeline, a highly toxic diluent from the middle east must be brought to the shore and piped into the pipeline going back to Alberta.

The diluent is then mixed with the tar sand and then piped back to the seashore. Twin pipelines!

Remember that the Exxon Valdez has not paid up yet... If a spill happens, like the US, it would be the Canadian taxpayers who would pay and we all know it. Worse still though, once spoiled, that area could not be restored to what it now is.

The natives of BC have not been consulted by the Harper government, which the supreme court said IT has to do, (not the oil company.) If you're aboriginal and from BC, watch out for attempted bribery and attempts to corrupt you, because we all know they will do everything to sweet talk you in the coming months.

That area of the planet has the imprint of God who formed it at His finest hour.

In 2015, do not vote for Harper. They have not shown any detailed financial data regarding the pipeline and any spillage data either.

Having said that, I'm not against selling our gas and oil. We have to find another way. Does anyone know why it can't be sent in solid form?

Canadian here and I am glad that we have gotten this result.

Now I am slightly biased as my business is intrinsically linked to the oil & gas industry, but i can tell you that this pipeline would have been built either way, though this outcome is by far the most practical and beneficial for both the Canadian economy and environment.

Edit to substantiate my claims;

1) if the pipeline was not approved, we would have seen a new project for a similar system to piggy back on a pre established line, possibly requiring an amalgamation of old and new construction not only being costly to integrate and test for safety, but hazardous as we will still be relying on old infrastructure. This will be how the project moved forward if initially declined by the government. Costly and risky.

2) a new pipeline would include new technology and building techniques to ensure a safe and efficient midstream operation allowing for the Canadian oil & gas sector as well as ancillary industries to boom.

So I would prefer support for these projects rather than companies finding ways around.

As a disclaimer, this is under the presumption that the new line would be established regardless of the outcome of this vote.

originally posted by: canucks555
a reply to: Ancient Champion

Still up to us BC'ers. I'm thinking....mmmm
no.

Actually it would have a very positive effect for Canadians as well as create many permanent positions right across the country. If you would take the time to educate yourself on the new pipeline systems and the safe guards/ technologies that must be in place for the pipelines to operate you wouldn't be so hasty to jump on the band wagon condemning the Harper Government. Like it or not oilsands production is not going away because the american government in all their infinite wisdom would rather get their oil from Middle East what a joke. I guess Canadians don't buy enough gun riffles and rocket launchers to be a viable safe energy trading partner. Its much easier trying to stop the middle East from blowing everyone up by selling them all weapons, loading oil onto tankers driving it across the ocean and then refining it. Causing wars is much more profitable then actually putting Americans to work on a neighborly safe pipeline???? And no the Chinese will be paying fair market value the money stays here. The Harper Govt. also knows that without the pipeline going ahead more and more oil and unrefined crude is going to be moved across the country including B.C via rail car what a safe option? C.N rail is going to look quite profitable over the next few years. What does it cost to clean up a few hundred derailed bunker fuel/ heavy crude cars? Like it or not the oil has to keep moving somewhere and Obama is to busy paying for wars with his credit card and keeping Americans unemployed and on food stamps. ( cant wait to see how that turns out) I say THANK Mr. Harper.

Ex-BC here - and I am outraged, disgusted and feel like giving up. And I am a current Albertan surrounded by oil companies and people who make their living with them. I hear both sides.

Yes, yes I understand we need oil, etc, etc but I came from Kitimat. I know what these waters are like. This is a disaster waiting to happen. And it will. The Douglas Channel is ridden with islands and rocks and sandbars and it's not a straight thru line - it's hazardous, it's the stormiest area of B.C., the tide changes to the degree where you only have shallows and you have to time the freight at the right time. There is a fault line in the Douglas Channel. I could go on. The people of Kitimat voted no, the majority that is.

Harper doesn't care. He just wanted to make money from the Asian companies and destroy Canada.

I have no respect for Harper. He has given away water rights to Asian companies. They will rape the land, spit it out and take their money and leave nothing behind.

Yes I am all for progress BUT we have to do it in a sustainable and respectful way. Not just take and run. Oh wait I mean: not hand it over, watch another country profit and then leave absolute destruction behind. One tanker spill is all it will take.

I can tell you that the people of B.C. will not put up with it. They care too much about ensuring that those who have no say will be taken care of. I foresee trouble ahead.

Again I am not against progress, about creating jobs, about using oil - but we need to do it in the right way. We don't need to slam something of this magnitude through just to get those Asian dollars.

This is a sad day indeed.

a reply to: Glennat

Yes, China is going to be buying it from Canada. Canada will do fine with putting a pipeline to the Pacific Coast. It is not Canada I am talking about, the plan here was going to be to abandon the pipeline we already have, it is getting old, and mixing our oil in with the oil from Canada then taking it out in Texas if I remember right. Now, the pipeline Would be owned by the Chinese here, same as in Canada I suppose. It would probably be cheaper for our oil companies to pay for delivery of our oil than to maintain their own pipeline. But the money goes to China because it is their pipeline.

Now as I said, China will pay for the oil to whoever is supplying it in Canada, it is supposedly a joint venture between a Chinese and a Canadian company. I have nothing against China, but I doubt if they would let us run a pipeline through their country. That is business.

They can do this all within Canada. They are profiting from it. They are getting lots of permanent jobs from it. It is probably a good venture for Canada.

originally posted by: Glennat
If you would take the time to educate yourself on the new pipeline systems and the safe guards/ technologies that must be in place for the pipelines to operate you wouldn't be so hasty to jump on the band wagon condemning the Harper Government.

Im educated enough to know that there is no safe guard against human error.

Its not IF, its WHEN BCs coast runs black.

Sad that people cant see this, or dont care..

As a resident of BC, and after listening to comments from across Canada on northern gateway, I have come to the following conclusions:

1. There is a distinct cultural awareness for protecting the environment amongst the regular citizens of BC that does not exist to the same extent in the rest of the country

2. Those that think gateway a good idea rely heavily on the propaganda spewed regularly by endbridge and others that a new pipeline is a safe pipeline - all pipelines leak, look it up, there is no safe way to transfer bitumen

3. A minor spill or bitumen into the pristine waters in hecate strait will cause damage that will last for decades if not longer

4. Remember Meares island. The people will act and thousands will not allow this pipeline to be built. And I am not just talking natives

5. Harper will be gone soon, and Canada can start to recover from the many steps backwards he has tried to take the country

Ashamed Canadian here...

Harper doesn't like Canadians, plain and simple.

I worked in Ft. Mac and it was a really beautiful northern area that has been turned into a grimy dirty place and Canada will suffer in the long run because of the tarsands. I benefit currently because of the tarsands building houses in the high-demand construction market here but I can see how dirty this province is becoming because of greed. Canadians also get the royal shaft when it comes to oil revenues as most just goes to the corporations who could really care less about the people. BC is one of the most beautiful places on earth and I've seen first hand just how pristine the wilderness is there and the risk of destroying that ecosystem should be enough to stop this pipeline and all oil flowing through.

Its sad we even still burn petroleum but greed seems to have no morals or no foresight into the terrible situations we create for ourselves.

Saying it's so doesn't make it so.

There will be court challenges, public protests and a federal election before the shovels hit the ground. Consider the Northern Gateway a point of contention in the lead-up to the October 2015 vote when you will see a dramatic increase in voter turnout.

What's so fascinating to me is the fact that most of Canada still depends on Middle Eastern oil imports while the Harper Government works to sell Tar Sands bitumen directly to the Far East. If the government cared about its citizens, they'd be promoting new refinery builds and decreasing our dependency on expensive foreign product.

I had found it interesting that Jim Prentice was moved from the political scene into the Banking scene and then brought out to lobby the Native groups .Their conclusion at the time was "too little too late ,and the waste of a good man " Some may contend that with modern technologies and engineering the risks are reduced and that may be true . The Natives are quite familiar with broken promises on treaty issues and how the Federal Govt. has used the courts to put off on the future what should have been dealt with asap .The trust issue is not something that can be given in another promise .There are lots of things the Govt. is fighting against and ignoring daily . They along with their Provincial counter parts have and do skirt the Natives interests . History is a empowering thing and unless the past issues are not dealt with in good faith the future about things like mega pipe lines will suffer .

At a time when the Natives have become better equipped in courts of law and in the ways of the forked tongued representatives of the Crown , the days of being able to ignore them is over .They do not stand alone and are not insignificant .Bribes will no longer work as they once could .Misinformation is challenged and brought to the for in the media .For the Federal Govt. to pass onto the tax payer their sins of the past in not holding big bushiness accountable is coming to a end .

a reply to: the2ofusr1

Exactly. The Natives do not stand alone and the wool will not be pulled over their eyes this time.