Mayors show their pipeline support

Mayors from across the Edmonton region reiterated their backing Monday for Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion days before the company’s deadline for deciding whether to proceed with the project.

“It’s critical for all of Canada,” said Spruce Grove Mayor Stuart Houston, one of about 10 Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board members at an event in favour of the development. “The country needs to know that we’re at a crossroads in this country in regards to the transmission of our oil, to get our oil to tidewater.”

Houston urged the federal and provincial governments to use their power “to push this pipeline through,” including the possibility they’ll put money into the project if necessary to see it completed.

“Municipalities aren’t in a position, of course, to invest in major oil industry projects, but I do think there’s an opportunity for our governments to look at the payback to them,” he said.

“This project alone, in the next 20 years, will put $46.7 billion into our federal and provincial coffers.”

He and his colleagues will be among 1,100 delegates in Halifax on Thursday for the annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention.

That’s Kinder Morgan’s deadline for receiving assurances it can complete the pipeline expansion, and Houston said the gathering will be a chance to talk about it with people from B.C.

Although there isn’t a motion on the table at the convention in favour of Trans Mountain, Houston said they’ll look at what other advocacy options they have.

Meanwhile, B.C.’s ministry of environment Monday confirmed a spill at a Trans Mountain pipeline pump station north of Kamloops.

Spokesman David Karn said Kinder Morgan reported the spill, which he said was contained to the station site, just before 5 a.m. Sunday.

“They began immediate cleanup in response to it,” he said, noting initial reports said about 100 litres spilled.