Residents opposed to proposed pipeline running through city

Not a question of will it spill, but ‘when and where,’ says critic

Questions about safety, environmental impact and how politicians will respond were raised Monday night by residents who gathered in downtown Ottawa to discuss TransCanada Corp.’s proposed east coast pipeline.

“It’s not a question of will this pipeline spill, but instead it’s a question of when and where,” said Ben Powless, who organized the event for Ecology Ottawa at the Ottawa Public Library.

More than a 100 people filled the library’s auditorium to seek information and voice concerns about the proposed $5-billion Energy East pipeline project that could send as much as 850,000 barrels a day of Albertan crude oil through the south end of Ottawa and across the Rideau River.

The project calls for retrofitting a 3,000-kilometre Canadian Mainline natural gas pipeline that already runs through the Ottawa region, and then building a 1,400-kilometre extension to carry oil to Saint John, N.B., where Irving Oil has a refinery with the potential to process heavy crude oil.

During a presentation, Powless joked with the audience about how the project is all risk and no reward.

“The pipeline is older than most of us here today,” he said about retrofitting the 55-yearold pipeline. “And it’s probably in a lot worse shape than most of us here today.

“This represents a significant risk to the future of Ottawa, our health, our safety and our waterways.”

Powless cited a variety of other oil spills that have occurred in Canada, and said there is no safe way to transport oil.

And while the project still must receive regulatory approval from various government agencies, including the National Energy Board and Natural Resources Canada, residents echoed Powless’s comments.

“If we don’t stop fossil fuels, we won’t have a world to hand over to our children,” one man said, jumping up to a round of applause from the audience.

Others called for lobbying government officials, while some suggested protests and marches.

“I won’t be happy if a pipeline comes through, and I don’t think many others would be, either,” said Isabelle Brunet, who has lived in Ottawa for 25 years. “I’m concerned about pipelines in Canada in general, but now that it may come through my own backyard, I’m here tonight because maybe I can start doing something about it.”

But Brunet and residents like her may be in a tough position because many of the approvals necessary for the project, especially from elected officials, were secured when the original pipeline was built.