Province to appeal ruling

As soon as Premier John Horgan finished speaking about emergency preparedness and wildfire prevention at a news conference Friday in Kelowna, he was peppered with questions about the B.C. Court of Appeal having ruled the province cannot restrict oil pipeline shipments.

Despite what the Appeal Court says, the government remains confident it has the jurisdiction to restrict diluted bitumen shipments via the Trans Mountain pipeline from Alberta, Horgan said. “There are other, higher courts we can appeal to.” Shortly after, Attorney General David Eby announced the province will appeal Friday’s ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Horgan and Eby fear a diluted bitumen spill, whether from the pipeline, while being loaded on ships or from a ship, would be catastrophic for wildlife, the marine environment and the provincial economy.