By: Pranjali J Mann, News Writer
The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) of the Canadian government declared the Trans Mountain Pipeline project (TMX) as non-profitable in its report on June 22. According to their analysis, the project will result in a net loss of $600 million.
To learn more about this, The Peak interviewed Metro Vancouver’s Climate Convergence organizer, Alison Bodine. Climate Convergence is a collective of various grassroot climate justice organizations and activists working towards preventing climate change and protecting the environment from toxic pollution.
As noted on the Government of Canada website, the TMX pipeline is set to triple the carrying capacity by twinning the existing oil pipeline, which originates from the Alberta tar sands. Bodine mentioned this expansion will increase tanker traffic in Burrard Inlet by seven times. The Rainforest Conservation Foundation reported this will have grave repercussions for marine and natural environments due to heightened risk of oil spills.
Bodine pointed out this expansion is not fulfilling the Trudeau government’s 2018 claims in approving the expansion, where the Liberal government stated the project would help against climate change. “That has been exposed as a complete lie given the project did not create one penny to go towards so-called climate mitigation or climate action in Canada,” she said.
According to her, this public money could have been used for other public concerns. “People in Canada need money for real social justice, but that’s not only thinking about Canada divesting from oil and gas extraction projects. That’s also money for housing and health care and education, which I think is very critical at this time [ . . . ] so the money that’s going into building this disastrous pipeline is a losing proposition. And it’s really a complete waste.”
PBO officer Yves Giroux said in an interview with CBC News that the report “does not take into consideration the broader benefits to the country.”
Adrienne Vaupshas, press secretary for the finance minister, told CBC News, “The Trans Mountain expansion project is in the national interest and will make Canada and the Canadian economy more sovereign and more resilient.”
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers believes the pipeline is now more needed than ever because of the global energy crisis which has been worsened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Bodine explained the TMX expansion encapsulates and runs through the city of Burnaby. This poses both “human and environmental disaster and a great risk, especially to the 40,000 plus students that live up on Burnaby Mountain,” according to Bodine.
Bodine called upon people to join the opposition and hold the government accountable. She commented, “We believe fully that this pipeline will be stopped. There is strong opposition from regular people across the Lower Mainland [ . . . ] And I just want to share that sense of hope with people, because I think a lot of this can seem really impossible, but change is possible. It is possible to stop these projects.” According to Research Co., a Vancouver-based polling firm, 55% of British Columbians are disappointed with the management of the project and 47% of people believe the pipeline poses health and safety concerns.
She elaborated there are multiple opportunities to stand up for this cause. Climate Convergence and other climate justice organizing are great places to get involved in this “fight for our Mother Earth.”
You can find more information on campaigns and initiatives of Climate Convergence BC on their website.
