A Burnaby resident is calling Kinder Morgan “tasteless” for sending out first-aid kits to residents who live along its pipeline’s right-of-way.
Each year, as part of Trans Mountain’s public awareness program, the company drops off information about pipeline safety and damage prevention. The packages promote the Call Before You Dig program, and often include a small gift.
This year, that small gift was a household first-aid kit.
“I think it’s just bad PR that they did that,” said Elan Gibson, a Hythe Avenue resident, pointing to the fierce opposition in the city.
(Gibson wasn’t one of the ones who received the package, but her neighbours along Dundas Street were.)
“It’s a nice gesture to get a first-aid kit, but, to me and to a lot of the people who are opposed to Kinder Morgan, it felt like, what are we supposed to do with it? It’s not going to save us for any oil spill or anything like that. ... I would love to know if they had the audacity to do this around the terminal as well, like all the Forest Grove people.”
People’s concerns about the pipeline’s safety have been ignored, according to Gibson.
“Kinder Morgan has not given us any sort of real comfort or anything about evacuation,” she said. “(SFU) is to shelter in place (in case of an emergency). What about all those elementary schools? (The first-aid kit) doesn’t combat our concerns. To me, I consider it a joke that they would hand that out.”
In an emailed statement, Trans Mountain said: “Our focus when sending out these packages is providing important safety information to our neighbours. We are in the process of distributing 6,000 packages, including the first-aid kits, and have received positive feedback. If this individual does not wish to receive the kit moving forward, they can let us know.”
The $7.4-billion project could be delayed by months, according to an affidavit from Michael Davies, Kinder Morgan’s vice-president of operations.
At the moment, Kinder Morgan and the City of Burnaby are at an impasse. Kinder Morgan alleges the city is stalling the project by not issuing municipal permits, and has asked the National Energy Board (NEB) to intervene to allow it to continue to work.
The NEB will hold oral hearings in Calgary on Nov. 29 and Dec. 4 to decide the matter.
