Anyone unsure if their property is located on Kinder Morgan’s proposed pipeline route can check out Kennedy Stewart’s personal website to find out.
The NDP MP for Burnaby South has launched a new online tool that asks visitors for their postal codes and in return, the site shows them whether they’re on the pipeline route or in a marine spill zone.
“This whole process is designed from a top down view,” said Stewart, who’s been a longtime pipeline opponent. “We designed this the other way. If you’re an individual person looking up at this big project, what would you need? And we tried to anticipate what people would need and not overwhelm them at the same time.”
One of the objectives is to let property owners know they have 30 days to file a statement of opposition, he added.
Stewart said one property owner from Langley, who had no idea about the project, accessed his site and found out he was on the route.
“They have spent years spent rezoning this property to make it into a condo development. They had the contractors they had the developers, they had everybody on board.
“They said, ‘Oh my god, this goes through the middle of our complex, and we’ve got to send in our letters to object and explain this,’” said Stewart.
The MP’s website also has a few links, including to a landowners’ rights guide, Kinder Morgan’s aerial maps and a spill zone map. There’s also a petition available for download (for every 25 signatures Stewart receives, he’s allowed to make a one-minute speech in Parliament).
The initiative has caught the attention of the National Energy Board, noted Stewart, who said has contacted his office.
“They’re a little surprised by this and interested in what our plans are,” he said. “It’s being noticed and that’s what we wanted.”
To learn more, visit www.kennedystewart.ca.
