Who will pay for the policing costs on Burnaby Mountain? That's the million-dollar question, and Mayor Derek Corrigan is already calling on Kinder Morgan to help pick up the tab.
The City of Burnaby will likely be stuck with some costs, while the provincial government normally covers the regional policing resources.
However, Corrigan is going to argue Kinder Morgan should also be on the hook.
"We will be following up, and we will be telling the National Energy Board that we consider Kinder Morgan responsible," Corrigan told the NOW.
When asked if that meant the city was going to have Kinder Morgan pay, Corrigan replied: "We're going to try."
Burnaby RCMP have said it's too early to estimate how much policing costs will be for the around-the-clock presence they've maintained on the mountain so Kinder Morgan can finish survey work for a proposed pipeline route. At no time in Corrigan's political history has there been a policing effort of this scale in Burnaby.
"We've had some intensive investigations but not extended over this kind of time," Corrigan said. "I have no idea (how much it will cost) and I don't even have an order of magnitude number yet."
Meanwhile, Corrigan is concerned the City of Burnaby may be stuck with a huge policing bill.
"It's an inordinate expense, and if the (B.C.) Supreme Court would have enforced our bylaws, or if the NEB had respected our bylaws, there would be no protesters on the mountain right now, and we wouldn't have these police resources being spent," Corrigan said.
Staff Sgt. Major John Buis of the Burnaby RCMP told the NOW police officers cost roughly $100 per hour, although he wouldn't say how many were on the mountain.
The court-ordered injunction kicked in on Monday, Nov. 17, and while police maintained a presence on the mountain leading up to and after the enforcement deadline, it wasn't until Thursday, Nov. 20, when they actually moved in in larger numbers, set up yellow tape and started arresting people who crossed the line.
Buis told the NOW there were several police units on the mountain, including the Lower Mainland Integrated Tactical Troupe, aboriginal policing from E-division, the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team, a team of negotiators and the Integrated Forensic Identification Team. Police continue to maintain a 24-hour presence in the conservation area.
Corrigan did not know when the final numbers on policing costs would be available, and when they are, he may not be able to release them, as there will be ongoing negotiations about who will pay. Corrigan said some of the regional police resources (like IHIT, for example) are typically covered by the province, so it's likely the City of Burnaby will not be stuck with 100 per cent of the final costs.
