Pollster Angus Reid came out with the results of its latest survey completed in the wake of Tuesday’s re-approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.
What the poll shows is a continuation of what a series of polls have said in recent months – a solid majority of Canadians support the project.
But should that support mean something to people living in Burnaby, especially those living in North Burnaby near where the current pipeline terminates?
Or should it mean jack squat.
It’s an interesting question for Burnaby residents because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says TMX is in the “national interest” and a pretty solid majority of Canadians clearly support the pipeline.
In a way, if Burnaby is against the project being built and terminating in its backyard then, technically, our city and locals who are against TMX are some of the biggest NIMBYs in all of Canada – unless you want to classify B.C. as a collective NIMBY for its opposition.
Angus Reid, in a news release, said it found that a “majority of Canadians (56%) side with the government in its decision to approve the pipeline twinning. Indeed, support outpaces dissent by a ratio of more than two-to-one nationally (56% to 24%) … In British Columbia, support for the pipeline twinning has outpaced opposition over the past 18 months, and that trend continues. Notably, however, while support is unchanged from the beginning of 2019, opposition has risen six percentage points, and ten points since last June. Four-in-ten B.C. residents now oppose the TMX (38%).”
The primary concerns for Canadians, both those who support and oppose the TMX, are the possibility of a tanker spill due to increased traffic in the Burrard inlet (68% choose this) and the increased burning of fossil fuels from pipeline expansion (66%).
It’s that last paragraph that has me leaning towards Burnaby TMX opponents – such as BROKE (Burnaby Residents Opposing KinderMorgan Expansion) – not giving a damn what the rest of the country thinks.
Tanker spills, as well as pipeline spills or an explosion at the tank farm, are right in our backyard. So although it would be nice for Burnaby to take one for the team for the sake of the “national interest,” local residents and the city have to do what they think is right for our community when it comes to safety.
Now, that statement is not an opinion about if the project should or should not proceed. I’m just saying that while a lot of people have said Burnaby should be influenced by the level of support across Canada, I’m all for the city and its residents pushing back against that national pressure.
I’m normally against NIMBYs, but there’s something to like about this one.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
