Trans Mountain pipeline expansion a divisive issue in new B.C. riding

The new riding of Burnaby-North Seymour is both ground zero in the battle between those who are for and against pipelines, and a swing riding with voters who've traditionally fallen on opposite sides of the political spectrum. 

Burnaby Mountain was the scene of protests last year against the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, with over 100 people arrested for violating a court injunction to stay away from the area where Kinder Morgan crews were conducting survey work.

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With new riding boundaries drawn up in 2012, voters on both sides of the Burrard Inlet will now have to decide where they stand on the proposed Kinder Morgan expansion.

The boundary change saw the traditional NDP stronghold of Burnaby North combined with the traditionally Conservative eastern neighbourhoods of North Vancouver.

The proposed Trans Mountain expansion would mean that Kinder Morgan would lay almost 1,000 kilometres of new pipe, and triple its current bitumen-carrying capacity to 890,000 barrels a day.

The application for the expansion is currently being reviewed by the National Energy Board

Green candidate arrested during protests

Lynne Quarmby, the Green Party candidate for Burnaby-North Seymour, was arrested while participating in the protests on Burnaby Mountain last year.

She said Canada should have a government that will stop the pipeline expansion.

"Climate change is here," said Quarmby, who is also a professor and chair of the department of molecular biology and biochemistry at Simon Fraser University.

"This Salish Sea is already so acidic that we are losing planktonic species at a rate that has never been experienced before."

NDP candidate said application is flawed

The NDP candidate Carol Baird Ellan, a former chief judge of the Provincial Court of B.C., said the current form of Kinder Morgan's application before the NEB is flawed.

"It's not currently looking adequately at safety standards. The environmental protection legislation has been completely gutted, and very importantly, we haven't done a proper consultation with First Nations on a nation-to-nation basis," she said.

Ellan said that other concerns are the increase in tanker traffic and the nature of the substance being transported (diluted bitumen).

"We know that the coast guard station has been closed. There's no articulated oil spill response, and the big concern is ruining this beautiful environment."

Liberal wants balance

The Liberal party has focused on changes to the NEB's environmental review process, which has been widely criticized by citizens and experts.

Terry Beech, the Liberal party candidate, said there needs to be a balance between the energy Canada needs and environmental protection.

"The number one conversation on the doorstep is about the economy. The number two issue on the doorstep is the environment, so we need to find a way that we can make those go hand-in-hand with each other," he said.

Conservatives won't condemn projects before review

Conservative candidate Mike Little declined an interview after dozens of requests to his office over the course of two weeks, but emailed the following statement to CBC News:

"Our Party has been clear, projects will only move forward if they are safe for Canadians and safe for our environment. Only our Conservative Party  recognizes that as a country rich in natural resources, tens of thousands of Canadian jobs depend on our thriving energy sector. Unlike the Liberals and the NDP, we will not condemn the projects before the review process has been completed."

To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelled: Trans Mountain could swing one of BC's key battleground ridings