'Whatever it takes to stop them:' Tsleil-Waututh hold water ceremony in opposition to Kinder Morgan

First Nation harvests clams for first time in 30 years from Burrard Inlet, fears for waters if expansion built

Image | Burrar Inlet water ceremoney Water is Life Banner

Caption: First Nations, environmentalists, politicians and residents took part in a water ceremony along Burrard Inlet across from Kinder Morgan's Westridge Marine Terminal on Sunday, May 14, 2017. (CBC)

Members of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation along with First Nations from across Western Canada and the U.S were joined by environmentalists and politicians on Sunday to bless the waters of Burrard Inlet and recommit themselves to stopping Kinder Morgan's approved expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline.
"Everything we got out of the water is good," said Rueben George with the Tseil-Waututh. "What Kinder Morgan is doing over there is not good."
Kinder Morgan has received federal approval and the blessing of the provincial government to proceed with the expansion of its pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby.
The company needs to meet 37 provincial conditions and 157 conditions from the National Energy Board.
If built, the $7.4-billion, 1,150-kilometre twinned pipeline(external link) will nearly triple the capacity of the existing pipeline to 890,000 barrels a day.

'Unacceptable'

Image | Tsleil-Waututh Nation Rueben George

Caption: Tsleil-Waututh Nation member Rueben George is worried Kinder Morgan's expansion will damage the ecology of the waters of Burrard Inlet. He says, after 30 years, his nation has been able to begin harvesting clams again after clean-up efforts. (CBC)

Bless the waters

Image | Tsleil-Waututh Nation water blessing 14 May 2017 Burrard Inlet

Caption: Members of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation take part in a water blessing ceremony, aimed to help protect Burrard Inlet. (CBC)

United against the project

Image | Tsleil-Waututh Nation water ceremony paddlers

Caption: Paddlers head down to boats to paddle across the Burrard Inlet to Kinder Morgan's Westridge Terminal. (CBC)

20 year government revenue: $46.7 billion

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Elected to oppose

Image | Janet Routledge MLA Burnaby North Burrard Inlet water ceremony

Caption: 'Stopping the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion has been a central issue ... for the people of Burnaby North,' says the NDP's newly elected Burnaby North MLA Janet Routledge. "People resoundingly said we want to stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion." (CBC)

Paddle on

Image | Tsleil-Waututh Nation Water Ceremony paddlers in boat

Caption: The Tsleil-Waututh Nation along with two other first nations have asked the courts to overturn the federal cabinet's decision to approve the project. 'We'll do whatever it takes to stop them,' says Rueben George. (CBC)

Construction of the Trans Mountain expansion is scheduled to begin in September, with an expected completion date of late 2019.
Kinder Morgan says during construction, the equivalent of 15,000 people will be working on the pipeline expansion, while the project will also create the equivalent of 37,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs per year during operations.