An advocacy group formed a month ago to show support for the $7.4 billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion laid a foundation in Langley Saturday.
The group hosted a pro-resource rally in Milner, one of five events around B.C. and the only one in the Lower Mainland.
“We need to join other voices that are out there, standing up, defending the resource sector in Canada,”said Rick Peterson, and Edmonton-based investment banker and the group founder.
The Jansen family of Milner hosted the event Saturday that brought out about 75 people.
“I am so excited about how many people came out to support the resource sector,” Tamara Jansen said.
She advocated for adding refining capacity here in Canada. The pipeline stretching from Alberta to the West Coast would ship unrefined oil offshore.
She wants the public to let the NDP know to “stop holding Canada hostage” over the Kinder Morgan pipeline.
“We need to push back against the slander of the radical left that claims moral superiority while leaving truckloads of garbage at their protest sites for us to clean up,” Jansen said.
Cheam First Nations chief Ernie Crey was one of the guest speakers and noted that he finds many of the protesters to be from a certain sector of society.
“I realized a lot of these people come from pasta and latté row on Commercial Drive in Vancouver,” he said.
The media coverage mostly shown the protesters and anti-pipeline position because they mobilized, he said.
“Now it’s our turn,” Crey said.
The Cheam spent more than a year in negotiating with Kinder Morgan and is one of about 44 First Nations along the pipeline route that has an agreement.
“I’m not the only chief in B.C. and Albert that will stand up,” Crey said.
About 123 First Nations are located along the pipeline route. Crey said most of them are in favour of the proposed line.
He said the pipeline is vital for the economic viability and future of the Cheam.
“Guess what? We’re going to be involved in the construction of this pipeline. More than that, as it’s being built and after we’re going to be involved.”
He said his community would gladly invest in the pipeline.
Chilliwack-Kent Liberal MLA Laurie Throness spoke about how contradictory the NDP government is in B.C. He chastised Premier John Horgan.
“On one hand, he’s fine with oil by train but on the other hand, he opposes rail by pipeline,” Throness said.
The pipeline would be responsible economic development.
“Mr. Horgan is putting the interests of his coalition with the radical Greens ahead of his interest in hardworking British Columbians,” Throness commented.
Surrey-Panorama MLA Marvin Hunt, another Liberal, said what is doing on right now is the theatre of the absurd.
He pointed to protests against tankers on the West Coast but U.S. tankers travel through B.C. waters from Alaska to the Lower 48.
“We’re for the pipeline, we’re for petroleum… it’s brought great prosperity for this country,” he commented.
Justin Greenwood, the interim leader of the interim leader of the B.C. Conservative Party, noted that this province has increasing energy needs, such as with electric cars. “Where’s this power going to come from,” he asked.
The rally was five days before the May 31 deadline set out by Kinder Morgan to decide whether it proceeds with the proposed TransMountain pipeline in the face of B.C. government opposition and other issues.
According to the Suits and Boots website, other events were slated for Smithers/Telkwa, Kitimat, Fort St. John and Fort Nelson.
Peterson vows Suits and Boots will continue to advocate for the resource sector.
