American energy company Kinder Morgan is planning a large expansion of its Trans Mountain Pipeline, and the Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) has signed off against it in a letter to the federal government.
CCSS external executive Rachael Grant says she is disappointed by the federal government’s decision to approve the pipeline expansion and was hoping that the Trudeau government would be committed to clean energy sources.
“The pipeline is an incredibly disappointing decision,” says Grant. “Mostly because it goes against what was promised to the citizens of Canada. It is of great detriment to the people of BC and negatively impacts everyone. Using cleaner sources of energy was a commitment made by our federal government, and a new pipeline project is not in the best interest of future generations. This is certainly not a decision that was made with future generations in mind.”
The letter to the government was drafted by a coalition of student groups from across BC. It has been signed by 14 student societies, representing 220,000 post-secondary students.
“As student unions we represent the future workers and future citizens of the province, who have a strong interest in seeing both a world that is healthy and continues to provide for us as well as a British Columbia that is clean and a place that we want to continue living in,” says Kwantlen Student Association president Alex McGowan. “Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion seriously jeopardizes a vision that we have for a prosperous and healthy British Columbia.”
McGowan feels that Trudeau’s federal government isn’t honouring its promises for national energy policies made during the election campaign.
“I think it is disappointing that Justin Trudeau definitely got elected with the support of young people and, yes, he is clearly ignoring the interest of young people in making this decision,” says McGowan. “British Columbia as a province is often ignored, and here in particular the federal government is showing that they are willing to ignore British Columbia’s wishes in approving this pipeline, since an overwhelming majority of British Columbians are opposed to further pipeline expansion.”