The leader of an Indigenous group that hopes to someday own a stake in the Trans Mountain pipeline is encouraged that the Supreme Court of Canada’s rejection of an appeal by the anti-project City of Burnaby inches the expansion closer to construction.
“I have the feeling, at the end of the day, it’s going to clear all the hurdles that remain of a legal nature and so I’m happy at this ruling,” said Cheam First Nation Chief Ernie Crey.
Canada’s top court announced Thursday it has dismissed an application from the City of Burnaby in British Columbia, which had asked it last spring to consider overturning a lower court decision that denied the port city leave to appeal a ruling by the National Energy Board.
That clears a significant hurdle for the pipeline, though it still faces a legal challenge from First Nations groups.
When the federal government agreed in May to buy the pipeline that spans from Alberta to the B.C. coast and related infrastructure for $4.5 billion from Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd., it signalled that it didn’t intend to own it for the long term and would sell it as soon as possible.
Dan Healing – Financial Post – August 23, 2018.