Keith McNeill
The proposed twinning of Kinder Morgan's TransMountain pipeline might cause some disruptions but overall will be a benefit to the people and communities of the North Thompson Valley, according to Mayor John Harwood.
"I've been an advocate for Kinder Morgan since day one," he said."If we don't use a pipeline to transport the oil, it would be by rail or by road, which would scare me more more than a pipeline does."
The mayor also pointed out that there is no question that the extra taxes from the upgraded pipeline would make this a stronger community.
The completed project would result in several hundred thousand dollars a year to local schools, hospital and the municipality.
"There's not a lot of new tax base but we have demand for many new things," the mayor observed. "The money has got to come from somewhere."
Kinder Morgan has chosen this area as a base to do construction out of, which should bring direct and indirect employment to many, even if short term.
The influx of people will bring social and logistical problems, Harwood said.
There also will be disruption due to the construction itself.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Nov. 30 that the federal government was approving the Kinder Morgan pipeline twinning project.