Gateway not only player

Northern Gateway likely won't be the only party at the table when, or if, it comes time for the oil industry and the province to open negotiations about possible economic benefits of a pipeline across northern B.C.

In order to meet the province's fifth condition for new pipeline projects, Premier Christy Clark announced Thursday that it will be up to industry to shoulder the load. But pipeline companies like Northern Gateway are just part of the equation when determining if B.C. is getting its fair economic share of new energy infrastructure, which could also include oilsands producers, oil customers or shipping companies.

"It's not specific to Enbridge, there are a lot of industry players that would be impacted by this announcement," Northern Gateway spokesman Ivan Giesbrecht said. "I'm very confident we can make a deal."

In order to get to that point, Northern Gateway must first meet the other four conditions beginning with a positive environmental review next month from the National Energy Board. It then must show, in conjunction with other stakeholders, that both the marine and terrestrial spill response plans are in place and the First Nations have been adequately consulted.

"We still have work to do to demonstrate to the province that we can build the safest pipeline possible," Giesbrecht said.

B.C. Chamber of Commerce president and CEO John Winter is hopeful that the talks between Clark and Alberta Premier Alison Redford will lead to pipeline approvals in the future.

"These pipeline projects are just so valuable for B.C.," Winter said. "We hope this framework will spur these significant, job-creating projects towards success."

But pipeline opponents like ForestEthics Advocacy spokesman Ben West are concerned that all the talk about economic benefits are softening the ground for possible approval down the road.

"I think we're seeing something other than what most people in British Columbia would like to see," West said. "Given that the Joint Review Panel is about to send down its decision, I think what most people were hoping for from our Premier is leadership in opposition to the pipeline and instead what we're seeing a pathway to pipelines being approved."

West suggested one possibility the province is preparing for is asking Northern Gateway to go back to the drawing board and to redesign some aspects of its plan, however he doesn't think it can be built safely.

"This company has far from a world-class record and that should be reason enough that their proposal should be taken off the table," he said.