Alberta governments have not required the petroleum industry (Syncrude,Suncor, Husky, Shell, Chevron, Esso) to build refineries, letting Big Oil call the shots.
In Alberta, they recently completed the construction of a refinery in Redwater, first one in 25 years. We need to require Big Oil to build our infrastructure here in B.C. where it's exported. Publisher David Black had the investors to build a refinery at Onion Lake near Kitimat. Presently, he is gathering support to build a new refinery in the Lower Mainland. The only refinery is Chevron in Burnaby and it's presently on life support.Chevron is on a six-month shutdown trying to get a few more years out of their refinery.
As for our refineryhere owned by Husky, it's long overdue now to hear from them about plans to demo and build one of their new state-of-the-art refineries. Husky has deep pockets as they showed in Lloydminister, spending billions upgrading their refineries there.
Responding to the protesters down south, the main concern they should have is, when is Kinder Morgan going to replace the decades-old pipeline that could well rupture again, sending millions of litres of crude straight to their storm sewers, then out into Burrard Inlet? At the very least a new pipe should replace the old pipe. Kinder Morgan will also do nothing unless directed to do so.
The new Eagle Spirit pipeline has all First Nations signed on and their future is looking bright with prosperity linked to this pipeline getting built and operating.
This project will help bring the native peoples out of poverty and it's about time.
Miles Thomas
Prince George
