The rise of Lee Brain and oil pipeline critics as mayors in B.C. -- Vancouver Observer - Jenny Uechi - Nov 18th, 2014 [INCLUDES VIDEOS] (20:29 min) (4:53 min) Another What the...? moment for oil companies: the new mayors of B.C.s northern communities arent big fans of the controversial Northern Gateway pipeline project. Lee Brain, who many remember as the oil executives son who delivered a powerful testimony against Enbridge at the Northern Gateway hearings two years ago, just became mayor of Prince Rupert. Its not good news for Enbridge, which was -- until recently -- considering moving its terminal for the Northern Gateway pipeline from Kitimat to Prince Rupert, after Kitimat residents and city council came out against the project. Brain told the Vancouver Observer he remains categorically opposed to the Enbridge Northern Gateway project. Im not in favour of any oil through Prince Rupert. I think even if its by rail -- people in this community are not interested in shipping out bitumen. Ill be absolutely firm in my stance on Enbridge. I dont think (Northern Gateway) is an economically or environmentally sound proposal. I will absolutely be vocal about that, Brain said. Brains stance on Northern Gateway was shared by outgoing Prince Rupert mayor, Jack Mussallem, who said the community wasnt interested in helping Alberta move its oil to Asia. Brain said people began seeking him out to run for mayor after his speech on Northern Gateway. After my Enbridge testimony, people law me as a leader in the town. So I said, You know what? Its time for me to step up. In what Northwest Coast Energy news described as a What the... moment for Enbridge, then-Kitimat councillor Phil Germuth grilled Northern Gateway president John Carruthers in March with hard, technical questions about the companys capability to prevent oil spills. That same councillor has now been elected as Kitimats new mayor. ... In Smithers, incumbent mayor Taylor Bachrach -- who testified to the Joint Review Panel in 2012 that Enbridge Northern Gateway would ruin the salmon economy in Northern B.C. -- kept his seat. Further south, other mayors who have been vocal in their criticism of pipeline projects scored wins in the election. Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan -- whose fiery speeches in opposition of Kinder Morgans Trans Mountain pipeline expansion are now famous -- won a crushing victory for his fifth consecutive term. ...
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 06:31:58 +0000