By Greg Fry

Kamloops Chamber happy with Ottawa’s decision to buy Trans Mountain

May 29, 2018 | 3:19 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Chamber of Commerce is applauding the federal government’s announcement today that it plans to spend $4.5 billion to buy Trans Mountain and all of Kinder Morgan’s Canadian assets.

“I think one thing I’m happy with is ownership versus just simply a cheque, as we have seen happen in some cases,” says President Joshua Knaak. “So, hopefully this turns into a scenario where it’s a worthwhile investment for the Canadian taxpayers and where everybody comes out ahead.”

He says the chamber is also happy the government has followed through on its promise to do whatever necessary to ensure the pipeline is built despite “the obstructionism from a few people in government,” adding the project has a greater possibility now of being built.

“I think there’s no question, Mr. Horgan himself said that he feels more comfortable negotiating with a Crown corporation than with private investors — which is an interesting comment on his part — but even he seems to be happy with the move.”

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Knaak points out the decision follows a reaffirmed chamber policy supporting the need for certainty in resource development made during last week’s BC Chamber of Commerce AGM in Kamloops.

Knaak notes the pipeline would also provide a boost to the economy in Kamloops and help create jobs.

As for the environmental risks involved, he says “there’s very few things that don’t have risk in them.”

“As I said when I was in banking, you can never eliminate risk, you can mitigate it. And I think processes like the process this pipeline has gone through does that — it mitigates risk.”