By The Canadian Press

Transit, housing, opioid crisis on agenda as Trudeau meets with Vancouver mayor

Aug 1, 2017 | 2:22 PM

VANCOUVER — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’s looking forward to working with Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson on expanding transit infrastructure, improving housing affordability and tackling the deadly opioid crisis.

But Trudeau declined to say whether the two planned to broach the sensitive topic of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion ahead of a meeting today.

Trudeau’s government approved Kinder Morgan’s $7.4-billion proposal last November despite Robertson’s stalwart opposition to the project, which would result in a seven-fold increase in tanker traffic in the waters off Vancouver.

Robertson and Trudeau have had a friendly rapport, but the mayor has said he was “profoundly disappointed” by the federal government’s decision, calling it a “big step backwards” for Canada’s environment and economy.

Trudeau was in the B.C. Interior on Monday to survey the damage caused by wildfires, where almost 50,000 people were from their homes at the peak of the crisis.

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: The NDP's mishandling of drug use in B.C. hospitals

3h ago

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Who would survive if we had a recall law for City councils?

13h ago

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Strengthening our wildfire training

Apr 17, 2024

The prime minister also spoke at a $1,000-a-plate Liberal fundraising dinner in Surrey on Monday, where he urged the crowd of about 250 people to donate to the Canadian Red Cross to help those displaced by wildfires.

The Canadian Press