By James Peters

Activist can’t get Kamloops council to bite on anti-Trans Mountain motion

Apr 24, 2018 | 4:37 PM

KAMLOOPS — An effort to have Kamloops council formally denounce the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion was rebuffed this afternoon.

Former Kamloops mayoral candidate Mike McKenzie led a small group of anti-pipeline activists in calling for a councillor to make a motion against the project.

“My aunties, my elder and my family are with me today to stand with me. We need to ask for a motion for one of you – any of you – to oppose the Kinder Morgan pipeline formally,” requested McKenzie.

No motion was forthcoming.

The City of Kamloops has signed a Mutual Benefit Agreement (MBA) with Kinder Morgan, and when McKenzie asked for details of that agreement, none were immediately available.

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McKenzie’s questions came after a presentation by Tourism Kamloops, and he juxtaposed the tourism sector with economic impact promised by the pipeline.

“Tourism BC… it’s a huge industry because the Secwepemc people took care of this region for 10,000 years or more. When the colony first came through the Rocky Mountains, it was the Secwepemc people who helped people coexist in this land. We’ve now seen the numbers; why do you need a benefit agreement from Kinder Morgan?”

This is not the first terse exchange between McKenzie and the man who defeated him in last November’s byelection, Mayor Ken Christian.

In December, McKenzie accused Christian of having a short temper after having been asked to leave city hall earlier in the day.