Calgary/Fraser Valley – This business opinion piece was sent to a number of media outlets by Trans Mountain:
Trans Mountain has been operating across Alberta, British Columbia and Washington state for more than 70 years. The original pipeline was built in 1953 and has been operating safely ever since. Since 2019, we’ve been building the Trans Mountain Expansion Project and are proud to be completing construction in the Fraser Valley as part of this legacy Project for all Canadians
Approximately 70 kilometres of pipeline construction is now complete between Bridal Veil Falls to Abbotsford, as well as the completion of the Sumas Terminal expansion. The Fraser Valley included more than 100 trenchless crossings, and 12 special-project areas requiring modified techniques to accommodate unique land uses or environmental protection.
Thank you for your patience during construction. While pipeline construction is complete, smaller work crews will continue work to finish right-of-way cleanup and reclamation.
Trans Mountain values the relationships it has built with communities along the pipeline corridor over its more than 70-year history. During construction of the Expansion Project, we’ve given back to the region by funding locally important projects, local education and training opportunities investing more than $2.6 million into communities including Chilliwack and Abbotsford.
Trans Mountain also supported the City of Abbotsford with a $400,000 investment for a new water station accessible for local residents outside the municipal service area to obtain water. Located on the east side of Sumas Mountain Road, the station also provides Trans Mountain with access to water to supplement fire protection ponds at its Sumas Terminal.
During construction, Trans Mountain and its general construction contractors, Kiewit Ledcor TMEP Partnership (KLTP), Banister and Michels, aimed to be good neighbours and gave back to the local communities through volunteering and community involvement. In 2021, the Fraser Valley experienced catastrophic flooding that changed the landscape of British Columbia forever. The pipeline was shut down for 21 days, the longest in our history. Trans Mountain and its contractors, in addition to the restart efforts, assisted with transportation, fuel, food and water supplies, providing necessary equipment, and substantial road-clearing and bridge-building efforts to connect communities that were completely cut off due to the flooding and landslides. This was a significant moment in Trans Mountain’s and BC’s history, and we thank our teams and the community for coming together at this difficult time.
Trans Mountain operations staff continue to work and live in the Fraser Valley, and on top of community benefits, Trans Mountain will pay more than $7.3 million annually in local property taxes after the Expansion Project is completed.
While our presence will be smaller with pipeline construction now complete, we look forward to staying good neighbours in the community and maintaining our positive relationship well into the future.
