Pipeline too close to home for co-op

Lil Cameron, the president of the Halston Hills Housing Co-op, checks out markings on a retaining wall along Government Street left by an unmarked survey crew last week. Residents of the co-op are concerned the markings are an indication Kinder Morgan's proposed pipeline expansion could infringe upon their homes. The company's existing pipeline runs just across the street.

image credit: MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER

Lil Cameron had the feeling something was up when she saw surveyors out on Government Street on Wednesday.

That was followed on Thursday morning in the same area by a crew using unmarked vehicles. They were spray painting orange blotches every few feet on the ivy covering the concrete retaining wall that borders the Halston Hills Housing Co-operative where she lives.

Cameron approached City of Burnaby workers who were working on a fire hydrant nearby and asked what was going on at the wall. They said, Its not us, its Kinder Morgan.

The housing co-op is off Government between Horne Street and Halston Court. The spray-painted blotches have its residents concerned their homes could be affected by Kinder Morgans proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline.

We knew that we would potentially be in the right-of-way area but no, we didnt know that we were going to actually have it going through our property, said Cameron.

Essentially, if the project involves the co-ops retaining wall it would affect their homes, Cameron said.

Its not a fence, its a retaining wall. Its holding all our property, right. Theres units behind there, the right-of-way is 20 feet, theres no way it can go there Unless they put it in the middle of Government.

The existing Trans Mountain pipeline is currently buried across Government Street from their homes, she said, noting the co-op has intervenor status in the National Energy Board hearings on the project.

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Pipeline too close to home for co-op