That’s because Canadians in general were the biggest losers when the Federal Court of Appeal decided to nullify permits for the expansion of the existing pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lost jobs in construction mean suffering for familes and fewer long-term jobs in oilpatch production, fewer taxes paid to government, lower export revenues for oil companies, and ultimately higher taxes to pay for the services that would have been funded by safe and successful economic growth. And that is just for starters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While many hope that a quick remedy will be found allowing the project to resume, the decision likely postpones many of the increased safety measures that come with the project’s higher levels of marine traffic, an important quid pro quo in the making of a project package that could be palatable to the majority of Canadians who now support it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also places on hold the aspirations of the many First Nations who are supportive of the project. Recently, we interviewed the chief of one of these First Nations, Chief Mike LeBourdais of the Whispering Pines FN near Kamloops:<\/p>\n\n\n\n