In the early 1950s, exporting the oil discovered in Alberta was still in its nascent stages. The dream was to ship the oil products out of the country \u2014 primarily to the United States \u2014 so that Canada could become a major player in the oil exportation business. It was the discovery of crude oil in Leduc, Alberta, that kick-started the province\u2019s lucrative oil industry, and first inspired the idea of the Trans Mountain Pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 21, 1951, the Trans Mountain Pipeline Company was created by a special act of parliament. Ownership of the company was split between Canadian Bechtel Ltd. and Standard Oil. That same year, after a three-day hearing, the Board of Transport Commissioners approved the pipeline proposal from Trans Mountain. In addition to exporting oil products to the U.S. and Asia, another argument in favour of the pipeline was that it would offer British Columbians cheap and accessible oil. It was also seen as a strategic defence should a war with the Soviet Union ever occur. The approval process did not involve public consultation or an environmental assessment. After being given the official go-ahead, engineers took numerous trips between Edmonton and Vancouver to determine the best route for the pipeline. They finally settled on the Yellowhead Pass route and generally followed existing railway lines and roads. Between February 4, 1952, and October 17, 1953, the Trans Mountain pipeline was constructed, starting in Edmonton and ending in Burnaby. An 8.9-kilometre spur line was also constructed from Sumas, B.C. to Ferndale, Washington (and later Anacortes). Canadian Bechtel Ltd. was responsible for the engineering, design and construction of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On October 17, 1953, the first oil was pumped through the pipeline. The total cost for construction was $93 million. Initial capacity was 150,000 barrels per day. (The current capacity is approximately double that amount.) The pipeline had four pump stations along the 1,150-kilometre route. It wasn\u2019t until January 1, 1956, that an offshore tanker loaded the first shipment bound for the United States. The vessel, Flying A California<\/em> (pictured), loaded 118,000 barrels (worth $350,000 at the time) at the Westridge Terminal. The dock was built in 1953 but had never been used before. (Note from editor – Video below from 1956 gives a taste of what the port was like in those days.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/resourcework2.devstudio.work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/CoV-FlyingACalifornia-1024x589.jpg\")
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