Kamloops councillor wants pipeline work stopped during COVID-19

Photo: Brendan Kergin

A sign noting where the Trans Mountain pipeline is.

Coun. Denis Walsh is looking to see local work on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX) shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a press release, Walsh says he's heard construction near and through Kamloops is due to start this month. He has sent a letter to Premier John Horgan, urging the province to suspend pipeline construction during the pandemic.

"The primary objective at this point is to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and minimize its impact on our community," Walsh writes in the release. "This is an unprecedented time in our community and it's not business as usual."

He raises issue with the fact hundreds of transient workers will be moving through communities while the pandemic is ongoing.

"The associated influx of TMX workers represents a direct threat to the health and lives of all Kamloops-area residents," Walsh states in the letter, which he shared with media. "So I therefore am urgently requesting that you order a halt to TMX construction activities under provincial emergency powers associated with the COVID-19 pandemic."

It's also noted in the release that Walsh is invested in two local businesses that have shut the doors.