The extension of Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline to Vancouver's harbor has been indefinitely suspended pending a review of other transportation options.

This pits the local provincial government in Vancouver against the federal government in Ottawa, which has up to now championed the approximately 890-km pipeline from a small community near Edmonton to Vancouver. Kinder Morgan hopes to triple its bitumen-carrying capacity to 890,000 barrels a day

British Columbia's environmental minister declared “our government made it clear that a seven-fold increase in heavy oil tankers in the Vancouver harbour is not in B.C.’s best interests."

Indeed, the new government of British Columbia has announced that it stands firmly against the extension of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain oil pipeline and will seek ways to block its construction despite a green light from the federal government, Canadian media report.

In addition, the Indian tribe First Nations as well as environmentalist groups are opposing the construction of a new oil pipeline.

Thomas Berger, legal counsel to the New Democratic Party (NDP) issued an ominous warning to Kinder Morgan: "Even if the courts fail to stop this pipeline, the citizens of British Columbia are preparing to do what it takes."