Public Meeting Set On Terasen Sale

Tuesday, October 11, 2005 03:59 AM

A public meeting is being organized in Prince George by the Active Voice Coalition to discuss the proposed takeover of British Columbia-based Terasen Gas by Kinder Morgan, the U.S. energy giant, which has indicated that it wants to establish its “footprint” in the energy sector of Canada.

Since Kinder Morgan announced its intentions, many citizens have raised their voices against the selling off of such an important provincial utility to a foreign corporation. Currently, Terasen gas provides the natural gas infrastructure for 850,000 homes and businesses in the province, and until recently was required to have its head office in BC and to have no more than 20% foreign ownership. In 2002, the provincial government paved the way for this takeover by removing both requirements.

Kinder Morgan has indicated that it has a special interest in acquiring Terasen’s pipelines in BC and Alberta, a focus that has raised concerns for local people, including Opinion250's Ben Meisner, who will be speaking at the meeting.

Meisner notes that, with this sale, Terasen Gas in BC will only be a small part of Kinder Morgan’s continental holdings. As a result, “the natural gas infrastructure in BC may be neglected and the price of natural gas for both homes and businesses could rise, especially with Kinder Morgan’s interests in the US market taking priority over that of homes and businesses in the province.”

Vancouver-based journalist and political commentator Murray Dobbin, will also be speaking at the public meeting (scheduled for 7pm, Oct. 27th at CNC), comments that “the selling off of even more Canadian energy infrastructure seriously erodes the country’s sovereignty”, and he calls upon people from all walks of life “to raise their voices against the sale.”

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