VANCOUVER - As election day inches closer, some B.C. residents say the Trans Mountain pipeline has been a key issue for them.
Burnaby resident Tiffany Nixon says the expansion project has made her feel uneasy in her own community.
"I have three children and I don't see us being safe living here," Nixon told CTV News.
The expansion project – which ends in the Burnaby North-Seymour riding – will triple the pipeline's capacity and increase oil tanker traffic.
"Our homes are really just a short distance away from that terminal," resident Leslie Durant told CTV News. "We can't sell our home and nor could we morally sell our home and not advise somebody about the danger."
Ahead of polls opening on Oct. 21, Tsleil-Waututh Nation Chief Leah George-Wilson says she hasn't heard strong commitments about the pipeline from some party leaders.
"I haven't heard anything really from the Conservatives or Liberal party," she said. "The dominant and most important issue is stopping the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline."
In 2018, the Liberal government announced its plan to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline and related infrastructure for $4.5 billion.
But UBC political science expert said that purchase won't necessarily translate to votes amongst B.C. residents.
"$4.5 billion might buy you a pipeline but it certainly won't buy you votes in British Columbia," he said.
