Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May and Burnaby-South NDP MP Kennedy Stewart may be facing criminal contempt of court charges following an appearance at B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Monday.

The pair with nearly two dozen others on March 23 for violating a court injunction that required them to stay five metres from Kinder Morgan91裸聊视频檚 two terminal sites on Burnaby Mountain where crews were working on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Work on Sunday, when Kinder Morgan officials said they were halting all 91裸聊视频渘on-essential91裸聊视频� construction, citing the B.C. government91裸聊视频檚 opposition to the project.

91裸聊视频淎s a matter of law, the conduct alleged is criminal contempt,91裸聊视频� Justice Kenneth Affleck told lawyer Trevor Shaw, who was representing the attorney general of B.C., in regards to the 25 people awaiting charges on Monday.

91裸聊视频淭hese are matters of public importance in which the attorney general ought to intervene and take over. They ought not to be left in the hands of Trans Mountain.91裸聊视频�

Kinder Morgan91裸聊视频檚 legal counsel Maureen Killoran told Affleck the company had filed civil charges in an attempt to bring the case to the court91裸聊视频檚 attention, but was happy to have them converted to criminal ones.

91裸聊视频淭his is not a dispute between the respondents and Trans Mountain, it is a dispute between the court and the respondents,91裸聊视频� Killoran said.

Addressing the gallery, Affleck made it clear that his forthcoming judgment was not a 91裸聊视频渕oral91裸聊视频� judgment on Trans Mountain.

91裸聊视频淭hese trials are limited to the issue if there has been criminal contempt of court; has there been public defiance of an order of this court?91裸聊视频� Affleck said.

91裸聊视频淭his trial is not about whether the work done by Trans Mountain or Kinder Morgan is lawful or environmentally wise.91裸聊视频�

The judge recommended a one-week break, with a response from the attorney general expended next Monday morning.

All 25 accused were free to go but are to be taken into custody if they contravene the conditions of their release, including any illegal activity or future protests.

If it were to go ahead, the twinned pipeline would transport oilsands crude from central Alberta to the terminals in Burnaby and triple the pipeline91裸聊视频檚 capacity to 890,000 barrels a day.

Protest continue outside of court

Speaking after her court date, May said Kinder Morgan91裸聊视频檚 decision to halt work was simply 91裸聊视频減olitical maneuvering.91裸聊视频�

She said that the 91裸聊视频渁rtificial deadline91裸聊视频� of May 31 was intended to increase pressure on the B.C. government.

91裸聊视频淲e have a strong case that this project is not in the national interest,91裸聊视频� May said.

91裸聊视频淭he Kinder Morgan project is one91裸聊视频� to ship a product for which there isn91裸聊视频檛 a market.91裸聊视频�

May spoke in favour of building more refineries in Alberta in order to refine their bitumen instead of shipping raw product out west.

Asked if May had spoken to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley about her proposal, May said that they had one short talk but that she91裸聊视频檇 been unable to secure a full meeting.

Errol Povah was one of the 25 people arrested on March 23. He stayed outside the courtroom, he said, because his order to appear is only for June 6.

91裸聊视频淚 am just out here today supporting those arrestees who are inside,91裸聊视频� the Surrey resident said.

Povah believes the pipeline expansion is bad for B.C. because of 91裸聊视频渢he climate change issue, the risk to B.C. of a pipeline leak or a tanker collision or grounding.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 concerned about the marine environment, most notably the orcas,91裸聊视频� Povah said.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e got 76 resident orcas remaining, and they should not be put at risk.91裸聊视频�

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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