To the editor:

Our federal government is paying $4.5 billion for the 70-year-old Trans Mountain Pipeline (valued in 2007 at ~$650 million) and has committed an additional $10 billion for its expansion.

Goal No. 1 - ship unrefined bitumen to the US and offshore countries for refining.

Goal No. 2 - export well-paying job opportunities from Western Canada to the US and offshore countries.

Does Canada have an inferiority complex? We can91裸聊视频檛 refine our own resources while others are happy to do it for us?

Building bitumen refineries to meet tougher environmental standards will require a lot of high quality steel, brass and aluminium alloys91裸聊视频攁nd lots of brain power. Canada has an abundance of all these crucial ingredients. Let91裸聊视频檚 put this to good use. Given recent US tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium maybe we should look to another market91裸聊视频攃alled Canada.

Let91裸聊视频檚 invest in Canada91裸聊视频檚 oil sector refining technology.

Let91裸聊视频檚 invest in our high end technical capabilities and training. Let91裸聊视频檚 build Canadian manufacturing capacity. We do that in other sectors such as ship building and aircraft manufacturing. Why not the oil sector? Constructing and running these refineries will create more immediate and long term job opportunities than expanding capabilities to export bitumen.

Let91裸聊视频檚 consider the many other side benefits. We reduce the environmental hazard, cost and pollution of shipping toxic, unrefined bitumen from Alberta. We refine bitumen in Canadian regulated, 91裸聊视频渟tate of the art91裸聊视频� refineries. Will offshore refineries meet that high standard? We assert ourselves and remind other countries that we operate in the best interests of Canadians, not those that seek to exploit us. We91裸聊视频檙e past that.

Steve Burke

West Kelowna