Fort St. John mayor claims 'silent majority' in Lower Mainland support Trans Mountain

The mayor of Fort St. John claims "a huge silent majority" of people in the Lower Mainland support the expansion of Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline, but are too intimidated to say so.

Lori Ackerman took out a full-page advertisement in the Wednesday edition of the Vancouver Sun newspaper extolling the virtues of pipelines to readers in the Lower Mainland.

"With the feedback I've been getting, I think there is a huge silent majority out there in the Lower Mainland that are, quite frankly, almost afraid to speak," she told Radio West guest host Josh Pag.

"They don't want to be bullied. They will speak to their family and friends but that's pretty much about it."

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A March poll disagrees with Ackerman's assertion, at least on a provincial level, finding 57 percent of British Columbiansopposed Trans Mountain.

But Ackerman says people opposed to the project have a "fear of the unknown" and don't know there is already shipping in Burrard Inlet that has been largely accident free.

She says anyone opposed to oil and gas development should reduce their own carbon footprint first. "It's very simple: supply and demand."

She says pipeline proponents need to feel free to speak up and share their message, and for her part, that's exactly what she intends to do.

With files from CBC Radio One's Radio West

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