The southward view from the top of Nimbus Mountain, through which the pipeline would pass
- If approved along the proposed route, the Northern Gateway pipeline would cover 1,177 km, beginning near Bruderheim, AB (a small community of just over 1,000 residents) and ending in Kitimat, BC (an active industry town with a population of just over 8,000).
- Approximately 18% of the length of the pipeline would be run through mountainous terrain, through both the Rocky and Coastal Mountain ranges. The pipeline would also traverse a total of 773 watercourses.
- At nearly 7,000 ft., Nimbus Mountain falls directly in the path of the proposed route. The solution: drilling a 6.5 km tunnel directly through the mountain. This is the longest such tunnel that has ever been proposed.
- Though the area is much more stable than the Southern mainland region, the coastal environment around Kitimat is seismically-active, making it prone to minor earthquakes.
- Alberta’s environment poses nearly as many challenges as the coast, experiencing frequent landslides due to its shale and clay-rich river valleys.
- Although Bruderheim is the nearest town to the pipeline’s Eastern terminus, its location at Range Road 214 and Township Road 562 mean that it lies 6km east of the county line – an unfortunate technicality which may exclude it from any direct financial benefit from the project through tax revenue.
