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“I don’t think this pipeline makes sense … so I don’t think the Alberta government can fix that.”

Berman’s comments don’t reflect all British Columbians — polls last fall showed amajority supported the project — but they are a sign of how polarized the debate over Kinder Morgan’s pipeline has become, and how far Alberta still has to go to see the project through.

It also shows how little credit Alberta receives from staunch pipeline opponents for the significant steps it’s taken to address climate change, even from those who know and understand how the plan works.

The Trudeau and Notley governments both insist the Trans Mountain expansion will be built, tripling the amount of Alberta oil that can move to the Pacific coast.

It won’t be done without a fight.

Berman, who helped organize the War in the Woods anti-logging campaign in the early 1990s, wrote on social media this month that “conflict is messy and unpleasant but looking necessary” in reference to Trans Mountain.

“If they break ground, then there is no question that hundreds, if not thousands, will stand up to oppose them,” Berman said when asked about the Tweet.

“Nobody likes conflict. I’ve been to jail and it’s not a pleasant place and I’m not looking forward to going back there. But we’ll do what it takes.”

Such tough talk has escalated in recent weeks with the B.C. government’s proposal to limit the amount of bitumen moving from Alberta into the western province by pipeline or rail.