Rights are indivisible.  If they are not extended to all, they are not rights but privileges.

If pipeline companies had historically respected landowner property rights, would their projects be in peril today?

It was many days and millions of dollars late but the British Columbia Supreme Court has upheld -- barely -- Kinder Morgan's property rights as far as the company's right to proceed with its TransMountain expansion is concerned.

But will the Court's ruling be enforced in the face of what appears to be unprecedented activist opposition on the ground?  That remains to be seen.

We can't help but wonder where this and all pipeline projects would be in Canada if KinderMorgan and the industry had historically respected property rights instead of all too often profiting from their suspension.

Rights are indivisible.  If they are not extended to all, they are not rights but privileges.

Like with free speech -- it's something we must grant to our enemies if we want to enjoy it ourselves.

If energy transport companies had respected the property rights of landowners their right to their own property would be much safer today.

Today pipeline companies and their investors do not enjoy property rights protections.  Even if their projects are "approved" they are routinely subject to dozens if not hundreds of conditions.  If you don't control your property you don't really own it, do you?