Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was at the Canadian Coast Guard base in Victoria Thursday afternoon, talking marine safety and spill prevention during his whirlwind tour of western Canada.

He also used the opportunity to confirm what some British Columbians may not want to hear, that Kinder Morgan鈥檚 Trans Mountain pipeline is going ahead regardless of the ongoing protests both at the company鈥檚 Burnaby terminal or today鈥檚 event in Victoria.

鈥淭his pipeline is in the national interest, and it will be done,鈥� said Trudeau, during a brief question period with reporters.

Protesters outside the gates of the base demanded a stop to the pipeline expansion. They鈥檝e said the pipeline project, approved by the federal government in 2016, was done without consent from Indigenous and local communities.

Opponents have long argued that Canada will not be able to keep its climate change commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in order to meet 2015 international climate treaty obligations, if the project moves ahead.

鈥淎s a government we understand that people have concerns and that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e moving forward both on protecting the environment and building the economy,鈥� Trudeau added.

鈥淲e鈥檙e moving forward with a national price on carbon pollution, we鈥檙e moving forward with getting our resources safely and sustainably to new markets and we鈥檙e moving forward on historic oceans protection that will allow the women and men of the coast guard, and all of its partners around the country to do a better job of preventing marine accidents and responding if ever they occur,鈥� said Trudeau.

Torrance Coste, Wilderness Committee鈥檚 Vancouver Island Campaigner, talks about opposition to Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain expansion, ahead of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 arrival.

鈥� Victoria 亚洲天堂 (@Victoria亚洲天堂)

First Nations groups, the City of Vancouver, the City of Burnaby, the B.C. Government, environmental organizations, politicians, and citizens have all protested the project, both and .

The decision turned into a battle between provinces on Feb. 6, when Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced her government鈥檚 decision to ban imports of B.C. wine after B.C. Premier John Horgan at the end of January.

A fresh wave of protests after a B.C. Supreme Court judge granted Trans Mountain an indefinite injunction against protesters, setting a five-metre minimum distance from two work sites.

Elizabeth May, Federal Green Party leader and MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands, and New Democrat MP Kennedy Stewart while protesting Kinder Morgan鈥檚 Trans Mountain pipeline project.

Victoria MP Murray Rankin recently Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 decision to champion Kinder Morgan鈥檚 project as being in the 鈥渘ational interest鈥�. Bill Nye has Trudeau what his rationale is for approving the Kinder Morgan pipeline.

Bobby Arbess has something to say to about and more.

鈥� Victoria 亚洲天堂 (@Victoria亚洲天堂)

MP for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, Randall Garrison, supports evidence that a 15 percent spill recovery and a spill response time of six hours is unacceptable.

鈥淜inder Morgan should never have been approved,鈥� said Garrison at against the pipeline project. 鈥淭he seven-fold increase in tanker traffic through our waters is not something that we can accept. One spill could destroy traditional food and ceremonial fisheries of four First Nations and tens of thousands of jobs in recreational fishing, tourism, and whale watching that depend on the clean environment.鈥�

The pipeline expansion project also has a large contingent of proponents, who are concerned that the opposition to the project is both hurting business and is an affront to the regulatory process.

to Premier John Horgan distributed by the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association and co-signed by Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, the B.C. Business Council, and the BC Chamber of Commerce, criticized Horgan for letting his personal view affect a federally green-lit project.

The letter cites the 鈥渇our years of consultation and rigorous regulatory review鈥� the pipeline has already undergone, and the 157 federal and 37 provincial conditions the project must already meet.

鈥淔ailing to respect the rule of law and the largely federal jurisdiction over this project is not only deeply unfair to the stakeholders who respected the process, but also represents a fundamental departure from what it means for B.C. to be part of Canada,鈥� the letter stated.

According to the Prime Minister鈥檚 itinerary, Trudeau will continue on to Vancouver for a clean-technology roundtable at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, followed by a $1,000-a-plate Liberal party fundraiser in the evening. On Friday, Trudeau is set to visit the Alberta oil sands.