The Vision Vancouver-controlled council's decision to create neighbourhood councillor liaisons could turn into a battering ram against the approval of a new pipeline.

Green councillor Adriane Carr is the liaison councillor for the West End. And tonight in a town-hall meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. at Gordon Neighbourhood House (1019 Broughton Street), she'll begin by discussing the feds' endorsement of the Kinder Morgan project.

According to a statement from the Vancouver Green party, Carr will seek input on what this means for Vancouver and "what we can do now".

The Trudeau cabinet's decision yesterday will enable the pipeline company to triple bitumen shipments to the Lower Mainland to 890,000 barrels per day. Most of this petroleum will be exported through Burrard Inlet on about 400 oil tankers each year.

"The bulk of the meeting will be an open mic Q&A session allowing people to raise any question or Vancouver issue of concern to them," the Green party noted.

Carr is also the liaison councillor to Point Grey, Killarney, and Strathcona/Downtown Eastside.

Council approved a motion earlier this year by Vision Vancouver's Andrea Reimer to designate members of council as the "go-to" person for local issues in the city's 22 neighbourhoods.

"Frustrated with potholes on your street? Want to know where an upcoming open house is? Interested in starting a block party in your neighbourhood?" Reimer wrote in a commentary on this website in January. "By having a neighbourhood council liaison, you’d have a go-to person for local issues, instead of emailing 11 people on city council and hoping that someone will get back to you."

She didn't mention in January that liaison councillors could also hold forums to rally local opposition to federal decisions.

Meanwhile, environmental organizations are urging their supporters to keep up the fight.

"Clayoquot Sound also taught us what happens when a government tries to force a decision on unwilling communities," the Georgia Strait Alliance said in an emailed statement to its supporters. "This time, the flash point won't be on the isolated west coast of Vancouver Island, but in the middle of Canada's third-largest city. Already, 6,000 people have signed the Coast Protectors pledge to do whatever it takes to stop Kinder Morgan."