the original windows to flood the room with light.

Working with architect Torin Knorr, Rich, a professional builder, designed and crafted the new interior. The doors of his off-white cabinets are a combination of wood and glass, allowing Linda to display her colorful collection of Bauer and Fiesta dinnerware.

The Peterses selected concrete counters, a farmhouse-style sink, and a long center island with a butcher-block surface and deep overhangs on three sides.

"The idea is that people can sit anywhere along the island, including at both ends," Linda says. "It's great for two-person cooking, prep work, and for entertaining."

While pewter hardware and a bead board-trimmed island and backsplash lend Old World charm, the kitchen has carefully conceived accessories, including a pull-out pantry, a divided drawer for cutting boards, recycle bins, deeptwin-pipeline system to the Pacific coast, carrying Canadian crude for export to California and, more importantly, Asia.

The project is among the highest-profile targets for environmental and first nations critics, many of whom see Gateway as a threat to their culture and to the livelihood of Northern B.C., as well as to the salmon and sea life that would be endangered should one of the pipes or tankers spill. And its profile has risen even higher in recent weeks, as problems with TransCanada Corp.’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline bring even greater attention to a West Coast alternative.

For Enbridge, that June meeting came at something of a corporate crossroads. After years of preparation, Gateway was preparing to enter a new stage, with hearings set to start in the New Year.