A group of Indigenous leaders from British Columbia have visited Calgary to deliver a direct message to pipeline executives: avoid investing in a new bitumen pipeline to the northwest coast or face a prolonged legal battle. Haida Nation President Jason Alsop, also known as Gaagwiis, emphasized the importance of protecting the ocean and its food resources, stating that crude tankers in northern B.C. waters would jeopardize these assets. The delegation, which included Chief councillor Arnold Clifton of the Gitga’at First Nation, highlighted the successful opposition against Enbridge Inc.’s Northern Gateway project a decade ago as a precedent for their unified stance against new oil pipelines.
Meetings were held in Calgary with senior officials from Pembina Pipeline Corp. and Trans Mountain Corp. While Pembina Pipeline primarily focuses on natural gas transportation and is engaged in a liquefied natural gas project in Kitimat, they have not shown interest in a new bitumen pipeline. Trans Mountain, a government-owned entity operating an existing pipeline from Alberta to Vancouver, has been advising the Alberta government on potential new oil pipeline projects but has been concentrating on expanding its current infrastructure.
The delegation extended invitations to other oil and gas companies, emphasizing the risks associated with supporting a B.C. oil pipeline. The Alberta government is working towards proposing a B.C. pipeline to the federal major projects office, aiming to facilitate private-sector investment in the project. The proposed pipeline, part of a larger energy agreement between the Alberta and federal governments, would require legislative changes to allow for an oil tanker port on the northern B.C. coast.
The Alberta government has shown a preference for Prince Rupert as the pipeline endpoint due to its deepwater port and proximity to Asia. However, a southern route to Vancouver is also being considered as a potentially less contentious alternative. Hereditary Chief Darin Swanson of the Haida Nation reiterated the community’s strong opposition to a bitumen pipeline and tanker port, emphasizing the environmental and cultural significance of their coastal lands.
The Indigenous leaders’ visit to Calgary signifies their commitment to safeguarding their territories and resources, echoing their readiness to engage in legal action to protect their interests.
[End of rewritten article]