Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to visit Northern British Columbia to meet with Coastal First Nations before embarking on his journey to China, as confirmed by a government source to CBC News. The undisclosed official mentioned that the discussions during the meeting are expected to encompass various topics, including ongoing major initiatives in the area and the collaboration between the federal government and Indigenous communities to ensure sustainable project development.
Carney is scheduled to depart on Tuesday following a late Monday departure and engage with Coastal First Nations. The government’s primary focus will revolve around shared priorities such as marine conservation, ocean protection, and empowering Indigenous groups to take the lead in these endeavors. Accompanying Carney on the visit will be Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, Housing Minister Gregor Robertson, and B.C. Liberal MP Wade Grant.
Following the meeting with Coastal First Nations, Carney will commence an eight-day voyage, making stops in China, Qatar, and Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum. Situated near Prince Rupert is the proposed Ksi Lisims liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Northern British Columbia, identified by the federal government for streamlined permitting and approval processes. This project, supported by the B.C. government as well, aims to export 12 million tonnes of LNG annually to Asian markets.
Despite the collaboration with the Nisga’a Nation, the LNG facility faces legal opposition from other First Nations groups. Coastal First Nations, comprising nine First Nations in the area, have strongly voiced their disapproval of a potential oil pipeline to the North Coast of British Columbia. While a memorandum of understanding between Ottawa and Alberta outlines a pathway for this prospective pipeline and the removal of an oil tanker ban along B.C.’s North Coast, Coastal First Nations adamantly assert that the pipeline initiative will not come to fruition.
