A group of Indigenous leaders from British Columbia has traveled to Calgary with a clear message for pipeline executives: avoid investing in a new bitumen pipeline to the northwest coast or face potential legal battles. Haida Nation President Jason Alsop, also known as Gaagwiis, emphasized the importance of protecting the ocean and food security it sustains, warning that crude tankers in northern B.C. waters could jeopardize these resources. The delegation highlighted the past successful opposition to Enbridge Inc.’s Northern Gateway project a decade ago and expressed readiness to mobilize against any similar ventures.
Meetings were held in downtown Calgary between the Indigenous delegation and senior figures from Pembina Pipeline Corp. and Trans Mountain Corp. While Pembina Pipeline is predominantly involved in natural gas transportation and has not shown interest in a new bitumen pipeline, Trans Mountain, a government-owned entity, operates an existing pipeline linking Alberta’s crude oil to the Vancouver region. The delegation extended invitations to other oil and gas companies, stressing the risks associated with supporting a B.C. oil pipeline.
The Alberta government intends to present a proposal for a B.C. pipeline to the federal major projects office in the upcoming months, seeking to attract private-sector investment. The proposed pipeline, part of a broader energy agreement between the Alberta and federal governments, would require legislative changes to permit an oil tanker port on the northern B.C. coast. While the Alberta government favors Prince Rupert as the pipeline’s termination point, alternative routes to Vancouver are also being considered to minimize environmental challenges.
Hereditary Chief Darin Swanson of the Haida Nation, also known as Ginaawaan, reiterated the community’s unwavering stance against a bitumen pipeline and associated tanker port, emphasizing the unique ecological values of their coastal lands that they are determined to protect. The Indigenous leaders’ firm opposition underscores the ongoing debate surrounding energy infrastructure development in the region.
