Latest news with #AdrianDix
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
New power line holds key to B.C.'s ambitions for critical minerals
The B.C. government has committed to building a new transmission line to bring electricity to power-hungry projects, including a string of proposed critical-mineral mines in the province's northwest. There is no budget, no timeline, and the precise route has yet to be confirmed. First Nations along the proposed line have not yet agreed to the project. And, there are no confirmed customers for the North Coast transmission line. The line is key to delivering on Premier David Eby's promise that British Columbia can become the economic engine of Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney and premiers across Canada have pledged a flurry of infrastructure projects to diversify markets away from the United States. But British Columbia faces hurdles, from First Nations' reluctance to embrace fast-tracking projects, to BC Hydro's spotty record of completing such projects on time and on budget. Energy Minister Adrian Dix says shovels will be in the ground the summer of 2026. 'There's no question it can be built and that it will be built,' he said in an interview this week. 'It's a critical aspect of all that work we're doing.' To clear the path, the province passed legislation on Thursday that will exempt the project from the environmental assessment review. B.C. bill fast-tracking infrastructure projects passes as Speaker Raj Chouhan casts deciding vote The new 500 kV transmission line and associated infrastructure will run from Prince George to Terrace, with possible extensions in three directions: to Kitimat, Aiyansh and Prince Rupert. The line is needed, Mr. Dix said, to supply power to proposed critical-mineral mines, liquefied natural gas projects, and an expanded Port of Prince Rupert, which features heavily in the province's ambitions for a Western transportation network that will open up more Canadian trade with Asia. Currently, BC Hydro is negotiating with 14 First Nations to determine the route. The Crown corporation is proposing Indigenous co-ownership and joint environmental studies, in lieu of a full, formal environmental assessment process that can delay construction. 'The intent is to shave off years,' Mr. Dix said. Bill 14, the Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act, and Bill 15, the Infrastructure Projects Act, were the key features of the provincial legislative session that wrapped up on Thursday. Both laws are designed to speed development of infrastructure and resource projects, including mines and energy projects ranging from wind farms to liquefied natural gas. Both bills received intense criticism from First Nations leaders, local governments and business and environmental organizations over concerns that fast-tracking approvals will mean insufficient scrutiny, and could ultimately lead to greater uncertainty and delays. Some First Nations leaders have warned that projects will face lawsuits if their rights and title are undermined. The BC Chamber of Commerce this week decried the province's failure to consult with First Nations before introducing the legislation. 'The consequence is that projects designated as 'provincially significant' now face a heightened risk of legal challenges,' Fiona Famulak, the chamber's president and CEO, wrote to Mr. Eby. Environmentalists, meanwhile, worry that the exceptional powers granted to cabinet to speed up project approvals will expose the province to greater risk of ecological disasters. Opinion: Ottawa should look to B.C.'s fast-track blueprint for big projects 'There are real threats to our ecosystems and communities if mines are listed as 'provincially significant' and bypass environmental assessments. The current regulatory regime in B.C. doesn't do enough to protect our water and lands today,' said Nikki Skuce, co-chair of the BC Mining Law Reform network. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is pushing through similar legislation in the face of opposition from First Nations. Like B.C., the Ontario government wants to fast-track critical-mineral development by creating 'special economic zones' where mines or other projects could be exempt from provincial laws. Mr. Ford said this week he will amend his proposed law to reaffirm Ontario's pre-existing constitutional obligations to consult First Nations. Even before shovels are in the ground, the potential demand for the North Coast transmission line could be under pressure, based on the projects that the B.C. government hopes to secure. Michael Goehring, president and chief executive of the Mining Association of BC, said the 18 proposed critical-mineral mines that are in advanced development in B.C. need access to significant power, or they won't move forward. The province estimates the mines projects in the Northwest alone are worth $30-billion in economic activity – but to land those investments, the province needs to provide somewhere between 400 MW to 700 MW by 2035. That could use up more than half of the power available from the new transmission line, leaving little for developing LNG, port expansion or anything else. B.C. looking to private sector for new clean power projects Mr. Dix said that's something his government is going to have to figure out. 'One of the issues that we're also going to be addressing in the coming months is questions around electricity allocation.' He is looking at the Quebec model, which prioritizes projects of provincial interest. Mr. Goehring argues that mining – especially the critical minerals that Canada has identified as a priority – should come first. 'The North Coast Transmission Line is critical to our province's mining sector and the economy of Northwest B.C.,' he said. 'There are a number of critical-mineral projects in this region like the Turnagain nickel project and Galore Creek, a world class copper-gold project, that could increase Canada's copper production by 35 per cent. Cost-effective transmission and clean electricity are essential to their development.' Before B.C. passed its streamlining law, BC Hydro estimated it will take eight to 10 years to build the North Coast line. But the Crown corporation hasn't had a track record for building major projects on time and on budget. The Site C dam, with a $8.8-billion budget, was completed for $16-billion. The Northwest Transmission Line was completed in 2014. Originally launched with a budget of $404-million, it came in at $736-million, an overrun blamed on challenging terrain and higher-than-expected costs for materials and labour. The Interior to Lower Mainland Transmission Line came into service in 2015, a year behind schedule. The delays were triggered in part because the contractor brought in faulty steel towers from India that twisted, bent and collapsed. BC Hydro said that project came in on budget – but then it ended up paying a $100-million settlement to its contractor after a protracted dispute. At the time that the details of those challenges were coming to light, Mr. Dix was serving on the opposition benches as the NDP's energy critic: 'The tendering process is a fiasco; the project is a disaster,' he said at the time. Mr. Dix insists that BC Hydro will do better this time. 'I think they they've learned from those experiences,' he said, 'and I'm confident BC Hydro will be able to build it.'
Vancouver Sun
11-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Should Vancouver's Burrard Inlet be dredged to make room for fully loaded oil tankers?
B.C.'s energy minister is backing plans to dredge and deepen Vancouver's Burrard Inlet to accommodate fully loaded oil tankers, despite concerns from environmentalists, experts and First Nations. The plan, floated recently by Prime Minister Mark Carney, could result in fewer tankers carrying more oil from the Trans Mountain pipeline to markets abroad. The expanded TMX pipeline has been operating since May 2024 and there have been calls to expand it again to help diversify energy exports away from the United States. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'We certainly have said we are supportive, given that it would meet the environmental requirements and consultation requirements (with First Nations) that you have,' Energy Minister Adrian Dix said in a recent interview. Dix added that it would be a federal project that 'would allow for less traffic at the port and better utilization' because ships could fully load. 'To do that (now), to fully load up would risk you hitting the bottom,' he said. 'You don't want to do that.' The comments are a reversal by the NDP government from 2017 when then-premier John Horgan vowed to use 'every tool in the tool box' to try to stop the expansion of the pipeline. The Supreme Court of Canada shut down the B.C. government's opposition three years later, ruling that the province lacked the constitutional authority to interfere with projects crossing provincial borders, but still First Nations, environmentalists and experts say such an expansion raises concerns. Dredging Burrard Inlet would allow fully loaded Aframax-class tankers to pass under Vancouver's Second Narrows Bridge after filling up at the Westridge Marine Terminal at the water's edge in Burnaby, the end of the 1,180 kilometre-long pipeline that begins near Edmonton. Aframax tankers measure up to 25 metres long and have a draft of up to 16 metres deep, but Trans Mountain says on its website that such tankers generally load to about 80 per cent of capacity to provide clearance in Port of Vancouver. Juan Jose Alava, principal investigator with the Ocean Pollution Research Unit at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of B.C., said any proposal to dredge the area requires careful scrutiny because of its impacts on the ecology on one of 'most beautiful areas, water bodies' in B.C. Alava, who lives near the inlet, said it's very shallow with an average depth of 21 metres and a maximum depth of 66 metres. Dredging could have short-term and long-term impacts on the inlet's ecology, he said. Dredging suspends more solids in the water, increasing its turbidity, he said. Higher turbidity in turn hampers the production of phytoplankton, the base of the food pyramid. This would impact larger animals, fish and mammals like seals and killer whales, he added. 'So you can create a real cascade effect in the ecosystem,' Alava said. Dredging can also impact the ability of salmon to spawn and would release pollutants trapped on the ocean floor, he said. Enda Murphy, assistant professor in the department of civil engineering at the University of B.C., said it is not clear how much material would have to be removed at what cost, without all of the information in front of him. It may not be a huge project compared with the millions of cubic meters per year taken from the nearby Fraser River, he said. He agreed with Alava on several points, including the dangers of digging up pollutants that have accumulated over the decades of industrial use. '(That) can pose risks to adjacent shorelines, particularly communities that have been trying to restore parts of Burrard Inlet like Tslei-Waututh (First) Nation.' Any future dredging of Burrard Inlet to accommodate heavier tankers would also have to consider potential impacts on shore lines through their wakes and on other marine traffic, Murphy said. Any future dredging project would require fairly rigorous studies, but the technology and tools are available, he said. That would be outweighed by the need to engage with the First Nations and other communities around the inlet, which would be 'highly political,' Murphy said. No one from the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation was available for an interview, but Chief Jen Thomas said in a written statement that it has 'not received any formal engagement regarding a proposed dredging of Burrard Inlet to facilitate further oil shipments past our community.' Thomas said Burrard Inlet and the Second Narrows are important cultural, spiritual, historical, economical and ecological sites for the nation. 'A proposal to dig up the seabed, which is culturally a part of us, is a very serious concern,' Thomas said, adding that Tsleil-Waututh First Nation will 'certainly have more to say on this matter' once it receives and has time to review such a proposal. She notes that the Tsleil-Waututh hold inherent and constitutionally protected title and rights to the area. 'The Crown must remember that TWN is an order of government with jurisdiction over these matters as well, and Tsleil-Waututh cautions those who speak as though this project has been pre-approved.' Lucero Gonzalez, conservation and policy campaigner with the Wilderness Committee, said Burrard Inlet and the Salish Sea can't sustain megaprojects like the TMX, if B.C. wants to preserve those ecosystems and endangered species like the Southern Resident orcas that depend on them. 'Doubling down on ecological destruction for a project that was never ecologically or economically viable is a complete political failure,' Gonzales said. Dix stressed that the dredging would be a federal, not a provincial project. 'We just made it clear that we'd have no objection other than it obviously meets all the proper standards.' Carney had first raised the possibility of deepening Burrard Inlet on March 21 as one of several potential projects to develop Canada's natural resources and infrastructure. Dix had signalled his government's support on previous occasions, including on April 17 during question period, when Opposition Conservative Gavin Dew asked if he was working with authorities to speed up a second expansion of Trans Mountain pipeline and the dredging of the Burrard Inlet. 'It's my view that given that public investment, that private investment and the importance of energy issues, we should use what we've built (the pipeline) to the fullest possible extent,' Dix said. 'We built it. We paid for it. We should use it.' Dew said in an interview he supports dredging up Burrard Inlet, adding that it 'obviously needs to be done in a responsible and compliant' way. 'But it's just common commercial sense that we shouldn't be underutilizing tankers,' he said. 'Then, the pipeline was common sense when the NDP were dead set against it for years.' The B.C. Greens interim leader Jeremy Valeriote expressed surprise that the issue has surfaced in 'the absence of an actual proposal or further details' from government. Valeriote said in a statement that he expects to see a full environmental assessment, meaningful engagement with the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation and a 'transparent explanation of the rationale and potential impacts' if dredging up Burrard Inlet. 'It's not the kind of decision that should be floated casually or pursued without thorough public scrutiny,' he said. Dix agreed that the project needed a full review from the federal government, adding that the provincial government has already spoken with to Tsleil-Waututh First Nation. 'Obviously, it is not a project yet,' Dix said. 'It's not our project, but we did (speak with the nation) before we expressed our views on this.'
Global News
08-05-2025
- Business
- Global News
B.C. government supports dredging Burrard Inlet so tankers can carry more oil
The B.C. government was initially opposed to the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion but is now supporting a proposal that would allow tankers to carry more oil through B.C. waters. Trans Mountain wants to increase the volume of oil each tanker transports but that would involve dredging the Burrard Inlet to prevent heavier tankers from hitting the sea floor. 'The circumstance now is that the pipeline can't be fully utilized because the ships would simply touch the bottom of the Burrard Inlet,' Adrian Dix, B.C.'s minister of climate and energy told Global News. 'So the proposal from the federal government, what they suggested would happen, is that there be some dredging done so that we have, there would be less traffic, ship traffic, in the Burrard Inlet and we don't have ships leaving Vancouver after we spent $34 billion on the pipeline and going down to the United States to fill up before they go, say to Asia.' Story continues below advertisement Dix said the B.C. government would have no issue with the proposal if it passes federal environmental checks and balances. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He added that it would mean fewer ships travelling through the ports, which would be better for the environment. 2:47 BIV: Pipelines costs go way up Environmental groups, however, are against the proposal. 'The fact he is putting his support behind another fossil fuel project when this province is not going to meet its emissions targets is absolutely ridiculous,' Isabel Siu-Zmuidzinas with the Wilderness Committee said. Premier John Horgan actively opposed the original plan for the pipeline expansion to the point where the original owner, Kinder Morgan, unloaded it on taxpayers for $4.5 billion. The pipeline cost another $34 billion to complete, according to the opposition Conservatives, partly because of the New Democrat opposition Story continues below advertisement 'It was David Eby and Adrian Dix who used every tool in the tool kit to block this pipeline,' Gavin Dew said. 'Now… suddenly when everyone is talking about international trade and trade diversification they're on board.' The plan to dredge the inlet is in its infancy and would need to be initiated by the federal government and would need to clear several environmental and regulatory hurdles.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Experts, politicians divided on how to get B.C. back on track for climate goals
B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix says increasing electrical capacity and renewable projects would be a "significant" step for clean energy and climate goals, but not everyone agrees. The call for new projects comes in the wake of B.C.'s latest climate accountability report that shows the province is not on track to meet its emissions reduction goals for 2030. The 2024 Climate Change Accountability Report , released last week, reveals that, under current policies and programs, B.C. is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by just 20 per cent from 2007 levels by 2030 — falling short by half of its emissions reduction targets. Critics of B.C.'s efforts to reach its ambitious climate goals say the province can't expect to achieve them while continuing to pursue new LNG projects, because they will add to the province's emissions. Marc Lee, a senior economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, is among those critics. "The key reason why B.C. is struggling to meet its targets is because we've committed to developing an LNG export industry," Lee said. "What's not in the report is that in just a couple months time, LNG Canada will open up in Kitimat and will increase our emissions by four to eight million tons per year." Dix did not respond directly when asked if B.C. would refrain from pursuing future LNG projects in the interest of meeting its climate goals. He instead said that transportation made up the biggest increase in emissions in 2022, which is the most recent available data provided by the province. Dix said B.C.'s second call for power to boost electrical capacity and attract more renewable energy projects to the province is a critical step toward closing the gap to achieve future emissions targets. "This is the most really significant action we've seen on new renewable electricity since the 60s," he said. "It's good news for the planet, it's good news for the economy, and it's good news for CleanBC targets." However, some First Nations groups are worried these projects are being fast tracked at the expense of the environment. "When we hear fast tracking we immediately think that they're going to do it without consultation," said Robert Philips of the First Nations Summit Political Executive, though he added that the premier has assured him that wouldn't happen. WATCH | B.C.'s premier and energy minister are putting out a new call for electricity: Road to meeting future climate goals uncertain Kathryn Harrison, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia, said she was encouraged to see increased transparency in this year's report, including a more realistic picture of which policies will lead to reduced emissions. She sees some policies working at moving the province closer to its goal and praised the call for new clean energy projects, but said B.C. needs to decarbonize "all aspects of our economy" to achieve future emissions targets. The climate accountability report lays out several CleanBC measures expected to begin around 2030 and contribute to future emissions targets, such as the zero-carbon building code. Harrison said this would make a difference when planning on how to meet future goals and thinks the province should also implement a zero-emission vehicle mandate for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, as well as move forward on an oil-and-gas emissions cap. "Time is really running out to get a 40 per cent reduction by 2030 — I think the key thing from my perspective is how soon will we get to 40 per cent, if not by 2030, can we do it in 2032?" she said. Harrison also noted that new LNG projects are likely to drive up emissions even more, pushing B.C. further away from its emissions targets. Jeremy Valeriote, interim leader of the B.C. Green Party, does not support the government's current LNG projects. (CBC) Jeremy Valeriote, interim leader of the B.C. Green Party, said he has been happy to see investments in transit and building retrofits. However, he added that he would like to see the province transition away from LNG and focus on renewable energy. "I don't think we should pursue the ones (LNG projects) that we have, I don't think they'll work out for us," he said. "But at the very least, the three that have been permitted, we should draw the line there — we certainly don't support any further projects." One challenge to accountability, Lee said, is that there is currently reduced attention on climate action in Canada and other countries, as tariffs and affordability concerns dominate political conversations. He feels this will need to change in order for the province to take more substantial action – and for it to make a difference for curbing the climate crisis. "If no one else is acting, then it doesn't matter what B.C. does … I think there's a bit of a collective action problem," he said.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Experts, politicians divided on how to get B.C. back on track for climate goals
B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix says increasing electrical capacity and renewable projects would be a "significant" step for clean energy and climate goals, but not everyone agrees. The call for new projects comes in the wake of B.C.'s latest climate accountability report that shows the province is not on track to meet its emissions reduction goals for 2030. The 2024 Climate Change Accountability Report, released last week, reveals that, under current policies and programs, B.C. is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by just 20 per cent from 2007 levels by 2030 — falling short by half of its emissions reduction targets. Critics of B.C.'s efforts to reach its ambitious climate goals say the province can't expect to achieve them while continuing to pursue new LNG projects, because they will add to the province's emissions. Marc Lee, a senior economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, is among those critics. "The key reason why B.C. is struggling to meet its targets is because we've committed to developing an LNG export industry," Lee said. "What's not in the report is that in just a couple months time, LNG Canada will open up in Kitimat and will increase our emissions by four to eight million tons per year." Dix did not respond directly when asked if B.C. would refrain from pursuing future LNG projects in the interest of meeting its climate goals. He instead said that transportation made up the biggest increase in emissions in 2022, which is the most recent available data provided by the province. Dix said B.C.'s second call for power to boost electrical capacity and attract more renewable energy projects to the province is a critical step toward closing the gap to achieve future emissions targets. "This is the most really significant action we've seen on new renewable electricity since the 60s," he said. "It's good news for the planet, it's good news for the economy, and it's good news for CleanBC targets." However, some First Nations groups are worried these projects are being fast tracked at the expense of the environment. "When we hear fast tracking we immediately think that they're going to do it without consultation," said Robert Philips of the First Nations Summit Political Executive, though he added that the premier has assured him that wouldn't happen. WATCH | B.C.'s premier and energy minister are putting out a new call for electricity: B.C. moves to speed up energy projects amid growing demand and environmental concerns 14 hours ago Duration 2:09 B.C.'s premier and energy minister are putting out a new call for electricity. The move comes as BC Hydro tries to boost its capacity to help build and power massive new projects. But as Katie DeRosa reports, critics are worried the energy projects could be fast-tracked despite potential concerns from First Nations and environmental groups. Road to meeting future climate goals uncertain Kathryn Harrison, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia, said she was encouraged to see increased transparency in this year's report, including a more realistic picture of which policies will lead to reduced emissions. She sees some policies working at moving the province closer to its goal and praised the call for new clean energy projects, but said B.C. needs to decarbonize "all aspects of our economy" to achieve future emissions targets. The climate accountability report lays out several CleanBC measures expected to begin around 2030 and contribute to future emissions targets, such as the zero-carbon building code. Harrison said this would make a difference when planning on how to meet future goals and thinks the province should also implement a zero-emission vehicle mandate for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, as well as move forward on an oil-and-gas emissions cap. "Time is really running out to get a 40 per cent reduction by 2030 — I think the key thing from my perspective is how soon will we get to 40 per cent, if not by 2030, can we do it in 2032?" she said. Harrison also noted that new LNG projects are likely to drive up emissions even more, pushing B.C. further away from its emissions targets. Jeremy Valeriote, interim leader of the B.C. Green Party, said he has been happy to see investments in transit and building retrofits. However, he added that he would like to see the province transition away from LNG and focus on renewable energy. "I don't think we should pursue the ones (LNG projects) that we have, I don't think they'll work out for us," he said. "But at the very least, the three that have been permitted, we should draw the line there — we certainly don't support any further projects." One challenge to accountability, Lee said, is that there is currently reduced attention on climate action in Canada and other countries, as tariffs and affordability concerns dominate political conversations. He feels this will need to change in order for the province to take more substantial action – and for it to make a difference for curbing the climate crisis. "If no one else is acting, then it doesn't matter what B.C. does … I think there's a bit of a collective action problem," he said.
