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Hamilton Spectator
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Coastal First Nations call on Carney to uphold oil tanker ban
Indigenous leaders on British Columbia's north coast are calling on the federal government to hold out against pressure from Alberta and industry to reverse the west coast oil export ban. On Tuesday, the Coastal First Nations, a group of nine First Nations along the north and central coast of BC and Haida Gwaii, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney. The group urged the government to uphold Bill C-48, known as the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act. Since 2019, this law has prohibited tankers carrying over 12,500 metric tons of crude oil and other oil products from stopping or transferring cargo at any port between the northern tip of Vancouver Island and the Alaska border, which includes Haida Gwaii, the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. The act formalizes protections that Indigenous communities and environmentalists have been seeking since the 1970s. It effectively bans crude oil supertankers from one of the world's most pristine cold-water marine ecosystems, home to whale habitats, wild salmon, seabirds and ancient rainforests. Exports through the Juan de Fuca Strait are allowed, meaning the ban has not interfered with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. The controversy comes as Carney said in a recent statement that a new bitumen pipeline to BC's north coast is 'highly, highly likely.' His remark aligns with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and federal Conservative MPs push to lift the tanker ban. Smith has specifically called for faster federal approvals for pipeline projects and an exemption at the Port of Prince Rupert to allow oil exports to Asia. But Marilyn Slett, president of the Coastal First Nations and chief councillor of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council, said oil tankers are a 'non-starter' for her community. 'An oil tanker project is not something we can ever provide consent to,' she said. 'Our communities rely on healthy oceans and ecosystems for our livelihood and culture. Reversing or weakening this legislation would put everything our communities depend on at risk.' The tanker ban was instituted after more than a decade marked by energetic opposition to pipelines to the West Coast. The Northern Gateway pipeline, first proposed by Enbridge in 2002, was ultimately halted in 2016 after more than 130 First Nations publicly opposed the project and courts ruled that consultations had been inadequate. Slett called the decision a major win for Indigenous rights and protection of coastal areas, and said any new talks should not repeat old mistakes. Indigenous leaders have come out against crude oil tankers but have been more accepting of other types of ships, especially those carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG). By 2030, as many as 600 LNG vessels are expected to pass through their waters — activities accommodated through lengthy engagement and approval processes with communities, said Danielle Shaw, chief councillor of the Wuikinuxv Nation and a board member of the Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance. 'We're open to discussing projects that will be sustainable and responsible and can strengthen the economy of Canada and British Columbia,' Shaw said. 'But there's strong opposition to oil tankers on this coast because of the impacts it would have for our communities directly.' Slett noted that with 175 LNG tankers already passing through coastal channels this year and more expected, the impact on the ecosystem is significant. 'This is substantial, and those have cumulative effects on the ecosystem. They are in place and serving as projects for British Columbia and other communities. This [oil tankers] is something we cannot add … it's not something we would support.' The risks from oil spills are considered too great. 'When it comes to allowing oil tankers on our coast, it wouldn't be if something were to happen, it would be when something happens,' Shaw said. Slett criticized the lack of formal consultation regarding renewed pipeline proposals. Bill C-5 was rushed through Parliament in just two weeks, and a meeting between Carney and First Nations leaders from across Canada last week was allotted just a few hours. 'There's been a lot of talk about us without talking to us,' she said. She said she learned about energy proposals through the news rather than direct government engagement. The open letter invites Carney to visit the north coast to see why the tanker moratorium remains vital and to consider how a path forward without an oil pipeline can benefit the region. Slett said her communities prefer discussion and collaboration but remain firm in their opposition. 'Court challenges and direct action would always be a last resort,' she said. 'We've built relationships with provincial and federal partners that we want to maintain, but we won't support new pipelines. The tanker ban must stand.' Sonal Gupta / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada's National Observer Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
National Observer
23-07-2025
- Politics
- National Observer
Coastal First Nations call on Carney to uphold oil tanker ban
Indigenous leaders on British Columbia's north coast are calling on the federal government to hold out against pressure from Alberta and industry to reverse the west coast oil export ban. On Tuesday, the Coastal First Nations, a group of nine First Nations along the north and central coast of BC and Haida Gwaii, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney. The group urged the government to uphold Bill C-48, known as the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act. Since 2019, this law has prohibited tankers carrying over 12,500 metric tons of crude oil and other oil products from stopping or transferring cargo at any port between the northern tip of Vancouver Island and the Alaska border, which includes Haida Gwaii, the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. The act formalizes protections that Indigenous communities and environmentalists have been seeking since the 1970s. It effectively bans crude oil supertankers from one of the world's most pristine cold-water marine ecosystems, home to whale habitats, wild salmon, seabirds and ancient rainforests. Exports through the Juan de Fuca Strait are allowed, meaning the ban has not interfered with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. The controversy comes as Carney said in a recent statement that a new bitumen pipeline to BC's north coast is 'highly, highly likely.' His remark aligns with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and federal Conservative MPs push to lift the tanker ban. Smith has specifically called for faster federal approvals for pipeline projects and an exemption at the Port of Prince Rupert to allow oil exports to Asia. But Marilyn Slett, president of the Coastal First Nations and chief councillor of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council, said oil tankers are a 'non-starter' for her community. 'An oil tanker project is not something we can ever provide consent to,' she said. 'Our communities rely on healthy oceans and ecosystems for our livelihood and culture. Reversing or weakening this legislation would put everything our communities depend on at risk.' Marilyn Slett, president of the Coastal First Nations and chief councillor of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council, said oil tankers are a 'non-starter' for her community. The tanker ban was instituted after more than a decade marked by energetic opposition to pipelines to the West Coast. The Northern Gateway pipeline, first proposed by Enbridge in 2002, was ultimately halted in 2016 after more than 130 First Nations publicly opposed the project and courts ruled that consultations had been inadequate. Slett called the decision a major win for Indigenous rights and protection of coastal areas, and said any new talks should not repeat old mistakes. Marilyn Slett, president of Coastal First Nations and Heiltsuk chief councillor, signs an open letter urging Prime Minister Carney to uphold the north coast oil tanker ban. Indigenous leaders have come out against crude oil tankers but have been more accepting of other types of ships, especially those carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG). By 2030, as many as 600 LNG vessels are expected to pass through their waters — activities accommodated through lengthy engagement and approval processes with communities, said Danielle Shaw, chief councillor of the Wuikinuxv Nation and a board member of the Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance. 'We're open to discussing projects that will be sustainable and responsible and can strengthen the economy of Canada and British Columbia,' Shaw said. 'But there's strong opposition to oil tankers on this coast because of the impacts it would have for our communities directly.' Slett noted that with 175 LNG tankers already passing through coastal channels this year and more expected, the impact on the ecosystem is significant. 'This is substantial, and those have cumulative effects on the ecosystem. They are in place and serving as projects for British Columbia and other communities. This [oil tankers] is something we cannot add … it's not something we would support.' The risks from oil spills are considered too great. 'When it comes to allowing oil tankers on our coast, it wouldn't be if something were to happen, it would be when something happens,' Shaw said. Slett criticized the lack of formal consultation regarding renewed pipeline proposals. Bill C-5 was rushed through Parliament in just two weeks, and a meeting between Carney and First Nations leaders from across Canada last week was allotted just a few hours. 'There's been a lot of talk about us without talking to us,' she said. She said she learned about energy proposals through the news rather than direct government engagement. The open letter invites Carney to visit the north coast to see why the tanker moratorium remains vital and to consider how a path forward without an oil pipeline can benefit the region. Slett said her communities prefer discussion and collaboration but remain firm in their opposition. 'Court challenges and direct action would always be a last resort,' she said. 'We've built relationships with provincial and federal partners that we want to maintain, but we won't support new pipelines. The tanker ban must stand.'
CTV News
23-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Pipeline politics heats up as Eby resists calls for a new system to B.C.'s coast
B.C. Premier David Eby joined fellow premiers in a discussion with the Prime Minister on Trump's impending tariffs. Canada's premiers met Tuesday with Prime Minister Mark Carney to talk tariffs ahead of President Donald Trump's August 1 deadline, alongside efforts to unite Canada in the face of those threats. Carney described the premiers as 'a group focused on building our country, building positively, building here at home, building one Canadian economy.' B.C. and Ontario signed one of various deals to remove inter-provincial trade barriers - their memorandum of understanding relating to alcohol. Yet pipeline politics were less pleasant, and kept re-emerging as a point of contention. Alberta's Danielle Smith was leading the charge by several provinces, pushing for a new pipeline through B.C. and the removal of tanker bans 'Our project that we want on the national project list is a bitumen pipeline to the B.C. coast,' Smith told reporters Tuesday. In response, Premier David Eby again expressed resistance to the idea. 'There is no project, there is no proponent, there is no private sector money involved at all,' said Eby. Coastal B.C. First Nations were more adamant in their opposition, sending an open letter to Carney. 'The lifting of the oil tanker ban is not something that we can support, nor will we ever provide our consent to,' Chief Marilyn Slett, with the Heiltsuk Tribal Council, told CTV News on Tuesday. The prime minister didn't directly address the issue of pipelines, but said approved nation building projects would inevitably involve multiple regions and First Nations support. 'It has to benefit multiple stakeholders, multiple provinces, advance our interests, advance the interests of Indigenous people,' he said. As for U.S. trade negotiations there were few details Tuesday, and a range of views on whether Canada should launch counter tariffs if American ones go ahead next month. Premier Ford advocated for dollar for dollar retaliatory tariffs, if Trump's threatened tariffs come into effect. 'He'll roll over us like a cement roller if you show an ounce of weakness,' said Ford. Carney did indicate the August 1 deadline might be extended, and there was only a willingness to agree to deal if it's a good one for Canada.
CBC
27-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
First Nations on B.C.'s North Coast say they would not support a new pipeline
The president of an organization representing First Nations along the north coast of B.C. says it would not support any new pipeline projects in northern B.C. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told Bloomberg News Tuesday that she expects a private company will bring forward a proposal to build a new oil pipeline to B.C.'s North Coast within weeks. Smith wants to revive a plan to bring oilsands crude to the northern B.C. coast for export to Asia, with the endpoint in Prince Rupert, B.C. "There is no project or proponents that would be acceptable to us on the North Coast," said Marilyn Slett, elected chief councillor of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council, about 479 kilometres north of Vancouver, and president of the Coastal First Nations' Great Bear Initiative (CFN)—an alliance of nine First Nations on the north Pacific coast of B.C. to Haida Gwaii. "Anything that proposes to send oil through the coast is a non-starter," said Slett. Many of the CFN First Nations were parties to a B.C. Supreme Court appeal that stopped Northern Gateway pipeline plans to ship crude oil from the port of Kitimat, B.C. The Enbridge project was scrapped because the court ruled Ottawa failed to properly consult with First Nations affected by the pipeline. Slett said that CFN does support reliable energy projects like solar and hydroelectric. "[The] north Pacific coast is one of the richest cold water marine ecosystems on earth and it's a source of our sustenance, tied to our culture and the livelihoods of not just our communities but many British Columbians," said Slett. "We can't have one livelihood at the cost of another," she said. A University of British Columbia Study estimated that a major oil spill cleanup on the North Coast could cost up to $9.6 billion, and cost the region's commercial fisheries, port, ferry transportation and tourism industries more than $300 million. B.C. premier won't take position B.C. Premier David Eby has not given a firm position on whether he would support a pipeline through northern B.C, telling CBC The Early Edition on Thursday, "I won't speculate about a project that doesn't exist." But did say he would not support a publicly funded pipeline to the North Coast. Premier Eby discusses possibility of northern oil pipeline 1 day ago Duration 13:36 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says a proposal to build an oil pipeline to B.C.'s North Coast could be just weeks away. For his part, B.C. Premier David Eby has said he opposes a publicly-funded pipeline, but may consider a privately backed project. He joined CBC's Stephen Quinn to respond to Smith and discuss the possible proposal. Eby told CBC that his government is in support of the federal oil tanker ban on the North Coast. The Oil Tanker Moratorium Act prohibits oil tankers carrying more than 12,500 metric tons of crude oil, or persistent oil products, from stopping, loading, or unloading at ports in a restricted area covering nearly the entire North Coast. Slett said she would like Eby's government to take a position on a potential pipeline. "Theoretically or not, these discussions are happening," said Slett. 'Knee-jerk reaction' The B.C. regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations, Terry Teegee, said that First Nations have a right to be concerned about Eby's comments, but that these discussions are premature. Teegee said that this is a "knee-jerk reaction" to tariffs from the U.S. administration, which has led the province to diversify its trade relationships. Eby recently returned from a 10-day trade mission to East Asia, where Japanese conglomerates expressed interest in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the province. "We've got partners over there that prefer to buy B.C. LNG because it comes from a politically stable jurisdiction, but also because it is the lowest carbon LNG in the world," Eby told CBC. LNG has started producing liquefied natural gas that is being transported by the Coastal GasLink pipeline to an export facility in Kitimat, B.C. "It is really concerning because some of these projects will have long-lasting impacts to many First Nations that would affect their territories [for] decades, if not hundreds of years," said Teegee. Teegee said First Nations need to be part of the decision-making process when it comes to large energy projects being considered and approved. "This one is, as we've seen previously, it failed," said Teegee. "Perhaps it's a pipe dream."
CBC
25-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Heiltsuk First Nation files Charter challenge over RCMP refusal to enforce bylaws
Inaction by the RCMP has emboldened criminals to enter and stay on First Nation reserve lands without the fear of consequences, worsening a drug crisis and violence, the Heiltsuk Tribal Council says. The small First Nation on British Columbia's Central Coast says it is taking the attorney general of Canada to court, arguing its Charter rights have been violated because police refuse to enforce its bylaws, including those around trespassing that would allow officers to remove people engaged in dangerous activities. Elected Chief Marilyn Slett told a news conference Tuesday that her community in Bella Bella, B.C., is experiencing a crisis due to drugs and drug trafficking and that harms from overdoses and sexual violence are made worse because of the Mounties refusal to enforce Heiltsuk law. She said laws enacted by the Indigenous band council, like those related to trespassing and residency, are federal laws under the Indian Act. "This refusal to enforce First Nations' bylaws is a Canada-wide issue that erodes the rule of law in First Nations communities, exasperates systemic problems involving substance abuse, [and] deprives First Nations governments of the necessary tools to protect our communities," she said. She said there is nothing preventing Mounties from enforcing the bylaws. "The only barrier appears to be the racism and discrimination that sees them ignoring Indigenous bylaws while enforcing all other federal laws as well as property laws on behalf of non-Indigenous communities, landowners and businesses." Neither the RCMP nor the federal Justice Department responded to a request for comment on the lawsuit. The action filed in B.C. Supreme Court argues that the Mounties' refusal to act amounts to unequal and discriminatory treatment that infringes on the First Nation's section 15 Charter rights to receive equal protection and benefit of the law without discrimination. Slett said the Nation has met several times with the RCMP to discuss the issue, and police have offered "excuses ranging from confusion to saying our bylaws need to go through the RCMP legal services for review." When the police claim they can't enforce the bylaws, it creates an atmosphere in the community where those committing crimes have no fear and go "unchecked," she said. "We have people in our community that reached out to the RCMP and they don't show up." Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs told the news conference the organization supports the work being done by the Heiltsuk Nation. Phillip said even if communities know who the drug dealers are, "it's virtually impossible to shut them down" because the RCMP says there is nothing they can do. "Public safety is a fundamental human right. Safety of property and home also is a fundamental human right," he said.
