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Pro-gas, anti-oil: B.C.'s NDP has monetary and environmental reasons for backing LNG
Pro-gas, anti-oil: B.C.'s NDP has monetary and environmental reasons for backing LNG

Vancouver Sun

time3 days ago

  • Business
  • Vancouver Sun

Pro-gas, anti-oil: B.C.'s NDP has monetary and environmental reasons for backing LNG

VICTORIA — The week ended with encouraging pipeline news from the B.C. government, as opposed to how the week started. The province's environmental assessment office announced approval on Thursday for continued construction of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline, half-owned by the Nisga'a nation which plans a floating LNG export terminal on the coast. 'This is an important step — not just for PRGT, but for the Nisga'a Nation's vision of self-determination and long-term prosperity,' said Eva Clayton, elected president of the Nisga'a Lisims government. 'For too long, Indigenous Nations have watched resource development happen around us, instead of with us.' 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. Contrast the NDP greenlighting of the Nisga'a-backed natural gas project with its reaction to the proposal, touted earlier in the week, for a pipeline to transport Alberta oil through B.C. to tidewater at Prince Rupert or Kitimat. 'That idea doesn't make sense to us,' said Energy Minister Adrian Dix, echoing similar comments from Deputy Premier Niki Sharma and Premier David Eby. A natural gas pipeline makes far more sense to the New Democrats because, for starters, the financial returns would be greater for the provincial treasury. B.C. has little oil to develop or export but vast reserves of natural gas. The New Democrats also promote natural gas as a 'transition fuel,' to help wean customers off reliance on oil and coal as energy sources. Plus, as former NDP Premier John Horgan used to say, natural gas pipelines are preferable over the oil variety, because when a line ruptures, natural gas vents into the atmosphere while oil inundates the landscape. The Eby government telegraphed support for the Nisga'a natural gas project in the runup to last month's critical vote on Bills 14 and 15. Most major Indigenous leaders in the province asked the government to hold off passage on the legislation that gave the cabinet sweeping powers to fast-track approval of energy (Bill 14) and infrastructure (Bill 15) projects. But on the day the New Democrats used their legislative majority to push through the bills, the premier's office circulated a letter of endorsement for those laws from Nisga'a president Clayton. The letter was intended to underscore a point made by a senior NDP staffer when asked why the NDP's own Indigenous MLAs were voting for the legislation: 'The Indigenous community is not a monolith.' Still, the news was barely out Thursday regarding environmental approval for the PRGT natural gas project, when opponents announced that the fight was not over. 'A reckless decision that prioritizes profits for foreign billionaires over Indigenous rights, environmental protection and community well-being,' said the news release from the Green party. Which is the kind of rhetoric one might have heard from David Eby in his previous incarnation as an NDP activist. Today, it is more likely to feed the exasperation Eby expressed in the legislature last week when interim Green leader Jeremy Valeriote accused him of failing to consult and cooperate on policy and legislation. 'For Pete's sake, we just issued a report together,' replied Eby, referring to the update from the New Democrats and Greens on their cooperation agreement. 'The executive summary says 'the cooperation and responsible government accord between the B.C. Green caucus and the B.C. New Democrat caucus reflects a shared commitment to working collaboratively on issues that matter to people.'' Valeriote's effort to have it both ways recalls former leader Andrew Weaver, who threatened to 'bring down' the John Horgan NDP government for providing tax and regulatory incentives to secure the LNG Canada project. Horgan enacted the incentives with the support of the then Liberal Opposition. Eby has the votes to proceed without opposition support, as he demonstrated last week on Bills 14 and 15. The 900-kilometre PRGT line runs in part through the territory of the Gitanyow people, whose hereditary chiefs oppose the project. 'This isn't the end of the story,' said Gitanyow Chief Watakhayetsxw, also known as Deborah Good, who took part in a blockade that stopped construction on the line last year. 'We'll continue to fight to protect our territory with all actions needed, in the courts and on the ground.' Also weighing in was Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, who seldom misses an opportunity to blast the NDP government despite the fact his wife, Joan, is an NDP MLA. 'This is not a government that believes in reconciliation, and it could trigger a long, hot summer,' he said in a statement. The Prince Rupert pipeline and the LNG project are both subject to legal challenges. The LNG terminal also needs environmental approval. But it should be recalled that there was also ferocious opposition to the Coastal GasLink pipeline, now serving the LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat. Construction was blocked and, in one instance, sabotaged. The legislature itself was blockaded for a time. Still, the line was completed, the gas is already being delivered to the terminal site, and LNG shipments are imminent. Energy Minister Adrian Dix is planning to visit the project later this month. Perhaps Eby will join him in taking credit for a project that would not have happened without NDP support. vpalmer@

David Eby speech hints to First Nations: Help my government, I'll help you
David Eby speech hints to First Nations: Help my government, I'll help you

Vancouver Sun

time29-05-2025

  • Politics
  • Vancouver Sun

David Eby speech hints to First Nations: Help my government, I'll help you

VICTORIA — As the New Democrats mustered their legislative majority to force passage of Bills 14 and 15 this week, Premier David Eby released a letter that helped explain his determination to proceed. 'The Nisga'a Lisims government welcomes the introduction of the bills and generally supports streamlining energy and major public and private infrastructure projects across B.C.,' declared Nisga'a president Eva Clayton in the letter. 'We have been advocating for a more efficient and effective regulatory regime for some time now and we have valuable input based on our continuing experiences through various regulatory processes for (our) projects. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. 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 Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Our early involvement will ensure that the bills are developed and implemented in a way that respects our constitutionally guaranteed and protected rights defined in the Nisga'a Treaty,' Clayton continued. The Nisga'a treaty, the first modern-day Indigenous treaty in B.C., went into effect 25 years ago this month. The projects referred to in the letter include Ksi Lisims LNG, a floating liquefied natural gas export terminal and feeder pipeline proposed for the Nisga'a territory on the northwest coast. The Nisga'a Nation views the project as a cornerstone of its economic development, as Derrick Penner reported in Postmedia this week. But it is opposed by other First Nations, including the Gitanyow Nation whose territory the pipeline would cross, and a consortium of environmental groups.' In declaring support for the NDP legislation, the Nisga'a seek reciprocal support from the province for expediting their projects. Wednesday also saw the arrival of an open letter from former NDP MLA and cabinet minister Melanie Mark, the first Indigenous woman to be elected to a seat in the B.C. legislature. Mark expressed dismay that the New Democrats were 'turning their backs' on Indigenous leaders and other opponents of expedited passage of the bills, 'when all they are advocating for is more time.' 'I am all for streamlining bureaucracy and getting to 'yes' on building infrastructure. 'However I am skeptical if getting to yes means bypassing constitutionally protected and inherent Indigenous/First Nations rights,' wrote Mark, echoing the arguments that many Indigenous leaders made in urging the government to delay passage of the bills for proper consultations. Nevertheless, Wednesday evening the New Democrats used their legislative majority (including tie breaking votes by Speaker Raj Chouhan) to pass Bill 14, giving the cabinet power to fast track approval of energy projects, and Bill 15, which did the same for other public and private infrastructure. Premier David Eby explained his rationale in a brief speech following the votes. 'The bills are critically important,' he told the house. 'They respond to a rapidly evolving situation with our biggest trading partner, the president of the U.S. attacking our economy, and doing it in the name of annexing Canada as the 51st state. 'British Columbians expect us to respond to ensure that we're protecting, as best we can under this threat, our economy, that we're supporting them and their families with high-quality services, that we're building the schools and hospitals we need, and that we're doing so efficiently and quickly.' By aligning with the Nisga'a, Eby was also sending a message to other Indigenous leaders: If they work with the government on its priorities, the government will work with them on theirs. Another factor in Eby's decision to press ahead with the two bills over much opposition was likely the federal-provincial meeting Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for next week. Carney is expected to brief premiers on his plan to fast-track major projects, according to the Globe and Mail newspaper. He'll bring in legislation to impose a two-year approval process for ports, critical mineral mines, trade corridors and other major projects. Such projects require joint approval by both the federal and provincial governments. Knowing Carney's intentions, the B.C. premier probably did not want to be left behind in passing his own legislation to expedite project approvals. Eby won't be attending the meeting with the prime minister, as he leaves this weekend for an Asian trade mission. The province will be represented by Attorney General Niki Sharma, who is the B.C. deputy premier. Despite Eby's rationale for pressing ahead, the First Nations Leadership Council served notice Thursday that it is not giving up the fight over Bills 14 and 15. 'Premier Eby and his government have chosen to ignore our voices, dismiss our rights, and trample on the very reconciliation framework they helped create,' said Terry Teegee, the B.C. regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations. 'But First Nations do not have the luxury of walking away from this fight. Our ancestors demand that we continue to stand up for our rights and title, as our future generations depend on it. We will use every legal and available tool at our disposal to protect what is rightfully ours and to hold this government accountable for breaking their own laws.' There matters stood as the spring session of the legislature wrapped up. The New Democrats were hoping to turn the page while Indigenous leaders warned of the battles still to come. vpalmer@

Northern local government conference highlights climate action, housing, and reconciliation
Northern local government conference highlights climate action, housing, and reconciliation

Hamilton Spectator

time16-05-2025

  • General
  • Hamilton Spectator

Northern local government conference highlights climate action, housing, and reconciliation

The second day of the North Central Local Government Association (NCLGA) conference spotlighted the Nisga'a Nation's pioneering efforts in climate adaptation, sustainable housing, and reconciliation through projects in partnership with the Community Energy Association (CEA). The May 14 plenary session featured a presentation by Gaëtane Carignan, who works in climate leadership and energy retrofits at CEA (a non-profit society), and Kaitlyn Robinson, climate coordinator with the Nisga'a Lisims Government. Participants are undertaking an ambitious housing energy retrofitting initiative in the Nisga'a Nation, aiming to renovate approximately 900 homes across four villages located in northwestern British Columbia. Robinson explains that housing needs in her Nation are extremely urgent, with a large number of homes facing serious structural issues such as mould, electrical failures, foundation damage, roofing and gutter problems, and plumbing deficiencies. In addition, many homes suffer from significant energy efficiency challenges, including air leakage, poor insulation, heat loss, high energy bills, inadequate ventilation, condensation buildup, and aging infrastructure. The high cost of both energy and home renovation further compounds these issues. Together, these conditions put community members at increased climate-related risk, as many homes are just not equipped to adapt to changing environmental conditions. 'This is not just a housing issue, it is a climate issue, a health issue,' said Robinson. The energy retrofitting process follows a coordinated, community-driven approach that brings together homeowners, contractors, and local leaders. It starts with assessing the home's current condition and then uses the Integrated Design Process (IDP) to plan upgrades based on building science and homeowner priorities. The focus is on improving the building envelope first, such as sealing drafts, upgrading insulation, and installing efficient windows, followed by upgrading heating, ventilation, and appliances. Local contractors are trained and held accountable for quality work, while the process also supports Nisga'a employment and mentorship. The presentation also highlighted housing retrofitting as a form of decolonization and a practical way to put the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into action. Carignan explained that this work is about more than fixing homes. It's about reconnecting with the land and rebuilding relationships with First Nations that were damaged by colonization. It is part of the broader reconciliation process, rooted in Indigenous leadership and vision, and focused on co-creating solutions that address long-standing inequities in housing and energy systems, she said. 'Building relationships is productive,' said Carignan. 'Retrofitting a home is not just about energy use; it's about improving the indoor air quality, extending the life of the home, producing long-term maintenance,' said Robinson. 'After retrofitting, homes are more comfortable and better equipped to handle extreme weather like storms, wildfires, and heat waves. Energy use drops significantly; homes switch to cleaner fuels and greenhouse gas emissions are greatly reduced. Canada and British Columbia have set a net-zero emissions target for 2050. To meet this goal, local governments will need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, according to the CEA. The association pitches itself to support local governments and Indigenous communities in transitioning to a low-carbon future by identifying sources of greenhouse gas emissions and implementing practical solutions. In the Skeena North region, they emphasize that local governments have a key role to play, as 48 per cent of the emissions they control come from buildings. The remaining chunk of emissions can be addressed through better transportation options and waste management. 'That's why Community Energy Association is interested in working with local governments and the new communities to better both new construction and retrofits,' said Carignan. CEA has hosted various retrofitting workshops and activities across northern B.C., including in communities such as Terrace, Prince George, Kitimat, Fort St. John, Smithers, and more. The work of the Community Energy Association and the Nisga'a Nation received loud applause at the NCLGA conference. NCLGA is a non-profit organization representing more than 240 elected officials in 42 local, regional and First Nations governments spanning from 100 Mile House in the south to the Yukon border in the north and from the Alberta border in the east to Haida Gwaii in the west. The North Coast Regional District, the City of Prince Rupert, and the District of Port Edward co-hosted the 2025 conference from May 12 to 15.

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