This week, the Canadian and Alberta governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding energy projects that could interfere with BC’s coastal protections.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s agreement sets the foundation for a federal-provincial collaboration, which as a whole is meant to reduce carbon emissions.
However, part of this agreement speaks of building a new crude oil pipeline, transporting one million barrels of oil to BC’s coast per day to be sold to Asian markets.
This endeavour would go against a federally mandated oil tanker ban in BC’s waters and Coastal First Nations have repeatedly spoken out against it.
Following the MOU announcement, Marilyn Slett, President of the Coastal First Nations and elected Chief of the Heiltsuk Nation released a statement saying that the agreement between Carney and Smith does nothing to advance a North Coast pipeline.
“Coastal First Nations, along with the province of BC, will never allow our coast to be put at risk of a catastrophic oil spill,” said Slett.
“We have made repeated calls to the federal government to uphold Bill C-48, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, as it is foundational to the vibrant and growing conservation economy we have built on the North Coast.”
This act was passed in 2019, and prohibits oil tankers carrying more than 12,500 metric tonnes of crude or persistent oil from stopping, loading or unloading at ports along the north coast of British Columbia.
Part of the reason for this is that the section of ocean between Haida Gwaii and the mainland, the Hecate Strait is incredibly dangerous to traverse for oil tankers.
Environment Canada lists the Hecate Strait as the most dangerous body of water on the entire Canadian coast and it is considered the fourth most dangerous in the world.
Coastal First Nations position is that an oil spill in the Hecate Strait would be disastrous, and there is no alternative route for oil tankers to get to Asia.
In addition to the First Nations opposing a pipeline, the BC government, Union of BC Municipalities and numerous cities in BC have declared their opposition, including Victoria and Saanich.
The MOU states that this proposed pipeline will only be built in consultation and partnership with Indigenous rights-holders and British Columbia, but as of this publication, it seems they will not agree to this endeavour.
