The president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs is reversing his previous opposition to the scrapped Northern Gateway pipeline project that would have created another route for Alberta91裸聊视频檚 oil to get to the Pacific Ocean.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said Tuesday that while he 91裸聊视频渞eally fought against91裸聊视频� Northern Gateway91裸聊视频檚 construction before it was scuttled in 2016, that was a 91裸聊视频渄ifferent time91裸聊视频� and Canada now has 91裸聊视频渘o choice91裸聊视频� but to reconsider.
91裸聊视频淲e are staring into the abyss of uncertainty right now with climate change, the climate crisis and the American threat,91裸聊视频� Phillip said in a news conference ahead of a meeting with B.C. First Nations leaders and the provincial cabinet in Vancouver, highlighting the U.S. administration under President Donald Trump.
91裸聊视频淚 would suggest that if we don91裸聊视频檛 build that kind of infrastructure, Trump will 91裸聊视频� and there will not be any consideration for the environment or the rule of law or anything along those lines.
91裸聊视频淚 think that we can do better. I think we need to do better.91裸聊视频�
Phillip91裸聊视频檚 comments came after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith suggested on social media that construction of the pipeline needs to 91裸聊视频渋mmediately start91裸聊视频� to diversify the country91裸聊视频檚 export markets, in light of Trump91裸聊视频檚 threatened tariffs on Canadian exports.
Speaking with reporters virtually from Washington, D.C., Smith said the goal is to 91裸聊视频渟top being so reliant on a single trading partner.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e got to take down internal trade barriers between Canadian provinces, start looking at how we can do major nation building projects to our East and West Coast, whether it91裸聊视频檚 Northern Gateway getting restarted in British Columbia or Energy East conversations getting started off the East Coast,91裸聊视频� she said.
Since the days where Phillip and others opposed the Northern Gateway project, a number of agreements that he described as 91裸聊视频渁mazing91裸聊视频� between First Nations, governments and corporations on resource development have yielded 91裸聊视频渃learly evident91裸聊视频� benefits for Indigenous communities.
Prof. David Tindall, who91裸聊视频檚 in the department of sociology at the University of British Columbia, said he found Phillip91裸聊视频檚 comments 91裸聊视频渧ery surprising,91裸聊视频� given he was a 91裸聊视频渃entral player91裸聊视频� in the resistance against another major B.C. pipeline project, the Trans Mountain expansion between Alberta and the B.C. coast that was completed last year.
Tindall, who91裸聊视频檚 research has focused on environmental movements, said the shift may signal the knock-on effects of Trump91裸聊视频檚 presidency on Canada91裸聊视频檚 oil and gas energy projects, especially if the federal Conservatives also emerge victorious in the next election expected this year.
While a number of factors could push projects such as the Northern Gateway toward revival, there are opposing factors that would cast equal doubt on when such a pipeline would be completed.
91裸聊视频淚 do think that there will be substantial resistance from some other provinces, to some extent at the political level, and to some extent in terms of civil society,91裸聊视频� Tindall said.
91裸聊视频淚 think in British Columbia there would be a lot of resistance. So, I think there would be, certainly, pretty wide-scale resistance amongst civil society groups, environmental groups and other groups 91裸聊视频� (and) I suspect the current provincial government would not be supportive of that type of initiative.91裸聊视频�
Tindall also said there must also be a viable economic case for a corporation to take on the pipeline project, which must navigate what would likely be a series of court challenges from groups such as First Nations communities on the details of the project.
He noted that the federal Liberal government had to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline to make sure the project was completed.
Phillip was attending a gathering between B.C.91裸聊视频檚 cabinet and the province91裸聊视频檚 First Nations leaders in Vancouver on Tuesday, where co-ordinated approaches to Trump91裸聊视频檚 tariff threats are expected to be a key topic of discussion.
First Nations leaders said they need to be at the table for any 91裸聊视频淭eam Canada91裸聊视频� approach to engaging with the Trump administration.
But the leaders, including Phillip, political executive of the First Nations Summit Chief Cheryl Casimer, and Regional Chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations Terry Teegee said no one has approached Indigenous communities about collaborating yet.
