First Nations chiefs in B.C. call on Carney, Smith to halt West Coast pipeline
The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs is demanding that the Canadian government halt a proposed pipeline project from Alberta to the B.C. coast. The group argues that expanding fossil fuel infrastructure exacerbates climate change and that the government failed to consult Indigenous communities in good faith.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing tension between national economic development, climate policy, and Indigenous land rights in Canada.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announce a proposed pipeline from Alberta to the B.C. coast in Calgary on July 2. Todd Korol/The Canadian Press
A group that represents numerous First Nations across British Columbia is calling on Ottawa and Alberta’s government to halt efforts to advance the West Coast pipeline, saying expanding the oil industry will accelerate climate change and disasters.
“The destructive and disastrous consequences of expanding fossil fuel production extend far beyond any single territory,” the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs said in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith .
“From catastrophic wildfires to destructive floods and rising seas, the impacts of climate change are already being felt across this country. Every new fossil fuel project deepens that crisis.”
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