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 Alberta香蕉视频直播檚 oil to get to the Pacific Ocean.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said Tuesday that while he 香蕉视频直播渞eally fought against香蕉视频直播� Northern Gateway香蕉视频直播檚 construction before it was scuttled in 2016, that was a 香蕉视频直播渄ifferent time香蕉视频直播� and Canada now has 香蕉视频直播渘o choice香蕉视频直播� but to reconsider.
香蕉视频直播淲e are staring into the abyss of uncertainty right now with climate change, the climate crisis and the American threat,香蕉视频直播� 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.
香蕉视频直播淚 would suggest that if we don香蕉视频直播檛 build that kind of infrastructure, Trump will 香蕉视频直播� and there will not be any consideration for the environment or the rule of law or anything along those lines.
香蕉视频直播淚 think that we can do better. I think we need to do better.香蕉视频直播�
Phillip香蕉视频直播檚 comments came after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith suggested on social media that construction of the pipeline needs to 香蕉视频直播渋mmediately start香蕉视频直播� to diversify the country香蕉视频直播檚 export markets, in light of Trump香蕉视频直播檚 threatened tariffs on Canadian exports.
Speaking with reporters virtually from Washington, D.C., Smith said the goal is to 香蕉视频直播渟top being so reliant on a single trading partner.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝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 it香蕉视频直播檚 Northern Gateway getting restarted in British Columbia or Energy East conversations getting started off the East Coast,香蕉视频直播� she said.
Since the days where Phillip and others opposed the Northern Gateway project, a number of agreements that he described as 香蕉视频直播渁mazing香蕉视频直播� between First Nations, governments and corporations on resource development have yielded 香蕉视频直播渃learly evident香蕉视频直播� benefits for Indigenous communities.
Prof. David Tindall, who香蕉视频直播檚 in the department of sociology at the University of British Columbia, said he found Phillip香蕉视频直播檚 comments 香蕉视频直播渧ery surprising,香蕉视频直播� given he was a 香蕉视频直播渃entral player香蕉视频直播� 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, who香蕉视频直播檚 research has focused on environmental movements, said the shift may signal the knock-on effects of Trump香蕉视频直播檚 presidency on Canada香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淚 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,香蕉视频直播� Tindall said.
香蕉视频直播淚 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 香蕉视频直播� (and) I suspect the current provincial government would not be supportive of that type of initiative.香蕉视频直播�
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.香蕉视频直播檚 cabinet and the province香蕉视频直播檚 First Nations leaders in Vancouver on Tuesday, where co-ordinated approaches to Trump香蕉视频直播檚 tariff threats are expected to be a key topic of discussion.
First Nations leaders said they need to be at the table for any 香蕉视频直播淭eam Canada香蕉视频直播� 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.
