Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to visit northern British Columbia to meet with Coastal First Nations before embarking on his journey to China, as confirmed by a government official to CBC News. The official, who requested anonymity, anticipates discussions at the meeting to encompass various topics, including ongoing major projects in the area and strategies for the federal government and Indigenous communities to collaboratively ensure sustainable project development.
Carney is scheduled to depart on Tuesday following a late Monday departure, with the government emphasizing shared priorities such as marine conservation, ocean protection, and empowering Indigenous communities to take the lead in these initiatives. Joining the Prime Minister on the visit will be Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, Housing Minister Gregor Robertson, and B.C. Liberal MP Wade Grant.
Subsequently, Carney will embark on an eight-day journey that includes stops in China, Qatar, and Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum. Notably, the Coastal First Nations are opposed to a proposed pipeline originating from Alberta, particularly in the vicinity of the planned Ksi Lisims liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in northern B.C. This facility, targeted at Asian markets, aims to export 12 million tonnes of LNG annually and is a key project fast-tracked for permitting and approval by both the federal and provincial governments.
While the project is being developed in conjunction with the Nisga’a Nation, it faces legal challenges from other First Nations. Coastal First Nations, comprising nine First Nations in the region, have voiced strong opposition to the potential oil pipeline extending to B.C.’s North Coast. Despite the memorandum of understanding signed between Ottawa and Alberta regarding the pipeline and the lifting of an oil tanker ban along the North Coast of B.C., Coastal First Nations remain steadfast in their stance that the pipeline project will not come to fruition.