Coming up Wednesday Feb. 23
Our next online Outreach session looks at how First Nations and others monitor the environmental impact of LNG and related pipeline developments.
The speakers:
- Candice Wilson, environmental manager at Haisla Nation Council
- Elizabeth McDonald, Insight Resources
- Desiree Bolton, environmental field technician from Wai Wah Environmental, Kitselas Nation
- Ken Howes, acting executive director, major projects/applications, BC Oil & Gas Commission
The session will run from 11:45am to 1pm PST, and you can register here: https://bit.ly/3oAaXe4
Our last Outreach session, on Jan. 26, looked at how you can best get started as an Indigenous entrepreneur, and at how to fund your own start-up business. If you missed it, you can catch up here: http://ow.ly/zjP450HUPEc
Attack on CGL people and property
Our followers were shocked and angry at the outrageous attack last Thursday (Feb. 17) on Coastal GasLink people and property, and on police who responded.
RCMP called it “a calculated and organized violent attack that left its victims shaken and a multimillion dollar path of destruction.” http://ow.ly/omIb50HYbVA
We posted the news of on our Alliance social media pages before mainstream news media got onto the story.
Our first Facebook post reached nearly 55,000 viewers, was shared by a record 479 people, and drew 120 direct comments. As well, using Facebook’s emoticon symbols, 50 people expressed outright anger, 26 shock, and nine posted tears.
On Twitter, our opening post was retweeted 1,394 times, and drew 1,664 reactions.
There were strong reactions, too, to official postings from Coastal GasLink, LNG Canada, and the BC government, which said it ‘emphatically condemns the violence and destruction.’ Other politicians weighed in, as well.
And Wet’suwet’en hereditary chief Wihaliy’te (Theresa Tait-Day) said her nation is “disheartened” by the violent attack. “We certainly don’t, as a Wet’suwet’en people, condone this type of action.” http://ow.ly/Ac0F50HZmmb
The Wet’suwet’en Nation then issued this statement:
Messages to governments on LNG
Federal politicians may have been preoccupied with protests on Parliament Hill and downtown Ottawa (as well as other spots in Canada). But industry and lobby groups spent time to hammer government(s) for apparent lack of enthusiasm for LNG projects.
As US exports of LNG set records, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, for example, sent this public message:
“World LNG demand is expected to nearly double by 2040. If Canada cannot build the export facilities required to meet this demand, another country will.” (That was accompanied by the graphic above.)
Our friend Heather Exner-Pirot wrote in The Calgary Herald: ‘’Canada has zero LNG export capacity globally . . . a terrible economic, environmental and security mistake.’ (The Herald’s headline: “We could’ve been a contender: Canada has missed the boat on LNG opportunities.”)
And energy commentator David Yager wrote: Canada’s determination to bog down LNG is simply not justifiable on environmental grounds: http://ow.ly/9WK550HTlL0
All this after Quebec rejected the Energie Saguenay LNG project, and announced plans to ban natural gas (and oil) exploration and development activities in that province.
We were reminded that, at one point there were 18 LNG projects proposed for BC. Now we have only LNG Canada actually building a new export terminal, FortisBC expanding its Tilbury plant, and Woodfibre LNG looking for a final investment decision this year. Cedar LNG, Ksi Lisims LNG and Port Edward LNG are all in preliminary application stages.
To all these messages, we added online: “There now are seven US LNG export facilities operating, and four more under construction. Another 14 have been approved but are not yet being built. And six more applications are pending.” http://ow.ly/kAJl50HY96y
- Speaking of the Nisga’a Nation’s Ksi Lisims project: Federal funding now is available to help people participate in the impact assessment process for this project: http://ow.ly/PlW950HYYXN
- And the deadline is this coming Friday, Feb. 25, to apply for federal funding to participate in the environmental assessment of the Haisla Nation’s Cedar LNG project: http://ow.ly/wZmY50HF670
Reminder: Our Diversity and Inclusion Outreach team is conducting a survey among members of the 20 First Nations along the Coastal GasLink pipeline route.
If you’re a member of one of those nations, you could win an iPad by filling in our questionnaire here: http://ow.ly/EmVR50HvnCt The deadline is March 10.
ALSO IN THE NEWS
- Coastal GasLink pipeline will go ‘significantly’ over budget, and be delayed, says TC Energy: http://ow.ly/aNZK50HWCht
- China’s Beijing Gas is reported in talks with Shell (40% owner of LNG Canada) for a 10-year LNG import deal: http://ow.ly/VkPG50HXFIf
- TC Energy (parent #Coastal Gaslink) advances $24 billion of projects as it aims to be ‘the premier energy infrastructure company in North America.’ http://ow.ly/IQYO50HXalA
- TC Energy sees North America natural-gas demand rising 25% by 2030: http://ow.ly/MJgh50H9BYL
- Fluor feature sees LNG Canada as ‘a flagship example . . . of benefit-sharing with Indigenous communities.’ http://ow.ly/IcLM50HSlHv
DATES
- Coming up Feb. 23-24: the 14th annual Western Indigenous Consultation & Engagement, in person (Edmonton) and online. Info/register: http://ow.ly/O3t650HTNnp
- Registration is open for the two-day hybrid (in-person and online) conference of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, April 25-26. You can register here (free for Indigenous communities): http://ow.ly/5OoP50GKXKA
- The Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase hosted by the Resource Works Society is set for May 26-27, in-person and online. Learn more: https://www.indigenoussuccess.ca/
Our Alliance chair, Crystal Smith, elected chief councillor of the Haisla Nation, will be a speaker at the Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase event. Here’s how IPSS announced that:
And for Monday Feb. 21, Happy Family Day to those in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick. And it’s Islander Day in PEI, Louis Riel Day in Manitoba and Heritage Day in Nova Scotia.
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