Kitselas Nation supports LNG
Leaders of the Kitselas First Nation went on camera to support the LNG Canada project, and talk about the benefits to their people.
One was elected chief councillor Glenn Bennett:
“I’m very pleased that we have a number of our members actually working on the project. We see people that are making a decent living. You see them driving new vehicles, providing for their families, not having to leave the community.’
David Hansen, executive director of the Kitselas Five Tier employment and training initiative: “We’ve seen people come fresh off the street, found stability in their housing and their life and their wellness, and meaningful employment. . . . They can gain the skills they need, and they can transition out to an apprenticeship with LNG Canada.”
And William Bolton, cultural coordinator: “Some of the things that they’ve done for our elders. They’ve done great things, and they are going to be doing greater things.”
- Watch the full video: http://ow.ly/7vGC50IZekC
Haisla Nation’s ‘seat at the table’
Crystal Smith, elected chief councillor of the Haisla Nation (and chair of our Alliance) recalls how industrial development took place on Haisla territory with no involvement of the nation, and led to ‘the destruction of our territory, our environment and our cultural resources.’
Now things have changed, she told John Stackhouse of the Royal Bank of Canada in a bank podcast.
“We had a seat at the table with LNG Canada and Coastal Gaslink talking about what was important to us, what it means to be Haisla. Having our seat at the table gave us huge responsibility in terms of being the landlords of all of our resources and giving advice to developers and builders as to how to safely do it with minimal impacts to our environment. . . .
“And today I can proudly say that we’re there as a part of LNG Canada, Coastal Gaslink, and more so now as owners, 51% owners, of Cedar LNG with our partners.”
The podcast also featured Mark Podlasly of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition:
“We are the owners in many cases of title on these lands and for us to be involved in these projects, it means we have to be involved at the beginning, not at the end. . . . Indigenous people have to be informed upfront of what’s being planned or is going to proceed. Indigenous people then will have a say in the planning, the operation, the development and the ownership of many of these projects.”
- Listen to the podcast: http://ow.ly/rw4e50IZhnF
- Also from Chief Crystal, an interview with the Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase: http://ow.ly/KfQp50J5umI
LNG benefits closing the gap
Chief Crystal was also interviewed by organizers of the three-day Canada Gas and LNG Conference that ended May 12 in Vancouver. They asked about the impact of LNG Canada and its benefits on her nation.
“It means a different life. It means opportunity. It means that the quality of our lives, of our future generations, improves. There’s so many statistics out there in terms of our First Nations communities’ living conditions in comparison to other Canadians. And that’s the gap that we’re trying to close. And the LNG Canada project means that gap is closing, and closing quickly.”
Other speakers at the conference included Sharleen Gale, chief of the Fort Nelson Nation and chair of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition.
- Watch Chief Crystal’s video interview: https://youtu.be/cwzdplVYHEo
- Also from the conference: BC’s clean LNG is touted as important decarbonization tool: http://ow.ly/EMeu50J4Fqm
ALSO IN THE NEWS
- Two more giant modules are completed in China for LNG Canada: http://ow.ly/QXpc50J4IKK
- Despite working closely with the natural-gas industry, BC Hydro is spreading misinformation about natural gas: http://ow.ly/6sG850J1AcO
- Coastal GasLink pipeline nears 65% completion (except in protest area): http://ow.ly/awfz50J1Ac1 See also CGL update: http://ow.ly/mirC50J1AbX
- FortisBC plans to build second, backup, pipeline to serve Woodfibre LNG: http://ow.ly/xmOZ50J1Ac2 And FortisBC seeks to expand construction camp to accommodate 600 workers on the Eagle Mountain-Woodfibre LNG pipeline project: http://ow.ly/yOT050J1Ac0
- BC invites Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and elected leaders to meet on rights and title. Minister Murray Rankin tells MLAs: ‘The conclusion of the negotiations is not dependent on the (Coastal GasLink) pipeline at all.’ http://ow.ly/no7G50J3wEZ
- Small-scale Port Edward LNG: ‘We are now pushing very hard to have an FID and boots on the ground before the end of the year.’ Watch the video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=74bqAWJ1Amg…
DATES
- Coming up May 25 and 26, in person and online, the Indigenous Forward Summit, at the Grey Eagle Event Centre on Tsuut’ina traditional territory, Info/register: https://forwardsummit.ca Speakers include Haisla Chief Councillor Crystal Smith, our Alliance chair, and Karen Ogen-Toews, CEO of the Alliance.
- The Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase hosted by the Resource Works Society runs May 26-27, in person and online in Vancouver. There is free online registration for First Nations people.
- Learn more: https://www.indigenoussuccess.ca/
- The agenda: https://www.indigenoussuccess.ca/agenda
- Speakers include Chief Crystal Smith: http://ow.ly/1Hbz50IZkqG
- Until June 2, Woodfibre LNG is accepting applications from Squamish charity groups and non-profit organizations for funding through its 2022 Community Partnership Program. Learn more, and apply: http://ow.ly/Rep650IXrKZ
- June 5-6: The 2022 National Coalition of Chiefs Energy and Natural Resource Summit, at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex & Jim Starlight Centre on the Tsuut’ina Reserve, Info/register: http://ow.ly/qyoO50J40Ow
- Coming up June 7: The First Nations Climate Initiative’s annual conference, looking at how best to achieve a negative-emission future. Info and register (free) at http://ow.ly/HyXs50I8ys0
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(Posted here 13 May 2022)
