Newsletter: Our letter to BC premier makes news

Our letter to BC’s premier on LNG

We saw much online discussion of, and support for, our Feb. 22 Alliance letter to BC Premier David Eby, decrying his government’s silence on further LNG development in BC.

The letter opened with this: “The members of the First Nations LNG Alliance are issuing this open letter in response to rising concerns about the future of Liquefied Natural Gas in British Columbia. Your government’s apparent withdrawal from this most important pillar of economic reconciliation and responsible energy transition would be an environmental and economic policy failure that threatens the wellbeing of our members and the province as a whole.”

Reactions and media coverage included, for just one example, veteran reporter Rob Shaw quoting Liberal MLA Ellis Ross in Northern Beat.

Shaw wrote: “‘Under this premier, the project has been trapped in political purgatory since last November,’ said Skeena MLA Ellis Ross, the local MLA and a former Haisla Nation chief councillor. ‘The premier is afraid to even talk about it. He’s ashamed of our natural resources and LNG. He has no clear explanation or timeline for a decision on the Haisla-Cedar project.’”

Shaw also quoted BC’s minister of energy, mines, and low-carbon innovation, Josie Osborne: ‘It’s a challenging situation. It’s balancing the needs for First Nations self-determination and economic reconciliation. British Columbians care deeply about the environment and about climate change and about meeting or Clean BC targets. And we have tough decisions ahead of us.’

Also quoted was our Alliance chair, Chief Councillor Crystal Smith of the Haisla Nation: “‘Focused only on a fractional reduction in Canada’s overall emissions, the stark demand of the climate activists remains oblivious to other basic considerations,’ Smith wrote in an OpEd. ‘Being pushed to the economic margins by climate activism would be as tragic as the original colonial dispossession.’”

• Full text of our letter: http://ow.ly/EBPh50N35kQ
• Rob Shaw’s full story: http://ow.ly/Mynw50N35kR
• Crystal Smith’s full column: http://ow.ly/vIZt50N35kP

Our LNG exports only make sense

That was the headline on our Alliance blog that preceded the above letter to Premier Eby.

In it, we said: “Surely the goal is to reduce global emissions as a whole, not just to reduce emissions in BC and Canada while they go up elsewhere.

“So with world demand for liquefied natural gas expected to rise more than 75% by 2040, it only makes sense for BC and Canada to export more LNG, and thus to help the world on the road to net zero by replacing coal to generate electricity.

“And, importantly, to bring in government revenues that pay for healthcare, education, and more.”

“The 75% estimate comes from Shell, a 40% partner in LNG Canada’s project in BC. Shell also noted that Europe’s LNG imports increased by 60% last year to replace pipeline gas from war-monger Russia.”

We noted the potential for BC LNG projects to fight climate change (and free up LNG for Europe), and cited the proposed LNG-for-export projects of the Haisla and Nisga’a Nations.

“All of these projects mean continuing benefits for Indigenous Peoples and communities, plus opportunities for Indigenous expertise and leadership, and commitment to stewardship of the environment. And not just in BC.”

• The full blog: http://ow.ly/wCiT50N35AQ

Indigenous clean-energy projects on rise

We may have “LNG” in our name, but we also cover clean-energy initiatives by First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples.

And so we featured a look at Indigenous clean energy by the Canada Energy Regulator: “There are approximately 178 remote Indigenous and Northern communities that are not connected to the North American electricity grid and natural gas infrastructure.  . . . Many remote Indigenous and Northern communities across Canada are implementing projects to reduce or eliminate their reliance on diesel for electricity and/or heating needs.”

• Read the feature here: http://ow.ly/z18250N35LQ
• See also: Indigenous groups lead the renewable transition in northern Canada: http://ow.ly/91KT50N5ss4
• Whitesand Nation in Ontario gets federal funding for a bio-fuel project that includes moving away from diesel fuel for heat and electricity generation: http://ow.ly/eSa750N681k

ALSO IN THE NEWS

• Indigenous people in Canada earn almost 3x more in the oil and gas sector than the average Indigenous worker. More about Indigenous resource incomes — including those of women — at http://ow.ly/pwxo50N48xJ
• US doubling LNG exports while Canada delays and Indigenous communities face uncertainty: http://ow.ly/3wFp50N5hpp
• Coastal GasLink decries pipeline sabotage claims and threats: http://ow.ly/gMcT50N4Pqn
• A behind-the-scenes look at the Coastal GasLink equity-options deal, from four key participants: http://ow.ly/wTc150MYNZq
• Meeting Canada’s clean-energy targets must include Indigenous partnerships: http://ow.ly/VNMb50N2ZMN
• How the Woodfibre LNG project will benefit the Squamish Nation while helping displace coal use in Asia: http://bit.ly/3jQFc0L
• Looking ahead to 2033: LNG Canada’s Jason Klein: ‘It will be a shame if LNG Canada is the last big project. I hope that we are paving the way for the next wave of projects.’ http://ow.ly/jBbb50MUy2Z

 DATES

 March

• National Aboriginal Business Opportunities Conference, March 28-30, Richmond BC. Info/register: http://ow.ly/93qz50MkVzi

April

• From the First Nation’s Major Projects Coalition, the Values Driven Economy Conference, April 24-25, Vancouver. http://ow.ly/rWEE50MnKe6

May

• Canada Gas and LNG Exhibition and Conference, May 9-11, Vancouver: http://ow.ly/YxcZ50LjFM1
• The Forward Summit 2023, May 17-18, Grey Eagle Resort & Casino near Calgary. Registration: http://ow.ly/Q8ZV50K7FYb (Note that there’s an Indigenous discount.)

June

• The Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase 2023: June 1-2, Vancouver: http://ly/IZC850LH58j
• The Global Energy Show, June 13-15, Calgary: http://ow.ly/UvTL50LjFlM

July

• The LNG 2023 Conference, July 10-13, Vancouver Convention Centre. Info/register: http://ow.ly/VVUl50MjbwU

September

• Carbon Capture Canada, Sept. 12-14, Edmonton: http://ow.ly/3iBP50LRo0R

October

• Nation2Nation’s next community session in Terrace BC, Oct. 17-19: https://nation2nation.ca/

2024

• The International Gas Research Conference, May 13-16. Our Karen Ogen is on the national organizing committee. Conference website: https://igrc2024.org/

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