Oil and Gas

At a business conference in the Alberta Rockies last week, some of Canada’s heaviest hitters in energy offered their renditions of essentially the same tune.

Market access was the topic, and the consensus among the premiers of Alberta and New Brunswick as well as bosses at the largest pipeline and oil companies was that we as a nation should have it.

That means oil flowing to where it will fetch its highest price, whether that means the coasts of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico or Pacific. The result: jobs and a stronger economy across the country.

A key reason for snags, they agreed, is opponents have swayed some of the public against their well-backed-up assertions that the oil sands are being developed responsibly, and the industry is bringing all available technology to bear in cutting carbon emissions and transporting the stuff safely.

Then Miles Richardson stood up and abruptly changed the tune with the most important reminder of the day – that any road to riches in Asia for the energy sector passes through numerous First Nations territories, and major long-standing problems need to be solved first. Mr. Richardson knows whereof he speaks. A former president of the Haida Nation on the B.C. coast and a former chief commissioner of the B.C. Treaty Commission, he talks passionately about his people’s ancient connection to the land and how the relationship between B.C. native groups and Ottawa is broken.

Many in the oil patch see native resistance to projects as a soft obstacle to overcome. It’s anything but. It’s a legal problem that could push back by years the Alberta-based industry’s bid for market access, something that has already caused much friction with aboriginals.

So, Mr. Richardson said: Listen up.

Canada has dragged its feet for decades as natives on the coast sought treaties to spell out their relationship with the rest of the country. The absence of settled claims actually gives First Nations rights and title to all aspects of traditional lands, courts have ruled.
His point is that failure to reach deals only makes life messier for companies as they fear economic windows closing before multibillion-dollar projects can get built.

“If there isn’t an agreement with government, First Nations are going to have a view on whether a proposal ought to proceed and, if so, they’ll lay out terms on how it can proceed,” he said in an interview. “If agreement can be reached, great. If it can’t, nothing’s going to proceed.”

Of course, the constitution requires that aboriginal people be consulted on resources projects, something that federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver has acknowledged often. There’s no widespread agreement, though, on what constitutes consultation: Does it mean informing communities or getting support?

Mr. Richardson contends that First Nations have nothing less than veto power.

“I’d make the case that First Nation jurisdiction is every bit as good as the Crown’s. That’s why we need to negotiate treaties and reconcile them so all of society has the same rules,” he said. “In the absence of treaties, which sort these issues out, groups like industry are caught in the middle and are going have to deal with both parties.” So where does this leave the oil patch, as it seeks to get oil and gas to the coast on proposed pipelines such as Enbridge Inc.’s Northern Gateway?

Late to the party, for one thing. Northern Gateway, facing a regulatory decision this month, has been in the works since the start of the last decade, though the B.C. treaty process has plodded along for much longer. Some native leaders have already promised court battles if pipelines are approved.

This week, Doug Eyford, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s special envoy to West Coast First Nations, is due to release a report on strategies for getting aboriginal people to support development projects and share in benefits.

Mr. Richardson said the industry would do well in that regard to back First Nations in their quests for treaties, as opposed to viewing them as hurdles that need to be cleared to proceed with pipelines. “That’s their call, if they want to start over. But the path they’re on is the path to one of the biggest battles we’re going to see in this country, as far as I can see.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/listen-up-a-first-nations-message-for-the-oil-patch/article15772976/

t a business conference in the Alberta Rockies last week, some of Canada’s heaviest hitters in energy offered their renditions of essentially the same tune. Market access was the topic, and the consensus among the premiers of Alberta and New Brunswick as well as bosses at the largest pipeline and oil companies was that we as a nation should have it. That means oil flowing to where it will fetch its highest price, whether that means the coasts of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico or Pacific. The result: jobs and a stronger economy across the country. A key reason for snags, they agreed, is opponents have swayed some of the public against their well-backed-up assertions that the oil sands are being developed responsibly, and the industry is bringing all available technology to bear in cutting carbon emissions and transporting the stuff safely.

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Dakelh Territory, Prince George, British Columbia.  Canada. It’s time that Premier Christy Clark meet with the CSTC Chiefs to discuss natural gas pipeline proposals impacting CSTC member First Nations territories.  The CSTC First Nations are unified and adamant that these natural gas pipeline projects will have a challenges ahead without our free, prior and informed consent.

Tribal Chief Terry Teegee stated, “We have been meeting with our leaders, and are unified in our approach to understand the cumulative impacts from all these proposed natural gas pipelines.”  Teegee continued, “We’ve also been meeting with the natural gas pipeline companies. Some have been better than others, but all must provide sufficient time and resources for our people to review these projects.”

“We are not against development, however we need to have sufficient time to conduct our studies and inform our membership,” said Chief Fred Sam of the Nak'azdli First Nation, which could be impacted by several natural gas pipelines being proposed, and the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline.  The natural gas pipelines include: Pacific Trails Pipelines (Chevron/Apache), Coastal GasLink Pipeline (TransCanada), Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project (TransCanada), and Northern Gas Transmission Project (Spectra). 

Dolly Abraham, Chief of Takla Lake First Nation and CSTC Vice-Tribal Chief warned: “The media is misleading everyone suggesting that Enbridge Northern Gateway has a chance of being built under Christy Clark’s leadership.  We have already done an assessment and have found that it is not worth the risk.”  Chief Dolly added, “We are united.  We have had a lot of broken promises from the Crown and industry, and we must be meaningfully consulted and accommodated.”

Chief Martin Louie of the Nadleh Whut'en First Nation said, “We have recently met with Doug Eyford, Special Envoy to Prime Minister Harper.  We let him know our collective views on the energy corridors for oil and natural gas pipeline infrastructure.  The federal government has a lot of work to do with our Nations to ensure that there is equitable revenue sharing and shared decision-making on these major projects.” 

“We are being pressured by various projects, including natural gas pipelines.  Deals are being made on the coast and upstream in northeast BC.  We are in the middle and will require new precedents and processes if these projects are to be viable”, said Chief Reg Louis of the Stellat'en First Nation.  He further stated, “We are very interested in hearing from the new BC government on their views on how BC will change its policies on revenue sharing, and shared decision-making with our First Nations.”

“Tl’azt’en Nation stands with our brothers and sisters to the north, south, east, and west on a unified front.  Industry and the Crown must engage our First Nations prior to any permits being issued.”  He added, “We don’t want to be forced into an either or scenario.  Our land and waterways are under threat, and we must have cumulative impact assessments completed in order to understand how these projects will impact future generations.”

Chief Stanley Thomas of the Saik’uz First Nation said, “The Crown has been negligent and absent in meaningful discussions with our people.  The land question has not been resolved in our territories.”  He added, “Christy Clark must improve the BC government’s approach in dealing with our people.”

Tribal Chief Teegee concluded, “It’s premature for the Crown and natural gas pipeline companies to think that all these projects will happen without our consent or meaningful involvement.  Our First Nations have decision-making authority.  We will not be pushed aside, nor will our decision-making authority be fettered by divide-and-conquer tactics.  Our people and leaders are united.”

Some of the current natural gas pipeline proposals include:
• TransCanada – Coastal GasLink Project, runs near existing png pipeline ($4B)
• TransCanada – Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project, runs north of Takla Lake ($5B)
• Apache/Chevron – Pacific Trails Pipeline, similar route as Coastal GasLink Project ($1.5B)
• Spectra Energy – runs north of Takla Lake, similar route as Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project ($8B)

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Media contacts: Tribal Chief Terry Teegee:  Office (250) 562-6279.  Cell: (250) 640-3256

Dakelh Territory, Prince George, British Columbia.  Canada. It’s time that Premier Christy Clark meet with the CSTC Chiefs to discuss natural gas pipeline proposals impacting CSTC member First Nations territories.  The CSTC First Nations are unified and adamant that these natural gas pipeline projects will have a challenges ahead without our free, prior and informed consent.

BY MARTIN LOUIE, FRED SAM, DOLLY ABRAHAM, STANLEY THOMAS, KAREN OGEN AND RALPH PIERRE, CALGARY HERALD 

MAY 8, 2013

 

 

 

Chief Ta'Kaiya Blaney, from Sliammon B.C. and members of the Yinka Dene Alliance arrive after marching from the Legislature to the Enbridge Building to protest against the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline in Edmonton on Wednesday, May 2, 2012.

Photograph by: John Lucas , edmontonjournal.com

 

Today, May 8, the Enbridge board of directors is meeting with shareholders in Calgary for the Enbridge annual general meeting. In the past, we, the chiefs of the Yinka Dene Alliance, have personally attended this meeting to explain to Enbridge senior management and shareholders why our communities have rejected the Northern Gateway pipeline and tanker project. We have decided not to be with you this time, but our message today, as always, is that this and any other oil pipeline will not cross our homelands in British Columbia.

With the Yinka Dene peoples in the lead, First Nations voices of opposition are joined with those of oilsands workers, local governments, and citizens of every walk of life — from economists to environmentalists — across the country. We all know that this project will not be completed.

We, the Yinka Dene peoples, are standing up to protect the land for our children and the children of everyone in British Columbia. We have repeatedly said that your company and the provincial and federal governments are not prepared for the devastating effects of an oil spill on our lands and waters if the Northern Gateway project were to be built. During March and April, in addition to the high-profile spill in Mayflower, Ark., there have been at least nine other spills from ruptured oil and gas pipelines in North America, three of them in Canada. Contaminated water from tarsands processing was also discharged into the Athabasca River, which supplies the drinking water of our relations, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation.

Our lands are precious to us. We will rely on our constitutionally protected title and rights and on our own laws to protect our lands from desecration. That means that the legal impediments you face in getting this project approved are potentially insurmountable. More than 160 First Nations have signed the Save the Fraser Declaration and are standing together with us to say no to the Northern Gateway project, based on our indigenous laws. We are the wall through which the Northern Gateway pipeline will not pass.

The people of British Columbia and Canada have stood shoulder to shoulder with us to support us in our struggle. More than 100,000 people across Canada have signed petitions that recognize our decision to ban this project from our territories. B.C. mayors have stood on stage with us to condemn the Enbridge project as one that puts too much of our common future at risk. The Union of B.C. Municipalities has called on the provincial government to use everything within its powers to prevent the transport of bitumen through our lands and waters.

We have met with provincial and federal politicians who oppose this project, sharing our concerns about the peril that exporting more bitumen presents for Canada’s economy, local ecosystems, our greenhouse gas emissions targets, and the health of communities stretching from Alberta’s oilsands to B.C.’s coast and beyond. The fate of pipelines to the West Coast has become a defining issue in the upcoming B.C. election.

Your project has been called a “dead pipeline walking” by industry analysts. Business journals across this continent have described the bungling way in which you have dealt with First Nations and the lack of “social license” for this project. They have already concluded that, regardless of the recommendation made by the joint review panel or the decision of federal cabinet, this project will not see the light of day.

It’s time for Enbridge as a corporation to have a frank conversation with its shareholders: the Northern Gateway pipeline is a project without a future. Now is the time to come up with an exit strategy, one that works for First Nations, the people of B.C. and your shareholders. Rest assured that when you make the announcement that you have decided not to proceed, we will be the first to congratulate you on your sound judgment and business acumen. We will be happy to acknowledge that you have made the right choice, the responsible choice.

And until then, we and our supporters will continue to say what we have said since this project was announced. The Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline will not be built across our lands or through our waters.

Snachailya, Mussi cho’ (Thank you very much, you have done us a great favour.)

 

Chiefs of the Yinka Dene Alliance: Chief Martin Louie, Nadleh Whut’en First Nation; Chief Fred Sam, Nakazdli First Nation; Chief Dolly Abraham, Takla Lake First Nation; Chief Stanley Thomas, Saik’uz First Nation; Chief Karen Ogen, Wet’suwet’en First Nation; Chief Ralph Pierre, Tl’azt’en First Nation. The Yinka Dene Alliance includes Nadleh Whut’en, Nak’azdli, Takla Lake, Saik’uz, Wet’suwet’en and Tl’azt’en First Nations in northern B.C. that have banned the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline from their territories as a matter of indigenous law.

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald   

Read more:http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Yinka+Dene+Alliance+Time+Enbridge+give+Northern+Gateway/8350564/story.html#ixzz2SqLaVwn1

Today, May 8, the Enbridge board of directors is meeting with shareholders in Calgary for the Enbridge annual general meeting. In the past, we, the chiefs of the Yinka Dene Alliance, have personally attended this meeting to explain to Enbridge senior management and shareholders why our communities have rejected the Northern Gateway pipeline and tanker project. We have decided not to be with you this time, but our message today, as always, is that this and any other oil pipeline will not cross our homelands in British Columbia.