Cold Lake First Nations Challenges Canadian Oil Pipeline

Cold Lake First Nations (CLFNS) is challenging the Canadian federal government’s decision to designate Canada’s new oil pipeline project to the West Coast as a project of national interest, according to OilPrice.

Last week, the federal government designated the new oil pipeline to the West Coast, which Canada and Alberta are advancing in partnership, as a project of national interest to fast-track development. The 1 million-barrels-per-day oil pipeline to the British Columbia coast was proposed by the provincial government to export additional volumes of crude oil to destinations in Asia and reduce dependence on exports to the United States.

Legal Challenge Filed

A week after the official listing of the Pacific Link project, CLFNS filed an application for judicial review in Federal Court. The First Nation stated that the legal step is being taken to protect Treaty rights, lands, and interests for future generations.

According to the First Nation, repeated requests were made to Canada for consultation on Pacific Link and Pathways alongside proposals for meaningful engagement. CLFNS stated that the federal government moved ahead with the national interest designation without meaningful consultation.

Project Structure and Ownership

Under the current federal designation, Canada and Alberta will share equal ownership of Pacific Link. Indigenous communities are being offered a minimum 10% ownership interest financed through Indigenous Loan Guarantee Programs.

The project is being led by the Trans Mountain Corporation with expertise offered by private sector investor Pembina Pipeline Corporation. The pipeline's southern route is designed to protect British Columbia’s North Coast and avoid sensitive ecosystems, including the Great Bear Sea.

Key facts

• Cold Lake First Nations filed an application for judicial review in Federal Court.
• The challenge targets the federal designation of the Pacific Link oil pipeline as a project of national interest.
• The proposed pipeline targets a capacity of 1 million barrels per day toward the British Columbia coast.
• Canada and Alberta plan to share equal ownership of the pipeline project, with a minimum 10% ownership interest offered to Indigenous communities.