Conservative Member of Parliament Kevin Waugh said more than 30 First Nations in northern British Columbia and Alberta will suffer by a proposed Liberal tanker ban.
Waugh made the comments during a debate in the House of Commons Friday over Bill C-48, a law that would enact a moratorium on oil tankers along B.C.’s northern coast.
“This ban would seriously hurt many, and I say many First Nations groups, which have stood to gain from a pipeline in the area,” Waugh said in the House.
Waugh was referring specifically to a pipeline project proposal called Eagle Spirit.
It would refine tar sands in Alberta and send the product along a newly built pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta to Grassy Point on the north coast of B.C., south of the city of Prince Rupert.
John Helin, a member of Lax Kw’alaams First Nation in northern B.C., and brother of Eagle Spirit’s CEO is Calvin Helin, was in Ottawa yesterday to stress his opposition to the proposed legislation.
“(The tanker ban) is imposing on us more hardship without any consultation,” he said during a press conference, also attended by Conservative MPs Shannon Stubbs and Cathy McLeod.
Helin also supported the now-canceled Pacific Northwest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. It would have created a large LNG export plant on Lelu Island, again near Prince Rupert.
Bill C-48 is currently going through third reading and the Conservative MPs stressed the loss of jobs and poor economic development if it is passed.
“And let’s not kid ourselves, this isn’t a tanker ban. This is to stop development in the resource sector and shipping products to the west coast, nothing more,” said Conservative MP Randy Hoback.
Meanwhile, the NDP announced their support of C-48 during the debate.
But NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson wondered how the Liberal government could ban tanker traffic in the north while supporting the expansion of it in the south through Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
“So we ask the government if you’re willing to put in strong measures on the north coast, why not for the south coast?” she asked.
The Liberals reiterated that the Kinder Morgan project was in the national interest and it will be built.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Government Leader of the House of Commons Kevin Lamoureux expressed disappointment in the NDP’s approach in terms of the national interest.
“And how they’re prepared to forego that based in terms of what they perceive is just one position of the environment has to be taken into consideration,” he said.
“The true national interest would be for the Liberal government to have kept it’s election promises to redo the Kinder Morgan review,” Malcolmson replied. “But most importantly to truly reconcile with Indigenous people. If you’re going to sign off on UNDRIP, then you cannot ram a pipeline through. And it’s in the national interest to protect the environment and that’s what we’re doing.”
With or without First Nations approval, building a pipeline to carry crude oil produced in the Alberta bitumen oil sands is a bad idea.
Remember the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The Exxon Valdez spilled 10.8 million US gallons (260,000 barrels) of light crude oil. On March 24, 2014, 25 years later, federal US scientists estimate that between 16,000 and 21,000 US gallons of oil remains on beaches in Prince William Sound and up to 450 miles (750 km) away.
Tankers which are expected to transport the crude oil carried by the Eagle Spirit Energy pipeline will be able to carry up to two million barrels. If the oil is going to be shipped through the US part of the Portland Channel, it will be a real challenge. The Portland Channel is 174 kilometres long and about two hundred meters wide in the most restricted area. So it leaves approximately a 100 meters wide passage, if tankers have to use the US side only. To make it economical to ship crude oil to Asia, traders will have to use Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC). A VLCC tanker is on average 58 meters wide. On the other hand, we’ve been used to hear that First Nations have a great respect for mother earth. Building more pipelines will only push for more development in the Alberta bitumen oil sands. More oil will be produced and burned, putting more carbon into the atmosphere.
Northern Canada is already experiencing the negative effects of a warming climate. Building more pipelines will only make things worse.
With or without First Nations approval, building a pipeline to carry crude oil produced in the Alberta bitumen oil sands is a bad idea.
Remember the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The Exxon Valdez spilled 10.8 million US gallons (260,000 barrels) of light crude oil. On March 24, 2014, 25 years later, federal US scientists estimate that between 16,000 and 21,000 US gallons of oil remains on beaches in Prince William Sound and up to 450 miles (750 km) away.
Tankers which are expected to transport the crude oil carried by the Eagle Spirit Energy pipeline will be able to carry up to two million barrels. If the oil is going to be shipped through the US part of the Portland Channel, it will be a real challenge. The Portland Channel is 174 kilometres long and about two hundred meters wide in the most restricted area. So it leaves approximately a 100 meters wide passage, if tankers have to use the US side only. To make it economical to ship crude oil to Asia, traders will have to use Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC). A VLCC tanker is on average 58 meters wide. On the other hand, we’ve been used to hear that First Nations have a great respect for mother earth. Building more pipelines will only push for more development in the Alberta bitumen oil sands. More oil will be produced and burned, putting more carbon into the atmosphere.
Northern Canada is already experiencing the negative effects of a warming climate. Building more pipelines will only make things worse.
Tanker ban has to be stoped could never take tankers to Hyder Alsk without going in Canadian waters . Need to use Dickson entrance to mouth of nass river someplace
Tanker ban has to be stoped could never take tankers to Hyder Alsk without going in Canadian waters . Need to use Dickson entrance to mouth of nass river someplace
Surprised that the Liberals do not listen to First Nations? Why? The Liberals do not listen to any common sense from anyone. This is the epitom,e of passive aggression. Listen and absorbe and do absolutely nothing we want or worse what the country needs. This is not Utopia and never will be.
Surprised that the Liberals do not listen to First Nations? Why? The Liberals do not listen to any common sense from anyone. This is the epitom,e of passive aggression. Listen and absorbe and do absolutely nothing we want or worse what the country needs. This is not Utopia and never will be.
🙂 This is how you make Policy.. by having the voices of the affected heard in the houses of Governance!
However: the BAND structure & nature of Power & Policy of BAND(s) may not be known to Canadian’s.
BAND’s have there struggles and often what BAND say does not represent the will of the membership but simply the will of the leaders.
Which can be a good thing & bad, but.. there is often.. corruption involved.
This corruption can & may be utilized to push this pipeline through.
Thus.. the jobs, money and decisions to place the future.. of the deep water port on Lax Kwa’alams territory maybe the reason behind there Interest.
However.. grand father sky & grand mother earth are very serious considerations for BAND’s with real elder’s who mix what has been and what is to become.
In this the ecological Risk’s for the North Coast of BC & how many communities depend upon the ecology as it is and has been for times of the ancestors.
Thus the future must be held well in control for we are those ancestors that our childern may not bring honor to if we conduct our selves in the manifest interest of those who may corrupt with allowance for gains the opinion support of the First Nations.
It is interesting that nobody has any problem with tankers off the East Coats and in the St. Lawrence. I do wonder if it has anything to do with the politics of the two ares. We get the kinds of Gov we deserve.
Surprised that the Liberals do not listen to First Nations? Why? The Liberals do not listen to any common sense from anyone. This is the epitom,e of passive aggression. Listen and absorbe and do absolutely nothing we want or worse what the country needs. This is not Utopia and never will be.
Surprised that the Liberals do not listen to First Nations? Why? The Liberals do not listen to any common sense from anyone. This is the epitom,e of passive aggression. Listen and absorbe and do absolutely nothing we want or worse what the country needs. This is not Utopia and never will be.
🙂 This is how you make Policy.. by having the voices of the affected heard in the houses of Governance!
However: the BAND structure & nature of Power & Policy of BAND(s) may not be known to Canadian’s.
BAND’s have there struggles and often what BAND say does not represent the will of the membership but simply the will of the leaders.
Which can be a good thing & bad, but.. there is often.. corruption involved.
This corruption can & may be utilized to push this pipeline through.
Thus.. the jobs, money and decisions to place the future.. of the deep water port on Lax Kwa’alams territory maybe the reason behind there Interest.
However.. grand father sky & grand mother earth are very serious considerations for BAND’s with real elder’s who mix what has been and what is to become.
In this the ecological Risk’s for the North Coast of BC & how many communities depend upon the ecology as it is and has been for times of the ancestors.
Thus the future must be held well in control for we are those ancestors that our childern may not bring honor to if we conduct our selves in the manifest interest of those who may corrupt with allowance for gains the opinion support of the First Nations.
It is interesting that nobody has any problem with tankers off the East Coats and in the St. Lawrence. I do wonder if it has anything to do with the politics of the two ares. We get the kinds of Gov we deserve.
Built the pipeline stop buying oil from the enemies who want to hurt the North Americans. Billion of dallors every year so they can buy more weapons to hurt the free nations
The pipeline is for our enemies. As we do not own our oil and ensure 100% profits are retained by the Crown Corporation (Petro Canada). Which is not a Crown Corporation any longer.
With refinery capabilities being kept in sufficient in Canada, we risk our Ecology & economy to keep people employee in a foreign land.
Surprised that the Liberals do not listen to First Nations? Why? The Liberals do not listen to any common sense from anyone. This is the epitom,e of passive aggression. Listen and absorbe and do absolutely nothing we want or worse what the country needs. This is not Utopia and never will be.
Built the pipeline stop buying oil from the enemies who want to hurt the North Americans. Billion of dallors every year so they can buy more weapons to hurt the free nations
The pipeline is for our enemies. As we do not own our oil and ensure 100% profits are retained by the Crown Corporation (Petro Canada). Which is not a Crown Corporation any longer.
With refinery capabilities being kept in sufficient in Canada, we risk our Ecology & economy to keep people employee in a foreign land.
Surprised that the Liberals do not listen to First Nations? Why? The Liberals do not listen to any common sense from anyone. This is the epitom,e of passive aggression. Listen and absorbe and do absolutely nothing we want or worse what the country needs. This is not Utopia and never will be.