APTN National News
The Assembly of First Nations and other Indigenous organizations invited to a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, premiers and territorial leaders will have 10 minutes each to state their case for the environment at a sit down set for Friday in Ottawa.
National Chief Perry Bellegarde fresh from the December special chiefs assembly will lead a seven-member delegation from the Assembly of First Nations including regional chiefs Bill Erasmus, Isadore Day, Kevin Hart and two others that have not yet been named.
Natan Obed will lead the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and President Clément Chartier, the Métis National Council.
According to a statement on the prime minister’s website the meeting will “serve as an opportunity to discuss the framework and Indigenous perspectives in advance of the FMM. The discussion will inform further partnerships with Indigenous peoples as part of ongoing collaboration to protect Canada’s land, air, and water for future generations and to build our clean growth economy. Premiers are invited to take part in the meeting with the Indigenous leaders.”
The prime minister is under fire with a number of communities for approving the controversial Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. While some First Nation communities have struck deals with Kinder Morgan, there is fierce opposition to the project from many communities, Premier Christy Clark and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.
At the special chiefs assembly, the AFN’s Youth Council took a harder stance on pipelines than the executive.
Andre Bear, co-chair of the council announced the nibi okijida-kwe fund to raise money for groups to mount opposition to pipeline projects similar to what is unfolding in North Dakota with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Dakota Access pipeline.
Friday’s meeting will be in two parts.
While premiers and territorial leaders are invited to participate in talks with the prime minister and Indigenous leaders, Indigenous leaders are not invited to the afternoon session that will be a mix of climate change discussions and health care.
I understand many Canadians and First Nations peoples are concerned about oil pipe line safety .If you look at the safety precautions built into a modern pipeline they are very advanced . The pre-construction and construction phases are very well laid out and safety is a primary concern . The technology of a modern pipeline is quite advanced ,1/2 ” steel , x ray welding ,additional protection from rusting with coatings and cathode protection .Monitoring the condition of the pipeline through detection equipment for deterioration of the exterior of the pipeline ,pigs that periodically are run through the pipeline to check for any issues . There is more but it sure seems to me that a modern pipeline is a safe way to move oil . As far as safety in loading shipping sea going tankers Kinder Morgan has not had a spill in 60 years . My understanding is that Canada is in the process of ensuring response team are to be in place if there was a oil spill on the West coast where terminals are going to be located . Some people say just leave it in the ground .Well frankly we need the income and jobs that come from the oil industry . Canada also needs to reach out and diversify it’s customers for oil . There is a certain dignity when a person has a job and can put food on the table and afford to educate their children and provide for themselves and family. We need good paying jobs ,and oil pipeline supply that. The steady income from oil royalties allows our provincial and federal governments to be able to afford our many social programs like education and medical care to name a few. These pipeline projects also pay right of way rights that pay First Nations millions of dollars pay for needed infrastructure projects on First Nations reservations. The world still runs on fossil fuels and Canada has a lot of it . Canada also has a lot of debt so we need to pay that down . These pipeline projects are not taxpayer funded but will employ many and pay dividends for our future. So if the safety concerns are met and the benefits are high, why not . Canada does not have the money to develop the oil industry unfortunately so we need foreign investment . If we keep saying no to pipelines how much investment will Canada receive in the future ‘ There is nothing wrong with prosperity and having the money to support our way of life . For these reasons I support oil pipelines in Canada .
straight talk
When giving away our resources, we have every right to be at that table we are a nation. The FIRST NATIONS OF CANADA. We made TREATY with the CROWN not provinces who only came about later. so MR. TRUDEAU give the FIRST PEOPLES their right place, before those provinces eh.