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Coastal First Nations Urge Carney to Block New West Coast Oil Pipeline

Indigenous chiefs demand strict enforcement of the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act following federal efforts to fast-track approvals for tanker shipments tied to proposed pipelines.

Workers lay pipe during construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on farmland, in Abbotsford, B.C., on Wednesday, May 3, 2025.
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Overview

  • The Coastal First Nations–Great Bear Initiative sent Prime Minister Mark Carney an open letter on July 22 rejecting any new crude pipeline to the northwest B.C. coast as a “non-starter.”
  • Leaders insisted that the 2019 Oil Tanker Moratorium Act remain in force, barring vessels carrying over 12,500 metric tons of crude from north coast ports.
  • The moratorium formalizes more than 50 years of protections for ecosystems such as the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii against spill risks.
  • The letter follows Carney’s recent meeting with hundreds of First Nations chiefs, where fast-track provisions in the Building Canada Act met widespread resistance.
  • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith continues to press for a privately financed pipeline to export crude to Asia, contingent on streamlined regulatory reforms and carbon capture guarantees.