CHN PRESS RELEASE: NORTHERN GATEWAY PROJECT DEAD AND MORATORIUM COMING

We are very pleased to see the government turn down the Northern Gateway Pipeline.  It comes at a cost:  Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Expansion and Line 3.  There is still more work to be done.

Please see the new Press Release from the Council of the Haida Nation on Trudeau’s announcement.  According to CHN President Peter Lantin:

“There has to be a better government-to-government consultation process to deal with these projects before they get rolling,” said Lantin. “Avoiding this type of confrontation through frank dialogue will result in more common ground. Protecting the coast and the waters surrounding Haida Gwaii is paramount for our Nation. But within this framework there is room to develop practical solutions and resolve issues nation-to-nation and to do that we have to talk.”

CHN PRESS RELEASE: ACCUMULATING IMPACTS: HAIDA HAVE GOOD REASON TO OPPOSE LNG & ENB MEGAPROJECTS

The Council of the Haida Nation have made available a press release detailing the strategies LNG and Pipeline companies use to pursue ‘social license.’  On their own position, the CHN states:

“There are many good reasons to oppose these projects and few to support them. The perceived

benefits in no way trump what we know we will lose. Our Nation has done its due diligence; we have spoken

to BC and Canada, we have looked at the environmental, social and legal impacts of these projects and are not

convinced that shipping LNG or oil from the west coast is a good idea. These projects will further pollute the

Earth and no good will come of them.”

To view the full press release, please see: CHN_LNG_ENB_Final

Write to the Environment Minister before March 11th!

Dear family, friends, and allies:

As you may already know, the Pacific NorthWest LNG project proposed by Petronas has been under environmental review since 2013. On February 10th of this year, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) issued its draft report that states:

“The Agency concludes that the Pacific NorthWest LNG Project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects, taking into account the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures, on harbour porpoise and as a result of greenhouse gas emissions … With respect to all other valued components, the Agency concludes that the Project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects taking into account the implementation of the key mitigation measures.”

Those of us who have fished this coast and enjoyed its wealth know that this project will cause immeasurable damage to our ocean and quality of life.

British Columbia Supreme Court Decides That The Province Cannot Abdicate Its Authority

[Originally published on mondaq, February 23, 2016]

Recently the British Columbia Supreme Court (“Court”) released its reasons for judgment in Coastal First Nations v. British Columbia (Environment), 2016 BCSC 34. The BC Environmental Assessment Office (the “EAO”) had entered into an equivalency agreement (the “Agreement”) with the National Energy Board (“NEB”). The Agreement allowed for the EAO to rely on an environmental assessment from the NEB related to Enbridge’s Northern Gateway project (the “Project”). The   Court found that the Province of British Columbia had abdicated its statutory duties and breached its duty to consult with the Coastal First Nations when it signed and failed to terminate the Agreement that provided the NEB with sole jurisdiction over the environmental assessment decision-making regarding the Project.

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD: Looking to have the federal decision on the Enbridge pipeline ruled ‘invalid’

First Nations on the coast including the Haida are taking Canada to court to have the JRP review of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline declared invalid.  Stay tuned for the hearing:

Federal Court of Appeal
October 1 – 2 and 5 – 8, 2015
Vancouver, BC
Open to the public.

From the Council of the Haida Nation:

The next milestone in the ongoing effort to defend northern BC from oil pipelines and supertankers is just around the corner. Please see attached PDF: CHN Legal Challenge Overview 2015.8.12

Haida Raid 3: Save Our Waters Released!

Kaalts’ida Kah, Laughing Crow Productions is proud to announce the release of their newest Animation, a music video for recording artist Kinnie Star called Save Our Waters.  Prime Minister Harper sets out on the maiden voyage of the supertanker Bitumen Valdez and is met by opposition out on the waters in the form of a floatilla of canoes, fishing boats and killerwhales!

Check it out on Youtube: