Enbridge Opponents Prepare for ‘Show-Down’ on Gateway Pipeline
After a decade of saying ‘no’ to Enbridge Inc.’s proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline, Canadian aboriginals are preparing to stop the project with protests in front of bulldozers and police barricades if needed.
With a decision by the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper only weeks away, opponents of the 1,177-kilometer (731-mile) pipeline across British Columbia aim to send a message to Enbridge shareholders when they attend an annual meeting today.
“The time is right to have it out with Harper on Northern Gateway once and for all,” said Art Sterrit, executive director of Coastal First Nations that represents tribes along the proposed tanker route. “I won’t let this pipeline get done as long as I’m alive,” he said in an interview yesterday in Calgary.
Enbridge proposed the pipeline a decade ago to transport oil sands bitumen from Alberta to Asian markets via tankers to capture higher world prices. Opponents fear destruction of their fisheries and shell-fish beds from a possible oil spill.
Communities are learning about their right to protest, said Jasmine Thomas, a member of the Saik’uz First Nation, whose territory is near the proposed pipeline route. The group has banned Enbridge from working on land the tribe claims and will protest in “creative and non-violent” ways, she said.
“We’re still looking at different options to express our opposition and stop the project,” Thomas said. “We hope it doesn’t get to that point” where violence erupts.
Native Rights
Unlike other Canadian provinces, British Columbia failed to resolve land claims with aboriginals whose rights to their traditional territory are ensconced in British legal documents dating back to the 18th century, said Sterrit. In addition, the federal government is obliged to consult natives on projects that affect their traditional way of life.
Enbridge wants to meet demand in other markets for the fuel as oil-sands output is set to almost triple to 5.2 million barrels a day by 2030, from 1.8 million in 2012, according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. Northern Gateway is one of about C$36 billion ($33 billion) worth of projects Enbridge is planning through 2017 to boost sales.
The company won approval from Canadian regulators in December to proceed with the C$6.5 billion pipeline to carry Alberta bitumen to the Pacific for export to Asian markets. The Canadian energy regulator placed 209 conditions on the project, which will push up costs, Chief Executive Officer Al Monaco said at the time.
Harper and his cabinet have until mid-June to make a decision on the pipeline. The government may decide before then whether Northern Gateway can go ahead, Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford said yesterday.