British Columbia

The federal government’s decision on expanding the TransMountain pipeline, expected no later than Dec. 19, will be an early Christmas present for an as yet unknown recipient.

As opponents hope for a resounding “no” on the $6.8-billion expansion project, all but a few of the communities along the pipeline route — from Strathcona County in Alberta to Burnaby, B.C. — have signed agreements ensuring they get more than a lump of coal if the project goes ahead, whether they endorse it, or not.

The BC Hydro Ratepayers Association has filed for a Judicial Review of a fisheries permit related to the controversial Site C dam, arguing that the impact of the megaproject on the environment and on First Nations rights was not adequately justified before the permit was granted.

The permit or “Authorization”, issued in late August by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, “authorizes BC Hydro to conduct specified works and activities likely to result in serious harm to fish.”

[see video in original article]

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould should resign her post over the federal approval of permits for British Columbia’s Site C mega dam, says the chief of West Moberly First Nation, one of the Treaty 8 communities facing territorial destruction as a result of the project.

Enbridge says they will pursue re-engagement with directly affected First Nations communities along the proposed route of their Northern Gateway pipeline, a proposed project that would carry bitumen from Alberta through to Kitimat.

Northern Gateway announced today they would not appeal the Federal Court of Appeal’s decision to reverse the pipeline’s federal approval. The court cited a lack of meaningful consultation with impacted First Nations.

Chief Namoks of the Wet’suwet’en questions the move as just a PR strategy.

Sept 16, 2016 - Another U.S. scientific study has confirmed that methane emissions from oil and gas activity are increasing more rapidly than previously estimated, and that these increases were happening at the same time that the North American shale gas boom and related fracking frenzy took off.

Sept 16, 2016 - Solar power projects that could jolt Alberta's electricity grid with the addition of hundreds of megawatts of renewable power are being lined up in anticipation of incentives from the provincial NDP government.

According to the Alberta Electric System Operator, 21 proposed solar projects generating a total of 681 MW — about 60 times the existing provincial solar capacity — have been registered on its system access service request list as of Sept. 1.

Wednesday September 14, 2016

Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette has broken ranks with his government's approval of a BC dam project, saying a failure to consult local First Nations could violate the UN declaration on indigenous rights.

The Federal Court of Appeal has quashed a bid by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation to have the National Energy Board process for the Trans Mountain pipeline declared unlawful.

At issue in the suit filed in 2014 was whether the Crown and NEB had failed in their constitutional duty to consult the Tsleil-Waututh as a First Nation.

The federal court of appeal issued a 44-page decision last week rejecting the claim, stating the Tsleil-Waututh could have raised its concerns about the project with the federal government at numerous times over the last several years.