CALGARY — Infamous environmental activist David Suzuki has accused Alberta Premier Danielle Smith of using the threat of an independence referendum as leverage to pressure Ottawa to support the proposed Pacific Link pipeline.In a recent video shared on the David Suzuki Foundation’s official Instagram account, Suzuki stated that Prime Minister Mark Carney “knows First Nations will not allow the pipeline to reach the coast.”.“Fish and the oceans are everything to them,” the 90-year-old Suzuki added.“[Carney] knows that pipeline will not be built, but Danielle's got him by the ass. Alberta separatism? What the hell is that? She’s used that, so she’s got what she wanted.”His remarks come after Carney and Smith recently announced that the proposed Pacific Link pipeline, which would transport one million barrels of crude oil per day from Alberta to the BC coast, had been designated a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act.That designation now allows the project to undergo an accelerated regulatory review through the federal Major Projects Office (MPO). Ottawa is aiming to finalize the necessary conditions by September 1, 2027, with construction potentially following soon after..The proposed pipeline has been promoted by both governments as an opportunity to diversify Canada's oil exports and reduce dependence on the United States while expanding access to overseas markets, particularly in Asia.According to the federal government's announcement, Canada and Alberta will share equal ownership of Pacific Link, while indigenous communities will be offered a minimum 10% ownership interest.Trans Mountain Corporation will lead project development, with Pembina Pipeline Corporation participating as a private-sector investor.Carney has maintained that indigenous consultation and environmental protections will remain part of the regulatory process.“Over the next year, the Major Projects Office, supported by Canada's energy regulators, will lead consultations with all stakeholders to set the conditions for the project, specifics about the ownership, the benefits, the environmental protections, and the local hiring, contracting, and oversight,” Carney said during the October 1 announcement.However, indigenous opposition to the project has already intensified.On October 8, Cold Lake First Nations filed an application for judicial review in Federal Court challenging the Liberal government’s decision to designate Pacific Link a project of national interest.Cold Lake First Nations Chief Kelsey Jacko told the Canadian Press that his community — which is located in the oil sands region — had not been properly consulted about the designation..Alberta First Nation challenging Ottawa's Pacific Link pipeline designation in court.In his community’s application, the First Nation argues that expanding oil sands production would have significant consequences for its members' ability to maintain their traditional way of life and exercise their Treaty 6 rights.The Assembly of First Nations has also previously raised concerns about Ottawa's approach, identifying “many red flags” in the pipeline's designation and accusing the federal government of moving ahead before conducting meaningful consultations.In his video, Suzuki raised the prospect of civil disobedience as a way for environmental groups and indigenous communities to oppose the proposed Pacific Link pipeline project going forward.“Civil disobedience, it's... If we wanna make the changes, it's inevitable,” he said.
