The Coastal Gaslink Pipeline Project did everything right..Over eight years ago they began the application process to build a natural gas pipeline from Dawson Creek, BC to Kitimat where an Light Natural Gas (LNG) terminal is under construction. TC Energy did all the environmental assessment work. They applied for and acquired the myriad of requisite federal and provincial permits. They consulted with and made agreements with all 20 of the First Nations bands who have traditional lands within the right of way..Despite all of this, construction remains chronically stalled on the pipeline due to a small group of protesters. If the state does not definitively intervene to get this pipeline built, we will never see another energy project completed again in Canada, no matter how many hoops the applicants may jump through..TC Energy has been mired in the courts for years getting one injunction after another to try and resume construction which has been blocked by a small group of illegal protesters. It was just over a year ago now when the RCMP acted upon an injunction, cleared out an illegal blockade and arrested 14 protesters. Since then, charges against all 14 of the protesters were dropped and unsurprisingly the protesters resumed with their actions to block the project..Crews have been brought to a standstill as protesters have been cutting trees and dropping them across the road required to access the project. A group of protesters then approached the work camp with a ridiculous, extra-legal eviction notice of their own design. Sadly the company complied with the “eviction notice” and cleared their crews out of the camp in hopes of avoiding a confrontation. They knew that it could take months and more time in court to get the RCMP out to defend them should they choose to try and remain in their legal camp.. MORGAN: Coastal Gaslink Pipeline is do or die after UN decreeTrans-Alaska Pipeline (source: WikiCommons) .TC Energy is trying again to resume work this week, but time will tell if they can manage to get anything done. The state is terrified to intervene despite having multiple court injunctions in their favor on this issue..This week, a the United Nations Committee for the Eliminations of Racial Discrimination (UNERND) demanded that Canada stops all work on the Site C dam, the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, and the Coastal Gaslink project. Evidently, these projects are racist. Alberta’s government slammed the UN, but as of publishing time, the federal government has been silent..Small protests against the Coastal Gaslink project erupted across Canada as extremists felt emboldened by the baseless UN committee suggestion. They have good reason to feel empowered in light of the deathly silence from our federal government on this issue..Environmental extremists have wrapped their opposition of the Coastal Gaslink project around the concept of “hereditary chiefs”. There are two levels of First Nations government in that region. One is comprised of chiefs and councils who are elected by First Nations citizens. The elected chiefs deal with governance issues and negotiating on material issues such as resource development. The “hereditary chiefs” hold a symbolic role which is ceremonial but holds no real authority in modern law. All of the elected chiefs in the region of the project have given their approval. The hereditary chief’s views should be considered about as important as that of Prince Charles..It is impossible to negotiate with “hereditary chiefs”, as their positions are fluid and the determination of their status is utterly arbitrary. This was demonstrated when five male “hereditary chiefs” stripped three female “hereditary chiefs” of their status due to the three women having been in support of the pipeline. When a committee of five can apparently overrule the status conferred upon three others due to bloodline, how can their authority be taken seriously? How can any arrangement with this group be considered binding? When negotiating trade agreements with the United Kingdom, do we require the intervening political support of the monarchy?.The First Nations traditions and laws of the region as interpreted by the “hereditary chiefs” are completely orally based. That means these laws are whatever the self-styled “hereditary chiefs” want to say they are. They can and do change on a whim..If our federal and provincial governments continue to let this small group of activists hogtie the construction of a simple gas line, the damage to Canada’s economy could be irreparable. Who on Earth would want to invest in a nation which refuses to enforce its own laws in the protection of legal commerce? Any project of any kind could potentially be canceled if a local indigenous person or two presents themselves as being in opposition to it, and claims to be some sort of hereditary chief. How could we contradict their oral history?. Trudeau on WE scandal: Case closed .Canada has decimated the energy industry to the point where there are now only two remaining major projects left. One is the Kitimat LNG facility – which needs the Coastal Gaslink pipeline in order to operate – and the other is the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Every other large LNG and pipeline project has had the investment driven from our country due to unreasonable regulation and the government’s cowardice in the face of environmental opposition..It doesn’t matter that the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion hasn’t moved a teaspoon of dirt in BC yet – despite over a decade of effort. The Coastal Gaslink pipeline is much more important right now. If we can’t even get a natural gas line constructed when all the regulatory hurdles have been passed, we don’t have a hope in hell of getting the Trans Mountain expansion built..Let’s pray that the federal government understands the importance of standing up to this minority of environmental activists right now. If these projects do not get completed, the economic fallout will last for generations.
The Coastal Gaslink Pipeline Project did everything right..Over eight years ago they began the application process to build a natural gas pipeline from Dawson Creek, BC to Kitimat where an Light Natural Gas (LNG) terminal is under construction. TC Energy did all the environmental assessment work. They applied for and acquired the myriad of requisite federal and provincial permits. They consulted with and made agreements with all 20 of the First Nations bands who have traditional lands within the right of way..Despite all of this, construction remains chronically stalled on the pipeline due to a small group of protesters. If the state does not definitively intervene to get this pipeline built, we will never see another energy project completed again in Canada, no matter how many hoops the applicants may jump through..TC Energy has been mired in the courts for years getting one injunction after another to try and resume construction which has been blocked by a small group of illegal protesters. It was just over a year ago now when the RCMP acted upon an injunction, cleared out an illegal blockade and arrested 14 protesters. Since then, charges against all 14 of the protesters were dropped and unsurprisingly the protesters resumed with their actions to block the project..Crews have been brought to a standstill as protesters have been cutting trees and dropping them across the road required to access the project. A group of protesters then approached the work camp with a ridiculous, extra-legal eviction notice of their own design. Sadly the company complied with the “eviction notice” and cleared their crews out of the camp in hopes of avoiding a confrontation. They knew that it could take months and more time in court to get the RCMP out to defend them should they choose to try and remain in their legal camp.. MORGAN: Coastal Gaslink Pipeline is do or die after UN decreeTrans-Alaska Pipeline (source: WikiCommons) .TC Energy is trying again to resume work this week, but time will tell if they can manage to get anything done. The state is terrified to intervene despite having multiple court injunctions in their favor on this issue..This week, a the United Nations Committee for the Eliminations of Racial Discrimination (UNERND) demanded that Canada stops all work on the Site C dam, the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, and the Coastal Gaslink project. Evidently, these projects are racist. Alberta’s government slammed the UN, but as of publishing time, the federal government has been silent..Small protests against the Coastal Gaslink project erupted across Canada as extremists felt emboldened by the baseless UN committee suggestion. They have good reason to feel empowered in light of the deathly silence from our federal government on this issue..Environmental extremists have wrapped their opposition of the Coastal Gaslink project around the concept of “hereditary chiefs”. There are two levels of First Nations government in that region. One is comprised of chiefs and councils who are elected by First Nations citizens. The elected chiefs deal with governance issues and negotiating on material issues such as resource development. The “hereditary chiefs” hold a symbolic role which is ceremonial but holds no real authority in modern law. All of the elected chiefs in the region of the project have given their approval. The hereditary chief’s views should be considered about as important as that of Prince Charles..It is impossible to negotiate with “hereditary chiefs”, as their positions are fluid and the determination of their status is utterly arbitrary. This was demonstrated when five male “hereditary chiefs” stripped three female “hereditary chiefs” of their status due to the three women having been in support of the pipeline. When a committee of five can apparently overrule the status conferred upon three others due to bloodline, how can their authority be taken seriously? How can any arrangement with this group be considered binding? When negotiating trade agreements with the United Kingdom, do we require the intervening political support of the monarchy?.The First Nations traditions and laws of the region as interpreted by the “hereditary chiefs” are completely orally based. That means these laws are whatever the self-styled “hereditary chiefs” want to say they are. They can and do change on a whim..If our federal and provincial governments continue to let this small group of activists hogtie the construction of a simple gas line, the damage to Canada’s economy could be irreparable. Who on Earth would want to invest in a nation which refuses to enforce its own laws in the protection of legal commerce? Any project of any kind could potentially be canceled if a local indigenous person or two presents themselves as being in opposition to it, and claims to be some sort of hereditary chief. How could we contradict their oral history?. Trudeau on WE scandal: Case closed .Canada has decimated the energy industry to the point where there are now only two remaining major projects left. One is the Kitimat LNG facility – which needs the Coastal Gaslink pipeline in order to operate – and the other is the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Every other large LNG and pipeline project has had the investment driven from our country due to unreasonable regulation and the government’s cowardice in the face of environmental opposition..It doesn’t matter that the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion hasn’t moved a teaspoon of dirt in BC yet – despite over a decade of effort. The Coastal Gaslink pipeline is much more important right now. If we can’t even get a natural gas line constructed when all the regulatory hurdles have been passed, we don’t have a hope in hell of getting the Trans Mountain expansion built..Let’s pray that the federal government understands the importance of standing up to this minority of environmental activists right now. If these projects do not get completed, the economic fallout will last for generations.