Ottawa and Alberta signed a brand new energy deal on Thursday that has sent positive and negative feelings throughout every actor involved in Canadian politics. The deal promises a new bitumen that will run from Alberta all the way to the coast of British Columbia. The decision has sent climate supporters reeling and has left Indigenous groups furious.
The deal also confirmed that Carney’s government will not impose the proposed cap on oil and gas emissions and will amend the “greenwashing” provisions, which his government first announced in the Liberals’ Nov. 4 budget. The deal outlines both Ottawa's and Alberta’s commitments to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The new pipeline will be in addition to the extension being built to the Trans Mountain pipeline.
What does Carney think?
PM Carney was all smiles as he shook hands with controversial Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Premier Smith has been heavily criticized for her stance on climate change, immigration, vaccines, and social programs that Canadians rely on. Carney stated that, “At the core of the agreement, of course, it’s a priority to have a pipeline to Asia. That’s going to make Canada stronger, more independent, more resilient, more sustainable,”
Carney claims the deal will “set the stage for an industrial transformation.” And that the deal is “multifaceted”.
Problems in BC
The government of British Columbia has rejected the deal, which would give Alberta an exemption to a federally imposed ban that stops oil tankers from carrying more than 12,500 tonnes of crude oil and other persistent oil products as cargo off B.C.'s North Coast. First Nations groups in the area want the tanker ban to remain, with the Heiltsuk Nation stating that coastal First Nations communities are “ground zero for the dangers of marine accidents, including oil spills, and we shoulder the burden of risk of expanded marine traffic.”
BC Premier David Aby has also made his thoughts known, stating, “The vast majority of those projects rely on the support of coastal First Nations, for whom the oil tanker ban is the sole reason they’re able to tolerate those other projects,"
First Nations say it will ‘never happen’
The president of the Coastal First Nations in B.C. made her stance clear. Marilyn Slett said her group, which represents nearly a dozen First Nations, has been completely left in the dark and that an oil pipeline to the province's North Coast "will never happen".
"While the details of this MOU remain to be seen, under no circumstances can it override our inherent and constitutional rights and title, or deter our deep interconnection of mutual respect for the ocean."
First Nations groups in Alberta are also opposing the deal, stating, "It’s frustrating when people are having talks, and we're absent from the table," said Cold Lake First Nations Chief Kelsey Jacko.
Liberal MP resigns
Possibly the most dramatic reaction came from Steven Guilbeault, a Liberal MP from Quebec, who resigned his seat in protest of the deal. In a lengthy statement posted to Twitter, Guilbeault said he informed the prime minister of his decision on Thursday, noting he is also departing from his role as Carney’s Quebec lieutenant.
Guilbeault stated, “I chose to enter politics to champion the fight against climate change and the protection of the environment,” and outlined a myriad of reasons why the deal goes against his beliefs.
“There was no consultation with the Indigenous Nations of the West Coast of BC, or with the provincial government.”
He also cited how lifting the tanker ban in BC could “significantly increase the risk of accidents in the region.” The tanker ban was unanimously passed by the House of Commons in 1972 due to the treacherous nature of the Hecate Strait, the route tankers need to take. The Hecate Strait is known as the most dangerous body of water in Canada. There are no set plans for the construction of this pipeline, but Carney claims they will “build big, we will build fast.