Alberta Métis leaders oppose exclusion, not Pacific Link, as Cold Lake takes Ottawa to court

Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-10-14 14:05:34.0
Tags: [Alberta, National, Energy, Infrastructure, Indigenous, Resources]

Six Métis nations in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, along with the Cold Lake First Nations (which filed a Federal Court application), are challenging federal and provincial authorities over their exclusion from consultations regarding the proposed Pacific Link pipeline. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the pipeline as a project of national interest on October 1, 2026, to carry Alberta oil to the British Columbia coast with a groundbreaking targeted for September 1, 2027. Indigenous leaders criticize the lack of consultation, noting that equity ownership stakes and co-development terms were offered without proper engagement with Métis communities, violating Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 and the Crown's duty to consult.