• Some of Canada's top scientists push for changes to Carney's new major projects bill

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-22 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, British Columbia, Environment, Infrastructure, Energy, Governance]

  More than 50 fellows of the Royal Society of Canada published an open letter urging Parliament to make six significant amendments to Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act. The 243-page bill aims to fast-track major energy and infrastructure projects by establishing a one-year review deadline and pre-approved regions of national interest, while amending over a dozen federal laws including those protecting species at risk, fisheries, and water quality. Scientists, including representatives from the University of British Columbia and Queen's University, warn that eliminating the five-year sunset clause from the original Building Canada Act (Bill C-5) and weakening environmental oversight could drive irreversible harm and species extinction, such as the endangered southern resident orca population. Federal ministers, including Dominic LeBlanc, defended the legislation before a special legislative committee, arguing that clearer timelines and robust oversight can coexist.

  Read Original

• Water, toxic waste and opportunity: Indigenous leaders react to Carney's pipeline plan

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-08 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, British Columbia, Alberta, Energy, Environment, Indigenous]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney's federal government designated the Pacific Link pipeline project—designed to transport one million barrels of oil daily from Bruderheim, Alberta, to Roberts Bank, British Columbia—as a project in the national interest, targeting construction to begin within a year and operations by 2032. Indigenous leaders, including Sumas First Nation Chief Dalton Silver, Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi, and Fort McKay First Nation Chief Raymond Powder, have raised critical concerns regarding tight consultation timelines, potential environmental threats to water, fish, and wildlife, unresolved oilsands tailings management, and equitable community equity participation offering at least 10 per cent ownership.

  Read Original

• Liberal MP calls for more safeguards in new bill to fast-track development projects

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-07 22:35:17.0
  Tags: [National, British Columbia, Infrastructure, Energy, Environment, Governance]

  Liberal MP Patrick Weiler publicly raised concerns in the House of Commons regarding Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, which grants the Carney government sweeping powers to fast-track major infrastructure projects like pipelines, mines, and ports within one year. Weiler flagged shortcomings including excessive ministerial discretion to exempt projects from environmental regulations, compressed timelines limiting Indigenous and public input, and provisions allowing preliminary construction before environmental assessments are complete. The legislation, overseen by Transport Minister and House Leader Steven MacKinnon, is being studied in the House of Commons via a rare legislative committee structure covering its more than 200 clauses. Environmental groups and labour unions have also pushed back against the bill, warning it threatens environmental protections, at-risk species like caribou, and labour standards.

  Read Original

• Indigenous, local leaders optimistic about new pipeline despite “host of issues” Carney says Federal government is yet to address

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-10-05 16:03:04.0
  Tags: [National, Alberta, British Columbia, Energy, Infrastructure, Environment, Indigenous]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and Pembina Pipeline Corp. CEO Scott Burrows announced that the Pacific Link Pipeline (formerly West Coast Oil Pipeline) has been officially listed as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act. The project aims to export an additional one million barrels of Albertan oil per day to Asian markets, generate over $20 billion annually in GDP, create 140,000 jobs, and provide a 10 per cent ownership stake to Indigenous communities in British Columbia and Alberta through an accelerated single federal regulatory review process. However, the initiative faces ongoing concerns from local Indigenous groups—including Fort McKay First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation, and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation—regarding unresolved legacy issues, carbon capture and storage technologies like the Pathways Project, mine water release, and effluents regulations tied to a trilateral memorandum of understanding aiming to double regional oil production to eight million barrels per day within a decade.

  Read Original

• Separatist, environment, and some First Nation groups speak out against new Alberta-B.C. pipeline

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-10-02 20:03:56.0
  Tags: [National, Alberta, British Columbia, Infrastructure, Energy, Environment, Indigenous]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced that the Pacific Link pipeline, proposed by Pembina Pipeline Corporation, has been designated a project of national interest, allowing it to be fast-tracked through Ottawa's major projects office with construction potentially starting in September. The pipeline faces strong opposition from Alberta separatists like Let Alberta Decide over public financing and timing, B.C. and Alberta First Nations including Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and the Union of B.C. Indigenous Chiefs over lack of consultation and environmental impacts, and environmental groups like the Pembina Institute and Ecojustice over increased greenhouse gas emissions and risks to the Salish Sea.

  Read Original

• Ottawa faces deadline on whether to fast-track new West Coast pipeline

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-01 11:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Alberta, British Columbia, Energy, Infrastructure, Environment]

  The federal government and the Alberta government face an October 1 deadline to decide whether to designate a new 1,250-kilometre bitumen pipeline project under Bill C-5, the Building Canada Act, to fast-track its approval. The multi-billion dollar project, estimated to cost between $35.2 billion and $43.7 billion, would run from Bruderheim, Alberta, to the Roberts Bank terminal in Delta, British Columbia, carrying more than one million barrels of bitumen per day. The Alberta government and the federally owned Trans Mountain Corporation would each hold a 45 per cent ownership stake, while the Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corporation would hold a 10 per cent stake. The project is conditional on the construction of the Pathways carbon storage network and faces opposition and potential hurdles from First Nations groups and environmental organizations over Indigenous consultation and environmental impacts.

  Read Original

• LNG Canada expansion gets go-ahead, as Carney set to highlight 'historic investment' in Canadian energy

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-29 11:13:02.0
  Tags: [National, British Columbia, Energy, Environment, Resources, Economy]

  Shell Canada Energy confirmed a final investment decision to move forward with the multibillion-dollar LNG Canada Phase 2 expansion in Kitimat, British Columbia. The expansion project involves a joint venture including Shell Canada Energy, Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Korea Gas Corp. The development is projected to roughly double the production and export capacity of liquefied natural gas from 14 million to 28 million tonnes annually. Prime Minister Mark Carney highlighted the development as a historic investment in Canada's energy sector, though environmentalists and critics raised concerns regarding increased natural gas extraction emissions, fracking-induced earthquakes, and climate impacts.

  Read Original

• First candidate area announced for Working Forest Landscape Model

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-15 14:45:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Resources, Environment, Indigenous, Industry, Governance]

  The British Columbia Ministry of Forests and the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, in partnership with the Na̲nwak̲olas Council (including the Tlowitsis, We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum, and K’ómoks First Nations), have identified an area north of Campbell River as the first candidate site to explore a three-zone Working Forest Landscape Model. The model divides public forests into a Working-Forest Zone for commercial timber, a Multiple-Use Zone for biodiversity and ecosystem restoration, and a Conservation and Protection Zone. This exploration phase aims to improve predictability for industry, workers, and First Nations while addressing fibre constraints, climate pressures, and biodiversity values across tenures such as Tree Farm Licence 64 and BC Timber Sales operating areas.

  Read Original

• Community forests expanding in McLeod Lake/Mackenzie, north Island

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-14 19:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Resources, Environment, Indigenous, Industry, Municipal]

  The British Columbia Ministry of Forests, led by Minister Ravi Parmar, announced the expansion of two community forests to enhance local forest management, support wildfire resilience, and secure sustainable fibre supply. The McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest, established in 2009 and partnered with the McLeod Lake Indian Band, is being expanded by nearly 10,400 hectares with an annual wood fibre allocation of 20,000 cubic metres. Meanwhile, the North Island Community Forest LP, established in 2011, is advancing an expansion that includes more than 8,100 cubic metres of wood fibre annually. These area-based forest licenses are managed collaboratively by local governments, community groups, and First Nations to generate regional economic benefits and well-paying jobs.

  Read Original

• Building wildfire resilience throughout B.C.

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-13 20:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Emergency, Climate, Environment, Infrastructure, Indigenous]

  The Government of British Columbia announced an investment of $15 million under Budget 2026 for the 2027 FireSmart Community Funding and Supports (FCFS) program, with applications opening October 1, 2026. Delivered in partnership with the Union of B.C. Municipalities and the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society, the program funds local wildfire-risk-reduction projects, education, home assessments, and mitigation planning. Since 2018, approximately $190 million has been invested through the initiative, supporting more than 300 communities, including 158 First Nations and 155 local governments.

  Read Original

• Powering Metro Vancouver’s first net-zero-emission school

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-11 18:30:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Education, Energy, Environment, Climate, Infrastructure]

  The Government of British Columbia and BC Hydro announced that École Snokomish Elementary in Surrey has opened as Metro Vancouver's first all-electric, net-zero-emission school and latest Power Smart Champion. Supported by CleanBC funding and more than $14,000 for an initial energy study, the 27-classroom, 655-student school utilizes a heat-pump-based HVAC system designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 89% and avoid an estimated 961 tonnes of emissions over 15 years. The project directly advances Surrey Schools' target to lower emissions by 40% by 2030 and aligns with BC Hydro's Power Smart 2.0 plan to drive public building energy efficiency.

  Read Original

• As Carney advances Vancouver port expansion, environmentalists raise concern for at-risk species

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-05 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, British Columbia, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment, Climate]

  The federal government has issued a mandatory notice under the Building Canada Act to designate the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 port expansion project in Vancouver as a project of national interest, initiating a 30-day consultation period. Led by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the $10 billion three-berth container terminal expansion—backed by a federal-provincial funding agreement—aims to increase port capacity by nearly 50 per cent and generate $100 billion in annual trade capacity. Environmental groups, including Environmental Defence, and biological scientists have raised concerns that national-interest status could fast-track approvals and give Prime Minister Mark Carney's cabinet discretionary power to bypass environmental safeguards under the Species at Risk Act, potentially threatening endangered southern resident killer whales and chinook salmon habitats within the Fraser River Estuary.

  Read Original

• Setting new harvest level in Omineca region

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-04 16:45:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Resources, Environment, Indigenous, Industry, Economy]

  British Columbia's deputy chief forester has reduced the allowable annual cut (AAC) for Tree Farm Licence 30 in the Omineca region by 17.6% to 340,000 cubic metres, effective September 4, 2026. The independent regulatory decision under the Forest Act accounts for changing economic availability, climate change considerations, and the protection of archeological sites, rare ecosystems, streams, fish habitat, and wildlife such as moose. The approximately 180,000-hectare licence area, located northeast of Prince George in the Prince George Natural Resource District, overlaps the traditional territories of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, West Moberly First Nations, and Tsay Keh Dene Nation, whose consultations and stewardship input informed the final determination.

  Read Original

• Opening engagement on dock management in southern Gulf Islands

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-03 21:15:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Environment, Resources, Indigenous, Governance]

  The Government of British Columbia, through the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, has opened a public consultation period running from September 3, 2026, to October 18, 2026, regarding a draft Strategic Management Plan for private marine docks on Crown foreshore areas in the southern Gulf Islands and southeastern Vancouver Island. Following a pause on new private moorage applications implemented in 2021 that ended in March 2026, the proposed strategy establishes guidelines to balance environmental protection, First Nations rights, public coastline access, and clear application requirements. Existing authorized docks will not be forced to relocate or be removed, but owners will be required to transition to defined best management practices over time.

  Read Original

• Protecting Chinook salmon in Bessette Creek with temporary order

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-28 19:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Environment, Water, Agriculture, Fisheries]

  Effective August 28, 2026, the Government of British Columbia issued a fish population protection order under the Water Sustainability Act for the Bessette Creek watershed in the Thompson Okanagan region due to persistent severe drought and record-low streamflows. The temporary order halts water use for 131 surface-water and groundwater licence holders and transitioning users engaged in forage crop irrigation, crop harvesting, processing ore, and other water-intensive industrial activities to protect endangered Chinook salmon. The Province offers support through the Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program—which has invested $120 million since 2023 across more than 700 producer projects—alongside the $285.5-million B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund.

  Read Original

• Provincial state of emergency ends, wildfire risk remains

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-27 22:25:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Emergency, Public Safety, Environment]

  The Government of British Columbia ended the provincial state of emergency, which was initially declared on August 8, 2026, on the advice of emergency management officials. The cancellation has no impact on existing local states of emergency, evacuation orders, or evacuation alerts issued by local governments or First Nations. Statutory powers for response and resource coordination continue to be provided through the Wildfire Act and the Emergency and Disaster Management Act. Despite the provincial state of emergency ending, elevated wildfire risk persists due to ongoing warm and dry conditions, and the Province retains the authority to declare a new state of emergency if required.

  Read Original

• Taking the next step to modernize B.C. forest management

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-27 15:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Resources, Environment, Industry, Indigenous]

  The Government of British Columbia, co-led by the Ministry of Forests under Minister Ravi Parmar and the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship under Minister Randene Neill, is introducing a Working Forest Landscape Model featuring a three-zone framework. The proposed model divides public forests into a Working-Forest Zone for commercial timber production aiming to stabilize an annual harvest of 45 million cubic metres, a Multiple-Use Zone focused on biodiversity and ecosystem restoration, and a Conservation and Protection Zone to support the provincial commitment to protect 30% of B.C.'s land base by 2030. In fall 2026, the Province will announce select candidate areas identified through engagement with First Nations, industry, local governments, and environmental groups to begin testing the zonation approach.

  Read Original