• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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