OTTAWA — Indigenous communities along the newly-announced West Coast Oil Pipeline route were given just two months for consultations, and that was still more than the government initially planned.
The consultations were to only take place over one month but was extended to two after Indigenous leaders raised concerns about the tight timeline.
A summary of those consultations says Indigenous groups decried the lack of information about the project which prevented them from fully assessing its impact.
Prime Minister Mark Carney promised his major projects agenda would not interfere with the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»’s obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
That declaration outlines the need for free, prior and informed consent before decisions are made that can adversely affect the rights and lands of Indigenous communities and people.
Carney today said the pipeline has received the first national interest designation under the Building Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Act which will streamline the rules and oversight to approve the project, aiming for Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» to start next September.
©2026 The Canadian Press
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