Ottawa continues talks with B.C. First Nations over Northern Gateway

With the clock ticking down for his government'sdecision on Northern Gateway, Natural Resources Minister GregRickford said Monday there have been significant strides forward onpipeline and marine traffic safety in talks between Ottawa and FirstNations.

For at least the fourth time in as many weeks, Rickford was inBritish Columbia. This time, he was speaking at an aboriginal summiton pipeline and marine tanker safety.

"Obviously, there are varied reactions. We've all, I think to acertain extent, agreed that there are issues around a specificproject or a specific aspect of energy infrastructure, energytransportation, but we're plenty capable to have thoseconversations," Rickford told reporters following his speech.

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"I'm confident that we've laid the foundation for an effectivedialogue moving forward."

But leaders of the three most powerful aboriginal organizationsin B.C. said the answer remains "no" to Northern Gateway.

"In the event that the Harper government attempt to ram thisthrough... it will serve to poison the well with respect to the LNGefforts to develop First Nations' support for that set ofproposals," warned Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C.Indian Chiefs.

"It's going to completely undermine and damage what's left ofthe relationship between First Nations and both provincial andfederal governments."

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'Our relationship with the federal government remainschallenged, to say the least'

Grand Chief Ed John, head of the First Nations Summit, said whileLNG falls under provincial jurisdiction, there are concerns aboutthe cumulative effects of many different projects. Those includefracking, oil pipelines, the B.C. government's Site C hydroelectricdam and mining.

Chief Jody Wilson-Raybould, regional leader of the Assembly ofFirst Nations, urged about 150 people attending the conferenceorganized by the Musqueam nation to take a measured approach to thedivisive issue.

But she also scolded the federal government for its use ofomnibus budget legislation to make changes to environmentallaws andgovernance.

"Our relationship with the federal government remainschallenged, to say the least," Wilson Raybould said after herspeech.

Phillip was more blunt.

"It's very difficult to sit there and listen to MinisterRickford talk about building partnerships and collaboration wheneverything they've done has been done unilaterally, without anydiscussion," he said.

"And he stands up there and he maintains there's this strong engagement, this robust engagement with First Nations and that'sjust absolutely not true."

Deadline for decision approaching

With a June 17 deadline for a final decision on the $6.8-billionNorthern Gateway pipeline, Rickford gave no hint of when or whatthat decision will be.

He did, however, reiterate the need for a pipeline leadingsomewhere for land-locked Alberta oil. Rickford's predecessor JoeOliver, now the federal finance minister, echoed those comments onthe other side of the country.

"Canadians need to understand the consequences of not moving ourresources to tidewater," Oliver said at an international economicconference in Montreal.

A diversified market for Canadian oil is worth $30 billion ayear, he said.

Canada has 168 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, possibly300 billion with advances in technology, Oliver said. The countryalso has 37 trillion cubic metres of natural gas.

"So the choice is stark: head down the path of economic decline,higher unemployment, limited funds for social programs like healthcare, continuing deficits and growing debt or achieve prosperity andsecurity now and for future generations through the responsibledevelopment of our resources."

Rickford told industry and aboriginal leaders in Vancouver thatglobal demand for energy is expected to increase by one third by2035.

In B.C., investment in natural gas is expected to bring $180billion in economic benefits over the next 25 years, he said. AcrossCanada, hundreds of resource projects worth $650 billion are plannedor underway.

"However, none of that can come to fruition unless we have astrong and confident relationship, in particular between FirstNations communities and the provincial government and federalgovernment," Rickford told reporters.