Ottawa plans to make Trans Mountain decision by June 18

The federal government will delivera final decision on the fateof the Trans Mountain pipeline by June 18, well beyondthe90-day deadline set by the National Energy Board.

Natural Resources MinisterAmarjeet Sohi, in VancouverThursday afternoon for a"clean energy" infrastructure announcement, said the federal government needsmore timeto satisfy its legal duty to consult with First Nation and Mtis communities about the project.

Sohi said he hasspoken personallywith50 affected communities and his consultation teams have met over 100 communities along the pipeline route.

"Our obligation is to ensure that we are engaging in a meaningful two-way dialogue," Sohi told reporters. "That we are listening to concerns,that we are offering accommodations."

Sohiacknowledgesthegovernment might not be able to resolveeveryconcernIndigenous communities have.

"Where accommodations are not possible, we are being very transparent about why accommodation can't be offered," Sohi said."Our obligation is to ensure that we have adequately fulfilled our duty to consult. And that's the test that we will apply to conclude these consultations."

After a period of uncertaintylast summer,the National Energy Board(NEB) endorsed the project on Feb. 22, giving Ottawa a 90-day periodto make a final call.

That set up May 22 as the original deadline toeither approve the taxpayer-owned project or kill it outright.

"Indigenous groups have told us that more time is needed," Sohi said.

"The government of Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to do things differently on [the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion], moving the process forward in the right way and following the guidance of the Federal Court of Appeal. This means ensuring that consultations are not only meaningfulbut also open and transparent."

The Liberal government, which purchased the project for $4.5billion,hit a roadblock last summer when the Federal Court quashed its initial cabinet approvalof the expanded pipeline. It forced Ottawa to start over on Indigenous consultation and marine-related environmental assessment, two key issues.

The NEBwas ordered to reassess the pipeline expansion, including the impact of increased oil tanker traffic.

In its February endorsement,the NEB made 16 new recommendations designed to better protect marine life on the B.C. coast, where the lineends.

The government has also launchedrenewed consultations with Indigenous groups.

In March, Sohi saidsaid the Crown consultation teams the people carrying out the government's constitutional obligation to meet withIndigenous groups werein a "strong position" to finish their work aftermonths of meetings with First Nations and Mtis groups in Alberta and B.C.

The 1,150-kilometre TransMountain pipeline expansion project between Alberta's oilpatchand coastal B.C. would nearlytriple theexisting pipeline's capacity to 890,000 barrels a day. Tanker traffic from theWestridge Marine Terminal would increase from aboutfive vessels a month to one a day.

Trans Mountain decision coming in June | Power Panel

5 years ago

Duration 7:39

Dan Moulton, Rachel Curran, Franoise Boivin and Jason Markusoff discuss the federal government pushing a decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline until June 18.

Alberta's new premier is okay about the delay

Today, Alberta's incoming premier,Jason Kenney, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed for him during a 15-minute phone call Wednesday morning that the federal government would delay the approval of the Trans Mountain Pipeline.

Kenney said the federal government neededadditional weeks to ensure "proper completion of Aboriginal consultation," and he agreed with postponingthe decision.

"We certainly don't need them going back to the drawing board a third time on this," Kenney told reporters after meeting with outgoing premierRachel Notley.

During the Alberta provincial election,Kenney campaigned on standing up to Ottawa to ensure new pipelines are built.

After Kenney spoke Wednesday, Notley said she's disappointed the government hasdelayed itsdecision and saidit shows how the task of getting Alberta's oil to foreign markets is often out of thehands of Albertans.

"We know, as I have said all along, that they need to do their homework on the consultation and the accommodation," saidNotley, soon to become Alberta'sopposition leader. "It has been 36 hours since Mr. Kenney was elected.

"It's not as simple has having press conferences and expressing people's outrage over and over."

The federal Conservatives also criticized the delay, withfederalenergy critic andLakeland MPShannon Stubbsquestioning the timing.

"Today's announcement, two days after the Alberta election and the day before the Easter long weekend, confirms that the Liberals have no plan to get the Trans Mountain expansion built," Stubbs said in a newsrelease."The Liberals never had a plan to meet the 90-day deadline to make a decision."

'This is a pipeline that was supposed to be halfway done by now' | Jason Kenney

5 years ago

Duration 10:09

Incoming Alberta Premier Jason Kenney reacts to the federal government pushing a decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline until June.