Spurred on by a recent spate of North American pipeline oil spills, a large contingent of First Nations from north-central B.C. is expected to protest the $5.5-billion Northern Gateway project at Enbridge's annual general meeting in Calgary.
Member of First Nations west of Prince George -- including the Nadleh Whut'en, Saik'uz, Nak'azdli, Stellat'en and Burns Lake Indian Band -- were on a chartered bus Tuesday heading to Alberta.
Organizers said they expected as many as 100 people to participate in the event, including a march in downtown Calgary today. Some First Nation representatives were scheduled to voice their concerns inside the annual general meeting, which they will gain entrance to as proxy vote-holders.
Some leaders, including those of the Yinka Dene Alliance, were in Calgary earlier in the week, meeting with Enbridge officials.
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council vice-chief Terry Teegee, who participated in a similar event last year, said they do not believe shareholders are getting the full picture on First Nation opposition from Enbridge president and CEO Patrick Daniel.
Daniel, in the past, has cited First Nation opposition as small but vocal.
"The bottom line is it will effect their bottom line if the shareholders know we're not in support of this project," said Teegee, who will not be in Calgary this year.
Inside the annual general meeting, speakers will only have a limited time to get their point across, but they will talk about aboriginal rights and title issues in British Columbia, said Teegee.
An increasing number of First Nations in B.C. have rejected the Northern Gateway pipeline, saying any economic benefits are not worth the environmental risks of a pipeline or tanker spill. Their concerns have been underscored by recent spills, including a 28,000-barrel leak in northern Alberta, said Teegee.
Enbridge is aware of the First Nations' plans, and said they see no problem with their protest or participation in the annual general meeting.
"When you are putting together the largest infrastructure project in British Columbia's history, you have to to expect that people are going to have a lot of questions, and you have to be prepared to answer those questions," said Enbridge spokesman Paul Stanway.
He noted Enbridge has been talking to First Nation for a number of years, and will continue to do so in order to understand their issues and interests. He noted that the Yinka Dene Alliance met with some of Enbridge's board members on Tuesday.
The 1,170-kilometre Northern Gateway pipeline, which would pass just north of Prince George, is meant to open up new markets in Asia for crude from the Alberta oil sands.
Enbridge has touted the economic benefits of the project, including a major benefits package offer to First Nations. The project will be be built and operated to the highest safety standards, says the company.
Stanway said Enbridge understands the concern over recent pipeline spills, but noted that there is a broader context. He pointed to Enbridge's 99.99 per cent safe delivery of 750 million barrels of oil last year. "We honestly believe we do a good job, and we run a safe system. And we see this as an opportunity to explain that to people," said Stanway.
Recent oil spill history
- May 7, 2011: A TransCanada pipeline in North Dakota leaked about 500 gallons of oil -- more than 75,000 litres -- due to a faulty valve. Most of the oil was contained in a berm that surrounded the pumping station, but some oil was sprayed into an adjacent field.
- April 29, 2011: A pipeline owned by Plains Midstream Canada leaked 28,000 barrels of oil -- more than four million litres -- into a marshy area north of Peace River, Alta. The leak has been characterized as the largest in Alberta history in nearly four decades.
- April 22, 2011: A Kinder Morgan pipeline near Edson, Alta. leaked a small amount of oil in a field. Leak was discovered by landowners on horseback. The leak had been too small to reduce pressure on the pipeline and was not detected by the company's safety systems.
- Sept. 9, 2010: Enbridge pipeline in Romeoville, Ill, about 50 kilometres south of Chicago, spilled oil into a neighbourhood. More than 200 barrels of oil -- more than 31,000 litres -- was leaked.
- July 26, 2010: Enbridge pipeline in Michigan ruptures, leaking about 20,000 barrels of oil -- more than three million litres -- some of which flowed into the Kalamazoo River.
Source: Citizen files, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Canadian Press
