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In so many ways, you hold the key

Immediately after Eyre’s speech, Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage also delivered a blistering criticism of federal energy policies, which she likened to “burning things to the ground, then salting the earth.”

Like Eyre, Savage sharply criticized the ban on oil tankers off B.C., as well as Ottawa’s decision to cancel the Northern Gateway pipeline and other initiatives she said had hurt investment in the sector.

While there were some objections, much of the crowd in attendance for the conference said they supported the message.

“With the tanker ban, did they consult with any First Nations on the Coast? No. They’ve tied up a lot of the First Nations traditional territory. Can you do any economic development when your hands are tied?” said Chief Dan George, of the Burns Lake Band in B.C.

George is a director with the National Coalition of Chiefs and is supportive of a new TC Energy Corp. pipeline crossing his band’s territory.

However, the issue of negotiating new deals between the provincial and federal governments did raise some questions as some First Nations pointed out that treaties were negotiated with the Crown.

Photo by Nick Procaylo/PostMedia/File

“If you’re doing a constitutional challenge, we begin to wonder what will happen to us,” said Chief Roy Fox of the Kanai Blood Tribe.

Fox also criticized Alberta for over-indulging the energy industry in some cases to the detriment of some First Nations. In particular, he said Alberta’s decision to impose limits on oil production in the province in a bid to lift prices had affected production on his reserve, which pumps 3,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

“You have to be careful,” he said.

In response, Savage said that she and her government are working to eliminate the production limits that were first imposed on the industry in January 2019, including through last week’s announcement that producers who ship more oil out of the province on railway cars would be permitted to increase their production.

“Nobody wants out of it more desperately than I do,” she said.

Financial Post

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