Article content

OTTAWA — A federal ban on tanker traffic off British Columbia’s north coast has been defeated in a Senate committee.

On a 6-6 vote, the Senate’s transportation and communications committee rejected Bill C-48 Wednesday night.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Federal oil tanker ban bill defeated in Senate, but legislation not dead Back to video

The bill would put into a law a rule forbidding ships carrying more than 12,500 tonnes of crude oil from loading or unloading between the northern tip of Vancouver Island and the Alaska border.

Conservatives in the Senate say defeating the bill is a win for Canada’s energy industry.

The House of Commons passed the bill a week ago and its failure in a Senate committee doesn’t mean it’s dead, but the vote is a defeat for the Trudeau Liberals.

Along with Bill C-69, which is meant to reform the federal assessment process for national-scale construction projects, Bill C-48 has enraged many backers of the Canadian oil industry, including Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.