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First Nations leaders behind the proposed $16-billion Eagle Spirit pipeline project from Alberta to the British Columbia coast launched a GoFundMe campaign Wednesday to help pay for a court challenge to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s oil tanker ban on Canada’s northern west coast.

In a news release, the project’s chiefs council said the tanker moratorium and the establishment Great Bear Rainforest “were promoted largely through the lobbying of foreign-financed ENGOs and without the consultation and consent of First Nations as required by the Constitution.”

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The chiefs, representing more than 30 First Nations in British Columbia and Alberta participating in the project, said they will always put protection of the environment first, but it must be balanced with social welfare, employment, and business opportunities.

“These government actions harm our communities, denying our leaders the opportunity to create the hope and the brighter future for their members that all Canadians take for granted,” the chiefs said.