Premier Rachel Notley to address Trans Mountain Pipeline court decision

The Trans Mountain Pipeline project is facing yet another hurdle on its long journey to BC’s coast.

On Thursday morning the Federal Court of Appeal quashed the approval of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, finding that the National Energy Board’s (NEB) assessment was flawed.

“First, the Board’s process and findings were so flawed that the Governor in Council could not reasonably rely on the Board’s report; second, Canada failed to fulfil the duty to consult owed to Indigenous peoples,” stated Justice Eleanor Dawson in the court documents.

In the hours that followed, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and BC Premier John Horgan, both opponents to the project, weighed in on the decision.

Speaking at a short press conference in Victoria, Horgan said the case has always been about First Nations rights and the assertion by the Tsleil-Waututh “that the [National Energy Board] process was flawed and did not take into consideration their rights and title.”

Horgan said BC “entered this appeal late in the day, after being sworn in last summer and we did so to support the Tsleil-Waututh, but also, when you’re an intervenor, of course you have to add to the argument.”

Word was not heard from the Government of Alberta until this afternoon, when a statement was put out alerting media that Rachel Notley would be addressing Alberta in a live stream on Facebook at 6 pm.

The stream to the video can be found below:

“We face a serious situation,” the post on Notley’s Facebook page states.

“Tonight, during a live televised address, I will talk to Albertans about how we are defending Alberta’s resources, jobs, and the future of our province.”

– With files from Eric Zimmer and Yasmin Aboelsaud

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