OTTAWA – Indigenous communities along the newly-announced West Coast Oil Pipeline route were given just two months for consultations, and that was still more than the government initially planned.
The consultations were to only take place over one month but was extended to two after Indigenous leaders raised concerns about the tight timeline.
A summary of those consultations says Indigenous groups decried the lack of information about the project which prevented them from fully assessing its impact.
Prime Minister Mark Carney promised his major projects agenda would not interfere with the Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
That declaration outlines the need for free, prior and informed consent before decisions are made that can adversely affect the rights and lands of Indigenous communities and people.
Carney today said the pipeline has received the first national interest designation under the Building Canada Act which will streamline the rules and oversight to approve the project, aiming for construction to start next September.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2026.
— With files from Nick Murray
