Significant court decision could determine Trans Mountain’s fate: experts
VANCOUVER — A court decision expected Thursday could determine the fate of the contentious Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and further define Canada’s duty to consult with First Nations, experts say.
The Federal Court of Appeal is to rule on a case that combined nearly two dozen lawsuits calling for the National Energy Board’s review of Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd.’s project to be overturned.
First Nations, including the Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish on British Columbia’s south coast, argued the federal government did not adequately consult them before the energy board review or the cabinet decision to approve the project.
A ruling in the Indigenous groups’ favour would be likely to kill the multibillion-dollar pipeline expansion that Canada has offered to purchase, said George Hoberg, a public policy professor at the University of British Columbia.