Squamish Nation celebrates court victory and urges Trudeau to abandon Trans Mountain expansion
Khelsilem, Councilor and spokesperson for the Squamish Nation, one of the Nations involved in a legal challenge against the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain expansion, urged the Canadian government to "do the right thing" and start consulting meaningfully with Indigenous peoples' concerns.
“The Squamish Nation celebrates the court’s ruling in favour of our Indigenous rights. The Trudeau government failed in its rhetoric about reconciliation with First Nations’ and this court decision shows that. This decision reinforces our belief that the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX) must not proceed and we tell the Prime Minister to start listening and put an end to this type of relationship. It is time for Prime Minister Trudeau to do the right thing,” Khelsilem said.
In a news conference at Vancouver's Crab Park, Khelsilem said the government consultation of First Nations had failed, and urged Prime Minister Trudeau to drop the expansion project entirely.
“TMX would triple the capacity of diluted bitumen and is expected to increase the number of tankers passing through Squamish Nation Territory from five to 34 each month. The tankers pass by three Squamish Nation communities on the Burrard Inlet and a single significant marine spill could be catastrophic for those communities, the economy, and the Squamish people,” he added.