Open letter from David Pfeiffer, Coastal GasLink President
As far back as 2012 when this project was first considered, Coastal GasLink engaged with Indigenous communities to learn from them, and to ensure that their traditions and values were respected and protected... We are extremely proud of the broad support we have across northern B.C., and that all 20 elected Indigenous communities have signed agreements with Coastal GasLink, communities that are now realizing the opportunities that were envisioned. We are also proud that we are providing an opportunity for Indigenous equity ownership in the project.
... Last year, following the initial blockade, I personally met with Unist’ot’en leadership who agreed on an approach that put safety at the forefront and addressed concerns... I was extremely disappointed when the Unist’ot’en decided to terminate the Access Protocol last month... We have made exceptional efforts to resolve this blockade through engagement and dialogue. Over the past month and over many years, we’ve reached out to the Hereditary Chiefs, over and over, but to no avail... We will now turn our efforts to removing the obstacles along the route in a safe and environmentally responsible way... We will also continue to abide by the Access Protocol that the Unist’ot’en terminated and will do everything in our power to bridge the divides that exist and deliver substantial benefits to the Wet’suwet’en people.