COAST SALISH TERRITORY, VANCOUVER (Nov. 26, 2025) – Marilyn Slett, President of the Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative and elected Chief of the Heiltsuk Nation, issued the following statement in reaction to the upcoming MOU between Alberta and the federal government that purportedly includes a path forward for a pipeline to the North Coast of BC:
“As the Rights and Title Holders of the Central and North Coast and Haida Gwaii, we are here to remind the Alberta government, the federal government, and any potential private proponent that we will never allow oil tankers on our coast, and that this pipeline project will never happen.
“While the details of this MOU remain to be seen, under no circumstances can it override our inherent and constitutional Rights and Title, or deter our deep interconnection of mutual respect for the ocean.
“Throughout this process we have been met with a wall of silence from the federal government. Such conduct is not honourable and is fundamentally at odds with Canada’s constitutional, legislative, and international obligations to coastal First Nations.
“We have made repeated calls to the federal government to uphold Bill C-48, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, as it is foundational to the successful conservation economy we have built on the North Coast. Coastal First Nations, along with the province of BC, have made it clear through our joint declaration that the tanker ban is not up for negotiation, and no MOU will change that.
“Our Nations understand the economic challenges Canada is facing. This is why we much prefer to work with the federal government on truly nation-building, forward-looking projects and initiatives that are built in partnership with Indigenous peoples. We should be working together to protect our environment, diversify our economy, and create jobs that support our communities, instead of squandering everyone’s time on politically-motivated MOU’s that are only dividing our country further.
“We will reserve further comment on the MOU until it has been formally announced.”
About Coastal First Nations
For 25 years, Coastal First Nations has focused on building a sustainable conservation economy, delivering over 1400 jobs and 140 new businesses to date. In the past 15 years, this economy has generated nearly $2 billion in economic value for British Columbia and Canada.
Media Contact:
Caitlin Thompson
Director of Communications
Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative
cthompson@coastalfirstnations.ca
