Update: FSIN wants consultation in wake of federal government decision on pipelines

He doesn’t often agree with the current federal government but Premier Brad Wall is thanking it for approving two new pipelines.

Line 3 and Kinder Morgan were given the nod by Ottawa on Tuesday.

Line 3 will have the most impact on Saskatchewan because it runs right through the province.

“It will mean about $1.1 billion in economic impact for Saskatchewan and about $180 million in taxes, which is always of interest to governments,” said Wall.

“Evraz is a great manufacturer of pipe in our capital city and this is an important project for the 1000 people that work out there.”

Kinder Morgan runs on the B.C. coast, which Wall contends will still have an impact on Saskatchewan.

“Any time we get Canadian oil to tide water the differential decreases and remember the differential is the world price that all the world gets and the North American price that we’ve been getting for years which is always less,” Wall explained.

“So we can close that differential, we’ll get more money for the people that own the oil, which is the people of Saskatchewan and Canada.”

Wall acknowledges the safety concerns that have been raised in the aftermath of the Husky oil spill this summer.

But he maintains with the right amount of regulation, pipelines remain safer to the environment, and to safety, than moving oil by rail.

FSIN lobbies for consultation

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) wants to be consulted at all times during the construction of the Line 3 pipeline replacement project proposed by Enbridge.

“We want 100 per cent inclusion from the beginning until the end,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron, who touched on the fact that the pipeline crosses through Treaty six and Treaty four territories.

“We will keep pushing that as long as the sun shines, grass grows, and the rivers flow.”

Line 3 hauls oil from Alta. through SK. and into Wisconsin U.S.A.

Chief Cameron said some FSIN members are meeting with Enbridge leadership in Calgary on Friday, but Cameron thinks all them should be present.

“We must all be given the opportunity to express our opinion,” he said.

“We deserve respect and only some are getting that right now.”

Cameron said we have to protect the lands and waters.

“Whether that’s lawsuits or peaceful protests, we need to protect the earth,” he said.

“Respect, that’s all we want from the government.”